'Vorbestraft': Differing Perspectives on Reintegration and Recidivism in Narratives by Storm and Fallada

Abstract

The article is a comparative examination of two works of German literature on the motif of the ex-convict: Theodor Storm's novella Ein Doppelganger (1886) and, some fifty years later, Hans Fallada's novel Wer einmal aus dem Blechnapf frist (1934). The writers' interest in the controversial subject of reintegration and recidivism springs from diametrically opposed starting points, for Storm was a lawyer and judge, while Fallada was an ex-felon, but they share a humanitarian commitment to the plight of the disenfranchised. This study analyses the factors in each work which motivate the protagonist's return to crime, and considers how the respective portrayals reflect contemporary attitudes to law and social order. It is argued that both authors through their creative writing challenge false assumptions about crime and punishment, and anticipate the gradual modern implementation of progressive ideas in the care and resettlement of offenders.