Introduction
The Adventures of a Simpleton, written by Hans Jacob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen in 1668, is a classic Baroque style work that was strongly influenced by the 30-year Prussian war fought between 1618 and 1648. The story is the narration of an orphan vagabond adventurer called Melchior Sternfels when he travels across a war-ravaged Germany, a war that decimated the population from 12 million to just 4 million. This paper discusses the story and suggests that it reflects the war-ravaged social class structure of Germany in the early 16th Century.
Analysis of the social Class
The translation of the work by students of The College of William and Mary provides the basis for this paper (The Simplicissimus Project 2002). As soliloquized by Melchior (Book I, Chapter i), a strong symbolism is used by the author, who compares the German society to a forest of trees. Roots of the trees are compared to the peasant class because they work with the soil, are hidden from the glare and attention that the nobility get. These peasants continuously toil day and night and carry the burden of the branches and leaves that are symbolized by the nobility. When the author speaks of the peasant class, he includes all the working class of people such as the merchants, carters, laborers, soldiers and mercenaries, laborers, and even the harlots. The branches, fruits, flowers, and leaves are symbolized by the upper classes or the nobility, who exist only at the expense and labors of the working class who struggle in darkness and despair to support the nobility. As in a tree, there is a marked demarcation between the two classes, and these are represented by the shiny, slippery, and waxy bark. The peasant class is clearly separated by this slippery bark, and it is indeed difficult for anyone from the peasant class to climb up to the branches unless someone from the noble class gives a helping hand, and they do it only for people they like. Lateral movement among the peasant class is, however, possible, and a peasant can become a laborer, a soldier, craftsman, or anything in their own class.
The author speaks of the class struggle between the peasants and the nobility, with the peasants constantly seeking ways and means to escape the miserable conditions from the countryside. He also speaks of the pitiful needs and possessions they had and consumed only what they could find in the forests, such as birds, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and so on. Their physical needs were also very meager and obviously, what they owned was what they wore.
“Then for garments: of wool, or silk, of cotton, and of linen, as for beds, table-covers, and tapestries, we had none save what we wore upon our bodies: for we deemed it enough if we could shield ourselves from rain and frost” (Chapter XI).
When Melchior is captured by the Governers troops, he is subjected to intense questioning, and the governor feels that he can take up a position as a fool in the court. The vagabond readily agrees as this is an upward movement in life for him, and he subjects himself to the painting of his body, hair, teeth, and even the eyelids. This shows the societal bias of the nobility towards the peasants. They are ready to accept them, provided the peasants have the physical appearance, dress, and mannerisms that they want.
“So ’twas allowed him to go to the Governor, and a half-hour thereafter I was fetched out likewise and put in the servitor’s room, where we’re already two tailors, a shoemaker with shoes, a haberdasher2 with stockings and hats, and another with all manner of apparel so that I might forthwith be clothed. Then took they off my coat, chains and all, and the hair-shirt, by which the tailors could take their measure aright: next appeared a barber with his lather and his sweet-smelling soaps, but even as he would exercise his art upon me came another order which did grievously terrify me: for it ran, I should put on my old clothes again. Yet ’twas not so ill meant as I feared: for there came presently a painter with all his colors, namely vermilion and cinnabar for my eyelids, indigo and ultramarine for my coral lips, gamboge and ochre and yellow lead for my white teeth, which I was licking for sheer hunger, and lamp-black and burnt unber for my golden hair, white lead for my terrible eyes and every kind of paint for my weather-colored coat: also had he a whole handful of brushes” Book III, Chapter. xxi).
The author has driven home the message that the nobleman will always rise to his true position, no matter where he is placed. As the story progresses, the vagabond has now been promoted as a Huntsman, which was a position of power. On the day of his marriage, he comes across an old man from his own native village, and a dialogue starts between Melchoir and the farmer. The former vagabond seems to know that the farmer is his father but is afraid that the farmer would reveal this and cause disgrace. But the farmer tells the tale of how a heavily pregnant woman on a horse rode into his farm and gave birth to a noble son and how she then abandoned him. The message reflects the social pressures that existed at that which frowned upon the bastard children of even noblewomen (Book IV, Chapter. viii).
Conclusion
The novel can be regarded as a portrayal of the war-ravaged Germany in the mid-1660s. To a great extent, it reflects the portrayal of the German social class structure and the bias and prejudices that were prevalent. It can be indeed taken as a reference point by Historians who wish to research the subject of social class structure in medieval Germany.
References
The Simplicissimus Project (2002), ‘H.J.C von Grimmelshausen, The Adventurous Simplicissimus, trans. A.T.S. Goodrick: London: Heinemann, 1912, Web.