The Good Soldier Sveik is a conventional work revealing the captivating adventures of the rogue. The novel consists of a linear account of the sequent events that happened in Sveik’s life. The main character accomplishes a series of journeys where he should overcome the hardships imposed by corrupt society. At the end of the story, the soldier stops his wandering. In fact, the novel presents Hasek’s anti-war orientation with his humorous view on realistic military actions between Austro-Hungarian Empire and Russia. In this way, the main goal of the author is to heal the people’s minds and souls from the cruel reality thus delivering a lively treat with insertion of serious context about the destroying power of war.
The author’s ridiculous approach to the war manages to highlight the endless bureaucracies, the absurdness of the social stratification, and religions through the view of the reservist Sweik. This character is rendered in such a sophisticated way so that it is hard to understand the real intentions of his adventure. Throughout the novel, Sveik narrates various anecdotal and humoristic situations from his life thus imposing satirical undertones on the novel. These absurd situations were, probably, experienced by Hasek as they are presented as a protest against the cruelty and corruptness during wartime.
Despite the fact that the novel depicts the military life and the way people humiliate each paper, little attention is paid to the description of combat scenes and weapon descriptions. In particular, Hasek puts an emphasis on the military government with its complex hierarchy and procedures rather than on the army itself. In that regard, the army is the main object of satirical mocking, which is revealed through the perception of military functions as the method to torture people because of absurd values. Indeed, this series of stories is a great satire on the ubiquitous existence of bureaucratic structures that convert modern society into a rational automatic machine. Although the story is deprived of the severe scenes of killings, there observe no signs of humanity. This emphasis is aimed at revealing the idiocy of war and relations between people obsessed with military actions.
Hasek’s criticism of bureaucracy is also reduced to a detailed description of all characters – from the emperor and high-rank officials up to the drunkards – where each one is of equal importance for the entire story. This portrayal reveals veritable vices of humans who are limited to their material needs and are separated from the cultural and spiritual entity. Those false images established in the military society create foolish views on social laws and their controlling functions, as war makes any system cruel and absurd. The description of military actions is presented in an absurdly official manner:
“It may be …that if we have war with the Turks the German’ll attack us, because the Germans and the Turks stick together. You can’t find bigger bastards anywhere”
Another description shows the author’s intention to reveal the pseudo–seriousness of the law system when the police officer brings Sveik to the prison.
“Sweik followed the plain-clothes police officer into the message where a little surprise awaited him. His drinking companion showed him his eaglet and announced that he was arresting him and would take him at once to police headquarters.”
The description that is endowed with excessive formality and seriousness testifies to the author’s desire to portray the law system in its false vision. The concrete situation shows that these official images of legality are not destined to protect people from the world of bureaucratic philosophy. Attention should be also drawn to frequent references to the ideal comparison of the characters with God or Jesus, which is important for the novel. By this approach, Hasek expresses his indignation towards religion that is strictly subjected to the dictated norms. However, this theological implication also testifies to a distorted outlook on Christianity. These “strange comparisons” made Sveik show his ingenuousness and hidden political context at the same time.
A humorous and satirical effect in the novel is also achieved through the criticism of language. The usage of official language by the governmental apparatus promotes the impression of the ideal ruling system on mere people. Pseudo-images are also referred to as the description of military heroism and the realities of the war without actual pictures of the dangerous and cruel battles. However, this severe reality is disguised under Sveik’s witty jokes that implicitly render Hasek’s criticism of the government. In the novel, this character acquires the status of a folklore hero symbolizing the veritable life of mere people. Sveik can be therefore identified with the national hero that evokes the hope for a peaceful time.
From the reading, it is impossible to guess the motives of Sveik as the protagonist in the novel. It is hard to decide where he is a mentally ill person or he is just pretending, whether he is educated or is ignorant, whether he has particular motives or he just takes chances. Finally, a question arises whether he is manipulated or is a manipulator. The fact is that Sveik mirrors the author’s reluctance to accept the social and legal order and instead, he criticizes and mocks at the existed power. Relying on the above ground, it is possible to reconcile the story with reality.
It is also difficult to understand Sveik’s way of thinking, as the narrator rarely refers to his inner world. The only thing we can perceive is his speech revealing what motives are hidden under his words. Relying on this reading, this person is a simpleton who cares for the fate of other people. The reader can also perceive the patriotic spirits from the description of his appearance and behavior: “His simple face, smiling life a full moon, beamed with enthusiasm. Everything was so clear to him.” This simplicity can be also perceived from the answers given by the soldiers that are brave and naïve at the same time. The same tone is also conveyed by the narrator who often comments on Sveik’s remarks. The accent on Sveik’s appearance, actions, and artless movements denotes the author’s implicit participation in all these dialogues.
All the stories narrated by the good soldier insert vital notes to the strict and firm military situation. But even these stories of a seemingly mad person are seriously accepted by other participants of the narration. Sveik neglects all prejudices and notions about the existed hierarchy thus reckoning people of the highest rank in a number of mere people. This is especially viewed from his straight reactions to Mrs. Muller’s remarks about “Imperial Highness”: “Well, of course, Mrs. Muller…If you wanted to kill His Imperial Highness or for that matter even His Imperial Majesty the Emperor, you’d certainly need advice. Several heads are wise than one”
Despite Sveik’s implicit obedience to other people of higher position as well as his acceptance of the absurd bureaucracy system, the good soldier is still impermeable to what these symbols and orders mean. He obeys the rules and commands of the officers, accepts the ridiculous mechanism of the bureaucratic apparatus, and is ready to serve their wills. However, the point is that this official language dictating various rules and instructions is aimed to reduce human activity and to convert people into machines subjected to rational thinking. In this regard, Sveik embodies all human qualities thus subconsciously resisting the system, which is beyond human comprehension. Ironically, he throws down bureaucracy by agreeing with authority’s postulates. His behavior, therefore, discloses his dual personality.
With the introduction of Sveik’s stories, Hasek intends to preserve the feeling of Czeck’s ethnic and cultural identity. This series of adventures of an ordinary person reminds the readers about the veritable values of life that cannot be embraced by a bureaucratic system. In particular, Sveik’s narrations strengthen the impression of twists and turns of life presenting in a simple and artless manner. The main motive of the good soldier as well as the author is to insert this anarchic order of life into the automated and heartless system. Finally, these tales also encompass sentimental illustrations and reflections that manifest the cardinal virtues of a simple and happy life with the insertion of the details of severe reality. These are, probably, the main things that should be noticed and respected by all people.
Bibliography
Hasek, Yaroslav. 1974. The Good Soldier Sveik. US: Penguin Classics.