“New discovery. or ancient truth”: Arthur Schnitzler's Fink und Fliederbusch

Abstract

It has been generally assumed that Schnitzler's Fink und Fliederbusch is a satire of journalism and politics. Its specific theme, however, takes its cue from the speech in Act 1 in which Kajetan celebrates the identity of opposites (the “Identität der Gegensätze”). That is, the object of satire is not the day to day workings of press and politics but the lack of any informing principle behind their activities which, if taken to its logical conclusions, renders the very idea of principles irrelevant. This lack is most readily apparent in the title character, of course, as well as in Count Niederhof and in Styx; however, it is also clearly echoed in almost every other character as well. It is, in addition, evident almost everywhere in the play, from the basic premise of Fliederbusch's writing for both the liberal and the reactionary publications to the pairing off of erstwhile antagonists at the very end.