A Critical Analysis of Friedrichs The Visit - Essay Example

of the A Critical analysis of Friedrich’s “The Visit” Thesis: The influence of money in the society converts man who in turn becomes a victim to sins during times of needs. Money revolves in the world as a powerful force, which could change humanity from morality to immorality. “The Visit” by Friedrich is a fine illustration of the above theme demonstrating the influence of money in the present society. Money has been used by the protagonist as a weapon to take revenge and to rebuild justice according to one own wishes. Friedrich’s The Visit is a typical example of modern play in German. Composed in three acts the author has allowed Money to take part in the play as an influencing force and seemed to have personified it almost at all important aspects of the play. The story takes place in Guellen, a famous town in Germany. It is a play with a potent theme selected and designed to shake the society, which is filled with flaws, but the treatment has been given in a different way. The Visit acts as a stepping-stone to the Twentieth Century German Literature. The playwright seemed to have intentionally written this play with a comic notion amidst a serious surrounding. It becomes very difficult to ignore the serious implications present in the plot. The necessity of money and its influence direct the people to the extent of killing a person has been portrayed by Frederich in a different way. Money has the power to change the judicial part of the society, and can convert even the most obedient to a worse one, for example the Character of the teacher in The Visit. The morality and religious beliefs and traditions of the society disintegrate as the influence of money transforms the people to a different nature. The powerful influence of money in the modern world, which could change every thing beginning from the moral aspect to the religious and judicial aspects of the society could be understood very well from this play. The plot revolves around three main characters Claire Zachanassian, Alfred Ill, who in her earlier days lingers around the town and joins with Alfred Ill. Because of their relationship becoming closer and closer, she becomes pregnant. However, unfortunately Josef tries to resolve this matter by introducing two others and claims them to have slept with Claire. She leaves the town in humiliation and extreme anxiety, where as situations become very worse that she gets a very ad identity in the town. Meanwhile fortune takes a different role in her in the name of a rich man, who rescues her from this bad identity. He is captivated by her charm and gives her his hand in turn, Claire becomes extremely rich and pays a visit to the town of Guellen, which is in real demand for financial support. The people of the town wait eagerly to welcome her, without knowing or identifying her real past. She gets a different treatment as the whole lot of the town people rely their hopes on her. She considers this opportunity as a suitable one to take revenge of Alfred Ill. Guellen had been discarded by the once wealthy industrial community, is portrayed by the author as penniless, however the natural resources remain wealthy, so the people are waiting for a better opportunity in terms of financial assistance from any rich people. Claire’s visit is the striking feature of the plot from where the intensity of the play increases. The people of Guellen think that Claire’s visit might bring a reformation to their town; they direct their expectations towards her financial support. People’s expectation of money is the key factor for Claire who in turn plans her revenge by enhancing the necessity of the people. As a result, she promises to prop up with 50 million to the town, administration however keeps a condition that her old lover who had betrayed her 50years ago should be sentenced to death. The people of Guellen get disturbed a little, refuse her demand of Alfred Ill’s life and goes back to their routine work, where in the amount which she had promised is certainly a compulsory requirement for the town’s developmental plans turns the people slowly towards the consideration of Claire’s demand. People consider Claire’s associates as a sort of amusement for them; the scenes focused on their meeting are filled with comic instances. The sarcastic demand made by Claire appears to be a substantiate and observable factor for the development of the town. People one by one start concentrated towards buying posh things from Josef’s shop buy in credit. However, many have disapproved the same notion of credit offered by Alfred Ill, as a result, the situation allows the authoritative and people with moral responsibility to think in terms of preparing an end to Alfred Ill’s life. This is an indication that money’s influence has started working inside the minds of people who were once filled with humanity. While on the other hand, the Claire’s notion of revising the justice taunts them as an additional pressure for money.   As far as Claire is concerned, she has nothing to do with getting the approval of the town peope, on the other side her financial fortune helps her to catch hold of the authoritative status to give an option to decide on the future of the town. Meanwhile she feels delighted to empower this opurtunity to she is betting that new justice can be bought, that what we have come to regard as immutable social values springing from our rectitude as a species are really just a serendipitous and fleeting affectation that ebb and flow according to our economic well-being” Turns out shes right.  As the last bastion of ethics, the schoolteacher, caves in and buys a fifth of Irish whiskey on credit from Alfred Ill, a trial is held, he is condemned, the mayor proclaims simultaneously that justice has prevailed at last and that the Claire Zachanassian Foundation has been established. The Visit of Claire brings her an ultimate revenge to life and at the same time showing the influence of one person’s life over another. A short play however reflects the general trend of the present society, which is liable to convert even normal people to nasty one although they are not affected by any major cause. The power of money determines the power of a person in a society. Claire, has been portrayed as greedy in terms of waiting for a golden opportunity to take revenge of Alfred, though the reason behind he revenge has in store the story of a desperate girl. Claire’s intension is to give a chance to the people of Guellen in the place of Justice. The town people’s changing decisions and Claire’s revelation of her intensions holds the breathtaking moment of the story and in this aspect, the plot could not be considered as an intended comedy. The people of Guellen reflect their diversion towards money and as a result, they get along with the madness of revenge expressed by Claire with that of their madness for money. Here a comparison could be identified Claire’s psychosis towards revenge and town people’s madness in pursuit of money. Friedrich has taken this opportunity to exemplify a great change that takes place in a whole community with in a petite interval. The theme travels in such a way that the author converts the change of views represented by the people regarding Claire’s plans through a comic track and the after effects of these changes through a tragic path. Neither the people of the town nor Claire posses’ real humanity as the former invite her keeping her financial status as their main consideration and the latter making use of her money to take revenge. The visit exposes the darker elements of human nature While considering the treatment of justice, Friedrich signifies the worst case of misplacing justice through the character of the local teacher. The local teacher appears to be one among the very few who warns about Alfred Ill’ destiny, but his self-declared humanistic tendency and morality also crumples exploring the power of money in the society. Read More