Correction: Analysis of Major Characters
The analysis of major characters in this narrative centers around profound themes of intellectual obsession, despair, and the impact of personal loss. The narrator, who grapples with chronic illness, becomes fixated on completing the unfinished literary work of his late friend, Roithammer. This middle-aged individual moves into Roithammer's former apartment, emphasizing his deep connection to the past and his struggle with his own mental health, which mirrors the despair faced by Roithammer before his tragic suicide.
Roithammer himself is portrayed as a brilliant yet troubled intellectual, whose diverse passions range from philosophy to modern music. Despite his potential, he feels stifled by the limitations of his provincial surroundings after returning from Cambridge. His plans to create an architectural tribute for his sister, who died shortly after its completion, highlight his sensitivity and the profound grief that contributed to his eventual decline.
Höller, a taxidermist, serves as a link between the narrator and Roithammer's life, providing insights into Roithammer's struggles during his last days. Together, these characters encapsulate a poignant exploration of the intersections between creativity, mental health, and the burdens of unfulfilled aspirations, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of human emotion and the consequences of isolation.
Correction: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Thomas Bernhard
First published: Korrektur, 1975 (English translation, 1979)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Altensam, an estate in Austria
Plot: Philosophical
Time: The early 1970's
The narrator, a sickly individual who is obsessed with reconstructing his friend Roithammer's unfinished literary work. He is a middle-aged, highly intellectual, and introspective individual plagued by chronic lung infections. The narrator becomes so involved with his late friend's life that he moves into his former apartment and seems to reach a similar point of suicidal despair.
Roithammer, the narrator's friend who has committed suicide. Roithammer was a brilliant intellectual and scholar whose wide-ranging interests included philosophy, mathematics, architecture, and modern music. For a time, he had been a promising student and tutor at the University of Cambridge. He returned, however, to his family estate of Altensam but was stifled by the petty and provincial atmosphere of the surrounding community. This sensitive and highly introspective man was considered an eccentric by the local people. When Roithammer received an inheritance from his father, he planned to design and construct a special round building for his beloved sister. She died soon after its completion. Roithammer then spent a short time in England and returned to Altensam to write an account of his childhood and life in Altensam. He moved into a small attic apartment and worked on ever more succinct versions of his work. Unable to finish his work, he became increasingly depressed and committed suicide.
Höller, a taxidermist from whom Roithammer rents an attic apartment. He later rents it to the narrator and tells him about his friend's last weeks of life.