The Holy Sinner: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Holy Sinner: Analysis of Major Characters" delves into the intricate narratives surrounding key figures in a tale that intertwines sin, redemption, and identity. The story is narrated by Brother Clemens, an Irish monk who presents it as a blend of entertainment and moral instruction, emphasizing the idea that a sinner can be chosen for greatness. Central to the narrative are Duke Grimald and his wife, Baduhenna, whose tragic deaths leave their children, Wiligis and Sibylla, in the care of Sieur Eisengrein. This guardian's decisions lead the siblings into a forbidden incestuous relationship, resulting in the birth of Gregorss, later known as Gregorius—the titular "Holy Sinner."
Gregorius's journey is both remarkable and fraught with challenges; abandoned as a child, he is raised by a fisher family and educated in a monastery. His noble lineage is revealed at seventeen, propelling him into the pursuit of his destiny, which inadvertently leads him to marry his mother. Upon realizing this grave sin, Gregorius seeks penance for seventeen years before ultimately rising to become the pope of Rome. This complex web of relationships and moral dilemmas serves as a poignant exploration of the themes of sin, forgiveness, and the potential for redemption within the human experience.
The Holy Sinner: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Thomas Mann
First published: Der Erwählte, 1951 (English translation, 1951)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Lands that became Belgium and France, the North Sea, and Rome
Plot: Romance
Time: The sixth century
Brother Clemens, the narrator, an Irish monk from the cloister of Clonmacnoise who sets about telling the story of the children of Duke Grimald. Clemens tells the story with great sympathy and poetry, believing his tale to be instructional as well as entertaining. Living in Rome, Clemens (his Irish name is Morhold) believes that his tale of a saint has a universal message: The sinner may be the chosen one (the German title translates as “The Chosen One”).
Duke Grimald and Baduhenna, the grandparents of “the Holy Sinner.” Grimald is the Duke of Flanders and Artois and lives in the Castle Beaurepaire with his wife, Baduhenna. They become the parents of Wiligis and Sibylla, two handsome children who are loved by their father; Baduhenna dies giving birth to the pair. The duke dies seventeen years after his wife, leaving the children in the hands of their guardian, Sieur Eisengrein.
Wiligis and Sibylla, the two comely children of Duke Grimald and his lady, Baduhenna. After Duke Grimald dies, Wiligis becomes a duke and Sibylla a duchess. The two then commit incest. They confess their sin to Sieur Eisengrein, who sends Wiligis off to join the Crusades and orders Sibylla to Eisengrein's own castle, where she is to have her baby. Wiligis dies on the way to the port of embarkation. Sibylla remains for the time a single woman, repenting of her sin and rejecting all the suitors who come to her.
Grigorss, later Gregorius, the so-called Holy Sinner. He is the child of Wiligis and Sibylla. Cast adrift in a barrel at the order of Sieur Eisengrein, who believes that God will protect the babe if he approves of his survival, the child is found by the fisher folk of the abbey of Saint Dunstan on the North Sea coast. The child is adopted by the abbot of the abbey, Gregorius, who gives the baby his name and has him reared by a fisher family. At the age of six, the child moves into the monastery. Educated by the monks, Gregorius nevertheless dreams of knightly adventures. He learns that he is of noble blood at the age of seventeen and leaves the abbey to find his parents. His knightly ambitions lead him to succor his mother (unknown to him), save her from a brutal suitor, and marry her. When he discovers his sin, he dons the clothes of a beggar and does penance by living on a bare rock in the middle of a lake for seventeen years. He is chosen by a miracle to become the pope of Rome. He becomes a pious leader of the church.