Horacker: Analysis of Major Characters
"Horacker: Analysis of Major Characters" provides an insightful exploration of the key figures surrounding the enigmatic character Cord Horacker, a young man on the run from reform school. Central to the narrative is Dr. Werner Eckerbusch, the village vice principal, characterized by his cheerfulness, intelligence, and storytelling prowess. His wife, Ida, matches his spirited nature with her irreverent wit and confidence, often engaging in playful verbal exchanges. The couple is joined by their friend Victor Windwebel, a drawing teacher who sees Horacker as a captivating subject for his art.
The story unfolds as they collaborate with local pastor Christian Winckler and his pragmatic wife Billa, who both support the humane care of Horacker despite the villagers' fears. Meanwhile, Neubauer, the self-important assistant master, contrasts sharply with the community's more compassionate figures. The narrative highlights Horacker's misunderstood status as a frightened young man rather than the villain he is rumored to be, along with his girlfriend Lottchen's devoted return to the village. This character-driven analysis reveals themes of compassion, misunderstanding, and the complexity of human relationships in small-town life.
Horacker: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Wilhelm Raabe
First published: 1876 (English translation, 1983)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Two German villages
Plot: Social realism
Time: July 25, 1867
Dr. Werner Eckerbusch (VEHR-nehr EH-kehr-bewsh), the vice principal of the local school. Werner is a cheerful, intelligent, and imaginative man, well past middle age, who has been the principal and a teacher in a small village for most of his life. He has not traveled much, having left the village and surrounding area of his birth only during the years in which he was a university student. Werner has a well-developed sense of humor, a serene character, and a great love for the telling of stories and anecdotes. During the mere ten hours in which the events narrated in the novel occur, Werner, along with his colleague and friend Victor Windwebel, hikes across the mountain to visit his longtime friend Christian Winckler, pastor of the neighboring village of Gansewinckel; participates in the recovery of the purported robber and murderer Horacker; and engages in much entertaining conversation. When it is suggested by the inhabitants of Gansewinckel that the captured Horacker should be placed in detention, Werner's oratorical skill allows him to shame the villagers into recognizing some of their own failings and letting Billa, the pastor's wife, care for the hungry and exhausted Horacker. Werner and his wife Ida, along with Christian and Billa Winckler, are magnanimous, open-minded, and unusual. Of the four, Werner is the most playful; he does not mind being the center of attention and succeeds in dazzling everyone with his ability to spin a good tale.
Ida Eckerbusch (EE-dah), his wife. Ida appears to be her husband's equal, if not in style, then at least in content. Much of her married life consists of good-natured verbal sparring with her husband in which, in spite of the fact that she inaccurately quotes the Latin citations she hears from him, she perseveres. Ida's self-confidence is particularly apparent during a coach ride to Gansewinckel. She insists that Neubauer accompany her and Hedwig Windwebel. She completely unnerves the somewhat snooty Neubauer with her irreverence and no-nonsense attitude. Not beyond staging intrigues herself, she insists on sneaking up on the unsuspecting Werner and company in the Gansewinckel parsonage and thus contributes to the good-natured atmosphere in which the case of Horacker is settled.
Victor Windwebel (VIHND-veh-behl), the drawing master. Victor is a youngish drawing teacher and colleague and friend of Werner. He has traveled widely but now has found employment in the small provincial school where Werner feels so much at home. Victor regards Horacker as a romantic and fascinating subject for his drawing board but is his primary pursuer after he and Werner discover the young man in the forest. As a good friend of Werner, Victor promises to benefit from the former's attitude toward life.
Hedwig Windwebel (HEHD-vihg), Victor's wife. Hedwig is quite young and is expecting a child. She is pleasant but emotional and prey to the stories and rumors circulating in the villages, such as the rumor that Horacker has slain Werner and her husband. Ida regards her as a good friend and looks after her.
Neubauer (NOY-bow-ehr), the assistant master at the school. Neubauer is a young man who feels superior to his older colleagues and the villagers. He considers himself to be a poet and regards his assignment to the provincial school beneath his dignity. He can be charming, if he wishes, and occasionally appreciates village life.
Christian Winckler (VIHNK-lehr), the pastor of Gansewinckel. Christian has common sense and understands the foibles of his parishioners. His favorite pastime is reading the eighteenth century German author Christian Fürchtegott Gellert, whose moralistic and pleasant tales give him consolation.
Billa Winckler, Christian's wife. As the wife of the village pastor, the resolute and down-to-earth Billa is an excellent helpmate for her husband. She and Christian are childless and rear the orphaned and impoverished Lottchen Achterhang.
Cord Horacker (HOH-rak-uhr), a young man who escaped from reform school. Horacker is nineteen years old and was sent to reform school because of a number of youthful pranks, the worst of which was stealing a pot of lard. He escapes when he is told erroneously that Lottchen Achterhang no longer loves him, and rumor transforms him into a cunning thief and ruthless murderer. In reality, he is hungry, tattered, and frightened, only too willing to be helped when Werner and Victor find him.
Lottchen Achterhang (LOT-khehn AHKH-tehr-hang), Horacker's girlfriend. Lottchen leaves her place of employment many miles away from Gansewinckel and returns there on foot when she is told that Horacker has run away from the reform school. She arrives at the parsonage dirty and exhausted but revives after being helped by Billa, particularly after Horacker is found.