great works ii – 2850 jta 12:25-2:05: love letters from the world

1) Georg’s decision at the end of the story to commit suicide is partly his own fault due to his insecurity and partly due to the treatment of his father.   I believe these two factors are connected because within the story Georg’s father put him down multiple times, he accused him of lying about having a friend in Petersburg, he also called him a joker.  Georg’s father also tells him he doesn’t need him and could take care of himself, in my opinion the interactions between Georg his father is deep rooted.  In a psychological view it is said personal traits may stem from parents, which is why I came to the conclusion that Georg’s relationship with his had lead to his insecurities and depression within himself that lead to his suicide.  On the second to last page Georg’s father says, “You were a devilish human being! And therefore know this: I condemn you to death by drowning!” once again he insults Georg by comparing him to the devil and then tells him to kill himself.   Georg ended up taking what his father said and actually committing suicide, which could have been prevented if he had a better relationship with his father.  -Katarina

Many people see this ending as somehow unrealistic. Do you agree? Why or why not? How does it being realistic, not entirely realistic, or both contribute to your understanding of the ending?

3)  I do see the ending as somehow unrealistic but I also see it as a culmination of emotions.  I believe it was the breaking point in George’s life and even though it is an unexpected and exaggerated reaction it does represent a collection of repressed emotions he had.  It is proven that parents, especially fathers can have a very deep impact in the life of his son and George’s old man is a clear example.  George was dealing with a lot of things at the same time, his business, his future marriage, his long distance relationship with his best friend in Russia and his father getting old and being dependent on him.  “So now you know what there was in the world outside of yourself. Up to this point you’ve known only about yourself!” George’s father continuously blaming him with no reason or fundamentals.  The way his father started taking everything out of context and releasing all this negative attributes and emotions to George made him lose self-control and eventually take the ultimate decision.  I say it’s unrealistic because it is too sudden, to rushed and somehow unconsious.  

• Joaquin Azcue

2) Georg’s last decision is a critical one and I personally believe we all have a choice, even if we like our options or not. I feel like he choose his fate even if his father said those negative things about him and the negative impact Georg’s had on certain things. ″You have no friend in Petersburg. You were always a joker, and you have also not spared me. How can you possibly have a friend over there of all places! I can’t believe that.″ This statement is almost as if Georg’s crazy, even though we find out that the father confirms that his friend is real, the distance and this confusion is blamed on Georg for making the decisions that he has made. Everything seems like an illusion in a sense. All of these things led to Georg’s death that he choose to do unfortunately.
-Onu Mezbah

1)The life Georg lived was already comprised of hardships aside from his arrogant father. He deals with daily concerns regarding his upcoming marriage, the family business, and his relationship with an old colleague in Russia. Given the difficult life he was living in, his father had only made it worse for him. He only wanted the best for him. Georg had only wanted to check up on his father and to discuss the letter he was writing to his colleague. Even in a weakened state, his father somehow still accuses his son of wrong doings and tells him that his colleague is a better man than he is. After questioning and criticizing almost all of his actions including his wife, he tells him to go drown himself. This is ultimately one of the turning points in the story. Reason being is because this led to the decision Georg made to commit suicide. Although he did love his parents, he felt this was the best decision. Feeling unwanted and living  a life full of hardships, he drops down from a nearby bridge.

• Farhan Zaman