2.6 NORMAS DE DISEÑO
2.6.3 Requerimiento de Diseño para Estructuras Aisladas Sismicamente según ASCE
As we have seen from the previous chapter, a thematic analysis of the novels alone does not answer why the protagonists are all left functionless at the end of their stories. While they do all lose their jobs in the course of the novels, and with them the means of their livelihood, this alone does not explain why they behave as they do. The question persists; what forces conspire to reduce, demean and marginalize the protagonists? In an attempt to get closer to answering the question of why the protagonists become victims of their urban environment, I want to consider the language in the novels; both the language used to describe the protagonists and which they use to describe themselves and their surroundings. In a sense, language forms a crucial part of what up to this point has been broadly referred to as the protagonists' 'surroundings'.
For the sake of clarity, the novels will be considered separately with the discussion of each novel following and expanding on the thematic issues raised in the previous chapter. I will start with Kleiner Mann - Was Hun? and Pinneberg's antagonistic relationship with his work sphere, followed by an analysis of Doris's difficulty to establish an identity for herself while striving to become a Glanz in Das Kunstseidene Madchen. Finally, the analysis of linguistic structures in Fabian will look at Fabian's clear perception of his situation but lack of desire actively to challenge his circumstances.
Kleiner . Maan - Was ...If.uii?
There are chiefly two types of language used in Kleiner Mann - Was Run?. The first expresses Pinneberg's perception of himself and the second
perceptions others have of Pinneberg. The latter is important in that it is this social discourse which talks to, describes and deals with Pinneberg; in other words, it is the discourse of the world in which Pinneberg must situate himself. It is spoken mainly by people who occupy the working world, particularly the managers at the Warenhaus Mandel, but it can also be spoken by the narrator. The perception Pinneberg has of himself is, not surprisingly, deeply affected by the perception others have of him. But whereas the language of the working world tends to focus on questions and images of personal worth only in so far as it can heighten the commercial potential of the salesmen, Pinneberg's language concentrates on developing strategies of protecting his sense of personal value. As we shall see, because his pride is so important to him, he remains largely oblivious to the motives behind the language of his employers.
Vithin the department store, the language used by the managers makes direct appeals to Pinneberg's perception of himself by associating bodily strength and strength of personality with the salesmen's ability to sell:
"Meine Herren, Sie mogen es wahrhaben wollen oder nicht,
Ihr g a m e s
Wesen, Ihr Qrganisnus, Ihre Spannkraft, Ihre Energie - all das 1st
bereits auf das zwanzigfache eingestelli,
Jede Herabsetzung der Quote
1st auch eine Herabsetzung Ihrer Leistungsfahlgkeit, die Sie selbst
beklagen würden,
Ich habe das feste Vertrauen zu Ihnen, daB jeder von
Ihnen diese Quote erreicht, ja, sie überschreiten wird," (KM-WN?, 174)
SpannfuB, the manager, stresses the importance of personal achievement in the selling process* using language which appeals to notions of physical strength CVesen', 'Organismus', 'Spannkraft', 'Energie', 'Leistungsfahlgkeit'). In a rather cold, militaristic fashion, it is left solely to the employees to 'prove' themselves. At the same time, there is
a hint of paternalism in the manager's language in that it implicitly encourages the employees to seek managerial approval for their actions, 'ich habe das feste Vertrauen zu Ihnen'. In other words, if the employees do not manage to fulfil the quota, the manager will be disappointed in them because they have not lived up to expectations.’ In this schema, fulfilling the quota becomes representative not only of one's selling capability but also of one's personal worth. Selling capability associated with personality traits appears on a number of occasions:
"Warum reizen Sie denn die Leute? C , . J Früher waren Sie ganz anders,
Herr Pinneberg." (KM-WN?, 228)
"Lieber Herr Pinneberg, Sie besitzen keine groBe Menschenkenntnis, Ich
sehe das oft an Ihrer Art zu verkaufen," (KM-WN?, 231)
In the first example, Pinneberg is told how he used to be earlier, not how he used to work, and in the second, he is told that when selling he reveals certain, in this case negative, character traits; what he is as a person is revealed in his work. The language of the managers equates Pinneberg's job as a salesman with his personality.
SpannfuB, the manager who speaks this personalized language, has been employed by the Varenhaus to rationalize work methods in the store; in line with the ethos of rationalization (see chapter 1, pp.20- 25), it is his job to find ways of decreasing ccDsts and increasing profits. However, he makes no reference to such commercial interests when talking to the salesmen about selling. Instead, his language concentrates on notions ûf manhood and personal value. It is a language to which Pinneberg himself unwittingly falls victim; when he is selling, he too becomes aware of his personality. There are several instances where Pinneberg is desperate to sell in order to fulfil his quota. The
more desperate his attempts become, the more he is aware of how fawning he must appear to the customer:
Nun konnt ein Kunde, ach, er will einen Mantel haben, achtzig Mark, eln
Viertel des Soils, entschlieB dlch, Kunde!
Pinneberg schleppt herbei,
probiert an, uber jeden Mantel 1st er begeistert, und je aufgeregter er
wird (entschlieB dich! entschlieBe dichI), un so kühler wird der Kunde.
Ach, Pinneberg zieht alle Register, er versucht es nit Vntertanigkeit;
"Der Herr haben ja einen so vorziiglichen Qeschnack, den Herrn kleidet
ja allés,,." Er spurt, wie er den Kunden inner unangenehner wird, wie
er ihn widerlich ist, und er kann nicht anders, (KM-WN?, 228)
Pinneberg is made to feel, and feels himself, that his selling capabilities are indicative of his capabilities as a human being; if he is a good salesman then he is also an adequate human being, if not, then he is ‘unangenehm* and 'widerlich'. The public expectations placed on Pinneberg are couched in a private vocabulary of personal worth and value. SpannfuB's language transmutes the commercial pressure to sell into personal qualities in such a way that the economic interests behind his language remain unarticulated and, thereby, largely hidden to Pinneberg and the other salesmen. With his personal worth constantly under attack, Pinneberg is unable fully to recognize the business motives of the management and he struggles above all to preserve a positive sense of his personality. However, the language of the managers is not consistent. When Pinneberg is late for work because the 'Murkel' is ill we read;
"Sie überschàtzen das Intéressé, daB eine Firna an Ihren Privaileben
nimmt,
Ihr Privaileben ist fur das Haus Mandel ohne Intéressé,
[,,,]
Die Firma e m o g l i c h t erst Ihr Privaileben, Herr! Erst kommt die Firma,
noch mal die Firna, zura dritten Mai die Firma, und dann kdnnen Sie
nachen, was Sie wollen,
Sie leben von uns, Herr, wir haben Ihnen die
Serge un Ihren Lebensunterhalt abgenonnen, verstehen Sie das!" (KM-WN?,
265)
In the former examples, it suited the managers to equate sales performance with the employees* 'nature*. Here, however, the managers claim that there is no room in the workplace for the personal and personality. Now the company comes first and foremost, not Pinneberg's selling capabilities. In the workings of the company, Pinneberg is only a passive recipient of a job and, as such, should be grateful.
Pinneberg's behaviour is suspended somewhere between activity and passivity. On the one hand, he is encouraged to interact in the selling process in a physical way CVesen', 'Organismus', 'Spannkraft', etc.) and to seek approval from the managers for his actions. On the other, he is forced to acknowledge through passive acquiescence that having a job at all is due solely to Handel's generosity and not to his own merit. The former demands that he proves his adequacy, the latter denies that it is an issue.
Fluctuation between activity and passivity characterizes Pinneberg's behaviour and language beyond the workplace as well, but here they are inherently linked to the perception he has of himself as well as to the perception others have of him. As Pinneberg moves between the workplace and his home and as he grapples with everyday situations, he is constantly made aware of his inadequacy. But in an attempt to maintain a coherent perception of himself, Pinneberg tries, with varying degrees of success, to develop strategies of self-defence, both behavioural and linguistic, which he would not dare even to attempt at work. In dialogue, for example, he may adopt an aggressive tone if he thinks he is being treated unfairly: