67 pages • 2 hours read
Kairos
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Symbols & Motifs
Boxes
The boxes Katharina receives in the Prologue are a material symbol of her relationship with Hans. This symbol exists to call attention to the abstract quality of relationships by using keepsakes such as letters, trinkets, and even receipts to remind Katharina of the time she spent with Hans.
The boxes drive Katharina to recall their relationship, and in doing so, they also push her to make value judgments about the tenor of their relationship. It may have been difficult for Katharina to assess their relationship while it was happening, but with the distance of time and the aid of the memory triggers the boxes provide, Katharina is finally able to see the bigger picture. This is also why the boxes function as a framing device for the main narrative of the novel. Appropriately, each part of the novel is named after one of the two boxes.
Cassette Tapes
The cassette tapes Hans uses to criticize Katharina in Part 2 function as a motif for Identity and Power in the Context of Romantic Love. In Part 2, Chapter 2, Hans claims that he is so hurt by Katharina’s infidelity that he can no longer look at her handwriting. This causes him to adopt the tapes in the following chapter, so that he can speak his feelings directly to her.
Initially, the tapes amplify Katharina’s guilt, levying criticisms of her character that call her personal integrity into doubt. Katharina’s self-esteem is worn down to the point of suicidal ideation. However, her responses to the tapes reflect her attempt to assert her identity and defend her integrity. Over time, Katharina starts to see the tapes as a reflection of Hans’s inability to look past his pain. The fact that he can criticize her so cruelly on the tapes but act to renew their relationship in person implies that he merely wants to criticize her for the sake of maintaining his power over her. Eventually, Katharina becomes disillusioned with the purpose of the tapes and affects a shift in their power dynamic by expressing the belief that Hans does not love her anymore. Through her reaction to the tapes, Katharina outgrows her reliance on Hans’s judgment of her.
The cassette tapes also foreshadow the final twist of the novel by functioning as a form of psychological abuse. The Stasi and their collaborators were known to use various forms of psychological torture to undermine their targets, many of whom were artists. The cassette tapes are symbolic of Hans’s cowardice and his attempts to assert his power over Katharina.
The Ganymede
The Ganymede is a recurring location in the novel, symbolizing the shift in sentiment toward the socialist vision of East Germany, as well as the optimism of Hans and Katharina’s relationship.
The Ganymede first appears in Part 1, Chapter 2 as the site of Hans and Katharina’s second date. It is described as the same location where Hans celebrated the completion of his first novel and the announcement of Ingrid’s pregnancy with Ludwig. The Ganymede is thus a significant location in his life, representing the optimism and progress with which his life proceeds. By inviting Katharina to meet him there, Hans is symbolically acknowledging the importance she will have in his life. Their relationship has equal weight to his career and his family life.
The Ganymede reappears at the end of Part 2, Chapter 19, when Hans and Katharina attend its closing. This coincides with the collapse of East Germany, whose economy has grown unstable, triggering social unrest. The state of the Ganymede in this chapter reflects this instability, as it is no longer the sophisticated establishment it was in the first days of their relationship. The lack of supply means that there are hardly enough staff to serve Hans and Katharina during dinner. Similarly, the menu is greatly diminished, with much of their stock being diverted to prioritize the needs of Central Committee members. The loss of the Ganymede’s splendor coincides with the loss of Katharina’s hope in the splendor of her relationship with Hans. Where she had been previously interested in letting Hans probe the wreck of their relationship, Katharina now sees that they have trapped themselves in a cycle of happiness and despair.
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