CPL310 10/15/2004 More on Bertolt Brecht: Lindbergh's Flight -- short play in 17 scenes -- describes his flight across the Atlantic (fog, snowstorm, etc.) -- originally most of the scenes were set to music -- Themes: Man vs Nature, and Science/Exploration vs. Religion -- "Let us battle nature" (10); but he believes he will not survive -- all men have natural weakness so it's impossible for man to overcome nature -- Lindbergh is an atheist when he flies -- author's attitude: science's progress doesn't disprove God's existence; similar to Galileo -- the unattainable was "that which has not yet been attained" in the original German Kaj Munk (pronounced to rhyme with "eye") "He Sits at the Melting Pot" -- Danish playwright and priest -- born Kaj Harald Leininger Peterson -- adopted by Munk family (his mother's cousins) in 1916 after his parents' deaths (TB) -- as a child he loved poetry -- wrote first play, Pilate, during last year at Nyk?bing Cathedral School -- attended University of Copenhagen -- began work on Herod, En Idealist (Herod the Great) -- was parish of Verdes? in 1924 -- 1931 -- had success with play Can?t -- wrote many plays but continued to be a pastor; was a leading Danish playwright of the 20th century -- admired "strong" men like Mussolini and Hitler but was disillusioned by each, especially by Hitler's treatment of the Jews -- He Sits at the Melting Pot was his first play after this disillusionment -- very vocal against Nazi regime after 1940 -- 1943 protest letter against censure of churches (pastors were to say nothing against Nazi regime) -- got killed by the Nazis in January 1944 near German headquarters at Silkesborg -- rejected naturalistic drama in favor of spiritually oriented plays -- admired strong-willed man of action -- oh my God! She read everything too quickly. -- Melting Pot refers to refining metal -- themes in Munk's plays: chok: Munk set out to shock people -- he himself said the play was not about Jews in Germany but about a "weak man" being refined -- main point: in the preface to the first play, he says that God sits at the melting pot (the world is on fire) and uses it to refine us -- themes: obsession with knowledge -- conflicts of interest: natioanl vs truth, love vs party line -- Mensch wants to do nothing but his research -- shall Germany worship truth or itself? (conflict as to whether Jesus was Aryan or not) -- play opens with Mensch reading an article by Dorn that twists the truth into what the Nazis want -- big issue in the play is a painting of a Jewish man that some believe is Christ; the Nazis can't accept that -- Mensch has to decide whether to proclaim the truth and be discredited in Germany or to give in -- Mensch loves Fr?ulein Schmidt, quite a change from earlier when he sent her away because he "couldn't abide Jews" (one stole a thesis of his earlier) -- Mensch destroys the painting so the Nazis can't distort its meaning; Fr?ulein is impressed that he is so strong (to destroy the painting knowing what will happen to him); he's been through his melting pot and been refined into a strong man -- the truth lives on in his heart despite the painting being gone -- there is a Danish hymn with the line "He sits at the melting pot" Another play by Kaj Munk "The Word" -- wrote the play in just 6 days -- first scene: takes place in the home of Mikkel Borgen in Borgenscroft -- Borgen is a religious man and that his 3 sons are not worthy of inheriting his farm -- sons are Mikkel Jr., Johannes, and Anders -- Young Mikkel and Inger hae 2 daughters and are expecting a 3rd; he doesn't share his father's love of religion -- Johannes has lost his mind apparently after seeing his fianc?e hit and killed by a car after she'd pushed him out of the way; now he thinks he's Jesus -- Anders is in love with Esther who is of a different faith -- second scene: at Esther's father Reuben Snipper's home -- Borgen comes to talk to Snipper to talk about his opposition to their children's marriage; Snipper disagrees -- during the argument Borgen gets a phone call from home; inger is having complications -- third scene: -- Borgen's home; Inger and her baby son die -- family doctor (scientific man) says doctors aren't religious and you should be grateful for that -- family pastor argues with doctor -- Johannes is working with wood in the background (he thinks he's a Jewish carpenter); the pastor thinks he should be sent to an asylum; the doctor says Johannes will work things out himself -- the doctor leaves thinking that although the baby was stillborn, the mother was saved; she dies afterwards -- fourth scene: -- during Inger's funeral (5 days later) Johannes starts talking crazy but it turns out not to be so crazy after all -- Johannes as more faith than anyone else, including the family's new pastor -- Johannes commands Inger to come back to life and she does! ("Give me the Word of life" -- hence the title)</plaintext><br /></body></html>