A Trace of ‘Serapionov Principle’ in Hoffmann’s Last Short Story – Des Vetters Eckfenster

Abstract

Hoffmann’s last short story –‘My Cousin's Corner Window’, leaves his researchers and readers stunned by a challenge, which can be defined as literarytheoretical in character, and imposes a speculation – is it conceivable that Hoffmann – the romantic, the creator of ones of the brightest fantastic and diabolical plots, can, at the end of his creative paths, to have betrayed his deeply rooted romantic essence and turn to realism. On the surface, the story unfolds as a mimetic narrative, but eventually turns out to be entirely influenced by the romantic aesthetic in general, as well as the author’s personal aesthetic principles. The current article aims to prove that by entwining complicated fictional and autobiographical elements in the crossing point between sickness and health, Hoffmann reasserts and bequeaths to the next generations the so called ‘The Serapiontic Principle’, that is: even the most incredible stories should be told with clear conscience, enlightened spirit and unquenched love for life.