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Das Erdbeben in Chili

Study Guide
The Novella in German Literature, Semester 2, 2020-2021
Dr. Deirdre Byrnes

The novella can be broken into three distinct, but related parts:
Part I
Jeronimo and Josephe – their background story
Day of the planned execution
The earthquake

Part II
Retreat into Nature – Nature as idyll

Part III
Mass of thanksgiving
Lynch mob and atrocities

The questions below are intended to guide your reading, helping you to focus on key
passages and stylistic features of Kleist’s text.
As you read, please make notes and/or write down some quotations that strike you as
particularly important. These notes and quotations can form the basis of class
discussion/discussion in breakout groups.

Part I
Paragraphs 1 and 2
What do we learn about Jeronimo and Donna Josephe?
Jeronimo is a prisoner and wants to hang himself, having been formerly a teacher and in a
relationship with Donna Josephe, the only daughter of Don Henrico Asteron.
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How does Josephe’s family view their love affair? What does her father do?
Her father warned his daughter about a relationship with Jeronimo and sends him to prison
and sends her to a convent.

What role does chance (Zufall) play?

Jeronimo re-establishes his connection with Donna Joseph in the convent garden, as she falls
into labour.

Paragraphs 3-4
How does society react to news of the lovers?
Bitterness and people spoke badly of the convent. People speak badly about her, gossip, no
compassion.

How is Josephe to be punished?

Death by fire was changed to beheading.

Please comment on the narrator’s tone in paragraph 4.

Sarcastic.

Paragraph 5
How does Jeronimo react to the news that his beloved is to be beheaded?
Almost loses his senses, tries to save himself by trying to file through the windows and
praying to an image of the Holy Mother of God.

Paragraph 6
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This paragraph describes the earthquake. You will note that the verb “schien” (past
tense form of “scheinen” – to appear/seem) occurs in this paragraph and that the
conjunction “als ob” is repeated. What, in your opinion, is the effect of these stylistic
features?
The effect created highlights the seemingly impossibility of the events that are occurring but
are occurring all the same and gives Jeronimo a new lease on life, as everything had seemed
hopeless only moments before.

What does Jeronimo do?

He holds on to the pillar that he had initially intended to use for his suicide and slides across
to an opening that was caused by two buildings colliding with eachother.

Paragraph 7
How is a sense of immediacy created in this vivid description of the destruction caused
by the earthquake?
Death attacking him from all sides shows how there is nowhere to run, as there is debris
flying everywhere and the river runs towards him.

Paragraphs 8 and 9
How does Jeronimo react? What emotions are described?
He is first delighted that he is alive, then feels compassion for the people who are suffering
around him, but he weeps his thankfulness for being alive and thanks God.

Note that “als ob” and “schien” occur in this passage also. What is their effect?
Gives an impression of uncertainty, like the woman who says Joseph was beheaded.

Paragraphs 10 and 11
There is now a change of perspective as the reader learns how Josephe reacts to events.
What does she do in the wake of the earthquake?
Runs to find her boy in the monastery.
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How does Josephe interpret events?

She feels as if all angels of heaven are protecting her, something impossible.

Paragraph 11
What has happened to many of the city’s institutions as a result of the earthquake?
Buildings have sunk, are on fire or destroyed by the river.

Part II
Paragraph 12
How is the valley described?
Dark valley shaded by pine trees, but blissful, compared to Valley of Eden

Paragraph 13
Look closely at how nature is described here and make some notes.
“wonderfully mild fragrance”, “soft camps of moss and foliage”, “bright moonlight of the
spring”, “splendid pomegranate tee, spreading branches wide”, “nightingale voluptuous
singing”

How does the young couple interpret what has happened?

Misery has come over the world so that they could be happy.

Paragraphs 14-21
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How is life in the valley described? How do people behave? What kind of a community
exists here? How does it differ from life in the city?

Morning bread by the fire, pleasant interactions- man invites them to eat by the fire.

Describe what has happened in the city since the earthquake. (Paragraph 18)
Monks ran around with crucifix thinking it was the end of the world. There are no longer
leaders of the city, guard disobeying the viceroy.

Note the repetition of “als ob” and “schien” in these paragraphs also. What effect does
this have?
“Pitying each other, offering mutual help, joyfully sharing what they might have saved to
preserve their lives, as if the general misfortune had turned everything that had escaped it into
one family.”
- The idea of everyone helping each other is incomprehensible, Josephe can’t quite believe
everyone is so helpful

What are Jeronimo and Josephe’s plans for the future?

They decide not to got Europe but attempt reconcile with the viceroy and Josephe’s father
and remain in Chili. Decide to La Conception and write to the Viceroy.
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In paragraph 21 the earthquake is described as having led to an “Umsturz aller

Verhältnisse”. Looking back on the text so far, how is the chaos caused by the
earthquake portrayed?
An incomprehensible event, something that was never considered possible. People believed
that God is responsible, both a positive for Jeronimo + Josephe and negative for everyone
else.

Part III
Paragraphs 23 and 24
The group decides to return to the city for a Mass of Thanksgiving. However, one of the
group – Donna Elisabeth – has misgivings. Why?

She believes that if they return to the city, the thanksgiving festivities would be repeated, and
because the danger was already over, they will feel compelled to stay there because of the
tranquillity.

Why does Josephe want to attend the Mass?

she has an urge to lie in the dust before God, as he has shown his sublime power through the
earthquake.

Paragraph 25
How is the interior of the cathedral described? What kind of atmosphere is evoked?
The organ was already playing with musical splendour, an immense crowd was surging
inside. The boys hung high on the walls, in the frames of the paintings, holding their caps in
their hands with expectant looks. The great rose of coloured glass in the outer background of
the church glowed. The mood is good, the setting shows warmth and strong crowd passion.
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Paragraph 26
What does the priest talk about in his sermon? What kind of vocabulary does he use?
He begins with praise, glory and thankfulness. Then he speaks of moral corruption in the city.
Dramatic metaphors? – Sodom and Gomorrah

Paragraphs 27 and 28
The angry mob outside the church mistake Don Fernando for Jeronimo. The mob,
spurred on by Meister Pedrillo, calls for both Jeronimo and Josephe to be stoned.
Jeronimo identifies himself and pleads for Don Fernando Ormez to be released. Josephe
places both her son Philipp and Don Fernando’s son Juan in the arms of Don Fernando
with the plea: “gehn Sie, Don Fernando, retten Sie Ihre beiden Kinder, und überlassen
Sie uns unserem Schicksal” (paragraph 28, bottom).

How is the angry mob described in paragraph 28?

They all seem to act as one, in unison. The all let go of Don Fernando at the same time.
United with rage.

Paragraphs 29 and 30
These paragraphs describe the horrendous acts of brutality and violence that take place
outside the cathedral. How are the chaos and horror conveyed? What stylistic devices
are employed? What kind of vocabulary is used?
The whole crowd turns on the main charcters and they’re struck down with clubs. The baby is
smashed against the church pillar.

Paragraph 31
How do you interpret the final – and very famous – sentence of this text?
“als ob” – rejoice in the face of disaster, more uncertainty. So much disaster he is thankful for
the things that he has.
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For further discussion/reflection:

Goethe described the novella as „eine sich ereignete, unerhörte Begebenheit.“
How can this description be applied to Kleist’s text?
An unheard-of event occurs through the earthquake.

Where is the Wendepunkt in this novella? Is there more than one?

The Wendepunkt occurs through the priest’s sermon, everything changes for the characters.

How is the natural world presented in Das Erdbeben in Chili?

The natural world represents peace and a is a place for people to be kind to each other.

Explore the dichotomy between order and chaos in Kleist’s text.

People think there is order in the city, but as the ending shows, there is chaos which people
want to believe is order. The chaos is seen when people form a mob in the city. The valley
represents order, because people are free and there is no control by a government, or class
system.

Explore the dichotomy between “Schein” and “Sein” in Das Erdbeben in Chili.
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“schein” conveys uncertainty and is used the most often in the text. “Sein” is rarely used
because nothing ever seems certain, anything is possible.

How does this text relate to discussions about theodicy in the wake of the earthquake in
Lisbon in 1755?
People believed they were being punished by God for the earthquake and began to question
why God could commit such a horrific act.