Animal Symbolism in Hofmannsthal’s Works

This study examines recurring animal images in Hofmannsthal’s major works and some fragments. In his early Maerchen der 672. Nacht and in Reitergeschichte animals confront man with evidence of his own physicality, symbolizing what Hofmannsthal called Die Unentrinnbarkeit des Lebens. Hunting imagery in Die Frau im Fenster, the unfinished Knabengeschichte, and Andreas provides insight into problematical relationships between men and women. The analysis of animal torture in Das kleine Welttheater, Andreas, and Der Turm exposes deep-rooted conflicts between fathers and sons.