Chapter 9: The end of his study

Chapter 9: The end of his study

 

An enthusiastic writer

 

In January, at the occasion of Francesca of Hohenheim’s birthday, Schiller would write his speech „On virtues and their consequences/effects“. The occasion was to him, in truth, not given but rather commanded: if he would become a writer, then, he should use his art to the praise of the masters, so have his superiors decided. He would, however, rather well exercise his skills for such solemn events. If he were not so interested with the Duke, he would still find the occasion to impress the Duke's friends and other guests of honor, with his literary style, almost too attractive to decline or even argue. Such occasion was for him a completely different matter. 

 

Schiller would also take specific lessons in Psychology, early this year, with Professor Abel. While he was doing his hours, at night, as a medical intern, in the infirmary, he could take advantage of his daily candle allowance to work peacefully, without risking being caught writing his forbidden writings. He would then profit from this disposition to continue and complete „The robbers“.

 

Now, it was clear to him, that despite his study and future graduation in medicine, he would become a writer. In truth, everyone in the surrounding of the Duke, would still count on him to become a regiment doctor and expect him only to use his writing skills for the occasional events held in Stuttgart. Schiller, however, has already decided otherwise. The student, who, every night, among the papers of his graduating and final paper, with perseverance and enthusiasm, writes and corrects secretly his manuscript, has already determinedly chosen to become a writer, not only one who tells stories but simply one with a national destiny.

 

A cruel lesson

 

Joseph Friedrich Grammont, after the death of his father, would fall into depression because of his feeling of moral abandonment and physical powerlessness, and would also, through taking massive sleeping pills, attempt to take his own life. People would then do everything possible, for months, to cure this morbid depression, but to no avail. As a last resort, would people send him to thermal cure, which did have some effects on his interest in life, for a few days, but afterward, he would revert back into a worrying inactivity, and his physical energy would diminish progressively. The vicinity of his friends, even, would not have any effect on this condition. Then, he would again have the most dreadful ideas of suicide. Schiller, together with other medical students, would be ordered to watch upon him days and nights, in order to avoid him taking the fatal step. Everyone knew, now, that no medical remedy would give him back an interest in life. 

 

In the same life, he would only see and expect something terrible which is not better than his perception of death. After a second stay in a thermal institution, in which his condition did not change a bit, the doctors as well as the medical students had to envisage the fatal outcome of their patient. Still in his last day of study, Schiller would experience the death of another fellow student.

 

Schiller would closely and emotionally experience how the absence of prospect for a better future, the absence of hope and interest in life could lead human beings into wanting death over life. Under the similar situation of severe and loveless circumstances, human beings who have seen their last hopes disappear, would not find any more interest in life.

 

The Karlsschule would forever be synonymous to the omnipresence of death and the absence of love for the graduating Schiller. He has only but a desire: to leave this school, to leave the barrack, to leave Stuttgart, in order to find Life and Love.

Author's Note

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