ABSTRACT

Michael Kohlhaas is one of Heinrich von Kleist’s most studied texts. While students may find the dense and complex narrative challenging to understand and interpret, the tale lends itself well to train critical thinking, a key skill in the study of Modern Languages. In a close reading, I argue that engaging with literature from the more distant past, including Kleist’s tale, not only builds bridges to other centuries, but also helps generate an awareness of this bridge-building process. Scrutinizing linguistic and narrative detail, considering and reconsidering different points of view, and acknowledging the historical variability of certain concepts and ideas encourages a dialogue between unfamiliar (fictional) worlds and one’s own world of thought and experience.

摘要

Michael Kohlhaas是 Heinrich von Kleist 研究最多的著作之一。虽然学生可能会发现密集而复杂的叙述难以理解和解释，但这个故事很适合训练批判性思维，这是现代语言研究的一项关键技能。在仔细阅读中，我认为与更遥远过去的文学作品（包括克莱斯特的故事）接触，不仅可以架起通往其他世纪的桥梁，还有助于产生对这一架桥过程的认识。仔细检查语言和叙述细节，考虑和重新考虑不同的观点，并承认某些概念和想法的历史可变性，鼓励陌生（虚构）世界与自己的思想和经验世界之间的对话。