The influence of Prussian culture upon Germany
D.H. Lawrence was no stranger when it comes to German society. His girlfriend’s father was a Prussian officer who had seen action in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870. Lawrence had travelled within Germany himself and had some first-hand encounters with German soldiers. The period in which Lawrence resided in Germany was a particularly oppressive period, marked by the notorious military scandals such as the Zabern affair. After Prussia unified Germany in 1871, it imposed its militaristic and bureaucratic character upon the entire German territory. However, not all German states shared Prussia’s attributes, nor did all of them welcome the idea of a Prussian led unification. Bavaria, which had opposed Prussia’s attempts to unify Germany, was one such example. It is highly symbolic that the overbearing captain was from Prussia, while the warm-hearted, unselfconscious orderly was from Bavaria. Both of these characters came to symbolize the stereotypical attributes of their birthplaces. Prussia, as is exemplified by the captain, is proud and disciplined, self-conscious and overbearing. While Bavaria, as is exemplified by the orderly, is innocent, warm-hearted and naturally spontaneous. The clash between the captain and the orderly is more than a clash between two individuals, it is in fact a clash between Prussian and Bavarian culture. The captain’s violent behavior towards the orderly reflects Prussia’s unbending determination to shape the rest of Germany into its own image. In this respect, the orderly can be seen as a victim of Prussian militarism.
The loss of innocence
In the story, the orderly undergoes a drastic psychological metamorphosis. The orderly was originally an innocent youth who was totally unconscious of himself. He was in harmony with himself and the world around him. His character was spontaneous and natural. He does not question his role as a servant and dutifully serves his master as a matter of course. By treating his captain in an impersonal manner, he has never entertained any personal interaction with him. After being subjected to a series of physical and verbal abuses from the captain, the orderly’s character undergoes a complete transformation. His emotional equilibrium became irrevocably upset. He was no longer the contented servant who takes orders and commands as a matter of course. His unselfconsciousness which had once served as a protective barrier had collapsed. In the absence of this protective barrier, he came to experience the feelings of isolation, vulnerability and entrapment. He was no longer the happy insouciant youth who was at peace with himself. For the first time, the orderly experiences physical pain as well as the feelings of shame and mortification. His once unseeing eyes had been opened but his peace of mind had been irrevocably lost. The orderly’s story shows that the loss of innocence can be a painful and destructive experience. As one gains experience and self-consciousness, one also could lose one’s insouciance and the blissful harmonious feelings that came with it. The acquisition of knowledge and wisdom is not always a tranquil experience. It can even lead to emotional disintegration in susceptible minds.
The destructiveness of military life
D.H. Lawrence was a man who loathes war and militarism. He had lived in Germany and had personally witnessed the militaristic atmosphere in that country. The story of The Prussian Officer seeks to expose the destructiveness of a military society. In the story, the aggressive and overbearing captain is a classic embodiment of a military man. He is deeply committed to his military career and is devoted to his military duties. He would allow neither sentiments nor romance to interfere with his military life. In order to conform to the image of a military man, he suppresses his innate temperament and fashions himself into the image of an exemplary officer. However, suppressing his innate temperament has not been an easy task. The tension of his brow testifies to the strain of his emotional repression. The sight of a free-spirited, instinctive young man like the orderly reminds the captain of the man he once was. He resents the orderly’s inability to fashion himself into a disciplined soldier, while he mourns the loss of his once unrestrained character. Not satisfied with his own emotional repression, the captain sets out to destroy the orderly’s individuality. This story testifies to the destructiveness of a militaristic society. The orderly’s free spirit has no place in such a world. Both the captain and the orderly eventually came to lose their sanity in this militaristic environment. The story foreshadows the fact that many healthy young minds will indeed be destroyed in the war that broke out in 1914, the very year in which this story was published.
The rigidity of class division
Like Victorian England, Imperial Germany was an aristocratic society. Class consciousness of the German landed gentry was even more acute than the British aristocrats. The German aristocratic society was extremely exclusive in its spirit, even some of the finest men of accomplishment were excluded from the aristocratic circles. As a result, the distrust towards the German nobility by the German people was quite considerable. The captain in the story was a classic embodiment of a German aristocrat in 19th century Imperial Germany. The captain came from the Prussian landed gentry. Like many German aristocrats, he was not rich, but was acutely conscious towards his privileged social position. He was extremely conscious to the fact that he was a gentleman, while his orderly was a mere servant. He held aloof from the orderly for nearly a year, avoiding conversation and eye contact. Because of his extreme self-consciousness towards his social position, he had always been proud, and regarded the lowly born orderly as someone unworthy of his attention. When the captain became attracted to his servant, he was suffocated with rage. A proud, self-conscious aristocrat like himself could not stomach the fact that he was physically aroused by a low born servant. He would not permit such an undignified event from happening. The orderly himself was also someone who firmly believes in the class system of Imperial Germany. He believes in social hierarchy and accepts his position in the social system. He serves his social superiors as a matter of course. Even in the face of abuses, he continues to perform his duties as a servant right before his murder of the captain. Since each man was isolated within his own class, any meaning communication between the two men is virtually impossible. The rigidity of class division contributes to the eventual tragedy.
