Cat and Mouse: Analysis of Setting
"Cat and Mouse: Analysis of Setting" delves into the detailed backdrop of the novella set in Danzig, a Polish city now known as Gdansk, during the Nazi occupation. The author, Günter Grass, intricately recreates the city of his youth, focusing on specific locations such as Osterzeile and Westerzeile, which exemplify a sterile and conformist society vulnerable to National Socialism. A significant aspect of the setting is Neufahrwasser Harbor, where the partially submerged Polish minesweeper, Rybitwa, becomes a central element of the narrative. The ship, marked by rust and neglect, symbolizes the lasting impact of war and serves as a refuge for the protagonist, Joachim Mahlke, highlighting themes of alienation and loss.
Additionally, the Conradinum, Mahlke's school, contrasts its neogothic architecture and mystical atmosphere with the new martial ideals promoted by returning war heroes, which further complicates the young man's identity. Finally, St. Mary's Chapel, a converted gymnasium, reflects the desolation brought on by war, offering a stark contrast to the school's previously vibrant environment. This analysis offers insights into how the settings shape characters and themes, ultimately enriching the reader’s understanding of the novella.
Cat and Mouse: Analysis of Setting
First published:Katz und Maus, 1961 (English translation, 1963)
Type of work: Novella
Type of plot:Bildungsroman
Time of work: World War II
Asterisk denotes entries on real places.
Places Discussed
*Danzig
*Danzig (DAN-zik). Polish city (now known as Gdansk) on the Baltic that was occupied by Nazi Germany during the time in which this novella is set. Grass re-creates the city of his youth by using such specific place names as Osterzeile and Westerzeile, streets in a working-class neighborhood. Here, look-alike, one-family homes with copycat yards illustrate the sterile, conformist society easily conquered by National Socialism.
*Neufahrwasser Harbor
*Neufahrwasser Harbor (noy-FAHR-wahser). Danzig harbor near which the Rybitwa, a partially submerged Polish minesweeper, provides the major setting for the story’s action. The ship’s bridge, which rises above the surface of the water, covered by rust and gull droppings, illustrates the long-lasting destructiveness of war. Joachim Mahlke, a Danzig schoolboy, and his schoolmates spend their summers playing on and swimming around the ship’s bridge. Mahlke brings his prized possessions, an assortment of religious items and cultural artifacts, from his dry attic room to the ship’s radio room. The narrator sees this transfer of possessions as an act of absurd and “deliberate destructiveness.” The minesweeper becomes the last refuge for Mahlke after his rejection by his school’s principal.
*Conradinum
*Conradinum (kohn-rahd-EEN-um). Mahlke’s school, whose neogothic windows infuse its gymnasium and dressing room, dubbed the “Sacristy,” with a “mystical light.” The new martial religion as preached by the returning war heroes stands in contrast to the school’s humanistic foundation. The appearances of the returning heroes foster Mahlke’s desire to win the Knight’s Cross.
St. Mary’s Chapel
St. Mary’s Chapel. Converted gymnasium, which, in contrast to the school, has bright lights and lacks the “mystical light” and is rendered impotent by wartime Danzig.
Bibliography
Cunliffe, W. Gordon. Günter Grass. New York: Twayne, 1969. This basic study places Grass’s work in its historical and political context. Includes one chapter on Cat and Mouse.
Hayman, Ronald. Günter Grass. New York: Methuen, 1985. A survey of Grass’s work that places Cat and Mouse in the context of Grass’s aesthetic ideas and emphasizes the unreliable narrator. Also compares the text to other works by German writers who have focused on the clown archetype.
Keele, Alan Frank. Understanding Günter Grass. Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 1988. This general study of Grass’s work examines Cat and Mouse primarily as a political allegory, drawing parallels between Mahlke and Germany, as well as between Pilenz and Grass himself.
Lawson, Richard H. Günter Grass. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1985. This survey of Grass’s work includes a chapter on Cat and Mouse that discusses the text from a variety of perspectives. Includes a good discussion of the novella genre and traces the quest motif in the work.
Reddick, John. The Danzig Trilogy of Günter Grass: A Study of “The Tin Drum,” “Cat and Mouse,” and “Dog Years.” London: Secker and Warburg, 1975. A good in-depth study of Cat and Mouse that examines the structure, imagery, setting, themes, and symbols of the work and relates it to the other elements of the Danzig trilogy.