The Good Soldier Švejk: Analysis of Major Characters
"The Good Soldier Švejk" is a satirical novel set during World War I that follows the misadventures of Josef Švejk, a Czech man conscripted into the Austrian army. Švejk is portrayed as a complex character whose naïveté and cleverness allow him to navigate a series of absurd military situations that often lead him into trouble yet ultimately help him avoid harsh consequences. His cheerful demeanor and penchant for compliant yet nonsensical actions frequently disarm his superiors, revealing the absurdity of military bureaucracy.
Key characters include Otto Katz, a priest who uses his position to avoid combat while indulging in vices; Lieutenant Lukáš, who initially views Švejk with skepticism but grows to appreciate his good nature; and Colonel Kraus, an unyielding officer who represents the strict military hierarchy. Lieutenant Dub embodies the oppressive authority within the army, often at odds with Švejk, who deftly undermines Dub's attempts to assert control. Additionally, Marek, a philosopher and political dissident, offers a contrasting intellectual perspective, highlighting the camaraderie between him and Švejk despite their different backgrounds. The interplay between these characters illustrates the absurdities of war and the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity.
The Good Soldier Švejk: Analysis of Major Characters
Author: Jaroslav Hašek
First published: Osudy dobreho vojáka Švejka ve svtove války, 1921–1923 (English translation, 1930; unabridged translation, 1973)
Genre: Novel
Locale: Bohemia and Austria
Plot: Satire
Time: World War I
Josef Švejk (YOH-sehf shvayk), a Czech recruited to serve in the Austrian army during World War I. Švejk's military experience is a series of mishaps that repeatedly land him in jail, yet Švejk avoids serious punishment, even execution, through the same bizarre behaviors that get him into trouble. Švejk is a deceptively complex character, appearing both imbecilic and ingenious, as well as both honest and deceitful. When confronted by bureaucratic red tape and the harsh, often unreasonable conditions in the army, Švejk foils the establishment. Sometimes he makes fools of authorities by complying with irrational demands and carrying out instructions to the letter. Another of his ploys is to digress into a stream of disjointed anecdotes that often enrage his superior officers or convince them he is a fool. He seems always to know what tactic to employ each time he encounters difficulty, when to proclaim his innocence, no matter how guilty he may be, and when to admit guilt, no matter how innocent he may be. He frequently attributes his mishaps to bad luck. Throughout his ordeals, he maintains a cheerful attitude that ultimately disarms his oppressors. As a result, Švejk avoids punishment and delays his progress to the battlefields on the eastern front. At times, Švejk appears honest to a fault, yet he will lie and deceive others in carrying out his duties as batman (military gofer) for his assigned superior. Švejk survives the hostility of the Austrians toward Czech soldiers, avoids combat, and protects others. The author provides little physical description of the character and little of his background. His age is difficult to determine, and aside from brief references to a brother and a lover, his past life remains a mystery.
Otto Katz, a Jewish-born Catholic priest serving as a military chaplain. Katz is a drunkard, a debaucher, and an atheist whose priesthood is merely a way of avoiding combat. Katz, to whom Švejk is assigned as batman, loses the communion chalice and substitutes a sporting trophy, pawns his land-lord's furniture to purchase alcohol, and frequents brothels. He loses Švejk, in a card game, to Lieutenant Lukáš.
Lieutenant Lukáš, a Czech officer in the Austrian Army. Lukáš is a strict but just officer who loves animals and dislikes batmen, whom he considers dishonest. After Švejk comes to work for him, he is won over by Švejk's good nature and seeming innocence. Lukáš enjoys an active love life, but one complicated by his relationships with married women, and he relies on Švejk to resolve some of his difficulties. Švejk's penchant for disaster causes Lukáš to regard his batman with mixed emotions.
Colonel Kraus, a German officer in the Austrian army and Lukáš' immediate superior. Kraus is an unyielding man who orders Lukáš and Švejk to the front after Švejk steals Kraus's dog and gives it to Lukáš.
Lieutenant Dub, a Czech who abuses his power and treats his men cruelly. Before the war, Dub was a schoolteacher known for his loyalty to the Austrian emperor and suspected of being an informer. As an officer, he is unyielding, but he is never able to intimidate or defeat Švejk. To the contrary, Švejk, who is assigned to Lukáš, not Dub, is able to embarrass and discredit Dub, once surprising him in a brothel. Dub retains his position, although his power is undermined.
Marek, a classically trained philosopher and Czech volunteer serving a one-year term. Marek's civilian career bears strong parallels to that of the author, Jaroslav Hašek, who, like Marek, edited a publication titled Animal World and was fired for inventing animals. Like the author himself, Marek is a political dissident. Marek presents a point of view not available to Švejk, particularly in his satirization of the Austrian army. The friendship between Marek and Švejk is significant because it suggests that the two—Marek, the recognized intellectual, and Švejk, the “patent lunatic”—are kindred souls.