Guy Helminger's train ride
"Die Bahnfahrt" is a well-known short story by the Luxembourgish writer Guy Helminger, which you will find in his in the year 2001 published short story collection "Rost" (éditions phi, Echternach) and can be found in numerous internet sources. She was best known for her surprising, cruel end.
As "Die Bahnfahrt" in Guy Helminger's second prose publication as one Short story was published among many, no one thought of the level of notoriety it would become.
"Die Bahnfahrt" - The principle of the short story by Guy Helminger
- A tram ride is told from the perspective of a group of girls by means of a personal narrator. A strange boy told them first that he was famous, later that they would read about him in the newspaper tomorrow. When one of the girls turns to tell him to stop, they've seen something better before, the situation escalates.
- Guy Helminger's short story is a very atmospheric text, which by describing the effect that the boy has on the Girls and their perception of the inside of the tram has a very impressive, sometimes eerie charisma wins.
- This is reinforced by the absence of psychological explanations for the statements and behaviors of the character of the boy. The girl's look at him, the atmosphere between them and the small but weighty one Speaking part of the boy himself, achieve a tense effect and leave the boy puzzling works.
- Not least, this creates a symbolic mode of action that contains numerous metaphors.
Problems in interpersonal communication occur again and again and in all ...
Surprising - the end
- Guy Helminger's short story gains permeability through the atmospherically dense, but psychological, narrative style, which ensures a large scope for interpretation. Despite the narrated, surprising ending, namely the boy's drawing of a pistol and a shot in the face of the girl who asked him to leave her alone is a multifaceted exit up to the penultimate line the story conceivable. Only the very last sentence determines the outcome and thus retrospectively one characterization of the boy and his behavior.
- Also because of this surprising, violent ending, the short story is often in the German lessons are dealt with by giving students their own conclusion without knowing the last line should write. Based on the text, in the school context, in addition to reflecting on how a text is brought to its end, violence and rampages are discussed.
Conclusion: The short story, which is rich in possible interpretations and readings, can give you food for thought. Not only in the school context, it enables reflection on the potential for violence that can arise from an actually harmless moment.
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