Max Frisch, Homo faber

Judith Ricker-Abderhalden (University of Arkansas)
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Homo faber. Ein Bericht

[

Homo Faber: A Report

] is the second major novel by Max Frisch, the most celebrated Swiss writer of the twentieth century. Often linked with its predecessor

Stiller

[

I'm not Stiller

, 1954], it extends what would become a hallmark of Frisch's literary corpus: the characters' quest for an authentic, individual identity. Unique in

Homo faber

, however, and what gives this novel its distinctive character, is the extent to which that individual identity is both defined by and threatened by modern technology. Whereas Stiller is Frisch's prototype of the artist, struggling to escape the confines of a pedestrian society, Walter Faber is the quintessential technocrat, an engineer with neither patience for nor interest in the arts. The tension between these two early novels…

1625 words

Citation: Ricker-Abderhalden, Judith. "Homo faber". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 February 2005 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=13980, accessed 19 March 2024.]

13980 Homo faber 3 Historical context notes are intended to give basic and preliminary information on a topic. In some cases they will be expanded into longer entries as the Literary Encyclopedia evolves.

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