45 pages • 1 hour read
Rainer Maria RilkeThe Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge
Fiction | Novel/Book in Verse | Adult | Published in 1910A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Essay Topics
Brigge sees himself as a writer though he claims to have had little success. What is the biggest impediment to Brigge succeeding as a writer?
Ghosts are a common presence in Brigge's childhood. How do Brigge’s experiences with the occult shape him? How do his occult experiences frame his reaction to the poverty in Paris?
Compare and contrast the deaths of Brigge's mother and Brigge's father. Which has the bigger impact on his personality? How is his life influenced as a result?
Why does Brigge become so fixated on Abelone in the wake of his mother's death?
What does the retelling of the story of the prodigal son reveal about Brigge's hopes for the future? Is he a pessimist or an optimist?
How does Brigge struggle to convey the complexity of life through his work? Does he ever resolve this problem?
Brigge's notebooks initially document the struggles of Paris's poorest people. Does Brigge consider himself to be a part of this group? Does he see himself as rich or poor?
What role does nostalgia play in Brigge's notebooks? Does the past provide any comfort to him? If not, what role does the past play in Brigge’s life?
Brigge engages with the historical story of Charles VI of France. How does his story about the diseased king offer insight into Brigge's mental health situation in the present?
Brigge describes the difference between loving and allowing oneself to be loved. He considers the latter to be more worthwhile, though demanding of some degree of sacrifice. How does Brigge put this belief into action in his own life?
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By Rainer Maria Rilke
