In this short vignette and transition, we wrap up the tour of the school proper with tea. You will find that everyone has tea--that is the proper thing to do. I want you to see this cultural phenomena clearly. In this society and this time, tea is de rigeur. We have nothing quite like it--perhaps those who still hold to offering coffee or tea to their friends keep it in their heart, but tea is becoming a lost function in modern culture. It is such an important function, I'm surprised we let it go.
We see that the RM Kluge has tea. Note how everyone is arranged and note who serves. Because it is time for tea, I don't have to tell you it is the early to late afternoon. Since, we know they came during the late morning, we can infer that this is relatively early in the afternoon, but likely near or after two. You might note that they didn't have dinner (lunch). In this time, the usual practice was to have a light breakfast, a light dinner (lunch), a light tea, and then a large supper. We will see that this is the practice at Sacré Coeur. We eat much more during a day than the usual aristocrat during this time. Though their suppers are long, the portions are small. We shall see some in more detail as we go along.
They ended the tour at the Reverend Mother’s office. The Reverend Mother sat Aksinya directly in front of her desk. Natalya stood behind Aksinya. The others arranged themselves on the chairs against the wall. The office wasn’t very large. The Reverend Mother called for tea and served them herself. While they had their tea, the Reverend Mother asked, “Countess, do you have any questions about our gymnasium or our curriculum?”
Aksinya shook her head.
“Then when we are finished with our tea, I will take you to the dormitory and let you see the room we have prepared especially for you.”
Aksinya glanced over her teacup, “Thank you.”
When they were finished, the Reverend Mother led them to the dormitory. The long hallway down the center of the school building ran into a large set of open doors. To the left of the door was a small office with a split door. On the other side, Frau Drescher sat at her desk and handled paperwork and correspondence.
The Reverend Mother rapped on the top of the door. She changed back to German, “Frau Drescher, we are ready to begin our tour of the dormitory.”
Frau Drescher frowned then tried unsuccessfully to turn the frown into a smile. She paused a moment too long, then stood abruptly. She came to the door, opened it, and stepped out. She spoke intentionally in exaggeratedly enunciated German, “If you please, Countess, follow me.”
Aksinya twisted her lips in a grimace and replied in quiet but finely articulated German, “I will be pleased to Frau Drescher.”
So now we return to the very Austrian Frau Drescher. Frau Drescher has a typical office for such a lady. She takes care of a dormitory. She keeps watch on who goes in and who goes out--thus the split door. This is the typical use of such a door in Europe at the time. Dormitories and apartment buildings for women tended to have such offices with their typical ogre guardians. Frau Drescher does much more than the usual, however, she handles paperwork and correspondence. This should key you into the fact that Frau Drescher is a bit more than she seems.
Frau Drescher has this problem with smiling. She is either out of the habit or unable to smile. We see the joke of the languages again at the Frau's expense. Aksinya speaks more to her than to RM Kluge. And so the joke and the transition to the Dormitory tour. Tomorrow a description of the dormitory.
Showing posts with label Reverend Mother Kluge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reverend Mother Kluge. Show all posts
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
A New Novel, Part 47 The School Tour
So we begin the tour of Sacré Coeur with RM Kluge. We can't forget that Sacré Coeur is a convent and a school. We learn some more details about it.
The Reverend Mother led them from classroom to classroom. They saw girls of every age from as young as six up to twenty-one. The classrooms were small and comfortable. The classes were rarely larger than ten girls. The teachers were nearly all nuns. The Reverend Mother explained, “Our day begins with chapel. The priest of our church, Sacré Coeur, is Father Abend. The Father also acts as the chaplain for our order and for our school. He officiates on most days and the sisters and students take turns with the details of the service. We have communion every day... ”
Aksinya interjected, “The Lady Natalya and I are Orthodox and not Catholic. We will not be able to commune with you.”
“There is an Orthodox church a couple of blocks from here. They cater already to many Russians who have escaped to the west. You will be allowed to attend there as you desire, but I must insist you be present for our chapel each day.”
“Of course.”
The Reverend Mother smiled, “Good. Our school, a gymnasium, is broken into classes divided by ability and not by age. We teach primary and advanced subjects including philosophy, languages, history, mathematics, art history, religion, science, literature, as well as culture and domestic skills. For those ladies, like the Freifrau Bockmann, our classes prepare them for their future responsibilities among society. For those others who continue on to the university, our classes provide the foundation for excellence and success. Most of the young women accepted into universities in Austria and Germany attended our gymnasium. We also provide a means toward vesture as a nun in our order as well as leadership for other orders in the Catholic church.”
Again, we get details about the school. The class size and makeup, the teachers, the chapel, the chaplain, the communion... Then the reminder, Aksinya and Natalya can't commune with them. You can guess that Aksinya will have problems communing at all--we will see this. Then the information about the Orthodox Church close to Sacré Coeur--this is a deliberate foreshadowing. The Orthodox Church close to Sacré Coeur is a critical point of the novel. We see that this Orthodox Church caters to escapees from the Russian civil war. Then RM Kluge tells them they must attend chapel every day, but they may not commune--this is an important point.
Then at the end, we get a repetition of some information we already knew. The information isn't as important to us as it is to Aksinya. It repeats the fact that she could go to the university. This tempts her. Then the other information lets us see more about the importance of Sacré Coeur, it not only provides training for women going to the university, it provides education for women going on to Catholic orders.
The Reverend Mother led them from classroom to classroom. They saw girls of every age from as young as six up to twenty-one. The classrooms were small and comfortable. The classes were rarely larger than ten girls. The teachers were nearly all nuns. The Reverend Mother explained, “Our day begins with chapel. The priest of our church, Sacré Coeur, is Father Abend. The Father also acts as the chaplain for our order and for our school. He officiates on most days and the sisters and students take turns with the details of the service. We have communion every day... ”
Aksinya interjected, “The Lady Natalya and I are Orthodox and not Catholic. We will not be able to commune with you.”
“There is an Orthodox church a couple of blocks from here. They cater already to many Russians who have escaped to the west. You will be allowed to attend there as you desire, but I must insist you be present for our chapel each day.”
“Of course.”
The Reverend Mother smiled, “Good. Our school, a gymnasium, is broken into classes divided by ability and not by age. We teach primary and advanced subjects including philosophy, languages, history, mathematics, art history, religion, science, literature, as well as culture and domestic skills. For those ladies, like the Freifrau Bockmann, our classes prepare them for their future responsibilities among society. For those others who continue on to the university, our classes provide the foundation for excellence and success. Most of the young women accepted into universities in Austria and Germany attended our gymnasium. We also provide a means toward vesture as a nun in our order as well as leadership for other orders in the Catholic church.”
Again, we get details about the school. The class size and makeup, the teachers, the chapel, the chaplain, the communion... Then the reminder, Aksinya and Natalya can't commune with them. You can guess that Aksinya will have problems communing at all--we will see this. Then the information about the Orthodox Church close to Sacré Coeur--this is a deliberate foreshadowing. The Orthodox Church close to Sacré Coeur is a critical point of the novel. We see that this Orthodox Church caters to escapees from the Russian civil war. Then RM Kluge tells them they must attend chapel every day, but they may not commune--this is an important point.
Then at the end, we get a repetition of some information we already knew. The information isn't as important to us as it is to Aksinya. It repeats the fact that she could go to the university. This tempts her. Then the other information lets us see more about the importance of Sacré Coeur, it not only provides training for women going to the university, it provides education for women going on to Catholic orders.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
A New Novel, Part 46 Languages and Friendship
Welcome to Dr. Ryan. Glad to have you aboard.
We get rid of Frau Drescher for a little while and provide a little more interesting levels to the story. Remember, in this time and culture, you don't introduce servants. So here we go.
Frau Drescher’s brow rose, but she nodded and curtsied to Aksinya then left toward the dormitory.
The Reverend Mother let out a sigh, “Will you all please come with me. I’ll show you around our school and answer any of your questions.” The Reverend Mother gestured Aksinya to her side and Natalya stepped right behind her.
Aksinya halted and turned toward Natalya, “Reverend Mother, this is my lady-in-waiting, the Lady Natalya Alexandrovna Obolenska. I address her as the Lady Natalya. She is my confidant and my friend. She will be attending Sacré Coeur with me.”
The Reverend Mother’s smile widened. She turned her gaze to Natalya, “That is very interesting. Is there something wrong with your eyes, Lady Natalya?”
Natalya blinked the moisture from her eyes.
Aksinya repeated the question in Russian to Natalya.
Natalya blushed and ducked her head, “No, Reverend Mother.”
Aksinya continued, “The Lady Natalya doesn’t speak German yet. She is very conversant in French. Though she serves me, the Lady Natalya is to be treated with the same respect as any other student.”
The Reverend Mother nodded and continued in atrociously German accented French, “Then for her benefit, as well as yours, we shall use French.”
Aksinya barely constrained a laugh. She glanced at Natalya, and they shared a smile. Aksinya whispered to her, “Perhaps I shouldn’t worry about my German.”
From the beginning, the RM (Reverend Mother) is happy to get rid of Frau Drescher--she sighs, and we move on with Aksinya, Natalya and the rest on the school tour.
So, there you have it. First Aksinya, introduces Natalya--that means she is not a servant. Further, Aksinya called her "confidant" and "friend." In the aristocracy, this is very important. A friend is one thing, a confidant is entirely another. Aksinya goes on to tell RM Kluge that she, she Aksinya calls Natalya, Lady Natalya. Already, Aksinya has called Natalya, friend, confidant, and said she holds her in such high esteme she calls her Lady (that is a title reserved for an aristocrat). It should not suprize you that the very emotional Natalya's eyes moisten. She would cry outright, but that is never acceptable in high society. The RM kindly reminds Natalya of that. This is a nice admonition in this culture and time (remember Frau Drescher). And so, Natalya blushes and ducks her head.
Aksinya goes on to instruct--did you get that? She instructs RM Kluge that Natalya is to be treated like any other student. She didn't say, "to be treated like me." Such words wouldn't come from a Countess. She also "suggests" that they use French, for Natalya's sake. Can't you see Natalya in your mind. She understands what is happening. Aksinya even gives her such a compliment, "Natalya doesn't understand German--yet." The implication is that she will and very quickly.
Then we see the break and the level of the RM's French. This is intentional. Though the Austrians and the Germans taught French, they didn't see much purpose in it--(sarcasm) it was only the language of gentility and diplomacy at the time. It was also the language of the Russian Court. It was not the language of the German or the Austrian Courts. Ah, the prejudice of their betters flows down to the people. The break is the smile that Aksinya and Natalya share at the RM's poorly accented French. This also cements the Aksinya/Natalya bond. Finally, Aksinya's comment about her own German ends this piece.
We get rid of Frau Drescher for a little while and provide a little more interesting levels to the story. Remember, in this time and culture, you don't introduce servants. So here we go.
Frau Drescher’s brow rose, but she nodded and curtsied to Aksinya then left toward the dormitory.
The Reverend Mother let out a sigh, “Will you all please come with me. I’ll show you around our school and answer any of your questions.” The Reverend Mother gestured Aksinya to her side and Natalya stepped right behind her.
Aksinya halted and turned toward Natalya, “Reverend Mother, this is my lady-in-waiting, the Lady Natalya Alexandrovna Obolenska. I address her as the Lady Natalya. She is my confidant and my friend. She will be attending Sacré Coeur with me.”
The Reverend Mother’s smile widened. She turned her gaze to Natalya, “That is very interesting. Is there something wrong with your eyes, Lady Natalya?”
Natalya blinked the moisture from her eyes.
Aksinya repeated the question in Russian to Natalya.
Natalya blushed and ducked her head, “No, Reverend Mother.”
Aksinya continued, “The Lady Natalya doesn’t speak German yet. She is very conversant in French. Though she serves me, the Lady Natalya is to be treated with the same respect as any other student.”
The Reverend Mother nodded and continued in atrociously German accented French, “Then for her benefit, as well as yours, we shall use French.”
Aksinya barely constrained a laugh. She glanced at Natalya, and they shared a smile. Aksinya whispered to her, “Perhaps I shouldn’t worry about my German.”
From the beginning, the RM (Reverend Mother) is happy to get rid of Frau Drescher--she sighs, and we move on with Aksinya, Natalya and the rest on the school tour.
So, there you have it. First Aksinya, introduces Natalya--that means she is not a servant. Further, Aksinya called her "confidant" and "friend." In the aristocracy, this is very important. A friend is one thing, a confidant is entirely another. Aksinya goes on to tell RM Kluge that she, she Aksinya calls Natalya, Lady Natalya. Already, Aksinya has called Natalya, friend, confidant, and said she holds her in such high esteme she calls her Lady (that is a title reserved for an aristocrat). It should not suprize you that the very emotional Natalya's eyes moisten. She would cry outright, but that is never acceptable in high society. The RM kindly reminds Natalya of that. This is a nice admonition in this culture and time (remember Frau Drescher). And so, Natalya blushes and ducks her head.
Aksinya goes on to instruct--did you get that? She instructs RM Kluge that Natalya is to be treated like any other student. She didn't say, "to be treated like me." Such words wouldn't come from a Countess. She also "suggests" that they use French, for Natalya's sake. Can't you see Natalya in your mind. She understands what is happening. Aksinya even gives her such a compliment, "Natalya doesn't understand German--yet." The implication is that she will and very quickly.
Then we see the break and the level of the RM's French. This is intentional. Though the Austrians and the Germans taught French, they didn't see much purpose in it--(sarcasm) it was only the language of gentility and diplomacy at the time. It was also the language of the Russian Court. It was not the language of the German or the Austrian Courts. Ah, the prejudice of their betters flows down to the people. The break is the smile that Aksinya and Natalya share at the RM's poorly accented French. This also cements the Aksinya/Natalya bond. Finally, Aksinya's comment about her own German ends this piece.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
A New Novel, Part 45 German Introductions and the Demon
The piece today continues from the arrival at Sacré Coeur. By the way, Sacré Coeur is a real school with a convent and church. The names of the people have been changed, of course. The descriptions and the places are fiction. In my historical fiction, I want the places and in many cases, the descriptions and places to match--we will see this later, but to keep to the fiction world, in some cases we must modify the world a little to achieve the theme--remember, the theme is always the reason and the purpose. Many modern works go adrift because the author forgets this very important concept.
The opening of this piece is more about the demon--he doesn't like crosses. Aksinya has guessed this. We get more information here. It confirms more to us, but we still don't have enough information. I'm saving that for a very pivotal scene.
The Reverend Mother wore a large cross that depended from a silver chain around her neck. The demon eyed it then moved to the far side away from her. The Reverend Mother engulfed Aksinya in her smile, “I understand Countess that you would like to attend Sacré Coeur like your aunt.“
Aksinya nodded.
Aunt Brunhilda interjected, “The Countess believes her German is not very skilled.”
Frau Drescher’s response was slightly tense, “Does she speak any tongue well?”
Freifrau Bockmann raised his eyebrows, “She is a Russian Countess but speaks French, Greek, and her German to my mind is excellent.”
The Reverend Mother bobbed her head, “Frau Drescher takes care of our dormitory and the students. She speaks only German. She is concerned that the Countess might not understand her or our rules well.” She turned to Frau Drescher, “Frau, you should prepare your dormitory for the Countess’ visit. Thank you.”
Frau Drescher’s brow rose, but she nodded and curtsied to Aksinya then left toward the dormitory.
A short piece but very important to tell you about Frau Drescher and RM Kluge. I intend for Frau Drescher to play a more important role in the future than I have given her yet. Her introduction is jarring. She reacts as she does because Aksinya does not speak. If you are familiar with aristocracy, you would expect Aksinya to act like her aunt. That is what Frau Drescher expects and when Aksinya doesn't speak, she makes a very rude and terse comment. This is not out of character in German or Austrian culture, so don't let it bother you. Notice that RM Kluge covers it up the best she can. In this exchange, I try to show you the culture of the time. I also show you the characters of Frau Drescher and RM Kliuge.
Additionally, I show you Frau Drescher's job at the school. Can you see her in your mind? That is my ultimate goal. I want you to see Frau Drescher in your mind's eye. I don't want you to totally dislike her yet, just a little. Don't you like and trust RM Kluge already?
The opening of this piece is more about the demon--he doesn't like crosses. Aksinya has guessed this. We get more information here. It confirms more to us, but we still don't have enough information. I'm saving that for a very pivotal scene.
The Reverend Mother wore a large cross that depended from a silver chain around her neck. The demon eyed it then moved to the far side away from her. The Reverend Mother engulfed Aksinya in her smile, “I understand Countess that you would like to attend Sacré Coeur like your aunt.“
Aksinya nodded.
Aunt Brunhilda interjected, “The Countess believes her German is not very skilled.”
Frau Drescher’s response was slightly tense, “Does she speak any tongue well?”
Freifrau Bockmann raised his eyebrows, “She is a Russian Countess but speaks French, Greek, and her German to my mind is excellent.”
The Reverend Mother bobbed her head, “Frau Drescher takes care of our dormitory and the students. She speaks only German. She is concerned that the Countess might not understand her or our rules well.” She turned to Frau Drescher, “Frau, you should prepare your dormitory for the Countess’ visit. Thank you.”
Frau Drescher’s brow rose, but she nodded and curtsied to Aksinya then left toward the dormitory.
A short piece but very important to tell you about Frau Drescher and RM Kluge. I intend for Frau Drescher to play a more important role in the future than I have given her yet. Her introduction is jarring. She reacts as she does because Aksinya does not speak. If you are familiar with aristocracy, you would expect Aksinya to act like her aunt. That is what Frau Drescher expects and when Aksinya doesn't speak, she makes a very rude and terse comment. This is not out of character in German or Austrian culture, so don't let it bother you. Notice that RM Kluge covers it up the best she can. In this exchange, I try to show you the culture of the time. I also show you the characters of Frau Drescher and RM Kliuge.
Additionally, I show you Frau Drescher's job at the school. Can you see her in your mind? That is my ultimate goal. I want you to see Frau Drescher in your mind's eye. I don't want you to totally dislike her yet, just a little. Don't you like and trust RM Kluge already?
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