Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship


Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship is the second novel by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, published in 1795–96. A Bildungsroman, or coming-of-age story, it was published in 1795/96. It consists of eight books, the first five of which are based on the fragment Wilhelm Meister's Theatrical Mission, which remained unpublished during Goethe's lifetime. A comparison of the two texts reveals numerous verbatim similarities. The sequel, Wilhelm Meister's Journeyman Years, was published in two volumes in 1821 and 1829, respectively.

Plot

The novel is in eight books. The main character Wilhelm Meister undergoes a journey of self-realization. The story centers upon Wilhelm's attempt to escape what he views as the empty life of a bourgeois businessman. After a failed romance with the theater, Wilhelm commits himself to the mysterious Tower Society.

Book One

The housekeeper Barbara is waiting for her mistress, the actress Mariane, to return from her performance at the theater. When she arrives, Mariane ignores the presents from her suitor, Norberg, who is due to arrive in 14 days. Wilhelm, whom she loves despite his poor prospects, arrives, and they embrace. The next morning Wilhelm argues with his mother about his obsession with the theater. They reminisce about the puppet show that his mother put on twelve years prior at Christmas. On account of the play Wilhelm became entranced by the theater. He asks his mother where his old puppets are, wanting to show them to a friend.
One night Wilhelm brings his box of puppets to show Mariane and Barbara. They spend the evening listening to Wilhelm tell stories about the aforementioned puppet show. The young soldier who had constructed the theater and put on the play persuades Wilhelm's father to a repeat performance. After this show Wilhelm gets curious and peeks under the curtain.
"...these mysteries disturbed me so much that I wanted to be both among the enchanted and the enchanters, somehow secretly to have a hand in it, and at the same time, as a spectator, be able to enjoy the pleasure of the illusion."
One Sunday morning Wilhelm sneaks into the pantry and finds the box of puppets. He steals the playbook of David and Goliath. He reads it over and over, memorizing all the parts, performing it for his parents until he has an opportunity to help the lieutenant with another performance. During the performance, Wilhelm drops his Jonathan puppet, but otherwise performs his parts well. In the coming spring Wilhelm practices with siblings, friends, and by himself. He finds Gottsched's “The German Stage,” which he begins to practice—preferring always the fifth acts. Mariane is getting sleepy, but Wilhelm is blissfully unaware. He asks of her childhood, but Barbara suggests that he continue his own story. Wilhelm begins acting with friends and wishes to do a rendition of Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered. The friends struggle to furnish their play with the necessary materials, and on the night of the performance they realize that no one has any lines planned. After one aborted attempt, they decide to play David and Goliath.
By this point Mariane has fallen asleep, but Wilhelm continues his story, this time about how he and his friends attempted to turn all manner of novels, stories, and histories into plays. By the time he was fourteen he was being groomed for a job in commerce, which his adolescent heart couldn't bear. He composed a poem where the Muse of Tragedy vied with a figure of Commerce. Wilhelm is so inspired in his speech that he wakes Mariane up.
Wilhelm later arrives at the house of his father's business associate—only to hear that the man's daughter has run away with an actor. An uncomfortable Wilhelm stays the night and, after setting out the next morning, sees a wagon bringing the pair of lovers back to town. Wilhelm goes to the courthouse and hears their confessions of love, which inspires him to act as their mediator. Wilhelm talks with Melina alone and is dismayed to hear that he wants to leave the theater. Nevertheless, he offers to try and convince the girl's parents to find him a job in the village. Wilhelm fails to secure him a position, and the pair of lovers must leave in a few days.
On his way home Wilhelm recollects his initial romance with Mariane. When he arrives, Werner tries to talk him out of the relationship. Ill at ease, Wilhelm writes to Mariane, detailing his plans to start their new life together.
Wilhelm finds Mariane in a strange mood and decides to hold on to the letter; she tells him not to return that night. He wanders the streets and meets a stranger who reveals his knowledge of Wilhelm's grandfather's art collection, which was sold in Wilhelm's childhood. Wilhelm returns to Mariane's, and as he waits outside he sees a dark figure emerge from her door. At home he takes out Mariane's scarf; a concealed note, written by Mariane's other suitor, falls out.

Book Two

Over the next couple years Wilhelm occupies himself with business affairs and agonizes over what happened with Mariane. Werner stokes his anger toward Mariane, but on one occasion attempts to stop Wilhelm from burning all of his old keepsakes and theater manuscripts.
While on another business trip, Wilhelm hears there will be a play put on by factory workers in the small village of Hochdorf; he decides to attend. After more strenuous travels he finally rests in a town where he has no business to conduct. In the town are a traveling group of acrobats and the remnants of a theater troupe. The former includes the androgynous child Mignon, whom Wilhelm buys from the cruel manager of the troupe at the end of the chapter; the latter includes Philine and Laertes, whom Wilhelm befriends and dines with over the next few days. He takes time to watch the performances of the acrobats.
After having disappeared Mignon returns and acts as Wilhelm's servant. He stays in town, practicing his fencing and dancing, until Melina and Madam Melina appear, looking for work. Although they do not get along well with Philine and Laertes, Melina plans to start a new theater company, with Wilhelm footing the bill for scenery and costumes. Wilhelm begins to regret staying so long in the town. Four newcomers arrive in town; one of whom is an “oldish man,” whom Wilhelm recognized from performances with Mariane. Wilhelm finds out from him that three years ago Mariane became pregnant and had been dismissed from her theater company. Still reeling from the news, Wilhelm returns to his room, where Mignon performs her egg dance for him. He is so moved by it that he realizes his wish to take her as his own child.
The next day the whole troupe takes a boat down the river to a new lunch spot. While extemporizing a play, they are joined by a “clergyman,” who later talks to Wilhelm privately about fate, education, and acting.
"'But,' said Wilhelm, 'shouldn't natural talent be all that an actor...needs to enable him to reach the high goal he has set himself?' 'That should certainly be, and continue to be, the alpha and omega, beginning and end; but in between he will be deficient if he does not somehow cultivate what he has, and what he is to be, and that quite early on. It could be that those considered geniuses are worse off than those with ordinary abilities, for a genius can more easily than ordinary men be distorted and go astray.'"
The clergyman disappears, and when the friends return to the inn they get inebriated on punch while performing an impromptu play set in the German Middle Ages. Dispirited by the damage caused by them, Wilhelm covers the costs the next morning. At dinner a harper appears, who sings ballads and lifts everyone's spirits. His appearance turns their conversation once again to the purchase of theater props and costumes. Upset by the conversation, Wilhelm goes to sit alone. Philine joins him and embarrasses him with public caresses before leaving. Wilhelm goes after her and runs into Melina, with whom he makes amends. Wilhelm offers to buy the theater equipment. Philine's former serving boy, Friedrich, who has just returned, beats Wilhelm to Philine's room. Wilhelm, returning home and ignoring Mignon, overhears a horseman say that shortly a count and a prince will be arriving at the neighboring estate. By this point Wilhelm is so distraught that he seeks out the harper, who comforts him with serenades late into the night.
Wilhelm feels he needs a definite goal. He approves Melina's purchase of the theater equipment with a notary. That evening Friedrich has an outburst about Philine's rendezvous with the stablemaster, which is settled amicably. Wilhelm returns to his room; in the midst of his indecision Mignon enters. When Wilhelm talks about leaving she starts having convulsions and heart pains. The two commit themselves to each other—as father and child.

Book Three

The following morning Mignon enters Wilhelm's room, singing a song for the zither, which reveals clues about her background. Meanwhile, the count and countess arrive. They meet the entire troupe and agree to hire them on at their castle. Several days later the count sends a baron to settle their contracts. Himself a connoisseur of the German theater, the baron reads his own five-act composition, and the troupe agrees to perform it. Carriages arrive to take the troupe to the castle. They are unable to stop at an inn on the way for want of space. With the bustle around the castle and the heavy rain, they are sent round to the old, unfurnished portion, where no one is waiting to welcome them—the baron had injured himself during the ride. Completely drenched and hungry, they do not receive food and proper furnishings until long past midnight. The count arrives early the next morning, apologizing profusely for their treatment. Wilhelm lays curious eyes on Jarno, a mysterious officer who is known to be the prince's favorite. Melina struggles to keep the troupe behaved in their new accommodations, but rehearsals begin shortly.
Wilhelm has the chance to perform for the countess one morning. The baroness and Philine are also present, and the busyness of the day keeps him from his recitation. Although disappointed, Wilhelm receives a couple tokens from the countess. Melina tells Wilhelm that they are to prepare a prologue to perform for the prince at his arrival, which Wilhelm writes the next day. However, his piece clashes with the count's vision, and that evening he meets secretly with the countess and baroness to enlist their help. Wilhelm meets the count for breakfast, and they brainstorm the use of an allegorical Minerva for the prologue. During the rehearsal all the nobles and Jarno work to keep the count satisfied and distracted. The prince arrives, and the prologue goes over well. As the troupe continues to perform daily, those whom Wilhelm respects begin to absent themselves more and more. One day Wilhelm tries to engage the prince in conversation about French drama, but he is roundly ignored. Jarno, who has been slowly encouraging Wilhelm to dissociate himself from the rest of the troupe, recommends he read Shakespeare.
"And in a very short while, he was seized, as one would expect, by the torrent of a great genius which swept toward a limitless ocean in which he completely lost and forgot his own self."
The troupe starts to unravel as a disparaging poem about the baron circulates. The pedant, who is thought by some to be the anonymous author, is ambushed and beaten one night. During this time Wilhelm keeps himself above the fray and occupies himself Shakespeare, intervening only when Friedrich arrives at the castle and is thought to be an intruder.
When one day the count rides off to hunt, the baroness and Philine come up with a scheme to bring Wilhelm and the countess together. In the evening Wilhelm disguises himself as the count, and the ladies prepare her for a surprise encounter. The count returns unexpectedly early, however, and sees a disguised Wilhelm sitting in his chair. What the count understands to have happened is left ambiguous, but he becomes quiet and brooding. Later on he asks Wilhelm to read to him. Wilhelm seeks out Jarno to talk about his infatuation with Shakespeare. Jarno tries to persuade Wilhelm to give up acting for the “active life.” The conversation turns sour, however, when Jarno disparages the harper and Mignon. Wilhelm recommits himself to the latter and regrets ever having listened to Jarno. The count continues acting in his strange new manner, as the baroness and Jarno work to reinforce it. The army, prince, and count all intend to move on. Before their departure Wilhelm receives a ring from the countess and notices his initials on her bracelet—which she denies are his. They share a kiss and embrace before the countess screams and they separate.