The Mythology in The Tin Drum
Abstract
The hero of the classical epic is distinguished at birth by the gods, educated in trial and ritual, and eventually singled out for a special mission of sacred importance. With time he travels over vast stretches of land or water and into the distant reaches of the cosmos, to Olympus or Hades, heaven or hell. After having passed through a number of trials and adventures in which he has proven his superiority over common men and uncommon monsters, he completes his special mission or quest (knowingly or unknowingly), gains stature as a result, and perhaps loses favour with the gods. (His memory is cherished in any case by members of the community and often a cult is founded on his behalf.) Frequently the hero relates his own story of deeds in battle, cunning exploits, and encounters with strange people in foreign places; but always on a larger tableau of epic unity the supernatural powers participate in his fate at their pleasure and by design. From beginning to end the gods themselves or their divine machinations prepare, encourage, and guide the hero in his travels along some predetermined path. Each and every one of these epic conventions is present in The Tin Drum but in large measure it is the last element, a unique and persuasive mythology, that gives this novel its essential character. Without a convincing mythology to motivate the hero and arrange his fate, his status would indeed be reduced from hero-deity to that of a mindless picaro (as some critics claim), a buffoon-like Simplizissimus or an Eulenspiegel.
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References
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