Robert Walser worksheet: Jakob von Gunten
How would you describe the protagonist of Walser’s novel?
p. 8, p. 12, p. 22, p. 34, p. 68-69: What do we learn about Jakob’s family
background and his ambition in life? Why does he enter the Institute?
pp. 50-52: Analyse Jakob’s Lebenslauf. In what way does Jakob subvert the
conventions of a normal CV?
pp. 7-9, pp. 55-57, pp. 58-59, pp. 62-64: What type of institution is Institut
Benjamenta? Describe the curriculum, the setting, the teaching methods and the
teachers:
p. 11-12: What is Jakob’s first perception of the school?
p. 17-20, pp. 44-45, pp. 61-62: How does Jakob perceive Herr Benjamenta? How
would you characterise Jakob’s behaviour towards Benjamenta?
pp. 37-39, pp. 40, p. 46: analyse the passages describing the modern city?
pp. 87-88, pp. 108-110: Analyse Jakob’s fantasies and dreams. What do they
reveal about Jakob’s secret desires?
pp. 93-95, pp. 106-108 pp. 127-130, pp. 155-158, pp. 158-161: Analyse the
relationship between Herr Benjamenta and Jakob. To what extent does it
reproduce the master/slave dialectic? At what point does the master-slave
dialectic begin to tip?