San Salvador is not just that Capital city of a Central American state, but also the Title of a short story by Peter Bichsel, which was first published in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung in 1963. “San Salvador” appeared a second time in the short story collection “Actually Mrs. Blum wants to get to know the milkman” (1964) – and helped the author overnight international fame.
Short stories are epic Works that belong to the genre of Short prose be assigned. Content, form and language determine the characteristics of a short story, the main characteristic being the Brevity. The name was established from the English term “short story”.
The designation San Salvador comes from the Spanish and translated means something like “saving angel”. Peter Bichsel’s short story of the same name deals with this A man’s resignationwhich is through the Escape from everyday life Hopes for rescue and new perspectives.
If you want to learn more about the formal and linguistic features of short stories, check out the Short Story explanation on !
Peter Bichsel: “San Salvador” – summary
“San Salvador” is so short that the work is often referred to as “Shortest story“. Below you will find the synopsis of the short story. This tells of Paul, who is sitting alone in his apartment in the evening, seemingly bored, trying out his new fountain pen and waiting for his wife to return Hildegard waits. The latter is currently taking part in one Choir rehearsal part.
Paul writes one with his new fountain pen letter, in which he says goodbye to Hildegard. He wants to go South America travel, he writes, because “it’s too cold here” for him.1 However, the plan is not implemented and so Paul busy himself with pointless activities until his wife finally arrives home.
How exactly Hildegard and Paul relate to each other is not made clear. Readers can only assume that these two are spouses acts. This is implied by the question about the “children”1 at the end of the short story “San Salvador”.
Peter Bichsel: “San Salvador” – characterization
Readers don’t learn much about Paul. However, it becomes clear from the text of the short story that he is apparently dissatisfied with his life so far. He wants out of that usual everyday life breaking out, New see, experience something.
At the same time, however, Paul seems very impressive dreamy and reserved, almost a little afraid. He merely plans his plan, but does not put it into action. He does this very cleanly and meticulously, which is impressive properstructured character indicates:
After adding his signature several times, then his initials, his address, some wavy lines, then that After he had drawn his parents’ address on a piece of paper, he took a new sheet, folded it carefully and wrote: “It’s too cold for me here,” then, “I’m going to South America.”.1
Despite everyone Carefulness Paul doesn’t seem to know much about the American continent. In his letter he writes about “South America”, but San Salvador is part of one Central American State. Now it is very likely that Peter Bichsel only chose the name of the capital to represent his short story. Even then, however, Paul only seems vague ideas of his goal. This uncertainty can also be transferred to his life and could needs indicate that Paul is not aware of.
Paul, on the other hand, seems to know Hildegard very well. So he already knows exactly how they respond to him Escape will react. Even Hildegard’s smallest movements, like that Pushing back the hair from her face, he can correctly predict. On the one hand, this knowledge of his wife’s behavior can be profound Connectedness between the two, but on the other hand it also gives the impression that Paul is slightly annoyed by Hildegard.
Peter Bichsel: “San Salvador” – analysis of linguistic means
“San Salvador” starts with one direct entry into the action. Peter Bichsel chose one for his short story personal He/she narrator who knows the feelings and thoughts of the main character Paul, but does not judge her.
The writing style of the short story is factual and neutral calma lot of things just become extreme meager described or is unspoken between the lines. Readers should form their own picture of the situation and be encouraged to think. However, it can quickly happen that things are interpreted into the text in this way that are of a purely coincidental nature.
Analysis of linguistic means in “San Salvador”
In “San Salvador” Peter Bichsel uses the element of so-called “experienced speech”. She resembles one monologue and ensures that readers can better empathize with the affected character. Peter Bichsel uses simple ones everyday language and gives up stylistic jewelry or rhetorical devices.
The church choir’s rehearsal lasted until nine o’clock, and Hildegard would be back at half past nine. He waited on Hildegard. To all this, music on the radio. Now he turned off the radio.1
Short sentences that seem to be strung together without any connection and are probably representative of the aimless Thoughts Paul’s stories make up Peter Bichsel’s writing style. The missing Transitions also emphasize the monotony in Paul’s everyday life and the seemingly lack of meaning of his actions.
Later he cleared the newspapers from the table, skimmed through the cinema advertisements, thought of something, pushed Put the ashtray aside, tore up the paper with the wavy lines, emptied his pen and filled it again.1
“San Salvador” uses expressions that recur over and over again. One such expression is the phrase “Then he sat there,” which has several variations repeated becomes. It just illustrates the boredom that Paul feels while sitting around doing nothing. Additionally, he emphasizes Paul’s resignation and his indecisionwhich is the reason why Paul doesn’t flee to South America.
Paul asks himself this reaction from Hildegard still vividly. Peter Bichsel uses this for this conjunctivewhere he occasionally uses the auxiliary verb “would”:
So now Hildegard would come home at half past nine. It was now nine o’clock. She reads his message, I was frightened, I probably didn’t believe that about South America, but I would still count the shirts in the box, Something must have happened.1
If you want to find out more about the formation of the subjunctive, the explanations “Subjunctive 1” and “Subjunctive 2” on will help you!
Peter Bichsel: “San Salvador” – Interpretation
“San Salvador” can be viewed in very different ways, because the Shortage of language and that open ending leave a lot of room for interpretation. There are negative perspectives that see Paul’s resignation as a consequence of the couple’s “cold” love. However, there are also approaches that Longing Pauls see something positive.
Cold marriage and extinguished love
The sentence “It’s too cold for me here”1 seems beside the point Leitmotif “Then he sat there”1 also has a separate meaning. It can be literal or otherwise metaphorically be understood. In this sense, “here” could not mean Paul’s homeland, but rather the condition of his marriage be meant.
The metaphor replaces an actual term with another linguistic expression. A linguistic transfer of meaning is therefore carried out. If you want to learn more about this, check out the Metaphor explanation on !
Paul seems bored. He knows exactly when Hildegard’s choir rehearsal ends and when she will be home afterwards, which in turn suggests that this is one regularity acts. Hildegard goes to choir practice every Wednesday, Paul is bored every Wednesday. The question arises as to why the two don’t do anything together.
On other days Paul seems to go to the “lion”1, probably one Inn or a pub, but it is “closed on Wednesdays”1. The fact that Hildegard would still call there if she didn’t find Paul at home suggests that she was talking to him daily routine is not nearly as familiar as he is with hers. This in turn is an indication lack of interest in the relationship on her part.
This thesis is also supported by the question “Are the children sleeping?”1 with which Hildegard greets Paul when she returns home. It shows in an unmistakable way that Paul is no longer the one top priority in his wife’s life.
Given this background, it seems all too understandable that Paul should be this emotional coldness want to escape. He even assumes that Hildegard is simply “would come to terms with it”1, which again refers to the extinct ones Love of the two.
Longing for palm trees, longing for Hildegard
A slightly more positive theory interprets Paul’s perceived boredom in “San Salvador” as Longing. So the focus is not on that Thought of escape in itself, not the disgust for the old, but the desire for New.
This longing can now refer to warmth in the literal sense, or also to Hildegard obtain yourself. Paul misses his wife and doesn’t know what to do with himself when she’s not with him. He wants the past love and with it the Passion to revive.
How much Hildegard gave to her husband despite everything means, becomes clear in “San Salvador” towards the end. After Paul the Instructions for use When he compares his fountain pen in different languages, he thinks of palm trees – and finally to Hildegard:
Then he sat there, thought about who he could write a letter to, read the instructions for the pen again – turning slightly to the right – also read the French text, comparing the English with that Germans, saw his note again, thought of palm trees, thought of Hildegard. Sat there.1
Hildegard is not only always in his Thoughts, it also seems to outweigh the longing for South America and displaces the image of palm trees. This could also be an explanation for why Paul ultimately stays with her. In truth, Paul doesn’t miss the sun, but his big one Love.
Escape as a solution
Escaping the cold seems to be the only option for Paul Movement in his stagnant life but he still doesn’t put his plan into practice. The reasons for this could be his hesitation character lie or with the Longing after his wife.
They provide another explanation Children, which are only mentioned in the penultimate sentence of “San Salvador”. Not only do they seem to have changed Paul’s married life, they now also tie him to everyday life, which he found boring, monotonous and lonely perceives.
However, it is equally possible that Paul in his interior is very well aware that there is no escape Solution for his dissatisfaction. Paul lacks the ability to deal with himself. A trip south will change the location and the weather, but not the weather feelings inside him and the Doubt at his way of life.
On the…