Signatures of Decision-Making. Gottfried Keller and 'Der grüne Heinrich' (1854/55; 1879/80) [Signaturen des Entscheidens. Gottfried Keller und „Der grüne Heinrich“ (1854/55; 1879/80)]

Wagner-Egelhaaf, Martina

Abstract

This article reads Gottfried Keller's novel Der grüne Heinrich [Green Henry], which exists in two versions (first version from 1854/55; second version from 1879/80) in light of recent theories of decision-making. It relates the life story of the protagonist Heinrich Lee, which is based on Keller's, to the form and structure of the novel. The constellation of decisions he makes are the decisive factor in this relation. While the first version, which Keller himself describes as shapeless, corresponds to the protagonist's misguided decision to become a painter and his equally shapeless paintings, the structured reworking of the second version of the novel reflects Heinrich's pragmatic decision to give up his unsuccessful career as a painter and to accept the position of an official secretary.