Frederick the Great discussion post 9

[cahn]

...I leave you guys alone for one weekend and it's time for a new Fritz post, lol!

I'm gonna reply to the previous post comments but I guess new letter-reading, etc. should go in this one :)

Frederick the Great links

Comments

Re: Brotherly Conduct I: The Prelude

[selenak]

Since Fritz' complete submission to FW included him literally kissing his father's feet, he can always tell himself "I'm going easy on the boy, actually", but there's definitely "I'm going to make you in my image" going on, along with getting some deep satisfaction out of toppingbossing this particular brother. I mean, this whole thing starts when he's in physical pain, a bad mood and looking for an acceptable target. And he doesn't go for AW (not yet, sob), and he'll never go for Ferdinand, because Fredo Ferdinand is harmless and forever the also ran who does what he's told. No, he goes for the brother who talks back and has awfully familiar abilities and is just plain more interesting (now that all three younger brothers are grown up). (Am reminded of the brothers Mann again and Thomas writing to his publisher "You may have heard about my quarrel with my brother" - i.e. Heinrich - "I mean, of course the older; in the higher sense I have only one brother, the other (youngest brother Vicco Mann) is a nice fellow one can't argue with."