Right, this is ringing a bell. I remember us talking about this letter, but I don't know if we ever talked about the "liberator" choice of words.
I mean, given the state of things in May 1731, it's quite possible he was extremely pessimistic and cynical about the prospect of her being able to do anything about his situation. (Those were the days when his escape plan was "marry MT," for those of you who will benefit from the chronology reminder.) And even if he thought there was a chance, I'm touched that he cared enough to insist that she not do it.
As to whether in December he thought she had improved his situation...I don't know. If he didn't know yet that he was going to have to get married himself, he found out by early January, I believe. Maybe he was trying to make her feel better, or maybe he thought that her marriage, on top of his kissing Dad's boots and forswearing predestination, helped improve his situation in August.
Conversely, is there some hidden (subconscious or conscious) resentment on his part (because she can't see he had to fake it, because she married which he didn't want, possibly because she was against his escape plan, and thus he puts it on extra strong?
Could be this too! I'm sure Fritz's head was a very complicated place in 1731. :/ </3
c) Since Fritz even in this late stage isn't presumably surrounded by "many" people hating on BayreuthFriedrich who have to be enlightened about him, he's presumably talking in code about Mom, right?
Presumably, although given how Sonsine was supposed (according to Wilhelmine's memoirs) to have reacted to the idea of Wilhelmine offering to give up on the Fritz of Wales marriage, and this right after FW had just locked up Fritz and beaten Wilhelmine up...maybe there were numerous people Fritz met when he came home for the wedding that he needed to enlighten! If Sonsine, who loved Wilhelmine, had such strong feelings, other people might have too.
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Re: Letters from Küstrin
Date: 2021-11-07 10:28 pm (UTC)I mean, given the state of things in May 1731, it's quite possible he was extremely pessimistic and cynical about the prospect of her being able to do anything about his situation. (Those were the days when his escape plan was "marry MT," for those of you who will benefit from the chronology reminder.) And even if he thought there was a chance, I'm touched that he cared enough to insist that she not do it.
As to whether in December he thought she had improved his situation...I don't know. If he didn't know yet that he was going to have to get married himself, he found out by early January, I believe. Maybe he was trying to make her feel better, or maybe he thought that her marriage, on top of his kissing Dad's boots and forswearing predestination, helped improve his situation in August.
Conversely, is there some hidden (subconscious or conscious) resentment on his part (because she can't see he had to fake it, because she married which he didn't want, possibly because she was against his escape plan, and thus he puts it on extra strong?
Could be this too! I'm sure Fritz's head was a very complicated place in 1731. :/ </3
c) Since Fritz even in this late stage isn't presumably surrounded by "many" people hating on BayreuthFriedrich who have to be enlightened about him, he's presumably talking in code about Mom, right?
Presumably, although given how Sonsine was supposed (according to Wilhelmine's memoirs) to have reacted to the idea of Wilhelmine offering to give up on the Fritz of Wales marriage, and this right after FW had just locked up Fritz and beaten Wilhelmine up...maybe there were numerous people Fritz met when he came home for the wedding that he needed to enlighten! If Sonsine, who loved Wilhelmine, had such strong feelings, other people might have too.