Musil reading diary chapters 20-1.

After a depressing day at work (fuckery! ) there's no better thing than a beer and a nice discussion to keep one's mind busy.

So. Chapters 20-1. Two new characters show up. Paying heed to his father's advice, Ulrich calls on Count Stallburg in order to obtain a letter of recommendation to get invited into the jubilee project. As he enters Stallburg's pompous residence, he tries to stay aloof. "Ironic protest and bourgeois criticism". But there's something about Stallburg, this impersonal, unpretentious, orangutan-like man, that Ulrich finds trustworthy. A queer thing about Musil's writing is that even in the physical appearence of his characters a multitude of societal phenomena is inscribed. - In this case, the impersonal, hunched appearance of Stallburg is connected to the tendency among members of high society to imitate, as imitation will make holders of supreme power to look like servants. Are we to believe that the emperor of Austria looks like a orangutan? So, anyway, what does Ulrich do to impress Count Stallburg? Well, he lets go of himself - - he, who hates spontaneity! - - and brings up the subject of Moosbrugger, the sex criminal, whose case he begs Stallburg to look into. Surprisingly, this does not offend the count, who is rather delighted by this energetic young man. But as he finally receives his letter of recommendations, Ulrich feels like a child dismissed with a piece of chocolate. It is humiliating for him to be recommended. Ulrich, the independent Scientist, - a "high-spirited helper"!

In the next chapter, we are introduced to Leinsdorf, the driving force behind the "parallel campaign", the aim of which is to celebrate the 70th year of the reign of emperor Franz Joseph (the jubilee would take place in 1918) - and most of all, to boast of the greatness of the Habsburgi empire and convince the world of why it is a much greater country than PrussiaGermany. Poor Wilhelm II would have occupied the throne during the futile period of thirty years. (Franz Joseph died in 1916 and after world war 1 both empires changed their political systems) "His Grace the Imperial Liege-Count Leinsdorf" is introduced in a scene in which his secretary reads to him a section of Fichte. Wouldn't Fichte be one hell of a thinker to bolster the patriotic campaign? No, the count protests, Fichte represents a far too protestant view of the Church. Odd as it is, by "protestant" Leinsdorf seems to have in mind the elevation of "eternal verities" rather than a sound reliance upon symbols and "homilies" (this is my interpretation). Leinsdorf himself is not much of a thinker. He celebrates "contemplation in divine darkness, which is infinitely clear in itself but a dazzling darkness to the human intellect". This man is simply far too aristocratic to think. He has really no clue about what the patriotic campaign should work for, but the whole thing triggers his patriotic feels. Austria should be a shimmering model for the world (esp. Germany!) to admire and emulate. Leinsdorf is described as "nothing but a patriot"; he is not interested in politics, nor is he interested in learning about the diversity of society. As a man who has isolated himself among his upper-class comerades, the hustle and bustle of society is completely alien to him ("goldfish in a bowl"); for him, there is no difference between working class and middle class. Gold fish. All that matters is "fatherland".