GRGR(5) some questions on pp. 92-113

[rj]

David, Kai:
> 
> > >Rilke's notion of "Change" represents the inevitable
> > >loss of the war (from the vantage of 1944?) and the
> > >Allied Occupation of Germany for Blicero, does it? (97 passim)
> >
> > For Blicero, I think the "Change" means a form of transcendence, i.e.. death
> > & annihilation, like the moth to the flame.
> 
>                                                   Think so too. - KFL

But, the metaphor continues, referring to Blicero's obsessions "since
long before he embraced the Reich's flame". (98.10) I still get the
impression that Blicero realises that the defeat of the Axis powers is
inevitable, and that this, of course, will result in his own death,
which he seems to relish the prospect of in a bizarre, martyristic sort
of way. Just after this he ponders whether any of "these Rauhandels" --
and here I think the reference extends beyond the "children" he plays
his perverted sexual domination games with like Gottfried and Katje and
Enzian, to the way ordinary soldiers and agents, "this raw material",
are used by the military in the war, that in fact a very deliberate
analogy is being made between these two systems of control, the sexual
and the military -- "want the Change". (98.34 ff) He then admits that at
least some of these "strayed children ... will survive and prosper".
(99.1) Which I take to mean '*after* the Change', although in this
respect it could be referring to Blicero's personal death rather than
the war's end, I guess.

best