Zum Arbeitsbegriff bei Rusiñol und Hegel

Abstract

From an in-depth reading of the first lines of Santiago Rusiñol’s L’Hèroe (1903), two morphologically distinct notions of work are highlighted: “el treballar” and “treball”. With the contrastive characterization of both throughout the work, what at first glance might seem a purely formal difference proves to be a clear ideological collision: on the one hand, "el treballar" as liberation and self-realization, on the other, “treball” as suppression and exploitation. This collision not only determines the perception of space and time within the play, but is also at the heart of the dramatic conflict, thus structuring the dynamics of the whole play. Finally, comparing this dynamic with the dialectical conception of Hegel's work and Marx's counterposition, one discovers a striking parallel between these attitudes and that of Rusiñol: While Anton represents the optimistic Hegelian model, Carme and Joan play Marx’s rather pessimistic role.