8. Girl and Beckmann talk
about the war. Their mutual
loneliness and desire for
normalcy overtakes them in
the form of physical
passion.
9. One Leg, Girl’s husband and the
personification of survivor’s guilt,
makes himself know to
Beckmann, who is dressed in One
Leg’s clothes and making love to
his wife.
10. One Leg refuses to allow Beckmann to forget his past and reinvent himself. It is
revealed that One Leg was a soldier who died under ”eckmann’s command.
Beckmann is haunted by guilt.
11. The Other One
convinces Beckmann to
visit the Colonel to give
him the responsibility
for the deaths of 11 men
who died under
”eckmann’s command in
Siberia.
12. The Colonel and his
family are dining and
as Beckmann illustrates
his experience of PTSD
through nightmares,
the family mocks him
and laughs at him.
13. Beckmann tries to give over the
responsibility for the 11 lives of the
soldiers he lost to the Colonel. The
Colonel laughs at his trauma and
recommends that Beckmann take his
act to the stage.
14. Beckmann steals the
Colonel’s schnapps and
drunkenly postulates on the
degradation of the world
and its impending demise.
15. Beckmann auditions for the
cabaret, but is told he must
return when he has made a
name for himself. His
experience is only war and
death—not what the public
wants to see.
16. Beckmann sings Tapfere kleine
Soldatenfrau, a lament
addressing the experiences of
returning veterans. The Cabaret
Producer replies that it lacks
finesse. “rt has nothing to do
with truth, he states.
17. Beckmann returns to his childhood home, only to discover that Frau Kramer lives
there now. She laughs dismissively at his troubles and kind-heartedly informs
Beckmann that his parents committed suicide when Germany lost the war.
18. Beckmann returns to the
Elbe, grieving the loss of
his parents. The Other
One tries to comfort him.
19. Death takes the form of a
Roadsweeper and taunts
Beckmann as he lies in the
Elbe. While Beckmann begs
Death not to forget him, the
Roadsweeper reminds
Beckmann that he forgets no
one—his door is always open.
20. The Other One attempts to remind Beckmann that humanity is good by revealing
to him all the people he has visited on his journey.
21. Beckmann
interviews each
person, accusing
them all of
murdering him.
They, in turn,
dismiss his
allegations and turn
their backs on him.
Girl has
been
searching
for him,
but just as
they are
about to
reunite,
One Leg
returns
and Girl
leaves.
22. One Leg refuses to let Beckmann forget that though he accuses people of
murdering him, he has murdered One Leg. When Beckmann drags himself into
the Elbe for escape, One Leg is able to follow him because he has committed
suicide. He begs Beckmann to remember him. Beckmann, petrified, vows that he
cannot forget his victim.
23. ”eckmann addresses the audience: “ man comes to Germany… and recounts the
anguish of his journey over the 3-day period since he has returned from Siberia.
24. Defeated at last, ”eckmann calls out to the Other One and to God: Will no one,
nobody answer me?
25. God and Death meet
again, as in the beginning
of the play, to choose who
will claim ”eckmann’s
soul.
