Aufsätze

by Robert Walser

"Aufsätze" by Robert Walser is a collection of prose pieces published in 1904. Through the persona of gymnasium student Fritz Kocher, Walser presents satirical essays on parents, poverty, friendship, and ambition. Fritz observes class divisions with sardonic detachment, dreams of exotic professions while rejecting conventional paths, and navigates school life under a peculiar teacher. The collection also includes character studies of a clerk and a painter, exploring themes of art, isolation, and the artist's struggle between creative calling and human connection.