Schneider tramples her to death because she represents the prison he had built for himself. This early story reveals Saiko's skepticism toward the veneer of civilization and his belief in the Freudian concept of the self.
The novel Auf dem Floß is set on a large country estate in eastern Austria sometime after 1918. The indeterminancy of time and place contributes to the atmosphere of being adrift that is indicated by the title. The estate of Alexander, Prince Fenckh, serves as a would-be refuge where he attempts to live without interference from his older brother, Bishop Nico. Alexander is an anachronism: all titles of nobility had been abolished by the First Austrian Republic in April 1919, and his rule over his estate is generally ineffectual. He is torn between his lust for the sensual gypsy Marischka and his love for the countess Mary Tremblaye, who lives on the neighboring estate. When his houseguest Eugen woos Mary away from him, Alexander turns to her daughter, Gise. The novel also tells of the strange relationship between Alexander and his gigantic doorman, Joschko.
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