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The Automata
''The Automata'' (German: ''Die Automate'') is a short story written by E. T. A. Hoffmann. Originally published in 1814 in German language literary-culture journal ''Zeitung für die elegante Welt'' (''Newspaper for the Elegant World''), the full story was first published in his book '' Die Serapionsbrüder'' (''The Serapion Brethren'') in 1819. Plot summary The plot follows the discussions and retelling of several distinct stories, framed by an evening gathering between several men. The narrator is invited to a small gathering, and arrives late. When he gets there, he encounters the silent party watching a gold ring swing back and forth, transfixed at the motion. His friend Vincent claims that the ring moves according to the will of the men in the room, which causes an argument among the guests. Another man, Cyprian, begins to tell one of his stories to prove the existence of the supernatural: Cyprian's story takes place at the county house of Colonel von P———. During ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Serapion Brethren
The Serapion Brethren (''Die Serapionsbrüder'') is the name of a literary and social circle, formed in Berlin in 1818 by the German romantic writer E. T. A. Hoffmann and several of his friends. The Serapion Brethren also is the title of a four-volume collection of Hoffmann's novellas and fairytales that appeared in 1819, 1820, and 1821. The literary circle Seraphin Brethren In 1814, Hoffmann returned to Berlin from Dresden and Leipzig, where he had been working as an orchestra conductor and opera director, to return to work as a Prussian civil servant. In that year, he and a group of friends formed an association for the purpose of reading from and discussing works of literature (primarily their own). The group first met on October 12, which happened to be the feast day of Saint Seraphin of Montegranaro. The friends therefore decided to refer to their group as an “order” and to give it the name The Seraphin Brethren 'Die Seraphinenbrüder'' After about two years of gathe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Automaton
An automaton (; plural: automata or automatons) is a relatively self-operating machine, or control mechanism designed to automatically follow a sequence of operations, or respond to predetermined instructions.Automaton – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/automaton Some automata, such as Jacquemart (bellstriker), bellstrikers in mechanical clocks, are designed to give the illusion to the casual observer that they are operating under their own power. Since long ago, the term is commonly associated with automated puppets that resemble moving humans or animals, built to impress and/or to entertain people. Animatronics are a modern type of automata with electronics, often used for the portrayal of characters in films and in theme park attractions. Etymology The word "automaton" is the latinization of the Ancient Greek , , (neuter) "acting of one's own will". This word was first used by Homer to describe an auto ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
