My Harp is Turned to Mourning Coloquial terms

Anwohner: landless workers, trades people living on the Mennonite

colonies

Bauernkultur: farmers’ culture: implies a narrow, confined world view

Burzhuz: bourgeois middle class, materialistic

Droskies: horse drawn carriage

Durak: idiot

Faspa: mid-afternoon lunch, …buns, pickles, cheese

Gemeinde: congregation

Grootestow: great room, living room

Haube: head covering, kerchief

Jugend: youth

Khata: village

Khutor: estate

Nalyotchik: bandit

Njemet: foreigner, plural is njemtsi

Nogaies: Tatar nomads, Turkish background ethnically

Nogaika: whip

Obershulze: administrative officer for the colony

Platz: sweet open face fruit pie

Reisiprediger: itinerant-travelling preacher

Samogon: home made whiskey

Schnorrijch: tranquil, serene, quiet, lazy

Schoen ist die Jugendzeit, sie kommt nicht mehr: wonderful is the

time of youth, for it will not return.

Seelengangst: soul’s angst, fear of the sinner before judgement

Sommastow: summer room, porch sun room

Tweebach: two bake pull apart buns, buns baked in two parts so that

they may be split without a knife

Wirtschaft: agricultural estate, large farm.

Characters in Novel

Kolya Fast, -real name is Nikolai, Kolya is a nick name, Willy Fast’s radical brother

Willie Fast - main character, in love with Clara Bock, artist and school teacher.

Erdman Lepp - extremely evangelical preacher, favourite book is Martyrs Mirro, hopes

to someday be a martyr. Preaches lots about the coming “end times;

Nestor Makhno - historical anarchist, Ukrainians love him, Mennonites thought

(still think) he was spawn of Satan. Might have been a nice guy if

you can get past the murder raping and pillaging.

Katya Loewen, - sister to “Snapper”, Martin Loewen, Makhno has a serious crush

on her.

Martin Loewen - son of the owner of a large estate. Rich Mennonite who’s

become upper class.

August Bock - self made, rich Mennonite industrialist.

August Bock Jr. - Son of above, snob, spoiled.

Mrs. Bock, - wife of August, snob, originally German, thinks Russia is a

backwater

Clara Bock, - daughter of August, is a love interest of Willie’s but leads him on

because she is not allowed to marry a “commoner”

Marusya - Russian peasant servant who is August Bock Jr.’s mistress

Rasputin - charismatic priest who has a strange relationship/connection with the

royal family. The queen thinks that he can keep her hemophiliac son safe.

Alexander Burzev – Russian art teacher

Johann Cornies – Mennonite “tsar” using the Tsar’s authority he forced

agricultural reform on the Mennonite colonies and upgraded their

educational system as well.

Vox Populi – voice of the people, pen name for Kolya or Nikolai Fast, Kolya’s

brother.

Bernhard Harder –preacher with in the Mennonite Colonies

Eschatology - study of Revelations and the biblical end times.

Anarchist - socialist/communist group that believes organized centralized

government is bad.

Piestic - Christian movement that emphasizes following the “rules of

Christianity”

Russia in the Revolution

The part of the book that you will be reading takes place from 1914- to the 1930’s

Below is a map of Europe at the start of the First World War.

During the revolution

Russia

Germany

Black Sea

Setting: Molochnaya Colony, Southern Russia May 1905

Chapter One

The setting is the quiet village of Blumental, as yet untouched by the building social

pressures of the coming revolution. It moves to the Fast farm where we are introduced to

two brothers Willie and Kolya. (Nikolai) Willie feels a real but inadequate connection

and understanding of the settlers who came to this steppe one hundred years earlier. His

brother Kolya is bitter and rebellious about the constraints this Mennonite life places on

him.

They are visited by a traveling preacher named ‘Onkel Lepp” or Erdmann Lepp,

he is fascinated (obsessed?) with eschatology, the ‘end times” as prophesied in the Bible.

He explains over supper about the threats he sees in socialist ideology and the working

classes’ trend toward forming labour unions. He connects this to the ever increasing

anarchist looting that is going on around the colonies.

“So far our Mennonite colonies have been spared violence: here my friends you

live in a peaceful village far removed from the outside world. You and others like

you live under God’s special protection as a chosen people. But there is a trend

towards disobedience and lawlessness, towards anarchy and chaos in our cities

and elsewhere that is gathering force quickly. As Christians, of course we need

not fear or despair over this evil force…There is much unholy talk in the cities

now about socialism, trade unions, the new proletariat - all Satan’s work to try

and undermine a God ordained monarch and government.”

Note: He views a parallel between Mennonites’ and the biblical story and the history of

God’s chosen people, the Jews, in the Old Testament. He also views the government as

being God ordained and thus, worthy of support.

Erdman Lepp grew up guided by the two books in his household, the Bible and a

copy of the Martyr’s Mirror. The Mirror was his inspiration and he read it passionately.

The result was a very piestic man. This meant not only sincerity of belief but a heavy

emphasis on a disciplined spiritual lifestyle and a literal belief in the scriptures. Erdman

began his career preaching in the Mennonite Colonies, but he longed to spread his

message to the “unsaved” the Russian population. He began illegally preaching the word

to Russians when possible.

In 1893 he alerts Russian authorities of his intention to preach to the Russian

population, he is arrested. Eventually he is released because of the political influence of

Countess Mathilde Glaznova. He met her in his earlier years and they fell in love, gave

in to physical desires once, and then they both swore to rededicate themselves to a

celibate life. Erdman took his guidance in affairs of the heart from St. Paul who said that

it was better if Christians remained single and evangelize if they had the strength to bear

it. Erdman desired to be an evangelist more than anything, so his choice was made.

Having been denied his preferred mission field by the Russian government,

Erdman dedicated himself to the study of eschatology, the biblical end times, meditating

and studying over prophecies of the end times.

“ Yes he could drive himself into frenzies of frustrated zeal just by thinking of all

those millions of unsaved peasants in their sprawling, muddy, dog teeming,

anonymous villages of white washed khatas and scrawny chickens, gaunt cows

and horses and free ranging pigs, living forever in hopeless poverty and violence.

How he longed to bring those simple, loveable people to the warm bosom of the

living Christ- away from the meaningless church ritual and the worship of painted

idols on shelf or wall. If only he could have devoted his entire life to that

precious work. But to “Go forth … and make all nations my disciples” had been

so clear and compelling. Why had God not permitted him to answer it more

often?”

Deep within his soul, Erdmann Lepp still clung to the hope that God had something truly

momentous in store for his servant, a grand, ultimate campaign or mission that would end

all his frustrations, justify all of his tenacious zeal, fulfill all his dreams and prayers for

success in fighting his holy war.

“He would wait as patiently as he could for that final call. There were loud

rumors of war coming from the European countries these days. The frog shaped

evil spirits were louder and more venomous than ever. The sixth vial was nearly

empty. It had to be. Then would come the seventh vial and Armageddon.

It must be now. War in the West, followed by the Final Battle in the East.

Armageddon!

It would be now. In the midst of war and strife the Lord would issue the final

command to go forth” p. 199

Foreshadowing!

Ch. 2 1852

Daniel Fast the Grandfather of Willie and Kolya. Explains why they left Prussia.

“ I was shocked by the loose living and growing worldliness I saw among God’s

people. The spirit of Babylon seemed to be let loose among us. We were rapidly

becoming a dwelling for demons, a haunt for every unclean spirit. I observed that

even some of our church teachers, who should have led their flocks in purity,

were not walking in God’s ways. They usually looked the other way when it

came to Schnapps drinking and other bad habits. They seemed to tolerate even

the fierce wine of fornication, as the prophet says… p. 30

Ch.3 Loewen Estate “Voronaya August 1905

Nestor Ivanovich Makhno, a farm labourer employed by “Papasha Loewen”

(Father Loewen). Nestor is whipped to the point of welts and bleeding for stealing a

chisel. Machno feels hatred for his employer over what he considers to be an

insignificant crime. He is angry that Loewen, a foreign German Mennonite, and others

like him have become wealthy while Ukrainian peasants labor fruitlessly for their benefit.

There is also a sincere sense of love for the man who beats him. Part of Nestor

recognizes that the man, who is beating him, when calmer and more sober, also cares for

him. Nestor is a historical figure who will become an anarchist leader who terrorizes the

Mennonite villages.

Ch. 4 Halbstadt, Molochnaya April 1908: Bluenau July 1908, Voronaya, August

1908

Willie’s artistic ability gains the recognition and praise of his Russian art teacher.

He is encouraged to pursue art school at a more advanced level, Willie’s art has until now

reflected his appreciation of his heritage and the village lifestyle. He is told that in order

to grow as an artist he will have to leave behind, what his Russian teacher describes as

the “stifling”, Mennonite Colony lifestyle. His father, Mr. Fast, considers art to be

frivolous and pushes Willie to concentrate on something practical and constructive.

The Loewen family hears Erdmann Lepp preach and become “converted” and

donate their jewelry to missions and offer their estate to host a local “Bible Conference”.

Their son Martin, nicknamed, “Snapper”, shows Willie around their huge estate. Snapper

is less concerned with spiritual issues and more concerned with managing the estate in a

businesslike prosperous way. He feels his father is too soft on the workers. He is the son

of the man who whipped Makhnov.

While staying at the estate Willie meets Snapper’s sister Katya. He also hears

that the Loewen’s fired worker, Nestor Makhno has been arrested. Snapper recollects

that Makno used to “look” at Katya a little too long. Foreshadowing? (yup! Makhnov

had/has a crush on Katya)

At the Bible Conference there is an altar call by Erdmann Lepp and Willie Fast

answers it. Reflecting back later he feels that somehow Erdmann Lepp has a type of

charismatic control over him.

Ch. 5 Alexandrovsk, August 1908

We find Nestor Makhno in prison. He is going to be hung as an anarchist even

though he had only been the look out for a robbery. The gang had been caught because

he had gotten drunk and bragged about their actions. He muses about his circumstances,

he remembers how he hated arrogant “Snapper” Loewen, but how he much he liked

Katya Loewen his sister. She had been kind, happy, pure and good and she had made

him feel happy every time he was around her. After losing his job on the Loewen estate

Makhno had worked in a factory, but a strike there ended violently when they were

attacked by government Cossacks. This had led him to a life of crime and now jail.

Ch.7 St. Petersburg Nov. 1912

August Bock Jr., the son of a rich Mennonite farm equipment factory owner, is

critical of the way Mennonite colonies have isolated themselves from the rest of Russia.

He argues against the idea prevalent among many Mennonites that without German

language and culture, the Mennonites will not survive. Willie and August debate over

whether Mennonites are an ethnic group or a faith. August, whose mother is “pure”

German, leans toward them being an ethnic group. Willie argues that without the church

there are no Mennonites.

Willie Fast and his friend Jacob Priess were in school in St. Petersburg studying

to be secondary teachers. Both were facing the likely prospect of being drafted into the

army and then having to do three years of forestry service. Jacob then planned on

teaching five years and finally aimed to go into the ministry. Willie Fast was unsure

what he would do, he currently was enjoying studying art.

Snapper Loewen was in business school in Halbstadt and hoped to return to his

farm and make things.

It is here that Willie meets Clara Bock, August Bock Jr.’s sister. She is studying

voice, although she knows that she is not good enough to become a professional, her

father’s money allows her this diversion before marriage. Willie is smitten by her; (crazy

in love!) she is also out of his league. Her parents expect her to marry someone of her

class, and Willie does not qualify, but she enjoys the attention and … leads him on.?...?

Ch.9 p.108 Butyriki Prison, Feb. 1913

Makhno gains respect in his prison as a poet. His death sentence had been

reduced to life in prison but the prison was brutal and vicious. It is here that Nestor

Makho learns about anarchism and becomes an anarchist.

Ch. 10

Clara and Willie are walking hand in hand and their feelings for each other are

growing, but there are problems in the relationship.

“Though they were quite aware of their feelings for each, other they hadn’t

expressed them openly. For the moment they enjoyed the spontaneity of their

relationship…. Willie was also aware of a certain emotional reticence in Clara.

There were moments when he felt a need to declare his feelings for her directly,

was on the verge of doing so but was stopped by something suddenly

guarded in Clara’s manner.”

“ For her part, Clara found Wilhelm most exciting to be with when he

talked about his art and his dreams as an artist, when he explored realms of

thought and feeling that were new to her. She admired the introspective play of

his mind, the quick steep flights of his imagination, the remorseless way he

attacked pretension and hypocrisy, his own included. She knew he was in love

with her, that he would soon want her to be more than a soul mate. Her own

feelings were complex and confusing. She could not quite sort them out. She

was very fond of this intense young man, adored him, in fact, but was not quite

ready to have him declare his love- not yet. Their relationship seemed so exactly

right as it was. As a friend he was exciting to be with, but as a lover he would

become possessive, demanding, hem her in. She wasn‘t at all sure she was ready

for that.”

Willie meets Mr. and Mrs. Bock in Moscow. It becomes very clear that Mrs. Bock does

not approve of a farm boy artist, Willie. She refers to him in third person through out the

meal, “ask your young man if he would like some more tea”. Clara obeys her mother and

apologizes in a whisper to Willie when her mother asks her to retire to bed early.

“With a sinking heart he realized that between Clara and himself now stood a very

determined and ruthless mother obviously used to getting her own way.

Somehow he could not see Clara successfully defying her mother’s will.” p.123

August Bock Sr. had met Mrs.Bock while he was studying in Germany. Her

family had been concerned that she was marrying “beneath” her status but she had been

strong willed and in love and they were married despite her family’s warnings. Mrs.

Bock had found that life in Russia was not as culturally rich or sophisticated as that in

Germany. It was a shortcoming that she unsuccessfully tried to make up for with an

upper class lifestyle. (She is a snob)

At the Bock’s Willie, August Jr., August Sr. and Clara meet the “famous

Mennonite historian” P.M. Friesen. He discusses his view of the Mennonite existence in

Russia. August Sr. says:

“I accept what you say, Peter M. (Friesen), but I can’t help feeling that our people

are obedient and loyal more out of ignorance and indifference than out of

conviction. We sit behind out mulberry hedges in our closed villages not

knowing or caring what is happening in the outside world.

That’s very true, Redekop. It always made P.M. Friesen happy when he

could agree with an opponent, especially after just scoring points against him. I

can’t defend our isolation from the world, our cultural isolationism in particular. I

wrote in my book that the leaders of the migration to American were shockingly

ignorant of all things Russian –language, history, culture. Since then, of course

things have improved somewhat. Our children now learn Russian in school. I

myself feel more at home in Russian at times than in German. But we have a long

way to go. We still tend to hold ourselves aloof from the Russians around us.

We still tend to look down on our non-Mennonite neighbors, arrogance bred of

ignorance, as you say. p. 126

After P.M. Friesen leaves August Jr. takes Willie and

Clara out to a “risqué” night club that has Gypsy singers- and

dancers. While there they are confronted by a drunken

Rasputin, ( the Russian Monk who is having affairs with

many in the Royal Court) who paws at Clara. Clara is shaken

and they immediately go home. There they break in on the

tail end of an argument between Mr. and Mrs. Bock; it seems

to be about Willie. Mr. and Mrs. leave the room as does

August Jr. At last alone, Clara cries on Wilhelm’s shoulder

and …. They kiss.

“a sad, tentative kiss that awoke no strong response in

either of them.” p.130

Rasputin

Ch. 12

Clara is forced to return to their home by her mother in order to get her away from

Willie. Clara and Wilhelm continue to exchange letters. Wilhelm is invited to spend a

weekend at the Bock’s residence. He gladly accepts the invitation.

The Bock’s live a life of privilege in a gorgeous mansion. The wealth and

splendor distance begin to emphasize the distance already created between Clara and

Wilhelm. August Jr. leads Willie on a tour of their factory. During the tour Willie picks

up on the sullen animosity of the workers towards them; August Jr. is oblivious to the

hostility.

August Sr. was an ingenuitive self made man, a mechanical wizard who had

made the farm company successful. Reisen, his business partner, had supplied the funds

and Bock had provided the brains. Reisen’s lack of a male heir led August Jr. to believe

that one day he would take over the entire company. (Like his mother he was a spoiled

snob0

“Wilhelm felt a perverse urge to say the wrong thing, to prick August’s suave self

importance: he was after all merely the beneficiary of his father’s hard work and

skill. How like Snapper Loewen August was in this respect, but at least Snapper

was eager and ambitious to improve and expand his fathers estate. Somehow

Wilhelm doubted that August would ever add much to his father’s business. It’s

all impressive,” he heard himself say (he was after all a guest), “no wonder

you’ve become so absorbed in all of this.”

During his weekend at the Bock’s Wilhelm encounters one of the servants name

Marusya. “The food was again served by a Russian servant girl so striking in appearance

that Wilhelm could not keep his eyes off her. Even her stiff maid’s uniform could

not entirely mask the grace of her movements, the touch of insolence in her

bearing. The haughtiness in her broad, high cheeked peasant face came from a

pairs of flashing black eyes and a nose that had the delicate sweep of a scimitar.

There was nothing of the docile servant about her. Instead Wilhelm thought he

detected in her a smoldering resentment at their menial role. When she came

close he was aware of a gathered energy in her, a physical intensity that struck

him as almost masculine. Even her figure had a taut male flatness and angularity

that denied passive femininity.” p. 152

Clara has an obvious dislike for Marusya; she thinks she is lazy and impudent.

She confides to Wilhelm that she caught her with the coachman… but she did not tell her

mother, an action which would have gotten Marusya fired.

During the church service Sunday morning Wilhelm realizes that he and Clara are

done, the romance is has ended in her indifference.

“ His heart ached with the nearness of her, and with her utterly unattainable

distance. He felt depressed suddenly, and wished the day were over so he could

go home and try to forget this entrancing maddening girl who would never be his.

Who would, he thought bitterly, be sold to the highest bidder when her mother

decided the time was right. “

But perhaps he was being too pessimistic. He had not lost Clara yet. There had

been moments he knew when they had been more than just casual friends…. p.

154

“It was the moment he had been waiting for. It was now or never. The singer’s

vibrant tones were urging him. They turned to each other, their eyes bright with

shared feeling, cupping and holding the moment, neither wanting to break the

spell. Slowly, spontaneously their heads inclined, lips met trembling, and then

broke apart, their eyes still locked. But even as he opened his mouth to speak, she

shook her head almost imperceptibly and with a movement of delicate finality

placed her forefinger against his lips. … the moment had passed…”p. 155

Willie leaves the Bock’s, quits art school and accepts a teaching job in the village

of Schoensee, Molochnaya in Nov. 1913. By accepting the teaching job and committing

himself to it for 5 years Willie avoids being drafted into the army or the alternative

forestry service. Life moves slowly and bearably but Wilhelm finds that he does not like

teaching.

One day he reads a letter to the editor in the paper a letter he knows was written

by his brother Kolya (Nikolai)

“Dear Editor:

Is it not fitting that in the very year we Russians are celebrating the tercentary of

our glorious monarchy the reactionary forces represented by the Mennonite

leaders and men of wealth in the Molochnaya are displaying their patriotism by

(1) seeking permission to establish a seminary so they can spread their alien beliefs

even more effectively, (2) opening another commercial school in Alexanderkrone

in order to train young Mennonites in more efficient ways to exploit others,

particularly their Russian fellow-citizens: and (3) paying hypocritical lip service

to their government while working zealously to make themselves ever more

independent of the state. Witness for example, the disgusting spectacle of two

Mennonite church elders proudly receiving medals and thanks from our beloved

Tsar at the anniversary levee in St. Petersburg last February. There is Mennonite

hypocrisy for you! Even the all-powerful Johann Cornies in the last century

refused to bow his neck to servilely accept medals and formal honours from the

state.

The sooner these arrogant people of alien race and culture are brought to heel the

better! Like parasites they have sucked themselves fat on the backs of the

Russian peasant worker. And if war with Germany should come, where would

their loyalties be?

Vox Populi

(Nickolai, nick name Kolya is Willy’s brother)

Nickolai had gone to technical school and there learned the new revolutionary

political ideas as well as his other studies. They had found fertile soil in his

rebellious heart.

“My Dear Kolya,

The voice of the people (Vox populi) in the Odessa news is too full of anger and

spite to be a convincing spokesman for truth and justice. What blind fanaticism

drives you to make such charges? From a few grains of truth you raise a

vindictive harvest of accusations.

All my life, dear brother, I’ve tried to understand you, to see if I could justify your

strange views and odd behaviour. The ideas and ideals you profess are all twisted

and warped by your ugly prejudices and destructive passions. You have already

spat on everything our people stand for. Now you want to destroy them too, grind

them into the ground like vermin. Why Kolya why? To uphold the principles of

freedom and justice you are so proud of?

I can’t believe it has to be this way. I mean you turning on us so savagely, as

though we have all betrayed you and must now be punished. Think of the

suffering you have already caused our parents. Do you want to expose them to

public shame too? What if you should be arrested and tried as and enemy of the

state? Have you considered the consequences?

In God’s name come to your senses!

With Love,

Vasya (Willie)

Review Quiz

1. What is the name of the Mennonite colony in which much of the novel is set?

a) Chortitza d) Molotschna

b) Am Trakt e) Blumenau

c) Halbstadt

2. Name Willies home village

d) Chortitza d) Molotschna

e) Am Trakt e) Blumenau

f) Halbstadt

3. To what country is Daniel Fast referring when he calls it Babylon at the beginning of

the book?

a) Holland c) Prussia

b) Russia d) United States

4. What is August Bock’s opinion of the Mennonites?

a) close minded, backward, simple, uncultured church group

b) gifted, hard working, blessed, pious church group

c) superior culture, beacon to the Russians, chosen of God

d) infighting, backstabbing, nit picking, scoundrels

5. What is it that causes Willie to suggest that he is “crippled as an artist, probably always

will be?”

a) his lack of training at an earlier age

b) his lack of exposure to the great master’s works of art

c) his Christianity

d) his longing for Miss Bock

Match the following

6. _____ The arrogant son of a rich Mennonite a) Nikolai Fast or Kolya

industrialist b) August Bock Jr.

7. _____ The character who grows up wild? Vox Populi C) Nogaies

8. _____ The Rieseprediger (traveling evangelist) d) Nestor Makhno

Who is determined to preach to the Russian people. E) Burzev

9. _____ The native people who originally lived on f) Bernhard Dyck

the Mennonite lands g) Clara

10. _____ The Russian art teacher h) Daniel Fast

11. _____ The Russian peasant who is beaten by his I) Johann Cornies

drunken father and whipped by the Mennonite estate j) Jacob Priess

owner. K) “Snapper” Loewen

12. _____ The woman who wants to become an l) Erdman Lepp

opera star m) old Anton

13. _____ The girl who Makhno finds attractive n) Katya

14. What was the favourite sermon topic of the reiseprediger (traveling evangelist) who

visits the Fast home? And how does Willie react to this preacher’s message

15. What was Nestor’s Makhnov’s involvement with the group of anarchists, with whom

he was arrested in Chapter five?

16. What is the state of the relationship between Willie and Clara at the end of part one?