The Earthquake in Chile

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The Earthquake in Chile, in German Das Erdbeben in Chili, is a novella written by Heinrich von Kleist (1777-1811). It tells of events in the days around the horrific earthquake in Santiago in 1647.

1 Plot summary
2 Characters in "The Earthquake in Chile"
3 Release details
4 External links

[edit] Plot summary

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Jeronimo Rugera, in prison, is preparing to hang himself. He had been a tutor at the house of Don Asteron, but, upon the discovery of his relationship with the Don's daughter, Josephe, he was kicked out. Jeronimo and Josephe continued their relationship and were discovered by Josephe's brother. Don Asteron then sent Josephe to join a convent. But Josephe and Jeronimo continued their relationship until one day Josephe gave birth on the steps of the cathedral.

The city was excited by this story and Josephe was scheduled to be executed. As the procession marched towards the site of the execution Jeronimo prepared to hang himself. But, as he was tying the rope up, a tremendous earthquake destroyed much of the city, freeing Jeronimo from prison. As he regained full awareness of his situation, he remembered Josephe and feared that she had already been executed. Despite confirmation from passers-by he went searching. At dusk he finally finds her and their son, Felipe, and they are joyfully reunited.

Josephe had been on her way to be executed when the earthquake struck. She rushed to the convent, rescued her son, whom she had entrusted to an abbess, from the collapsing Convent, only to see the abbess and nearly all the nuns of the convent killed by a falling building. She had also spent much of the day searching for her lover and fearing the worst. They decide that they will go to La Concepcion, where Josephe has family, and from there to Spain, to live the rest of their lives.

The following morning, the couple is approached by Don Fernando who asks that Josephe breast feed his son, since his wife, Dona Elvira, has been badly hurt in the earthquake. She complies, and Don Fernando invites the threesome to join his family. They comply and are surprised to find themselves greeted not as outcasts, but just as they would have been had they not sinned so grievously. They exchange stories and rumors of the happenings in Santiago. Seeing this reception Jeronimo and Josephe decide that they should go to La Concepcion and write the Viceroy of Santiago and other notables to see if they might stay in Chile.

That afternoon, it became known that there was to be a service at the lone surviving church in Santiago and the party, aside from Dona Elvira and her father Don Pedro, decides to attend. Dona Elvira appears to fear for Josephe's and Jeronimo's safety but Don Pedro feels that she is overblowing the threat and they continue into town.

The sermon however, compares the earthquake to God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and speaks specifically of Josephe and Jeronimo's sin. Dona Constanza, Don Fernando's sister in law, recognizes the danger, but before the party can make their escape, someone calls out, identifying Josephe as the adulteress and accusing Don Fernando of being the Jeronimo. Josephe, who is holding Don Fernando's son Juan, while Jeronimo holds Philipp, is grabbed by the crowd. Don Fernando identifies himself and attempts to recuse Josephe through his own innocence. A naval officer, Don Alonzo, identifies Don Fernando but hesitates when a cobbler asks about Josephe. Josephe gives Juan to Don Fernando and tells him to leave and save the children, but he refuses to leave anyone of his group to the mob. He borrows Don Alonzo's sword. The crowd lets them leave the church and they believe themselves to be safe, but just as they enter the courtyard, a man claims that he is Jeronimo's father and clubs him over the head. Dona Constanza, who had been walking with Jeronimo, runs to Don Alonzo, but is mistaken for Josephe and clubbed to death. Seeing this, Josephe gives herself up to the crowd and is clubbed by the cobbler, Master Pedrillo, who then cries for the blood of the child. Don Fernando defends the two children with his sword but eventually Juan is torn from his grasp and bashed against a pillar.

The crowd dispersed and Don Fernando was left with Philipp, whom he adopted as his own child with Dona Elvira. In the end Don Fernando, when he compares Juan and Philipp and considers how he had acquired them, "it almost seemed to him that he should be glad." ("so war es ihm fast, als müßt er sich freuen.")

[edit] Characters in "The Earthquake in Chile"

Jeronimo Rugera - A Spaniard, the lover of Josephe
Josephe Asteron - Daughter of the richest nobleman in the city, the lover of Jeronimo
Felipe - The son of Jeronimo and Josephe
Don Fernando Ormez- An acquaintance of Josephe, husband of Dona Elvira
Dona Elvira - Don Fernando's wife
Don Pedro - Dona Elvira's Father
Juan - Dona Elvira and Don Fernando's son
Dona Isabel - A relation of Don Fernando
Dona Constanza - Sister of Dona Elvira
Master Pedrillo - A cobblerin
Don Alonzo - An acquaintance of Don Fernando and Josephe, a naval officer