Joseph Roth: Perlefter: The Story of A Bourgeois

Every day he carried out a thousand little revolutions. He beat up policemen in quiet alleyways, he learned from the statute books and disputed with magistrates and officials, with creditors and notaries, and he argued them into the ground. He read parliamentary proceedings and even gave speeches. For he was an important man in a local chapter of a social democracy group, and on May Day he carried a gold-embroidered red flag.

However, the mortgages beleaguered him, and his half house didn’t quite belong to him any more. He now owned but an eighth.

In the summer he arranged a festival in the woods. His children went with him to Knappek’s little forest, which he had leased, and he hung lanterns from the trees and surrounded the forest with barbed wire to prevent entry by unauthorized persons without tickets. He worked all day long, but the rain destroyed his paper ornaments, so he brought in new ones. In the middle of a clearing he erected a market tent with lebkuchen, beer and sausages. Two of his children sold cheese. His wife sat at the counter. The presser women gave out beer. During the three days of the proletarian festival Leo’s shop was closed.

He personally administered the raffle and the wheel of fortune.

He stood on an empty crate, and to him it was as if he stood on the terrace of a conquered castle. He called out numbers and encouraged the spectators to purchase tickets for the welfare of the proletariat, and he felt like he was giving a rebellious speech to the assembled people.

Then he gave the wheel of fortune a mighty spin. It rattled, squealed and squeaked, and this racket was very pleasing to Bidak, and he smiled so much that his little eyes were no longer visible, and his mouth with its yellow smoker’s teeth was wide open, lit by the reddish lantern light, revealing his large red pharynx. Then he gave out the winnings. He always gave the children something, even when they had not won. And as the children didn’t usually win Leo Bidak handed out a great deal of money. He paid for these gifts himself. The local chapter had in Bidak an invaluable member. Thus he soon lost the last eighth of the house.

He sought to get the other half of the house from Tante Sammet. She would not put her signature on the papers. She referred to the fact that she would soon die. Then the other half of the house would belong to the Bidak family anyway.

But Tante Sammet did not die. Death neglected her. He took her for a cat that could not be grabbed. Or perhaps he took her for one of his kind. He did not claim her because she rendered him services. She was temporarily his deputy in the noisy and overly healthy Bidak house. She suffered many accidents. She was tripped, knocked over and had wounds all over her body. A Bidak child threw a fireplace poker at her head.

But she did not die.

Bidak was becoming poor, and he was certainly no rich man compared with Perlefter. Neither banks nor professional money lenders, who pay lower taxes than banks and have less obvious signs, could help Leo Bidak. It was at this time that he went to see Perlefter with a little hope in his heart.

When he arrived they had just held a little family gathering to celebrate Fredy’s birthday. From what I have already recounted thus far about Perlefter, one already knows that on days which cost him money, even if they brought him joy, he was not especially in the mood to spend still more money on something that would not bring him any pleasure.

…

And thus ends the Perlefter manuscript, rather abruptly, although at least not mid-sentence. As we begin Chapter X Bidak, in serious need of money, goes to visit his wealthy relative Perlefter. Kroj foreshadows what is about to happen with the last words of that chapter. It is not looking good for Bidak’s chances of getting anything out of his indifferent (and tightwad) relative.

Let us assume for a moment that, had the book continued, the following paragraphs would have included a dialogue between Bidak and Perlefter. Now, given that Bidak still needs to leave Europe for America in order for the narrative to catch up with the beginning of Chapter VIII, could this rejection by Perlefter be the plot device that Roth might have used to get Bidak to leave, in frustration and desperation? Who knows, perhaps Perlefter himself suggests that Bidak go to the United States. We know that Bidak has no money, so how does he get to America? Let us imagine the following scenario unfolding at Perlefter’s house that day of Fredy’s birthday party. Strictly speculation, of course, but perhaps it might have gone something like this:

After Bidak exchanged pleasantries with the rest of the family and offered birthday wishes to Fredy, Perlefter led him into the parlour and gestured for me to follow. We sat and had some schnapps to drink. There was silence for a few moments. At last Perlefter spoke, asking what brought Bidak, although he already knew the answer. As Bidak was alone on this visit it was a serious matter, most likely concerning money.

‘I only require a small sum’, said Bidak, putting down his glass, ‘to keep me from sinking into despair. To prevent me from losing what is left of my half of the house entirely.’

Perlefter told Bidak that there was, of course, no such thing as a small sum. ‘This much I have learned being a businessman. Everything adds up!’ said Perlefter.

‘We are, after all, family!’ Bidak said.

‘Family indeed,’ said Perlefter. ‘A large one, at that. And just think if I were to give money to each member of my unwieldy family! Would there be anything left for me? I helped Kroj out years ago, and I’m still not rid of him!’ Perlefter gestured at me with his elbow. I knew that he was joking, but I wasn’t sure if Bidak took it that way. No, Perlefter did not mind me at all, of that much I was certain. One could say that he tolerated me quite well, considering that overall he had a low tolerance for people. This was certainly true for Bidak. The very fact that Bidak was sitting before him, in his house, was troubling to him. One social visit had already been tolerated, but this, it was most certainly not a social visit. Yes, distance from someone such as Bidak would be quite welcomed.

‘You know, I have heard that great opportunities for an enterprising sort of fellow such as yourself lie across the ocean in America. Those who are down on their luck have seen a great reversal in fortunes over there.’ Perlefter forced a grin on to his round face even as he realized the consequences of what he had said. And then the thought struck him. If he gave Bidak money for the here and now, if he helped keep Bidak from losing his part of the house, it was highly likely that he would be back again in no time with some excuse or other to ask for additional funds. This much was certain. A man like this was ill able to hold on to money for more than a few moments. Although it might seemingly cost more to purchase ocean passage for the entire family Perlefter realized that, in the long run, it would result in great savings. He would be rid of Bidak for good, so he thought. A relatively small price to pay.

‘But I can’t leave,’ said Bidak. ‘For if I leave I won’t inherit the other half of the house when Tante Sammet dies.’

‘We are a long-lived family,’ Perlefter sighed mightily. ‘My father was ninety-two. You will wait in vain. She will not die.’ And from the expression on his face it was clear that this confirmed what Bidak was already thinking, what he already knew from experience thus far — that his wicked ghost of an aunt would torment him for many years more.

So, we have thus imagined one possible way that Chapter X might have continued to get Leo Bidak on his way to the United States. I don’t expect that Roth would have laid out details of Bidak’s years living in San Francisco to the same extent as he already laid out details of his early life, for that would have taken up too much additional space.