Der Sohn: Ein Drama in fünf Akten

In a modestly elegant room that opens onto a park and the distant silhouette of a city’s factory chimney, a twenty‑year‑old son sits with his house‑teacher, wrestling with the failure of his final exams and a deeper sense of suffocation. He voices a restless yearning for freedom, describing his study of geometry as a metaphor for a life that feels trapped in “the black rock of the blackboard.” The dialogue drips with frustration, self‑doubt, and a sharp critique of the expectations placed upon him by his family and society.

The tension escalates as the son’s resentment toward his father becomes evident, and the house‑teacher’s attempts at consolation clash with the young man’s belief that he is already condemned to mediocrity. Amid talk of travel, art, and distant horizons, the son hints at plans that could dramatically alter his relationship with his family. The first act sets the stage for a clash of ideals, a struggle for identity, and the looming question of whether the son will break away or be pulled back into the household’s rigid order.