Little Man, What Now?

The opening scene of Little Man, What Now? introduces a key theme, Economic Collapse and Societal Breakdown. It illustrates how the bleak economic situation in Germany has begun to upend social norms and institutions. During this time, the Weimar Republic is in freefall. Hyperinflation has taken hold, and immediate cash is everything. Because Emma and Johannes are “cash patients,” they get to skip ahead of the line. Traditional order, represented by the queue of people waiting to see the doctor, crumbles before the immediate need for quick, hard cash. There is still a sense of shame associated with breaking these rules of social etiquette, however, so Emma and Johannes conceal from the other patients that they are paying the doctor in cash. The lingering traces of order and decency demand that those who break the rules exhibit the required sense of shame and embarrassment, even if they do not feel suitably shamed or embarrassed enough to adhere to norms.

The short hospital scene characterizes Emma and Johannes as young and impractical. There is no question of terminating the pregnancy, even as the economy and the society itself are on the verge of collapse. Emma and Johannes do not think twice about bringing a child into this desperate situation, which hints at their naivety. They are not experienced or pragmatic enough to think about the kind of world into which they are bringing a child.

The young couple’s choice of nicknames also provides insight into their characters. Throughout the novel, Johannes refers to Emma as “Lammchen,” which means “lambkin” or a young lamb in English. Emma often refers to Johannes as simply “boy” or “boyo.” These affectionate names reinforce their youth. Emma is an innocent young lamb, while Johannes is still a boy, which is striking for a couple about to become parents. Their nicknames are also striking in view of the fact that they hardly know each other. The nicknames suggest a familiarity that they cannot have come by in such a short span of time. Their love for one another is sincere, as is their desire to marry and have the child, but even their affectionate interactions suggest that they are playacting, conforming to the ways in which they believe society expects young lovers to act. When they try to dispel their youth or innocence, they only reinforce how unprepared they are for what is to come.

Part of the young couple’s immature response to the pregnancy is Johannes’s casual proposal. They are binding themselves to one another in an emotional and legal sense, yet they reach the agreement in the same manner that they might discuss their dinner plans. Their immaturity contrasts with the knowing attitude of Emma’s mother. Since Emma’s mother handles all the household chores, she is well aware of her daughter’s routines and habits. This includes a knowledge of her daughter’s menstrual cycle, so she knows that Emma is pregnant before the visit to the doctor. She is therefore not surprised by the proposal. The Prologue of the novel sets the tone for the rest of the novel. From the very first chapters, this is the story of two inexperienced yet romantic people who decide to have a child while the world collapses around them.

The Prologue also introduces the theme of Class Identity, Rivalry, and Solidarity. When Johannes meets Emma’s left-wing family, her father draws a distinction between white-collar and blue-collar workers. He considers himself to be a blue-collar worker, as he performs manual labor, while Johannes, a bookkeeper, is a white-collar worker. Johannes accepts this framing of class identity. However, in truth, they all belong to the working class: They are equally beholden to their bosses to pay their wages; they are equally exploited by their employers. The intra-class rivalry between blue- and white-collar workers keeps them from uniting in a broader class struggle against their employers.