Peter Schlemihl

E38618

Peter Schlemihl is the fictional protagonist of Adelbert von Chamisso’s novella, known for selling his shadow to the Devil and suffering the social and existential consequences of this bargain.

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Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Peter Schlemihl’s Miraculous Story 1

Statements (45)

Predicate Object
instanceOf fictional character
literary character
appearsInGenre novella
appearsInLanguage German
associatedWithTheme Faustian bargain
individual versus society
material wealth versus spiritual integrity
value of the soul
createdBy Adelbert von Chamisso
experiences loss of identity
shame
social exclusion
firstPublishedInWork 1814
hasAdaptation film adaptations
opera adaptations
stage adaptations
hasMoral social acceptance has limits without inner integrity
true worth lies beyond material riches
hasMotif loss of shadow
magic purse
hasNameEtymology Yiddish word "schlemiel" meaning "unlucky person"
hasNationalityInFiction German
influencedLiteraryTradition Romanticism
surface form: German Romanticism
inspired later shadow-themed literary works
knownFor allegorical exploration of identity
being shunned for lacking a shadow
selling his shadow
literaryPeriod Romanticism
makesPactWith the Devil
portrayedAs honest
impressionable
naive
protagonistOf Peter Schlemihls wundersame Geschichte
Peter Schlemihl self-linksurface differs
surface form: Peter Schlemihl’s Miraculous Story
receives bottomless purse
rejects further bargains with the Devil
seeks redemption
sells his shadow
sellsTo the Devil
setIn 19th-century Europe
symbolizes existential anxiety
social alienation
the outsider
undergoes moral development
spiritual awakening

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Peter Schlemihl protagonistOf Peter Schlemihl self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Peter Schlemihl’s Miraculous Story