Werner+Tötges

===d Good comments, both of you! You both do a good basic job of highlighting the main points of his character - he's completely without scruple. As a literary character, he's very one-dimensional (that is, he's just bad; his lack of scruples is his only real characteristic). This is not generally a positive thing in literature - it renders characters flat and unbelievable. Nicky, you do well, however, to point out that Totges may well function as a symbol of the tabloid press and the way it commonly represents people and events, which is itself flat, amoral and one-dimensional. As such, Boll is using the style of the novel to reinforce the theme, which is what good writing should do; use all elements to create an overall effect. You may think, as I do, that the theme itself is somewhat simplistic (I think the tabloid press is more than 'bad'), but we can appreciate the craft which informs the novel.===

===You have, of course, read the document linked to in the 'background' section of this wiki which discusses the Springer Press (the real-life 'News') and the problems Boll had with it? And you're both going to start spelling the title of the novel correctly, I take it? Because that's quite important :-)===

===Oh, and it wouldn't hurt to have a glance at the World Lit assessment objectives under 'Assessment Criteria' to see how you think you're currently doing. I'm impressed with your opinions here; in some cases, the expression needs polishing a little.===

The Lost Honor of Katherina Blum contains a surprisingly large number of characters for such a short novel. The major characters have complex and sometimes contradictory personalities, and therefore, one of the 'villains' of the story, an amoral tabloid reporter called Werner Totges, is remarkable in his simple and stereotypical portrayal.

Totges is a reporter for //the News,// a popular tabloid, and is the reporter responsible for the articles published about Katherina Blum and her friends after the incident with Gotten. The first article appears the day after Blum's interview, and sensationalizes the event. He had also twisted the words of Blum's attorney and friend, Hubert Blorna; he had called her “a very intelligent, cool, level-headed person.”, which Totges had 'interpreted' as “//ice-cold and calculating”//. Totges publishes more articles as the story continues, and proceeds to destroy the reputations of Blum and the Blornas. His articles contain quotes from a number of sources, such as Blum's ex-husband, who blames his divorce on her 'Communist sympathies'.

As part of his reporting, Totges goes to visit Blum's mother, who is sick in the hospital with cancer. Shortly after the visit, she dies from her illness. Although it is not 'proven' to be true (much like everything else in this book), it is implied that it was Totges' harassment that leads to her death. Finally, Blum asks to have an interview with Totges. The result of this interview is Totges' murder at the hands of Blum.

Totges is perhaps the simplest of the major characters in //the Lost Honor of Katherina Blum.// He is completely amoral – he has no qualms about harassing a woman sick with cancer to get a story, or twisting the words of the people he interviews. He appears to have no regret for what he does, or any sympathy for the people he writes about. He doesn't let truth get into the way of his writing – when Gotten is found in Straubleder's mansion, Totges is quick to blame Blum for gambling “//the reputation of an honest man, the happiness and his political career//”, but fails to question why Blum, a domestic, has the key to a wealthy industrialist's mansion in the first place. However, the event in the story that best portrays Totges' amorality is the 'interview' with Blum. Upon entering her house, he moves towards her, grabs her dress and asks for sex. This clearly shows Totges' lack of morals – after destroying her reputation, he then treats her as nothing more than a sex object.

Totges' simplicity is probably due to what he is – a tabloid journalist. In a book full of symbolism, Totges is a symbol of the media in Germany. His portrayal in the book is one-sided, and the reader only sees the amoral side of the reporter. As the story is one where even the narrator second-guesses what happens in the plot, this is surprising. By portraying him as a stereotypical, one-sided character, the author may be trying to create a parallel with tabloid reporting in general. Tabloid reporting is one-sided, sensational, but without any depth or greater meaning. The same is true for Werner Totges.

--- Nicholas Gordon

Werner Totges is a tabloid reporter which publishes stories regarding the police investigation of Katherina Blum and her relationship between a wanted criminal, Ludwig Gotten. He works for the "News", an institution responsible for publishing Blum's stories and delivering the effects of the media if you are their target.

Totges' character can been seen through his articles he publishes and his actions throughout the novel. Many see him as a rather cold hearted character. This was indicated when his first article was published relating to police investigation of Katherina Blum after the facts and the interrogation was mentioned to the reader. The fact that a number of quotes and also a large portion of the truth was altered to suit Totges' view of the situation emphasizes his inconsiderate and dishonest character. As this continues during the novel, this ruins the reputation of Katherina Blum and affects everyone linked towards her.

However, taking into consideration the way he obtained information from Blum's dying mother and how he feels nothing about the effects he creates on the lives of the characters mentioned in his articles, As well as demonstrating his corrupt personality/character his articles also strongly signifies his commitment towards his job as a reporter. His purpose to bend the truth merely suggests that he is doing it to please the readers of the "News". Viewers would be more interested in a character surrounded by enigma rather than someone who is able to prove their innocence.

Werner Totges plays a significant role as he represents the media. The aim of this novel is to show the effects and the bias of the media. It also indicates their power of how they could destroy and humiliate someone merely by changing a few points. Straubleder is an example of somebody who is not mentioned within the media, even though they may be related in Blum's investigation. Along with Totges character, this gives media's one dimensional views.

- Adrian

In the novel “The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum” the character Werner Totges plays the role as a “slandered, dishonest and distorted” person. In the book Totges uses the power of the media to destroy Katharina Blum’s life to get a sensational story for the newspaper tabloid.

Totges is egocentric, and will do anything to get a sensational story. In the book, Totges twists and changes the words of the interviews he has with people related to Katharina Blum. In the book when Totges had interviewed Blorna at his holiday house, Totges had asked him to describe Katharina Blum. Blorna had described her as an “intelligent, cool, and level head” person. Using this Totges changed it to “ice- cold and calculating”. Totges does this throughout the book while he was still alive. He changed “I know all kinds of people capable of committing a crime… Katharina? Out of the question…” from the interview to “ entirely capable of committing a crime”. Another one of Totges monstrous acts was in the hospital where Katharina’s mother (Maria Blum) had just finished the removing of her life threatening cancer. There Totges tries to interview Katharina’s mother, but the doctor says, “her recovery depended on not being exposed o any excitement…. that an interview was out of the question.” Still Totges had not given up; he impersonated a painter working in the building and had interview Maria. This had caused Maria more stress and so could be the cause of her death later in the book.

To get more inside story about the Katharina Blum case, Totges had also bribed the police for information. He would even break the law and risk him-self for the articles. This shows what length he is willing to go to getting a story that can make him famous and be known in the journalist world.

Totges is presented in the book as the symbol of the media. He is also presented as unscrupulous, and it is this combination that makes him so dangerous. In the book Katharina’s life is ruined by the news that Totges writes. Blorna had predicted this after one of the articles Totges wrote about her had been published on the tabloids. “They’ll destroy that girl. If not the police, then the news.” Further more after the announcement of Maria’s death, (which by now should hang heavily on Totges’ conscious) Totges shows his coldness and still uses Maria to write false stories about Katharina Blum. “Totges was responsible for the unquestionably premature death Katharina’s mother, depicted Katharina in the Sunday news as being to blame for her mother’s death…” Later on, Totges ridiculously targets Katharina Blum’s father (who had died when she was 6 years old) as a “communist in disguise”. At the end when Katharina’s life had been destroyed Totges maliciously asks if she wants to “bang”.

The words “slandered, dishonest and distorted” really sum up the character of Werner Totges. He truly is one of the major villains in the book. The author may be using Totges as a representation of the power of the sensational tabloid news.

- Alvin

Throughout the novel 'The Lost Honour Of Katharina Blum', there are many characters who display the stereotypical characteristics the author wants to emphasize. Werner Totges, a major character who's role is quite significant in the plot development, is a clear example of an 'evil villain' in the story, exemplifying a man who easily twists words and uses the media for his personal advantages, ultimately giving him a fitting role as a symbol of the media.

Totges works for the "News", a common name that emerges throughout the novel, and is mainly responsible for the negative media bombarding Blum and her personal life.The audience can easily recognize Totges as a greedy, indifferent person through the way in which he presents Blum's story. In this sense, the author utilizes Totges as a symbol of the media, emphasizing at the same time the negative influences of media on society. The fact that Totges twisted Blum's story into a series of 'unfortunate events' shows the egocentric element of his personality, as he does this to match his idea of the 'worst case scenario'. Blum's reputation gradually diminishes, and it is obvious that Totges is capable of exploiting Blum's situation to quench his personal desires.

There is a clear indication that Totges shows no regard for the destruction he causes in other people's lives and his indifference of the opposite sex's role in society other than sexual pleasure. "Totges was responsible for the unquestionably premature death Katharina's mother, depicted Katharina in the sunday new as being to blame for her mother's death". The method of harrassment he uses to obtain information from Blum's dying mother elucidates the lack of sympathy and care he has for anyone, and the corrupt activities he participates in further signifies the unconditional dedication he has towards his role as a reporter.

As a result, Totges ultimately creates his own demise. Upon entering Blum's house, he officially takes advantage of her whilst grabbing her dress, and says "Let's Bang". Blum creates a sense of irony by indicating "Ok, let's bang" and shoots him. This clearly demonstrates Totges' lack of morals – he ultimately potrays the media, outlaying a one-dimensional image of the media's bias and ignorance, the very elements of the media that the public truly despises.

-Richard

Everybody should be wary of generalising the tabloid press, makes for sloppy writing.