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Frau Mann / Duchess of Broadback
The younger Guido Volkbein is Felix Volkbein and Robin Vote’s son. Guido is named after Felix’s father, Guido Volkbein (senior). Robin never wanted to be a mother, and after Guido is born, she abandons both Guido and Felix. As Guido grows up, he develops an interest in the church, so Felix does some research to support his son’s interest. Unfortunately, Guido is very underweight (he’s described as looking more like a six-year-old when he’s ten) and seems to suffer from some sort of mental illness (Felix turns to Dr. Matthew Connor to talk about Guido’s mental issues, but they’re neither explicitly described nor diagnosed). Both Matthew and Felix believe Guido will die young. Felix and Frau Mann bring Guido all over Europe, making him sit with them in bars while they get drunk.
Guido Volkbein (junior) Quotes in Nightwood
The Nightwood quotes below are all either spoken by Guido Volkbein (junior) or refer to Guido Volkbein (junior). For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Where the Tree Falls Quotes
“Guido is not damned,” he said, and the Baron turned away quickly. “Guido,” the doctor went on, “is blessed—he is peace of mind—he is what you have always been looking for—Aristocracy,” he said, smiling, “is a condition of the mind of the people when they try to think of something else and better—funny,” he added sharply, “that a man never knows when he has found what he has always wanted.”
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“One has, I am now certain, to be a little mad to see into the past or the future, to be a little abridged of life to know life, the obscure life—darkly seen, the condition my son lives in; it may also be the errand on which the Baronin is going.”
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Guido Volkbein (junior) Character Timeline in Nightwood
The timeline below shows where the character Guido Volkbein (junior) appears in Nightwood. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
La Somnambule
Robin and Felix’s son is small and lethargic, sleeps too much, and rarely makes noise above a whimper. Robin...
(full context)
Where the Tree Falls
...sees. He’s written about different noblemen, but his articles are never printed. When Felix realized Guido (junior) was unwell (he’s very small, obsessed with death, and “Mentally deficient”), he began collecting religious...
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...with Felix, she finally mentioned Robin by name. When Felix turned around, he realized that Guido (junior) had heard everything. This was okay because Felix has always encouraged Guido to expect Robin...
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...confesses to Matthew that he recognizes a form of happiness in the possibility that his son will die young. It’s the worst thing that could happen to Felix, but once that...
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...attracted to Robin’s “density of youth.” After a short silence, Felix asks Matthew if his son’s “preoccupation” is better than Felix’s. Troubled, Matthew tells Felix to stop looking for calamity because...
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Felix tells Matthew that people say his son isn’t sane and asks what Matthew thinks. Matthew’s opinion is that Guido’s mind is apt...
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Felix, his son, and Frau Mann arrive in Vienna together a short time later. Felix drinks heavily and...
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