Introduction to Humboldt’s Gift

Von Humboldt Fleischer, who was born into a Hungarian Jewish immigrant family, published "Funny Ballads" in the 1930s and became famous for a while. He has the romantic temperament of a poet, and many things are sacred in his eyes. He fantasizes about using art to transform the world. However, his success did not last long and he was slandered by some shameless writers. At the end of the 1940s, his romantic ideas were outdated, and the era of fanaticism and poetry was over. However, he was unwilling to be lonely and still tried to interfere in life. Art could not transform society, so he tried to participate in politics, but he had bad luck. The successive blows greatly stimulated Humboldt's spirit, which was too persistent. He was sent to a lunatic asylum due to mental disorder. After he was discharged, he lived on the streets and finally died in New York. He was buried in a graveyard in a low-class inn. Charlie Citrine was the son of Russian Jewish immigrants. After Humboldt became famous, he went to New York to follow the great poet. Under Humboldt's guidance, he entered the university as a lecturer and created a historical drama based on Humboldt.

While Humboldt was in dire straits, Citrine's play caused a sensation on Broadway. After becoming famous, honor, money, and beautiful women followed one after another, and he lived a luxurious life. The temptation of material broke his worship of artistic authority, and his pursuit of serious thoughts caused him to lose his creative inspiration. At the same time, he could not get rid of the worrying nature of intellectuals. His life is full of dual contradictions between material and spiritual matters. He not only wants to benefit the human soul, but also wants to gain both fame and fortune. His soul fell into hesitation and depression. After years of spending money like water, and his divorced wife, dissolute mistresses, lawyers and social gangsters trying to steal money from him, he finally went bankrupt and ended up living in a low-end boarding house in Spain. Just when he was at a loss, he received a gift from Humboldt - two script outlines, one of which has been made into a movie and caused a sensation in the world. Humboldt's gift not only saved his life and future, but also gave him a deeper understanding of Humboldt's pain and madness and the fate of intellectuals. As Citrine concluded with emotion: “Humboldt, how sad ‘I’ am. Humboldt, Humboldt – this is what has happened to us.

”