When the soundlist was assigned to us, I was really excited about it, especially because of the ambiguity of the assignment. Professor Anderson told us that we could use any character, from any book, play, film, etc. My mind immediately jumped to one of my favorite writers, H.P. Lovecraft. Many of Lovecraft's characters are bookish scholars who are interested in the occult. Karl Heinrich from the story, "The Temple" is very different. He is a nationalistic, macho German soldier, and although he is the protagonist of the story, he is not a good guy. I was intrigued by his descent into madness. 

Karl Heinrich from the short story "The Temple" by H.P. Lovecraft

The first sound I chose for this playlist is a video of some underwater sounds. This whole story takes place in a submarine in the ocean, which turns out to be a terrifying setting. The underwater setting of this story adds an element of hopelessness to the story, especially towards the end. Although the sound of water can be pleasant, I think that in the context of this story it is pretty nefarious.  If something happens in a submarine, there is no way to quickly escape. If you think about the fact that the setting is very deep underwater, it becomes very claustrophobic and oppressive. If you were to read the whole story while listening to this video, it would create an ominous tone.

The next sound I chose was a clip from a German World War II Parade (I couln't find much from WWI). This story takes place in a German submarine in World War I, and the main character and narrator, Karl Heinrich is very proud of his German heritage. Heinrich is a ruthless character, and his excessive nationalism makes him xenophobic, angry, and violent.

“He had evidently sought refuge on the very ship which had been forced to destroy his own - one more victim of the unjust war of aggression which the English pig-dogs are waging upon the Fatherland.”

He reacts very violently and militantly to any behavior that he sees as weakness.

“The six remaining pigs of seamen, suspecting that we were lost, had suddenly burst into a mad fury at our refusal to surrender to the Yankee battleship two days before… I shot all six men, for it was necessary, and made sure that none remained alive.”

I chose this song (you only need to listen to the first few minutes) because I think that it perfectly captures the increasing amount of anxiety and paranoia throughout the story. At the beginning of the story, only a few of the more superstitious crew members are concerned, but as the story goes on, more crew members become ill and then violently insane. Many crew members commit suicide and many are killed by Heinrich himself. The situation becomes especially dire when an explosion on board makes it impossible to propel or guide the submarine. Tensions rise as crew members beg Heinrich to let them surrender to a U.S. ship and Heinrich and his Lieutenant refuse. One of the main elements that add to the quality of this story is Lovecraft’s use of suspense. Much like reading this story, the longer you listen to this song, the more suspense builds up and the more anxiety the reader or listener feels. Although he tries to hide it, Heinrich's anxiety is rising as the story progresses. The soundtrack for the movie Gravity would be the perfect soundtrack for a movie version of "The Temple."

I chose the sound of an explosion because explosions play a big part in advancing the plot of this story. The story begins with an explosion as Heinrich's crew torpedoes a British ship and kill everyone aboard. This unnecessary cruelty is what begins the series of supernatural events that make the crew go mad. Later, an explosion damages the submarine and creates more problems for the crew

"Our situation had suddenly become grave indeed; for though the chemical air regenerators were intact, and though we could use the devices for raising and submerging the ship and opening the hatches as long as compressed air and storage batteries might hold out, we were powerless to propel or guide the submarine. To seek rescue in the lifeboats would be to deliver ourselves into the hands of enemies unreasonably embittered against our great German nation, and our wireless had failed ever since theVictory affair to put us in touch with a fellow U-boat of the Imperial Navy."

This event makes the crew even more hysterical, and when some initiate a mutiny and demand that they surrender to another ship, Heinrich simply kills them.

I chose this music for a number of reasons. More crew members die off and even the Lieutenant commits suicide. Heinrich is completely alone and begins to see strange things in the ocean beneath him. He sees an underwater city filled with beautiful structures and artwork. I think that this music reflects the serene wonder that Heinrich feels upon discovering this city.

“I cannot reckon the amount of hours I spent in gazing at the sunken city with its buildings, arches statues, and bridges, and the colossal temple with its beauty and mystery. Though I knew that death was near, my curiosity was consuming…”

Although Heinrich is convinced that he is hallucinating, he begins to hear soft music coming from the underwater temple. I imagine that the music he hears sounds much like the song that I chose. 

“It was an aural delusion; a sensation of rhythmic, melodic sound as of some wild yet beautiful chant of choral hymn, coming from the outside through the absolutely sound-proof hull of the U-29.”

I chose this sound to represent the theme of madness in "The Temple." As the story goes on, more and more crew members go insane. At the end, even Heinrich is sure that he is going mad.

"The light in the temple is a sheer delusion, and I shall die calmly, like a German, in the black and forgotten depths. This daemoniac laughter which I hear as I write comes only from my own weakening brain."