Though "the years before his arrival were lost" (Brookner, p. 31) Fibich carries his desire "to revive or revive his childhood" (Brookner, p. 195) through life. He justifies his trip to Berlin as the need "to furnish Toto with a lineage that would survive the death of his parents" (Brookner, p. 199) but in fact, it is a part of his own, unfinished, mourning process.
Community, as a major social context for human behavior and development, is an important factor in the development of human personality (Fellin, 1995). Longres points out that "many of our attitudes and values derive directly from the continual transactions which take place in and through community life" (Longres, 1995, p.67). It appears that for Fibich community is less important than his immediate circle - the Hartmanns and his own family. All his interactions with the community are prompted by other people. He plays a "second fiddle" and seems to be quite content. However, many small details show that he is well-adjusted to the social milieu he belongs to - he goes to the "proper" restaurants, sends his son to Oxford - in short, does everything that can be expected from a well-to-do English businessman, even though the neighbors find him "slightly odd" for his unwillingness to join them.
Longres points out that there are two types of communities - locational and identificational ones (Longres, 1995, p. 58). The latter can be represented by racial and religious communities. I appears that Fibich's identificational community is Hartmann, as he is the most powerful influence in Fibich's life. Neither of them seems to have any religious affiliation, neither needs any spiritual guidance.
Family as a social institute plays a major role in the development of personality (Longres, 1995). Fibich remembers nothing about his parents. But he wants to find out about his roots and that's what sends him to the analyst. However, "no momentous retrieval had taken place" (Brookner, p.