In Ernst Toller’s play 'Man and the Masses' ('Masse Mensch'), what is the central moral conflict faced by the protagonist, Sonia?
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Correct answer: The clash between her pacifist ideals and the violent demands of the revolutionary masses
'Masse Mensch' explores the tragic nature of political revolution. Sonia wants to liberate the working class through non-violent strikes, but the generic figure 'The Nameless One' stirs the masses into a violent frenzy. Sonia ultimately chooses execution over compromising her humanistic ethics, demonstrating that ideological violence destroys the very humanity it claims to save.
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