Max von Strohheim

Max von Strohheim is Claire Daniels’s wealthy German partner and intended future husband. Though he remains largely offstage, his wish to marry Claire drives her effort to obtain a divorce, while his affection and generosity make a life with him seem both alluring and practicable.

Relationship and Marriage Plans

Claire describes Max as determined to do what he considers right by marrying her, and as puritanical at heart. His proposal comes while she is still married to someone else, so their intended marriage depends on Claire finding a way to end that existing union. She frames the problem as one of access to a divorce rather than a lack of commitment from Max: she plans to pursue a quick divorce in Reno, Nevada, believing that the other party may not need to appear under the right circumstances.

Distance, Travel, and a Home in Switzerland

Claire expects the American trip to be brief. She hopes to spend a few days in New York City, continue by train to Reno, and return within a month; she says Max pines when she is away for too long. Her plans place a prospective life with him in Germany, but also include a retreat in Switzerland: after Claire admired the villa they were renting in Lake Lugano, Max bought it for her. She regards the villa as a bolt-hole and says she has promised to learn German, although she does not claim to speak the language yet.

Influence on Claire’s Choices

Max shapes Claire’s response to an invitation to act in a film. She resists the idea partly because she worries about what he and other people would think of her making a comeback, and partly because she says she has little time in Hollywood before returning to him in Germany. Her reluctance presents the relationship as a practical consideration as well as a romantic attachment: travel, work, and the unresolved divorce all compete with the future she expects to share with Max.

Narrative Role and Limits

Max’s significance is conveyed through Claire’s reports rather than through his own actions on the page. He appears as a prospective husband who is willing to marry her, misses her during separations, and has bought a home she loves. Those details distinguish him from the legal obstacle posed by Claire’s existing marriage, but the account does not establish the outcome of her divorce plan or whether the intended marriage takes place.