Epilogue

Chapter Summary

From 1797 onward Otto van Eck's diary begins to peter out. His entries become less regular, with longer intervals between them. He had had enough exposure to diary-writing: from now on, he would have to look to himself for motivation, like other young diarists of the nineteenth century, some of whom continued to write throughout their lives. They were the exceptions, of course, and their diaries, too, suffered from flagging interest at times. It is possible that Otto had never really enjoyed keeping a diary, and had no desire to continue, now that the choice had apparently been left up to him. The last six months of Otto's life are documented only in his father Lambert van Eck's writings, which resemble the jottings in his son's diary in that they, too, were committed to paper under the critical gaze of a supervisor.

Keywords: diary-writing; Lambert van Eck; Otto van Eck