The theme of this Bachelor work is the relation of individual and society in the novel Irrungen, Wirrungen (1888) by the representative of German poetic realism, Theodor Fontane. The elaboration of this Bachelor work consists of eight chapters and those are the introduction, the biography of the author, the historical context which attempts to provide an overview of the historical background, the analysis and the interpretation of the novel which include the emergence of the novel, the content of the book and the analysis of the characters, followed by the characteristics of literature in realism, the conclusion and finally the bibliography. The elaboration of the theme is presented through two main characters. These two main characters are Magdalena Nimptsch and Botho von Rienäcker. The analysis and interpretation of the novel emphasis on the motif of unrealizable love, class distinctions in the second half of the nineteenth century that come to the fore in the choice of partners and at the time of marriage. Through the analysis of the novel Irrungen, Wirrungen (Trials and Tribulations. A Berlin novel) it can be concluded that Fontane, through its realistic representation of each character and the realistic description of each of the actions, managed to write an original work that likewise very well describes the society of that time.