Verschollene Zwillinge. Zur Dekonstruktion binärer Identitäten in den Romanen Außer sich von Sasha Marianna Salzmann und 1000 Serpentinen Angst von Olivia Wenzel

This article analyses the striking similarities between two recent novels, Außer sich (2017) by Sasha Marianna Salzmann and 1000 Serpentinen Angst (2020) by Olivia Wenzel, both of which draw on the Doppelgänger motif in order to deconstruct a binary conception of society. Both novels’ plots concern twin siblings, both have a queer protagonist and in both novels the protagonist’s twin brother disappeared (Salzmann) or even died (Wenzel). Through a close reading of both books, I argue that the loss of the physical counterpart or Other, albeit painful, enables the symbolic integration of the protagonist’s identity, since binary oppositions such as woman/man, native/foreign, and one/many are overcome. This deconstruction does not only take place on a thematic or plot level, but also has an effect on the narrative logic of both books, leading to a fusion of the twins’ voices and the creation of a polyphonic and queer narrative. Furthermore, both texts may be interpreted as a ›modernisation‹ of the literary tradition, as the romantic Doppelgänger motif is adapted to a postmigratory and queer/dysphoric present, thus at the same time contributing to the deconstruction and ›des-integration‹ of the German literary canon.