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.
(2024). Verschollene Zwillinge. Zur Dekonstruktion binärer Identitäten in den Romanen Außer sich von Sasha Marianna Salzmann und 1000 Serpentinen Angst von Olivia Wenzel [journal article - articolo]. In ZEITSCHRIFT FÜR INTERKULTURELLE GERMANISTIK. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10446/297705
Verschollene Zwillinge. Zur Dekonstruktion binärer Identitäten in den Romanen Außer sich von Sasha Marianna Salzmann und 1000 Serpentinen Angst von Olivia Wenzel
Goggio, Alessandra
2024-01-01
Abstract
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.File | Dimensione del file | Formato | |
---|---|---|---|
GOGGIO_Verschollene Zwillinge.pdf
accesso aperto
Versione:
publisher's version - versione editoriale
Licenza:
Creative commons
Dimensione del file
685.01 kB
Formato
Adobe PDF
|
685.01 kB | Adobe PDF | Visualizza/Apri |
Pubblicazioni consigliate
Aisberg ©2008 Servizi bibliotecari, Università degli studi di Bergamo | Terms of use/Condizioni di utilizzo