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Suicide in the German Novel1945-1989

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Suicide in the German Novel1945-1989 Suicide in the German Novel1945-1989 Michael Douglas Schleihauf Zimmermann A dissertation presented to the University of Waterloo in fuE.hent of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in German Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 1997 O Mlchael Zimmermann 1997 National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1*1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Lîb~aryof Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distn'bute or selI reproduire*prêter, distniuer ou copies of his/her thesis by any means vendre des copies de sa thèse de and in any form or format, making quelque manière et sous quelque this thesis available to interested forme que ce soit pour mettre des persons. exemplaires de cette thèse à la disposition des personnes intéressées. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in Merthesis. Neither droit d'auteur qui protège sa thèse. Ni the thesis nor substantial extracts la thèse ni des extraits substantiels de fkom it may be printed or otherwise celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés ou reproduced with the author's autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. The University of Waterloo requires the signatures of all persons using or photocopying this dissertation. Please sign below, and give address and date. (iii) Abstract This dissertation examines the theme of suicide in Gerrnan novels published between 1945 and 1989, Within the period defined, novels have been divided into three groups: novels published between 1945 and 1949, novels of the German Democratic Republic, and novels of the Federal Republic of Germany. In order to facilitate discussion of the psycho-social phenornemon of suicide in the literary context, this study makes use of suicidologist Edwin Shneidman's "common characteristics of suicide" as contained in hswork Definition of Suicide (1985). Each work is further examined in terms of its meaning within the literary context, and for this the study relies on the concepts of instrumental and expressive rneaning as outlined in David Wood's essay "Suicide as Instrument and Expression." The parameters of the topic and an explanation of the concepts to be discussed are contained in the introduction. Chapter 2 examines Theodor Plievier's Stalingrad and Hans Fallada's Jeder stirb t fur sich allein. An examination of the novels reveals the co~ectionof suicide in these early works to the horrors of NaPsm, thereby singluig out socio-political conditions as the motivating factor for suicide. In Chapter 3, attention is focussed on four novels of the GDR: Jurek Becker's Jukob der Lügner, Ulrich PlenzdorPs Die neuen Leiden des jungen W., Christa Wolf's Kein Ort. Nirgends, and Christoph Hein's Homs Ende. The examination reveals suicide as a represention of the consequence of conflict between the individual and socialism. The &al chapter examines Walter Jens' Nein. Die Welt der Angeklagten, Wolfgang Koeppen's Dus Treibhaus, Gert Heidenreich's Der Auss tieg, and Siegfkied Sommer's Und keiner weint mir nach. In these novels the motivation for suicide is again associated with the moral burden of Germany's past, a fact which distinguishes this depiction of suicide fkom that of the GDR. The role of the intellechal in the depiction of suicide is also a recurrent theme in the novels. Whether naïve and unsophisticated, as in the cases of Edgar Wibeau and Leonhard Knie, or with the learned perceptiveness of characters such as Walter Sturm, Heinrich Keetenheuve or Heinrich Bode, the protagonists demonstrate an acute awareness and sensitivity to their surroundings which ultimately prove inimical to He. This study establishes a connection between the literary depiction of suicide and socio-political conditions of the period examined, and represents the first time that such a study has been done for this period. The theme of suicide is used by authors as an expressive tool to signify the desire for egression resulting fkom gdt and the conflict between individual and state. Acknowledgements I owe a debt of gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Gisela Brude-Firnau for her encouragement, patience, and wisdom. She has taught me much. and 1am fortunate to have worked with her. 1would like to thank the members of my defence cornmittee, Professors Bohm, John, Packull, and Whiton for their useful suggestions. 1 would also like to thank Professors Richter and Nabbe for their support. To my parents, Jean and Doug, and my parents-in-law, Jackie and John Milligan, 1 express my dection for their devoted support. Special thanks to my brother Peter for his technical assistance and the use of his cornputer. Finally, 1 thank Jill, Jonathan, and Nikolaus, my heart and soul, for their constancy and inestimable love. Contents Abstract .............................................................................iv Acknowledgements ....m..m..m..............................................vi Introduction....................................................................... 1 Defining Suicide............. .... .......................................................... 9 Methodology.............. .... ........................................................... 12 Shneidman's Common Charateristics: An Interface Between Reality and Fiction* .......................................................................... 14 State of Research............................... .. ........................................ 19 Scholarly Contribution........ ... ................................................. -23 CHAPTER 1: THE GERMAN NOVEL 1945-49................ .......... 25 The Anti-Fascist Message .............. ... ......................................... -25 Theodor Plievier's Stalingrad (1945): Collective Suicide............... 21P Colonel Vilshofen: Vision of the New Man ........................... 32 . Siuude Considered............................................................ -33 Suicide* Rejected ........... .. .................................................. 36 "Schuld- Sühne".................... -0 The Meaning of Suicide....................................................... 42 Hans Fallada's Jeder stirbt für sich allein (1947):Suicide and An ti-Fascist Resistance ........................................................ -4-4 Suicide as Resignation: Frau Rosenthal ............. .... ........ 45 Guilt and Suicide: Escherich .................. ... ..........*.........-41 P Suicide and Active Resistance: Otto and Anna Quangel ....50 Minor Characters .................. .......... ...-... 54 The Meaning of Suicide.......... .... ... ..... ........................... -55 Summary ........................... .... ............................................. -56 CHAPTER II: SUICIDE IN THE NOVEL OF THE GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC ......................................59 Political Situation ........................................................................... -59 Jurek Becker's Jakob der Liigner (1969): Symbolic Resistance .....62 Benevolent Fiction: A Prophylaxis for Suicide................... -63 Professor Kirxhbaum: Symbolic Protest ............................ -69 A Tale of Two Endings ............. ........... ......................... 72 . * The Meaning of Suicide...................................................... -36 WchPlenzdorfs Die neuen Leiden des jungen W (1972)............. 80 Hidden Suicide: An Acceptable Alternative ........................-81 Disintegration and Isolation .............................................. A32 Identi-6cation with Werther's Suicida1 Pr ecedent............... -87 From "Über den Jordan": A Distorted View ......................... 88 The Serial Aspect of Edgar's Suicide.................................... 8.9 Edgar's Suicide Machine....................................................... 90 The Meaning of Suicide........................................................ 94 Christa Wolfs Kein Ort . Nirgends (1979):"GeseUschaftliche Verzweflung"...... ... .................................................................. -96 Kleist: Individual vs . State................................................... 97 Günderrode: Patriarchy and Alienation ............................. 101 . The Meaning of Suicide ................................................. 104 Christoph Hein's Hom Ende (1985): Suicide As Admonition to Remember ........................................................................... 108 Thomas...................... .. ...................................................... 110 Hom ..................................................................................... 111 . The Meaning of Suicide....................................................... 116 summary .............................................................................. 120 CHAPTER III: SUICIDE IN THE NOVEL OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY..........................m......... *129 Political Situation............................................................................. 129 Walter Jens: Nein . Die Welt der Angeklagten (1950)...................... 132 Walter Sturm: "Der Letzte"................................................... 133 Anti-Utopia and the Intellectu al ............ .. ..................... 145 The Motivation of Guilt ................................................... 138 .
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