Socialism and Adventure, Politics and Entertainment: Martine Monod's N Ovels in the GDR

18 [vc/ts on Litemlllr Socialism and Adventure, Politics and Entertainment: Martine Monod's N ovels in the GDR

Ina Pfitzner

tudies concerning the role of IiteraLUre in the German Democratic SRepublic have often focussed on the manner in which au thors ex pressed themselves within the strictures of genre, fo rm and contents imposed, whi le little attention has beel1 paid to the actual rC:Jdinf, pref ercllces o f East German readers. Just as the po pular discourse did nOl

always correspond to the official discourse, readers did l'Jot always read what they were supposed 1.0 read, and if they did, they did not always do so for the "right" reasons. Th e success of French :luthor M:ucine Mona d (192 1-85) in the G OR in tile 1950's and I%O's demonstrates

that her works, incorpol~llitigthe familiar, c molllcal tmclilions of Critical and Socialist Realisms, also met the desire for clllcrtai nmenl and for Ihe "depayscmcJ1l '" to glamourous, sometimes historical, for ei gn worlds through read ing. This interesti ng combination a CCO Ulll S for the popularity of Monod's novels :Hnong a wide public but also explains why this aut hor was publ ished in the G DR and pro moted as ;1 literary figure. As almost eve ry aspect of life. iitcr:.ltu re in the GDR was regu lated by party programs and official resolutions. 'rile "!-I;mptverw:lltung

Verlage und I~uchhandel"(A dministration for Publish ing I louses and Book Tmde) of the Min ist ry orC ulture controlled publishing houses.l Deciding what was acceptable for publi cat ion and consum ption, this administration established a canon of iileralUre for thc G O!\.. TIllS canon included authors from different time periods and countries who were linked to a hum:lnist and realist tradition culminating in the offi Cial doct rine of Socialist RC:llism. School curricula and hook reviews in the press also propagated what and how thc governmcllt wanted its citi zens to read.l O ftenlimes, forewords and afterwords silu,lled for-

Ff}C1I5 Oil UUI"tIIU I" Volume 7 (2000)

20 20 20 e e

to to to

ab ab ill ill

traditi traditi

to to to

a a larity larity larity wnt1l1g. wnt1l1g. wnt1l1g. n n

cap cap

o o tem tem tem

G G

li li

from from from

ow ow

ploLS, ploLS, ploLS,

ferellt ferellt ferellt

East East East

"Wandze "Wandze

Il Il els els els

for for for

ing ing ing

goes goes goes her her her

ern ern E E

l l

c c

for for for

pea pea

:'Ind :'Ind :'Ind books books books

sti sti

Inance. Inance. Inance.

l l

ovels ovels ovels

g g

f f f

te te te

so so so

te te

ial ial ial

l l

DR DR DR

ast ast ast

choose choose choose

er er er

du du

l l

e, e, e,

th th

. . .

tutes tutes tutes

it it

rp rp

n n n

enten:\ enten:\

most most most

humani humani

m m

ce ce ce

on on on

l l

i i

work work

pabtabl pabtabl

a a

doctrin doctrin

e e

wr wr

e e e

alld alld alld

n h h n n

e e e

"exot "exot

G G

wer wer

that that that

Gerlllan Gerlllan Gerlllan

retat retat

o o

li li

in in in

wo wo

th th e e

i i

governlllen governlllen

thi thi

e e

sure sure sure

were were were

p p

to to to

had had had

n n

st st st

nal nal nal

e e

p p

du du

vio vio

i i

Martin Martin

e e e

rin rin

t t er er er

th th

Thi Thi t t t

r r

B B

ropose ropose

a a a

c c c

s s s

in in rld rld

s s

itun itun

East East East m m

co co

the the the

did did did

s s s

ook ook ook

frolillhe frolillhe frolillhe

ca ca

every every every

i i gnifican gnifican i i

1 1

i i

e e e

inm inm

n n l l

made made made St:lle St:lle

at at at

c c

o o

c" c" c"

gs gs gs

th th

narrati narrati

9 9

a a

e e

a a

i1l i1l i1l

a a a

st, st, st,

untry untry

ovels ovels ovels i i

G G

tional tional tional

e e

, , ,

s s s n n n

e e e nd nd nd

n n n

th th th

n n

p p

ei ei

, a a a , ,

p p

ge ge

rotCl rotCl rotCl

thc thc thc

n n

discrepan discrepan

ce ce ce

far far far

c c

l l

f f

DR DR DR

Genmllls. Genmllls. Genmllls.

[o [o

t t

f f

o o op op

es es es

e e

r r

o o

e e e reader reader reader Cr Cr

reader reader

or or or

h h d d d

h h

r r r

cv cv

m m

ce ce

n n

retreated retreated retreated

llt llt llt

l l r r

r r r t h h t t

spac spac

p p aracters aracters aracters

e e

a a

M M

pb pb

h h

m m

," ," ,"

Soc Soc of of

uhr uhr uhr

ent ent ent and and and

, , ,

t t

t t t

ir ir ir

eo eo

S:\I11C S:\I11C S:\I11C

ili ili

i i

nd nd nd

that that that aw aw

o o ntu ntu

th th

e e

a a

ack ack ews ews ews

h h

background background might might might

ona ona

ave ave ave

a a

Monod Monod Monod

li li

explicidy explicidy explicidy

s s s

n n n

r r r

:\nd :\nd :\nd varie varie

ce ce ce

e e e

c c

n n

hi hi

e e e pl pl

y, y, y,

e e e

ay ay ay

ial ial ial

well well well

mi mi

works works works

' '

y y y

r r

a a

s s s

in in in

l l

c c

f f

stor stor

in in

average average average

e e e

ea ea

y. y. y.

ater ater ater

or or or in in in

w w

the the the

her her her

d d d nd nd nd

illustrat illustrat

t t

h h

East East East

cy cy cy

o o o

d d

iali iali time time time se se

ha ha

g g g

othe othe

Reali Reali

o o

der. der. der.

from from from

t t

i i

itself. itself. itself.

w w

Mon Mon

a a

esi esi

Co Co

t t

y y y to to to

pr pr whi whi

Pocus Pocus Pocus

as as as

c c

re re

i i

r r

nd nd nd

i i

h h

litel"3ry litel"3ry litel"3ry

s s s

thereby thereby thereby

ce, ce, ce,

a a

between between between

cal cal cal

h h p p

st st st co co

y y y

n n

of of of

val val

o o

ev:\i ev:\i s s s o o

:\di :\di

r r

Germans Germans Germans

eop eop

th th

a a

a a a

oose oose oose

ovels ovels ovels

in in in

mb mb

e e e

:\s :\s :\s

u u

I I r r r r

cccss cccss

s s

intri intri

c c

R R n n

se se

ill ill ill

correspo correspo

ad ad ad

l l

e e e genres, genres, genres,

t t t

l l

idat idat

r r

h h h

n n

ess ess ess

e e e

f f

o o do do

"Po "Po n n

s. s. s.

ealism ealism ealism

owevc owevc

011 011 011

ea ea

o o

Illlpli Illlpli

nd nd nd

ea ea Illany Illany Illany l l l t t

i i be be

l l c c c

traditi traditi

government government government

th th

g g g

s s s

e e e

r r

soc soc n n

person:,l person:,l person:,l

r r r

ove ove

c c

Monad's Monad's Monad's

ev ev

d d

of of of

n n

what what what

li li

gue gue e e

politicized politicized politicized

t t

e e they they they

were were were

f f

ibl ibl

r r er er er i i

LiteralllY LiteralllY LiteralllY

e e

qua qua

e e

l l

e e

or or or

d d d ng ng ng a a

ea ea

p p

t t

d d d

an an an

i i

off off

iewers iewers iewers

nt nt

r. r. r.

d d d

ial ial

i i ke ke ke

these these these

tinf tinf o o

r r r

es es es

e e e

European European European Eastern Eastern

c c

th th

ted ted ted

with with with

r, r, r,

d d d

li~i li~i

er er

the the the

be be auth auth

early early early

th th thc thc thc

As As As

d d

o o

id id

in in in

l l

i i

to to to

accessib accessib

ndin ndin

s s

ity, ity, ity,

t t d d c c

D? D?

It It It

n n e e e

w w acceptab acceptab

n n n

by by by

t t

m m m

e e e h h

li li

or or

ial ial ial

t t y y

c c

esire esire

O O

ain ain

hum hum

h h

ex ex

hi hi

e e e

eved eved eved W:1S W:1S W:1S

a a a

a a a co co

o o

:11 :11 :11

politicalllles politicalllles

ma ma

realist realist realist

l l

wro wro

intervi intervi

e e

ors, ors, ors, matioll, matioll,

and and and

f f

novels novels novels

f f f

hi hi

adve adve

var var

they they they

c c

and and and

ea ea

Co Co

rcader rcader rcader

hi hi

l l

g g g

r r r

i i

Sov Sov

m m

n n

co co

O O O

ste ste

ca ca

h h h

it it it

d. d. d.

. . .

s s

nove nove

to to to

te te

s s s

s s

red red red

. . . a a

up up up

e e

t t

~u ~u

ng ng ng

re re

pa pa

l.Il l.Il l.Il

iet iet

structured structured structured mmun mmun

nolll nolll

nt nt

or or

n n n

l l

:lnd :lnd :lnd

n n

d d nt nt

m m

its its its

i i

e e e i i

T T

popular popular popular

ntur ntur

the the the

s s s

et et et a a

ce ce ce

l l

eservcs, eservcs, eservcs,

authors, authors, authors,

s s

exts exts exts

indi indi worlds worlds worlds

a a a

ce ce ce

t t ews. ews. ews.

e e e

y o o y y

i i

c c

, , ,

pora pora

h h

t t

:'Ind :'Ind :'Ind t t t

reasons. reasons. reasons.

also also also

o o o

c c

say say

\. \. \.

l l

ll:\t ll:\t ll:\t

ideas ideas ideas

bener, bener, bener,

fa fa

al al al

~, ~, ~, e e e

n n

as as as

f f

" " " f f

of of of

ca ca

lim lim

o o r~adcr r~adcr

o o

dcm dcm apart apart apart

l'rcqllclltly l'rcqllclltly

ov.c ov.c

e) e) e)

avcrage avcrage avcrage

f r r f f

r r r

rec rec

s s

r r r

in in

"Kampfg "Kampfg

and and and

i i Marlll1 Marlll1

l l l

h~ h~ h~

r r

E E

th th

s s

respo respo

III III III

awa awa

[ [

publi publi

g g

e e

sagc. sagc. sagc.

" "

y y y

e e e

t t t alm!.:tr alm!.:tr alm!.:tr

J-t J-t

g g g

spo spo

co co

l l

tl tl

ader ader d d

bm bm

o o

: :

W W

s s s

e e e

di di

lll lll

w w

politics politics politics

th th periods periods periods

M M

'c 'c

was was was

e e

SOCIa SOCIa

nwu' nwu' nwu'

y y y

f f f

whose whose whose

f f

s s s

did did

y y y soc soc ~ve ~ve

pr pr

un un

I I

sc~ sc~

pa pa

adv adv

. .

If If If

n n

rom rom rom

r r

d d

th th

~q ~q

e e e

u u o o

tI tI

sco sco

it it

nd nd

. . .

o o

c c

Cr Cr

s s s

ov ov

from from from

. .

s s reader reader reader

f f

n n

yse yse

~ ~ ~ t t

l l th th

GD GD

~r ~r ~r

ation ation ation

o o h h h

or or or

. . .

ur ur ur

uallt uallt

r r

c c l l ing ing ing

rooted rooted rooted

u u

r r

.a .a

from from from

e e

a a

e e

y y li li

ut ut ut

~ ~

/ll /ll

i i

id id ld ld

ntur ntur

, , ,

e e e

i i

aut aut ~es ~es ~es

rupp rupp

lls lls

d d d

es es

d d d

slIld slIld slIld

t~l t~l

d d W'J.y W'J.y W'J.y

st st st

ticizing ticizing ticizing

~r ~r

ll1 ll1

ill1 ill1

a a

~ ~

sclv~s sclv~s sclv~s

p p

ed ed ed

, , ,

ed ed ed

o o o o

ay ay ay

R R R

saylllg saylllg saylllg

dwell dwell

~\V ~\V

to to to

ea ea

s s s

4 4 4

o o

t t t so so

nd nd nd

e e e

o o

y y y world world world

e e

t t

f f f n n

h h

lll lll lll

car, car, car,

n n

was was was

sys- sys-

h h

but but but

l1l: l1l:

co co rea~ rea~ rea~

pu pu

gov gov off off . .

o o

l l

th th

dlf dlf

od od od

\.1 \.1

the the the

ors ors ors

n n

all~ all~ all~

an an an

I, I,

~ ~

l l

ov ov ~," ~," ~,"

e e

of of of

da da

s s

~l ~l

~c ~c ~c III III III

h h

1 1

ro ro

fc fc fc

i i

l l l

a a a e e e

- -

n n

" " "

s s s

c c c

r r r

i i

- -

s s s

- -

I I I

and and and About About About

tem tem tem

acco acco

ill ill

s s s s

lrou lrou lrou

for for for

l l

S S

LibeYll LibeYll

d d

Reunis Reunis Reunis

Co Co

1968, 1968, 1968,

Malace Malace

a a Whisky), Whisky), Whisky),

I I

work work work

ca ca

t'ncmi>cr t'ncmi>cr t'ncmi>cr jo jo band band

h h

ated ated ated image image image

s s Co Co

soc soc

Monad Monad

indoc indoc

o o

p p

w w

Volk," Volk," Volk,"

h h h h

n n n

nd nd nd

es es es

h h

pe pe

ouse ouse ouse

g g g

o o

wed wed wed

e e e e e e

in in

rn rn

hat hat hat

e e e

1 1

mit mit int int

apart apart apart

/ /

mmuni mmuni

c c

co co i i

F F

s s

954, 954, 954,

l l

- -

and and and

e e

un un

ali ali

choses choses choses

/ /

t t

e e

ial ial

a a

published published published

ug ug

f f

e e

d d d

, , ,

umanile, umanile, umanile,

ransl:\ ransl:\

or or or

t t

d d d

she she she

cd cd cd

as as as

nd nd

mm mm

t t li li

we we we

cr cr cr

b b

FF.llll;oi FF.llll;oi

c c c

the the the

s s

rl rl

of of of

t t t

th th

, , ,

Edite Edite

gests gests gests rinat rinat

pub pub

y y y

on on on

a a a m m

MOllod MOllod MOllod

's 's 's

w w

o o Co Co

them them

(/ (/ (/

p p

n n

National National National

a a a

s s e e

s s

from from from e e e

h h

for for for

licence licence licence

o o the the the No No

like like like f f f

published published published

, , , o o

l l

r r

ot ot ot mn mn

he he he hi hi

novel novel

Suv Suv e e

o o

qlte qlte qlte

wa wa

film film film

e e

s s ivat ivat

Fr Fr

f f f

and and and

l l

h h

s s s

ished ished ished l l

min min

ga ga

m m t t

a a

e e

c c

n n

i i

ur ur

C C

rmandie·N rmandie·N

that that that

offering offering offering

t t

ded ded ded

n n d d comp comp Frnm; Frnm;

o o

h h h

e e

s s s

wh wh

soc soc

e e e

h h

s s

t t

i i

l l l l

' ' '

to to to

je je je

s s s

c c c

s s s

n n n

n n

el el el

elv elv

th th

tb tb

c c c

the the the

se se

t t

. " " . .

v v

lIluch lIluch lIluch ade ade ade

c c

s s s

L L

by by by

g g g c c

M M

bel bel

hat hat hat

brand brand brand

5(11S 5(11S 5(11S

F F

ovels ovels ovels

i i

es es es i i ri ri

and and and

h h h

i i

e e e read." read." read."

i i

e e e

F F

ami, ami, ami,

U'lioll)~ U'lioll)~ U'lioll)~

s s

c c ri ri

s s

es. es. es. a a the the the

Wit Wit

n n n

o o

from from from

r: r:

Ir Ir it it it

tic tic tic . .

h h

h h h

d d

l l

renc renc

Fr Fr

aises, aises, aises,

, , n n

res res

l l

o o

m m

politics politics politics

l l l l

ist ist ist /..e /..e

Editeurs Editeurs Editeurs nad, nad, nad, e e

e e

e e e

i i

h h es es es

Engli Engli

ewspaper ewspaper ewspaper

de de de

t t

I I

n n

s s

t t Atthc Atthc Atthc

ted ted ted r r r

izcd izcd izcd

e e

Mon Mon

o o o

srael srael srael

er er er

' ' ' p p lciUlled lciUlled lciUlled

truly truly truly

any any any h h

coercion coercion coercion

i i an an tl tl

o o p p

ged ged ged

n n

s s

following following following

sta sta

cause cause cause to to to

lat lat

from from from

of of of

e e e E E

[,Union [,Union [,Union

h h h

ind ind ind

the the the

c c

res res res

i i

Ea Ea

a a a

s s s

the the the

e e

d d d

c c

l l

a a a

iterary iterary iterary l l h h

Co Co

h h

er er er

a a a received received received

n n i i m m

s s

Co Co

rivains, rivains, rivains,

soc soc

in in in

t t

cr cr cr a a

critica critica t t

Reunis. Reunis. Reunis.

Co Co

s s

midd midd

f f h h

lei lei lei journali journali

(1973) (1973) (1973)

ce ce ce

FTanraue FTanraue

i i o a a a o o

l l

c c

Sovie Sovie

d' d'

t t t

e e ca ca

esser esser esser

a a

kn kn

same same same

b b

mmuni mmuni during during during

ll ll ll

i i

an an

n n

Eng Eng

t t

mmuni mmuni Ger Ger

Franpis Franpis Franpis

n n dcal dcal dcal

s s s

qlleje qlleje qlleje ial ial

m m d d

ro ro

s s s

l d d l l

mmuni mmuni

h h

d d d

o o

cw cw cw

in in in

of of of

gro gro

lcm lcm lcm

e e e

d o o d d

Novels Novels Novels

Vo Vo

oveme oveme suvihiquc suvihiquc suvihiquc

vel vel vel

m m m

i i

l l

("G:i ("G:i

wa wa

s s

e-class e-class e-class

epan epan

s s

l l l

li li

t t t

man man man

the the the

extent, extent, extent,

n n

1 1

m m m

tillie, tillie, tillie,

is is is

h h

l l

up up up

insight, insight, insight,

littl littl

prop prop

which which which

s s

960. 960. 960.

th th

the the the

ews ews

f f f

s s Un Un

k, k, k,

estab estab

After After After

a a

U! U! U!

rf rf

h h h

a a

st st st

I'ai I'ai I'ai t, t, t,

an an an

s, s, s,

the the the

tlt tlt

that that that

s s s

s s

n n n n

e e e

are are are

and and and

st st st

F F

n n

o o

and and and t t t

act act

e e e

M M

m m

p p

i i

aga aga nt nt nt

e e e

r r

p p

Whuky Whuky Whuky

So So

o o

Prix Prix Prix

R R

gcl gcl re re

f f f

i i

o o

ea ea

e e

oet oet oet

v v

Fl'Om Fl'Om Fl'Om

h h Party. Party. Party.

about about about

n n n ap ap

women women

c c G G

li li

n. n. n. o o b b

ov ov

eu eu writcrs writcrs writcrs

fall fall fall

nent nent nent

nthu nthu

u u u

n n

of of of e e

i i

h h

where where where

nt nt nt

East East East

rbonn rbonn

ders ders ders

s s

ac ac

Wodd Wodd Wodd

nad nad nad

u u

ve ve ve

th th

i i

we we we

u u

r r r

c c

OR OR OR

(T'WO (T'WO (T'WO

e e

er er er

n n n

w w

hm hm

the the the

el el el

(lsmel (lsmel (lsmel

ni ni G G

nit nit

and and and

h h h n n

r r r

v v

l l

k k

e e e

o o

F F

o o

parti parti

srae srae

un un

of of of

g" g"

i i

t t s s s

l l

Le Le Le

pers pers

Com Com

Ce Ce Ce

gro gro

t t

e e s s

rk rk o o

GDR GDR GDR

cd cd cd f f f

e e

l l

of of of

1 1

a a a

German German German

h h th th

de de de

was was was i i

n n terdore terdore terdore it it

In In In

book book book

) ) )

in in in

96 96

nt nt nt

a a

rif rif

Or Or Or

der der der

th th

' '

e e

a a

a a c c c

s s s

s s

eo eo

s s

Nuage Nuage Nuage

a a

stic stic stic 19 19

l. l. l.

dit dit

e e e

d d d

und und Soir Soir Soir s s s

d d d

in in in

elf. elf. elf.

h h

a a a

ex ex War War War

As As As c c o o

nd nd nd

org org la la la

y y

e e e

in in in

1 1 1

a a

1 1

195 195

e e e

89 89 89

ipa ipa

res res

r r

n. n. n.

muni muni

H H

th th

n n

in in

activc activc activc nd nd nd

9 9 Thr Thr

osi osi p p

f f

ea ea

- - o o

o o

S S

Ar.1 Ar.1

o o

t t R R met met met

R R a a a

4 4

and and and

I I I

Pari Pari

j j

n, n, n,

er er er

r r r

, , ,

und und

a a

eir eir eir

g g g

hei hei

i i

o o i i

n n r r

In In In

lit lit

8, 8, 8,

n n 0. 0. 0.

s s s

eine eine eine

b b sta sta

Saw Saw Saw

b b

esistance esistance esistance

confor confor

ni ni

o o

from from from

II II

ee ee ee

Martine Martine Martine

urn urn

the the the

citoo citoo

(Th (Th

t t

eca eca

y y y

diffi diffi

ti ti

M M

go go

f f f

y t t y y

s w w s s

r r

, , ,

st st st

za za

r r r

ow ow

Co Co

ewsp ewsp her her her

epon epon epon

eade eade

h h

s. s. s.

n n 1 1

th th

vc, vc, vc,

ay ay ay 77Jmgs/ 77Jmgs/ 77Jmgs/

mel mel

s s

Loll Loll

O O

in in in 955. 955. 955.

e e

n n ce ce ce

: : privat privat

e e e ti ti

(The (The (The

m m

h h

It), It), It),

Pany. Pany. Pany.

h h

,li ,li

existing existing existing

ll ll l l

In In In c c c

r r r

's 's 's

c c

n n n

lllinurn lllinurn

c c c

til til

o o

ere. ere. ere. attempLS attempLS attempLS

ClolU~. ClolU~. ClolU~.

sc sc sc

edi edi

o o

e e e

aff aff

the the the

ul ul

futll futll

sLS sLS sLS

publishing publishing publishing

fighter fighter fighter

m m

o o

first first first

r r

n, n, n,

i i dir dir

apers apers apers

d d d

vcrsi vcrsi

e e e

s s s

hL'Camc hL'Camc hL'Camc

s s s

dramati dramati

in in in

1941 1941

the the the

o o

t t t

ed ed ed

Deux Deux Deux

Ed Ed

i i

t t

re re

wo wo

Qlleen's Qlleen's Qlleen's

h h

writers. writers. writers.

and and and

Mon Mon

rmative rmative rmative

Amgo Amgo

o o ur ur

i i

to to to

e e e

ection. ection. ection.

on. on. on.

Union Union Union

wh wh

re re re

ad ad ad

where where where

sist sist

KlIow KlIow KlIow

p p

i i

to to to

se se

no no

o o

t t

er:lt er:lt

li li

rk rk

most most most

, , ,

r r

curs curs curs

g g g

hu hu

sys sys

ea ea

lik lik

n n n

:lncl :lncl :lncl

fo fo

c c

ves. ves. ves.

lves lves lves

i i

s s

th th

ing ing ing

vel vel vel

011 011 011

c c

e e

o o

In In In

h h

at at at

r r

to to to

2 2

o o

d d d

h h h

d d d

l l

c c s s

c c c

tl tl tl

e e e

d d d

e e e

; ;

e e e

1 1 1

f f f 22 rTJCIIS on LileralJlr Monad's Novels in the G DR 23

:l.V:ml -gardc. At a lime, where literature ill Fromee was do minat ed by papers. reponed. 011 Monod's visits to Berlin and highlighted her role as existentialist thinking , where litcrat"y magaz.incs su ch as 7e/ Quel (\960) a llIc(lIa :lUthont y.

:md L'EpiJcmere(1971 -73), the writers of the NOllVCffU Roman and t he When Marline Monad visited the CD R twice 111 1961 three playwrights of the 1MnlYe de l'Absllyde proposed !lew esthetics and of her works had already csl:l.blished her there as a " I. - ·l~II' " I . . . lK.""S sc er au- where the "College de Ia Pataphysiquc" ridiculed the self.importance t lor. As IS obvlo.us from the articles, she received much attention, not Les es of the literary csl:lblishmelll, the writers around LeI/r Franraises ~omu ch ~1Sa wntcr but:"ls an "institution," a famil iar role for writers had;J, mo re positivistic :lpproach to literature. A ll "'engaged " aud lOr in • HI both !' rance and the CD R.' Due to her background, Monod lent ex islclllialisLS, the manner of the Moned's life ami her works were herse~fas a com melll:llOr all the social and political situation. She also in fo rmed by her Resistance ex perience and her p o litic:l1 activity as a fUllctloned as.a sort of "ambassador," who upon return Communist. The publishing houses, th e journals, and the political wanted to enligh ten the French public: org:l niz.ati o ns she wo rked for shared this background. Loui s Aragon, ex-surrealist, novelist, and director of Ce Soir and Les Lellres r.,.ancaises So wie sic in der "Wolke" in litcr:lrisch vollendeter was most successful of this group writers. Also a er of the the of memb ga nz unkon venti oneller Forlll cin Grundprob!en~ Co mmunist Party, he applied the principles of Socialist Realism ill his lIns~rer'I ~ge!dell Kampf gegen dcn Atoliltod :1Ufgrei ft, how bter wo rks, which suggests that Manine Monod may e been b so sleh~S IC lit .der Finladung ullsercs M:lgistraLS vor miliar with this doctrine as well. Through intcllcXlUal refcrences as aHcm dLe MogiLchkcit, die f..... m~osis cheo rrclltlichkcit well as her at times imitative style and plOl, the author positions her tiher Berlin riclu ig zu inforrn ieren.1 self d early in the tradition of French literature, cert:l.!llly tOO much sO to establish her own voice among a pletho ra of innovative writers in "Berlin" h~rcrefers to the the crecti o!! of the Berlin Wall, which she her own cOlllllry. Th erefore, her works and those of colleagues C harles seems to view as a legitimate attempt 1O protect the existing system. Spaak, A Tl(lre Wurmser and others, with their straight-forward, pas M~~ove:,h er statements promulg:llcd in the newspapers backed the sionate stOry-telling, left no more than an ephemeral imprint on French offiCial diSCOUrse: literature.

Forgotten in France, Martine Monod is not mentioned in his Sie weilte in beiden Teilcn del" St:ldt und verglich die tories of French literature, and none of her books appear in the collec Ruhe lind Beso nnenheit im demokr:l.lischcn Berlin mit tions of the Bibliolhequc Nationale in Paris. On ly the Lexiko,l der der H ysteric und Sensati o nsL1l:lche jense ils des ftd11zosiscben LilCralllr (VEB Bibliogr·aphisches Institut Leipzig 1987), Bran denbu rger Ta res. DaR ihr am erika nische an encyclopedia acclaimed by Ro mance slUdies scholars in the C DR, Journal isten damals allen Ernsles glaubcn machen devoted a 24-line entry to Martine Monad, citing, her alongside fa wollten , die K:llnpfgnlp pen miinn er u nd Vo lks mous authors such as philosopher and essayist Michel MOlltaigne. polizisten seien verklcidete Russell, liifltsie so nebenbei Written in r rench fo r a French audience, ber novels were quicldy trans· als Anekdote einnieRen.' lated into German and immediately achieved a remarkable success. However, some thirty years later, it is imposs ible La retrace wlto ex Indi~·ect~yslIppo.nin g the GDR governmcnt in their decision 1O build acdy decided to publish MOllod's novels and why. No critica l works the 3ntlfaschlstlschcr Schlltzwall," she evaluates the situation as calm vailable, no records evidence how and why her works on Mo nod 3re a an~prud ent, ~hileit W:l.Sce rtainly induced by intimidation and con found their way to the G DR; her translators were impossible to lo fuslo~.F~lIowLng the party line, Monod's renLarks may have justified cate.' O nl y her books and the memory thereof ill people's minds as the SltuaUon for some, but they probably alienated those who were an 1IIIofficiai ca non test ify to her past celebrity. Articles ill CDR news- I adversely affected by t he evcnt. When she participated in Lhe festivi- MonoUnited States in his

des dCUlschen Militarismus, sehen in di eselll wah rell favor, Mono~I'ssucces~ m~yalso have been due to the deeply engrain ed,

Delltschland llnsere Schwester, und daruill bin ieh so mil ,er one-sided a~rnlratlonGerman s have had for Francc and the gli.icklich, wenl! leli hier bei Ihnen scin bnn. 1o French cul.ture, wluch, as we will sec btcr, also manifests itself in lire

preferred Irteratu~e.Furthermore, Monod represented a female, more MOll od gives the impression of speaking fo r all Prcllch people when humane perspccll ve, that of the French people rather t han its govern she praises the GDR as a peace-loving, cultured country. She concedes ment.; As a wom:m writer sire was a propollent of the socialist, "fe this "true Germany" itS legitimate place among other Il:nions, such as ,~alensy stem as opp~sed10 the capitalist, "male" system in which she France, and confirms that it symbol il.c the hope for a better Germany. lived. Hence, MartlllC MOllod was an authority anJ a media figure

Illlegrated in the official discourse, her words may sound somewhat con~tructcdand em.bra~ed(or her political message but also (or her exaggerated. Yet, her presence gave hope alld strength to people, pro forelgnn~ss,a com~'~lallontha~applied to her most popular books as duci ng an early '"D ean-Reed- Effekl" 11. With this lerlll I allempt to well. While the offlcl~1pr o mOllon and the exotic appeal and celebrity describe the effect created by an artist from a Western country (such as of al.' author may entIce a reader to pick up a certain book this does Dean Reed, Perry Friedman and others) endorsillg tile ex istence of die not rnn uencc the decision to keep on reading or to recom~endit LO G DR in official statements as well as through their public appearance. others. Monod's books found thei r place 0 11 East German bookshelves A fo reigner from the West was received with great curiosi ty in the bec.ause they p~videda blend of differellliitera ry traditions and met a East, especially since travel to the West was vinually impossible for variety of readrng preferences. the average GDR citizen. The bet that these artists wel·c rebtively . ~a~ineMonod 's_ novels complied with some stipulations of unknown at home seClllS to not have diminished their acceptance in the offiCIal literary doclnn e of Socialist Realism in the GDlt Ii AI the GDR. Hans·Dieter Brauer has discussed Reed's reception in the thou~hher protagonists stem fro m noble or bourgeois rather than

USSR and gave the following ex planation: working das~backgroun~ ,they experience political insights that make them act agalllst oppressIon and injustice. They often take sides with Dean Reed ist fiir die Bi.irger des SowjcLlandes nicht the cause of the wo rking class, and could be characterized as . unaware.

nur eln Kiinstlcr, denn davon gibt es viel e, er ist fiir sie heroes ("unbewuBle l~lelden")'s.Maltine Monod clearly di ffere ntiates ein Mensch, ein Freund der SowjelUliio n, der auch in between good and .evl.1. As a partisan author ("panciische Autorin"), se in elll I...t!ben das LUt, wo fii r er in seinel1 Liederll she denounces capltalrsm as an exploitative and aggressive SySLCm and eintritl; ein Mensch, der die Menschen liebt und ihr revea ls .her sympathy with the lower classes. In so doing but also by wichtigstes Gut, dell Frieden. Er verkorpert das andere, a?dress~ngher readers in a simple language and by choosing tradi

das gute Amerika, ein Land mit einel' g,roBen Klliturj tlo~lall.lteraryform s such as tire hislo l'icaln ovel, she demonstrates her ein Land, das g,roBe Personlichkeiten hervorgebracht sol,darity. w.ith the masses ("Volksverbundenheit"). Monod's novels hat; ein Land, desscn wissenschaflliche lind Icchnische are 1ll0rallSllc and offer a clear-cut view of society. Although critical, 26 rvcltS on Literalllr MOllod's Novels ill the CD R 27 they :Ire optimistic and ;ulli c ipalc a bright future :1S Soci:llin Rea list Macaillsll noted for OIICadvc nture bestseller thal it r.ulkL'{l amOl1 'co n- novels arc su pposed to do. temporary GDR texts: t Slr:lighdol"ward in style and compositioll. Marline MOIIIXI writes in lIle tradition of the C ritical Realists of t be 19th cCllllIry (sudl "O ne llllcxpecled , incidelllal detail is th:1t, ill 1970, as Zob , Iblz.'lc, Maupassant), who were part of a ca na l' of liler'awre in ~arcliS.C I:1rke·~For tbe 'limN a/his Nail/rat Life was the GOR and who were considered predecessors of Socialist Realist clghth III the list o f preferred auth ors, just below liteITILUre." Like these authors, Monod takes an omniscient authori:11 Alexandre Dumas alld DiCIer No ll, arId just above Erik stance, evaluating w hat is happening for the reader. Detailed clwraclcr NCULSCh and Il ans Fallada. 111th e 25-30 age group, descriptions, a solid plOl and exact descriptions suggest a scmbbu cc of ~dveJltl1ren ovels an! dIe 1110st preferred form of rcad greatest possible reOcclion of reality. Anticipations and previews al ~ng,and C larkc's novel scems lO have been perceived low rc:.dcrs to follow and to interpret the plot easily :tccording to the III thaL catcgory."H intentions of the audlOrY Th ese chaF.lcteristics put Monad's novels in the Context of otlter books published in the CDR . T hey also m:lke Evcn this ty~cof. adventure novels still illlplies ;1 relatively cducated her boo ks accessible and easy to read for East Genn:lII readers, who reader, ch?~sll1gla er.llure of a ccrtain quality for their leisure. Nevcr arc familiar with the French tradition. While Socialist Realism W;lS th~less,tillS IS not Wh:ll M illi~lero f C ulture Johanncs R. Becher had in the official doctrine, it was not the only way books were w ritten in 1l1ln~when he postulated an educ:rted nalion ("gcbildctc Nation" yi the CD R,!I and it was not necessarily what people enjoyed reading ~ndIt ,:as not the role. the 1ll:I~Swere suppo sed to pb y. Wolfgang the most. Many East Germa n readers favored adventurous plots in ElI1merlch has summ arized till S III the followi ng statement: historical and exotic environments, romance and glamor. Statistics have shown that the GD R was still a COUnll·y of boo k "Dic Ar beite rk b sse, die eigentlich z uni lIeuen readers ("weiand"), although watching TV was the preferred pasti me." Ku~tunragerwerdcll so llte, vcr hielt s ic h eher

In the official discourse, the hi storical novel fu lfilled a didactic func ~lelObi.i~erlieh.Man las lieher Margaret M itchells ti on: bringing the past to life and constructing it as a prehistory lead Yom Wmde verwelll' stall Willi Brcdel..."15 ing to the (socialist) present, instructing the reader about the 'hi stori cal determination' o f the ex istence of the CDR. Socialist popu lar lit Willi Bre~e1st~nd sfo r" Aufbau- und Pmd llktionsliteratur," for litera erature was to counteract "Schund- und Kitschliler.ltur" from the West,XI tu re deallllg with everyda.y life in the GDR from a Socialist I'e I· l d. ' \. a IS , and the fact that these kinds of texts were scarcely ava ilable in the propagan IStl..C perspective. Jay Rosselini has explained this desire of cornribtllcd to readers satisfying their need s for enten :1inmellt CDR ~ast

tent and popular li temture (Unte rhalw ngsliteratur) were of the most distance (r~m.eve.ryday hfe I-:"Ither than its liteJ~lrydouhling in contelll interest to readers (24% and 32% respectively)?' In 1970, workers and po~rysoc lahst Iiteraturc ami has observed simii.Jr attitudes for read clerical workers preferred t mvel boo ks, adventure :lnd my!:itery books, ers 111 the. Fed: ml R: publicY Co nsidering thal most CDR readers historical novels and biographies to contemporary novels. Sllrveys from were reSLnCled III their tmveling, this desire for "Tapclc nwechsel" and

1978179 demonstl':tted that Alexandre Dumas and other French writ for .glam~rousor adVentulUlls sets and plots fou nd its expression III u ers were the preferred allthors. Novels about foreign lands and his t1~elr~ho lceof texts from WeSlcrn cultures, that were physically and toric times, with adventures and romantic love stories were mo re ap IlJstorlc~l~y.closer to their OWJl than for example the Russian /Soviet pealing to many readers than stories 1:>Cltaining to t heir oWllli ves. Noel culture. I lus may accoulll fo r· the Llct "that literary works find ul1ex- Monod's Novels in the CDR 28 Focus on LilemlllY 29 peeled readers ill unexpeclCd places at unexpected times,"2S such as and political significance of the book which for the (E'Sl) G i . b ' .... erman Monad's novels did. Il er books induce a meillal "dcpayscl1lcllt", a reae er ll\ay ecollle.. secondary to the entertainmellt: change of scenery, where readers can leave their ever-present reality to

Mttlttcerlfl :ulli Le Whisky de In Rei,lc may he read as adve nture lIovcl~ hl.llll cs IIlIl su.:1tbnnge n. dafi dem dClILSchcn Leser

;H1dfor enlertainmelll only, all of her works evoke foreign laml'icapcs. d~eB~leutllll,g o:ic~"fmgwcilc c iner A llspielung auf Since publishing hOllses in the GDR were speciali7..ed, their different I Ilisio n sche Erelgmsse lind GestalLCIl llich t ohne progr:uns created certain expectations. Thereby categorizing Monad's wei teres verst:lndlich isl.lO novels intO different popular gen res, this may have contributed to find·

ing their rCOIders :Iud therefore to their success. /\ d oser look :It the Richt~rs~e msto be awa.re of the "faulty," superficial reading the book

novels themselves and their reception in the media wiil illustrate how n~ayI.c cc ive as an amuslil g Cloak alld Dagger novel. I Ie cOlltinucs LO

they navigated more or less successfully between official expectations 1~lghhghtthe edu~:tliona lclemem and offers the following instruc and the individual reading worlds of East German readers. tions as to how to Interpret the text: T he publishi ng house Rutten & Loelli ng published Monod's

first novel Malacerla in 1951.2' Ri.itten & Locning bears the he:tding So WUrdCIl ~Ii~Opfer der Junitage nicht vergcLlich "I lislorischc Romane" in ilS logo and was kno,vn for its editions of gebracht. Mlil loncn Mcnschcn ill aller Well sci1arten historical novels :tnd of works o f 19t1l century auLilors, Slid, as Dumas, sich ill den folgenden J .. ho.ehntcn um die Fahnc Zob o r Balzac. Just like these. Ma/acerLa and Le W}nsky tie la Reme are cler Ar~ei.terschaft.I leUle ist es die f.esamte page-LUrners, entertaining and absorbing; they deal with historic:tl fonschntthche und fricdliebcnde Mellschheit die

evenLS and are written in a traditional , "non-formalist" style. gemeil1s~mmit den Arbe itcrn ciner pl"Ofitsud ltigell Malacerla provides a Iluxture of adventure, romance, and po und kneg slustcrnen Bourgeoisie den Kampf litical issues. Th e protagonist. Claudio Malacerta, comes frolll a noble angesagt haLl' halian family. After exubel'3nt erotic and criminal adventures, he joins the workers in the Paris June ri alS o f 1848. Whi le at first he does this Supplying the historical and politic:l! angle from which t he novel should only to please his friend Alexandre, and Marianne, a proletarian girl be read, he sh?~show th e book is supposed to relate to tlt e lives of who rejected him, he later becomes an al'delll fighter for workers' rights. CDR readers. I he polemics and the schoollllasterl y lOlle of Rielner's

Th e 1I0Vel is inOucnced by c:tnonical French authors: irony alld wi t ~fterwordsee~n.unllecess a l"Y,co nsidering the contents of Malacerla.

recall Voltaire's Candule, turbulent adventures arc reminisce nt of the Even a super~lclalre adillg cannot miss the clear, almost cl iched stance Clo:t k and Dagger novels by Alex:tn

Loelling edition sct the tone for a light reading experiencc ;md prcp:l.fC self a ~autol.ogy.0 " other reviewcr, Dr. Melics, cmp hasizes that t he for a plOl involvillg popular themes, such as I'Qm an l ic love :Hld film. book IS wnUen III "der geistreichen, sprilz.igen Form ci nes Pariser

YCl. this Ilovel :-also has a very clear politicalm cssagc. Ocr WhISkyder ~uleva,~d~ma~ls'"and rcg .mls the plot as a prctext for fr ivolous SCII ls Kowgin refers to Q ueen Victoria, who despite the puritan morn Is she llInelll~h~ICswllh subtl e. momls. Again, rcviewers disregardcd tllc imposed, was purpo rted to have love affairs and LO drink whisky eve ry hum:lI1lStlc messagc of till S novel, cert.ainl y because, unlike most COII night. It evokes England at the turn of the century, a stuffy, hypocriti lempomry GDR ~ilemtllre, it co mcs in the disgllise of a story abou t cal society in which the prolagonist, smart and beautiful Annabel, love, adVelltu.I"e, IlJSlory and altractive settings. grows lip. I\s a young wom:m , Annabel escapes an :lrrnngcd marriage ~artllleM O~lOd's1I10S t successful novel Le Nuage (The C loud) with a llluch older ma n by fleeing to the U nited States. Th el(' she was published by D lctz under the lide Die Wolke. Bet wee n 1957 and

<15 works in the film business, which Mon od depicts corrupt and full 1962, the boo~~aw 12 p r~ntingsw ith a total of 136,000 copies. In 1957 o f cOl1lrnd iclions :tnd antagonisms. Annabel and her husb;uHI Stanley, alan:, tI;:ce edItions LOtalJI.lg 15,CXXlcopies were sold. D ietz was owned however, make docume ntaries about the life of the workers. Although by SED . and therefo re edlled the so-called "Klassikcr", Marx, Engels, fro lll an upper-class background, Annabel surrounds herself with or an.d Lclllll, a~well as cloculllellLS and prOlocols of party congresses. dinary, "real " people, workers and house workers. Reluctalltly, Stanley D~etzocc aSIOnall y also pub lished war acco unt s such as OtIS leaves to fight in the First World War and is killed when he protests Hl~JmelfaIJrl5kom~ntmdoby EC. Weiskopf. Unlike usual Dietz publi. against the intervention inl() Soviet Russia. AIl11abei travels LO Europe cations, the dust Jacket of DIt! UVo~kefeatures the captivating photo to find a lit the truth 3bollt her Imsb3ud's death. graph ?f the serene b ce o f;1 Ocalluful youn~wom: lII. This as well as

Although Stanley dies, the book ends 01l :lTl optimistic note as the elll~lIlatictid e (which commonly associates something pleasant) Socialist Realist novels do; its ending could be the beginning of all attraCts Illlmediate attention and poi nts to the "human" content of die other novel. A new, socialist, society is anticipated, of which Stanley Story. Indeed, this novel is o~l~lo l:ethan politic:ll significance. Here, saw the beginnings in Russia. The compos ition of the novel h:l.s been Monod draws on an authe ntiC 1I1cJ(lent: following tests of the Amen compared to C harles Dickens' novels, another "Critica l Realist" ~ansupe ~H . bomb near the Bikini atoll in 1954, a Japanese fishing H writer. Like Dickells', Monad's c har:lcters are either good or evi l; Junk navigatmg ~talm ost a hundred miles fro m the indicated s:tfety action dominates over psychological insight. A ltho ugh a member o f zone was COIHamlll aled by the explosion. All of the 23 crew memb ers the upper class, Annabel is shown as someone who strives for peace sho~edtI~esy mptoms of exposure to rad ioactive radiation as observed and justice, and in so doing, finds personal happiness. The author at HlI'Oshlina Jnd N:tgasah One of them died. Whilc the sa fety zone denounces capital ism, war and violence, contrasting them with the was expanded, the tests ca m ill UCci. power of love. All these elements arc embedded in a histOrica l and J n M~rtincMOllod 's novel, it is an Amcrica n yacht wllich wit cultural background that for East German readers meant a double n~sesthe t:stll~g: Th~pn: ~tagonistPall 'ieia, the eighteen ye;lr-old daugh "dcpaysement": Through the lells of a French autho r, they could jour tel of an oJ! millIOnaIre, IS IllOst severely affected. While her father is ney to different times, and to rwo attractive foreign count ries, England busy doing business, her mother Catherine stays by her bedside. A alld the United St:l.les. romance develops between Catherine and the doclor who was aboard

East German c ritics belittled the novel as purely entert;\illing the ~acht.Thi s doctor Vincent Malvern had become di sillusioned and and of litt le litcrary value. The reviewer H .F. for example sees artistic passive due to his experiences in World War II. When Patricia dies a pl"Oblems YCt ;\dmits tll;\t this 'little novel' boasts an interesting pl ot, a slow and painful death, Cat.herine is shaken and decides to mobilize description of the erJ and of the cilaraclCrs and ironical points that people agai nst nuclear arms.

mostl y hit the mal·k. Th e novel "ist fur Leser gceignet, die auf nicht. . • This ~hortand co nci.se, !lovel is preceded by a quote frolll allzl.l belastellde Weise gut. umerhalten sein wollcn,"}! which is in it- I Racllle s claSSICal tragedy IpJ)lgellle (1671), and Jea nne Stern has n:. 32

mar

a o I cla

fi "v

th c t t

dan n/ m

M dl

e nd

pr a

it il in a f i

v ia co

th m ve

on n ra rom ta c n CJS k

e in e

pl'Ose. rni n oment

al adame ss

nni

eocc phigen ill u l ti

e pe i w g

m ore

k O e cts ux e at th nt i l11il w unit

~e ue

ds i

ni l n

se e d c ca t Ia

lI illi c

eve

ill

g ex d e a

e b:-q a a la

:1 u pr r a pa

ng th mbhn i , t th

t l s t pit

a o u 1. t de w

o r human o

g ce upp a

nu t y o y

b h F e

i nt c

o f h p D e

n n a Jtc n Comparing s o

tl S r il

t elem i e ulmin 80vnry (

re in a I

a e

h e f c, t i i g t an a

th prin :lgc. a

u h n clea ie e h v t t

sacr

listic o h f nd

i o dcscr ir

lIuci th s n e m d ll h e a e h r

b il

t n a ot th pl s

rt e r c

ro e af

cc"

ege U h mili l st

ll - . a e

e a

cl e tr 70lke t t c in r e l ace in he e e

W ifi

man o so a

h sto Th n

nt a c : c i ates b th

ir e a Lrtlgid

war a

p ge

nd e

cO ove i n

oo ar a ce g ss

b r Die

th (ve e ptio h

nd , t ,

e I

nit y nd sees b e e back

Biki e a e ry t u

in pl

d lln d

oo e

ce.

k m o li h . a . a wea E th in

e t e ll

ri , w ,

w y s

y r dJresses f t e ves ol m by

ast DUl11 Wo

a. ll /J t e o t o gre s is tries." w e k

a h illn t l

A L

imil s ali th i

fact h d gro y

Th r

li bi s e s a h

th n h po ese c e and

e W e

Hil rev of a n a ese i

rea turnin l th

e Ger

ce en e s o a e

ke a

c r sy R:lc

t ucus

to und nh e f II co n ea

ol e ti

book as' P i

th i gods, m

t wo o de tud of eva mp Se:lIlCC" Japan s. olke, ri

e i c c l er a tim

ll. h

la s

vel ogy,

m mp

a w

h in tr ca s

at O

th n n wor p

pi s " a

rk s, th : o Kahlau Th m r a e g ici 011 at l

Ul c's l

ce d gu n are th

uat r e

) cr

f ose e l'O ' (a

t epayse

ad it l . co e v th h e

Dame w s a a

o soc ar I clc ese d. at

e l

a e Lil i

s et ld d i pIJi pl ph 's O

Il f

s i i f n r

ge h dl e

nt c ons te d a m i (

n i d co t lh

i ce

ri P cr owevc d c.

i f · e, ov e t

e css itua not f nti o

e or e ecoru o yo ge

e llt s h e ge

clar i i im d

mpli mlllr

m el t f

ili s s

M i t f

r d r P e el

wit m y all an o aux ng

h a

w fiv

o i r f n

po re atr

or cs ng tim il o in r e ted i

o s e

e. and co n

s w s e e

o i P d ec

rm erv s o

ad n t e indi a ex n h b f, d

mily

atr rar f m es h i e i f

od po

r ca

a t o see serv masses

n c s or

ou i :t

c e.

ers " des in am a o f ):

e o

es c ia

u rit

veys the

the see

, melias.

llt r i y m n P liti lS n lh

w c v e t ed M

nu 's n th n

i I at seve

te i idll:l m , v,iv ed e p a E t in ced everyw

Olo

th a, ith e

min to li d o ca

u { n OS th is kin

cie ri as as n

n r

hw c e in

e d th g c n . d e

cia's

in l umber ath t e

o at tim

h ee a t h o in prin M i e ral

l nl

:l cove e i sce g a g t th as

l f g o stOr e i d m d

g ri Ge es g en nl socie

t r

t d h

l p f ht e ind y ragedy.

d n ri t , a y

at pu e e fu

co c

ll owerf rall l

t i th n evoke c

a h p docs c

g c rm er ig

h r

yo o by

y nd cl a i u t r) ere, p eslS. i a rt p id i

de r th ifferc

e nfli e pl

zed d k h

g of inful eo

poses. t

ose r o d y

o h

a un

es , y, r t ill and

n in e es

:l pr e llt a f er e - n f

m pl Fbub o weig t I vel

ul ct, ad

th lh cr edit a ca s w g n t c Ju h

t c v yi

nd Rilcine's c a hi s

e d a lll n

b ipl ov e h

e , e

ri er

e s e u e

c me c lt thani o

o e d t d eco excr s

llin e e n

l. s d

lO w

uitu c t O

e all t tail

p kin el er om f

i h oun peop g i

i o e

a y h

n cs Th

h as s h eJ t

t ss ha

p bo

i - ews nt e t t n h

m oc

d ng g ic o

nt in

s. e

h as i

:lnd i d u a t

g e

s a d a

o r:.I

ocs t i t f e e n 's c f

e ge es h u it

o e k

r l

t l

c s D

D tlm th ( f

d f sc I Pe h ~vel DD.R rea o w :: Kullllr co s~ ~ up Pl L s. J/luslOn pti M a f1~ ex ? h or

t m num

ntl

O lui> ese E o

t ?vel a f

ell g e ," "

npt arl.

e O l ndard . ~h l1llll t m provc ~ fI u o~,lhe :~·y

. ht. oLS d u

e an c " It t l

read ll Cls sc

c g er's

tsc

W J

JI r

s rade;ie a e o ers.

aud " o be d ge

h J-/ bers

, S

olke

a goal des nl al1 PJ. d

':!onnalld b h t In a m

WaS h

thJll t O rI UpO. llnd l

t m

y r lO nti e a s~ e M

.. M fro o e s

wcc clu t rbor n C III -l

ig g~

r lh 0 as ak r 1 e

f pit i tlOn

~m l r~ l ~ 9 in

y f .te s

th h d~lIlati c

n r Mdll. n in m 1l cO ll1 e

g tr ftil~

4 w es " b n

ll t s th

.41 t lllh e d we of

d d sc o

. e 2, a ~ m ?~·

o e 11\

or d o o h

al va l1lrol1 : th

1937, t e th d

ng th I~l up I

h r ot p cl e o c o

f ll nall . d B a

t e

Fr rn tsc th ~ cll l h

he f d a

h ro n th e l a

y ese . oo ~ zc ~ G e , ense a~s ose

~ e

t h e .as ese

ft ll . a

e ov r

c lla h a

o ho

- uJll F co er mul e hnu ve bl · re la

d zc Njemen

ncl. 7~

o I e

k dlff war rt l i Na l! Bu ed r

c M Co c t

th s n ?

e). ~ n

a of D se rla . n publi a d h I

E e

t t, ,

n S e cco

e d

o tac

d p

ga c oug e it imp

t as Z a R nt

e an c J~ m a~so pil n~v e ld g

p C d h h it. th re D n

I . i.s y

l fr h dcs ,

th r.;h~p S a( t l! t eo r

a c e

a w

t e ~lIts ea e et III pnnt e . h p~rcdn ~

o s as I. W

:l m c l"l th d ~d h I li Whil

rn u

li e a es h ro mp d

I c I lld pl ati t

. a reco l 's ~ tru CS, m

h tsc es ombat s, l rl

ar, e

e l th h evelo l rcsse 1

lll c nd class M

eve ,

e e

962

es e b M e

tual N o ited Nov co

o Mll o

t e :l i e No h ct f

l o N military

s th b n or h n

oc d e f l rtant o

th o er nfi sc

S c ll y nth t y .. nd s es.s.o o e ami i on

W d

rth n

e o

th th riti paa litI t. p

r llSte

(1 backgro v

k e r res

tru Sovic t el

s r ats")

Milit m

ll e

t o e th r el o

n e ea

n u pow e e d -

m In

i " co d s p

, mn ca

ovel

rld andi c - e 1

m s p

Afri

eve k e de

d e no hum

war bo

i ill 5,000 th peJl f s

r h

in o s

ull l e u n w a

y o y

alld f

and

. m a

e s e ml pi . a

tha r ts lI cy e e /

ve o W

af. l th

tudi s ie J bri ars d r

o r 1 r "a t c

e se

k d k

c e e v

expe c filml m 9 a o

und a ri l e a i a. · f -N pin di G e

of t .. an Nj ... s

it 64 nd b r e d n f as ef

es Thi

p co Na ,

ise

and

{Illit e ve j a tio c

es jem

tlt i its II ocs I

cmc eo o to i o s

'n.·

mi , tw rat

d th g

s a R f

ti ar s D . pi

(U " ri inin r rythin n o

e t

and e e l

a y s f pl li s e e c s t i

e st

e ee es e r es), L o clI d r R e o e

nd os ows u h u I Sov n ce n e n

expe w

n i

m e ,

ant esi nal v ize c e e e ccess arm w

o ess ot n

· ce g ..... a .

llcith e ar n

qual h n

"JJ · esp

ir f ess

o pr b

w ryda

trad ds :1 se a , r

ter ll i Lhc

as "

v i ha t g a r es n 's c

o nd

b as d D n e acco M

zausgabe h fri r R e

ti i

d a

t o

hip i Th o y t y nl i f

ie ( d

e ,

o ge. fi ve s e e e o efe I a

a S

t: ", p ed u

U m i do y e s e n d M p nd r n I pu lar y.u l n t a

nal im

ial

e s a l

h " m

i ce w s e o gai ," ro age

ntirel

ni li th

o . unts Ann n o rlll it man n

e arve

in u

l u "

b TI

v o ry "C se

ce n rig publ

i th i n l O La

e b ag r

e etar o ti ffer li n u

es Pu n ev

id o a

ll o t stor s

es. f n s e n Illa a Thur ow. o

r I r . d . y

f i

th of pos y r hed ee

S r s i s ] y lld G i i

. n b an fu f pa and I

cb in t ewe Ve fr

a i or sta Sov iat agc

es I sq

s li

Il ~ ran l1l

m l f i th l

r hin ie

d es i g ar

t t t s

iti

h r 963 e

t ere. u :l h i th e t

< the n .

ese th b k's

I b s r 33 es: re llll i h ad

h i d o

a e " b he ed as as t n a de

n ve et d

I y o

g g d e e e

e r y f l I

e t

MOIlO

COl ntnullity o f lIati Ol15. Notes Further publications by Monad ill the CD R include transb I:l·hc l;rench WOld "dcp.lyscmcm " l!leans fil'St or ,llllllC movc .IW:lY li ons of arliclc5 f ro mlltlm (mile and Les LeUrC$ Frtmrnises: "!eh sah den rrol~l.ones OWII e~UlIlly. one's dispbcemcul, but may :11'\0 havc the AlOIlltod" in Allfbnll 4/ 1958 and "Wie cine SupcrprodukLion Clltstdlt" positive connotatlOIlS or "Tapetenwcchsel". 1 :lIn using the lenn to describc Magawl r.1II in Das 3/1961. Das Magnzm also articles of which the a S011. of ~pbcewarp'" . original French versions could not be found: wilh Henri Quiquere: lBetwecn 1951 and 1956 lilis office was called 'Ann fiir Liter'alur "Bandilleros, 'loreros ulld cin Stier" (1/1966) and "[dand mil £cballtcn und Vel"iagswesen.' See Ernmeridl, Wolfgang. K/c;IIe Lllemlllrgeschichieder

F:iusten" (10/1970) as well as the short story "Das J~lugj'..cl1gaus lon DDR. I?anns.tadl: Ludllerhand, 1981. 29. and Wei~eI,Daisy. fjdd lind don" ill 1960. Monoc:\cove red a variety of subjects: political cammc n Cegenbdd. Dlc USA m dey lJe/Jetrislik der DDR. Opladen: Leske + B d . I 1989 23 D· ., S. , U riC I, l:lry, cultura l reports, t ravel accounts, love stories. Das Magazin was . ... I.etnc I IInon las Slated that publishers had a certain freedom In thclr chOICes, although the administration had the final say. So

ticles published in the CD R indicates th:ll those in charge of book Wolfgang. -Hir cine andelc W.lllrnclllJlUng der DDR-LHeratlLf: Nctl~

production knew their reaclers well. Monod's last twO po litical reports KOlJtcxt~,neue Par; l(ligmen, cin nC\lcr Kallon." GelSllll/d Mad,,: Writers /sraeilel que je I'al 1)11 and Dellx 011 trois choses que Je sais de "Union and the Slale.1II /he CDR. Eds. Axel Goodbody and Dennis Tate. Aillstcr would nol have appealed to a public exposed to polemics and indoctri dam: Rodopt, 1992. 17. n;!.tion in their (bi ly Ii ves. . ./1 Nt/age (Die Wolke) was also published in olher socialist Martin e Monad's success in th e CDR is due to a comb inatio n co.untfles, such as Czechoslovakia: Monodova, Marline. Mracno. Trans.

~InaN:klanova. Pralu: Svouodnc Siovo Melant l·ich, 1956. Witll of elements. As a literary persona, she was acceptable for leaders and II lustral Ions. for readers alike. The author validated the socialist reality and the offi- sThe title pl'IYs on t hat of a pepul.!!" film by Je;IIl-Luc GOOa"-l: cial politics, and recognized the raison d 'etre of the CDR. More o r less Deux ou troIS chosesque ~ sal! d'ell~(I;'vo or Three Things 1 Know about skillfully rooted in the familiar French literary tradition, her novels fit lIer) from 1967. the official view tll;!.t Crit ic;!.l Realism be lhe predecessor of worker's 'Co ntacts with the CDR publishers in 1988/89 anJ with thcir

literature hut also clllulated popular models. Eleme n ts o f Socialist sucees~orsill 1997 did 1I0t provide :my more background. With the

Realism fused with adventurous plots in hiSlorical and exotic cnviron exception of Ma/a~e~ta(tra nsl:ned by Rudolf Schacht) all novels were

ments met the reading prefcrences of East Gcrman readers. Bridging tr.lIlslal~-dby ~.hnsttlleHoeppner. Since dte focus of this I)aper is not a

different traditio ns :'Ind doctri nes :'Ind satisfying a variety o f reading lranslatl~n.cnuqu~, and since I he translations convey Ihe spirit and eontCIll o~'I?mals I did es ex pectation s, Mo nad 's novels t!lIlcred this private sphere o f East Ger- of the qUIte accurately, not inv tig:llc this aspect any further. I Por a cnllca] study o n the reprcsentation of war ill the novels of Manine man living, o f which socialist ideals were one com po nenl among oth - Mon~see rfitw:r, 111,1. Zlt~Dantellungdes Kru!gt!S1111 RomallScha/Jeli Wll ers. But mOSl imponantly, besides providing adventure and a view of Marlltll! MOll00. Dlplomarbelt, Scktion Romanistik der i lllillboldl othcr worlds that endorsed living in the socialist GDR, Martine Univer.;il;lt zu Berlin: Fall 1989. Monad's was a "humane" voice, implor ing a bCllcr fuwre, visualizing , 'Em,l~le.richhas posited this historical I'l.lce fOl writers in French

a world of love and pcace. soc.l.ety (19)~.1 .llISlong·standillg traditioll points b.Kk to Voluin.:, Madame de

Stael, a,:ld Em,l~eZola :u.ld found.a new impctus ill tbe existe ntialist postU1.1lC Louisiana Slafe University of the engage (colllllllued) wnter. According to Emmerich, writers in the 36 Poem on Li/emlw' Monod's Novels in lhe CDR 37

Lileralur. Ocr Zusammenhang VO Il asthetischer T hcoriebildulig und id· I . CDR were to assume this rule within the "Liler:l.turgescllsdl:lrL~I lowcvcr, :l.pan from thisofricial doctrine, writers in the CDR did eslalJlislr themselves gischen Pramisse n." DDI<·NomalJ 'md Llleralllrge5cJlJcha/t. Ed5~J:S as authorilies, culminaling in their role during the Wcudc 11\ 1989, and lloosgev:;n a,!d Gcrd Labroisse.AUlstc,~(~~m:Rodopi, 1981. 61·102. 153. explicitly at the demonstrntion in Alexanderplatz in Berlin on November 'I. Lukacs, Gcorg. Rt!alulfl m our lime. London: 1-la'lX!r 'Iorchbooks, 1964. 1989. Eti:r.abclh Millman has examined this role of writers as "3 rnolllhpiccc of the people" on the example of Christa Wolf. Minll1:lIl, Elizabcllr. "Locating IISee Gerlach, h~gehol'g.1)cr schwierlgc Tvrucimlt. GcgenwartStleltllmg a Public Sphere: Some Reflections on Writers and OJJenthchkell ill the CDR," Jlnd ZlIklm!lJerwarlting 1111 DDR-Roman (Koll igstcin/Ts., 1979), 15. IIGerlach, t iS. \l1ome" ;,1 Genna" }'t:arhook 10. Eds. Jeanette Clausen and Sam Friedrichs meyer. University of Nebraska Press: Lincoln tJ!. London, 1995. 19-37. l'See Emmeric11, 21. \'(ridl all :Innual publication of about 140 million books, the GD R was leading in the world besides the Soviet Union and Ja 'Lupcscu, Valentin. "Meinungcn: Irll1l1crlIlehr FranzoscnUcgreifen ... Q pan. Berli"er Zewmg, 6.10. 1961, 3. Jlbid. Sim;e her words arc given as reponed speech, it is ldtil11:ncly :roparigger, 148. im possible 10 ascerta in what she did and did not say. . ll lwssclini,Jay. "ZUI" Funkl iOllsbeslin1ltlung dcs Ilislo .. ischen Romans In de .. DDR- Literatur." DJ)N·Romall 'md I.lIcrrrlllrgcsclhcha/t. Eds. Jos IOStern, Jeanne. ~ncgegnllngmit Martine Monad: NClles J)cllf.sch· land. 1.7. 1961. lloogeveen and Gem Labl"Oisse. Amsterdam: RodoPJ, 1981. 77. "Dean Reed, an Amcrican singer, was enormously popular in tbe nVgI. Albrecht, Ricll~rd."Oas Uediil"fnis nac], edlcn GC5c1lic1lten." Jahrbllch ZJlr Literalllr in der DDI<. Ikl. 4. Bonn : Bouvier Vcrlag Ilerbci"\ EaStern block and in Soudl America.llese tded in theGDR where he marri(.,<1 actor Renate Blumc. l ie di(..J under mysterious circumstances in 1989. Reed, Grundlll:lnn, 1985. 191. Dean. Dean Reed em"" ails seine", Leben. All/geschrieben von 1/ans DICIer IJM:lcainsh, Noel. ~LilcraryReception III Ii'lst :lnd West Germany"

QJladralll. :-p~il1984,44.49; 47. Clarke, Mucus. Lebemlallglich. Translat~ Brauer. Leipz.ig: Edition Peters, 1984. 1 am using dIe comp:lrison widl De~1I1 Reed only to illustrate this one aspcct. Reed :IS a movie acto! and singer by Karl l lcmnc11, Nachwort Anselm Schlosser. Berlin: Volk lind Welt, 1962. naturally achieved :I different kind of popul:trilY, :llso due 10 his friendly, At least four printings. 'I~hisnovel, set in 1827 tells thc story of an English nobleman sentenced for hfe and deported to tile pilson colonies in Austn.1' relaxed personality and his good looks. • a Illbid. 68/69. 'See Sc111l~idl,Ulric ~1."A bsc1lied vo n der ' Litel'alurgesellschaft'? Anmerkungen ZlL emem Begn ff." Text +KrIIlk. Lilcrall/r III der DDN. Ruck. uThe fell1ini7~'llionof the GDR in conln.st to the PRG has been blicke. Ed. I lcinz Ludwig Arnold. MiinchelL: edition text + kritik 199 1. 45- :lrticui;ned in seven.1 recent studies, such as Stein, Mary Beth. "The Banana g , and the Trabanl: Representations of the 'Other' in a United Germany." The lSElI1ll1erich,49. &rlill \Vall. Representatiom and Perspecll'lJeS.Eds. Ernst Schiirer, Manfred ./GRosselini,75. Keune and Philip Jenkins. New York: Peter Lang, 1996. 333·346. 342. The facl lh:n Christa Wolf was one of the most nOled G DR auth ors accepted bOI h l7Albrecht, Richard. ~'Lcsebnd'ODR oderd as Bedii rfnis nach 'cch by t he government and the people as wel1 as :lblOad may also be due to her ten GC5chichten': Versllch liber Le.~everllaltcll,l..ckLijrcilltcressen unci Lese unique perspective asa woman. Mittman has characteri-t.ed her W()rk and Ihal erfabrungen in der DO lt." Ccrmanisl/schc MlIlc,{,mgclI. 26/1986. 15-26. n . nMacainsh 47. of olhe rs as providing "access to alternative visions for a socielY beyond bodl capitalism and patriarchy." (33) Seen in this light, Chr ista Wolf did wllal E,'lst nManine Monod. Mdlacerld. Trans!. Dr. Rudolf Schacht. Berlin: German readers choosing Martine Monad's books did: they did not question Runen & Loclling, ]952. the idea of socialism itself and did not ovenly oppose t he state, but they did .IORichter, Wolfgang. "Nachwort." Ibid. 249. '1Ibid.25 4. dream of olher worlds and of a place where the individual call be just ;an individual. JlMonod , Martine. Dcr Whuky der Kij,llgm. Trans1. Christine Hoeppner. Berlin: Riitten & Loelling, 1955. "The criteria for Socialist Realism uSC(1here a re Ihose layed Out In JJWurmser, Andre. "Les dons du ciel." 1.J!SLtum Fr.w(aISl!S. IJ May high schooll itcn.ture textbooks rather than the doctriue as it W"J5 discussed 1954. and altered over lk-cades. "1 I.E Ole Bllchbesl'reclJll1lg, 1956, J5-36. 'SParigger, Marleen and Std Pix!. "Zur Unterhahullgsfullktion VOl! ]/ 38 FOCIIS on L i leratllr

J~Dr.M elies. nBucher kritisc h gd escn. Zu Martine Monods d el"

Whisk y ocr KOlligiu.~\VcllfJiihll/ :. 43 (1955): 1375·76. "Like a Stone Thrown into Water:" The ){'Flllmericll,2 1. l1Kahlau, I li lde. l1uchbespreclmngcn. Die Wolke. Ocr Bibliolhckar 1 Testimony of Magnus Hirschfeld / 1958.5 1-52. " See D ecker, Bernhard I I. wT hc Wall as Seen T hrougll the Eyes of Border Guards: The HordeI' as a Literary 'Io pos within the Framework of Socialist Defense Readiness Education." 'Ihe Berlin wall. Rcpresctlca,ions David Prickett and Perspectives. Eds. Ernst Schiirer, Manfred Keune and Philip Jenkins. New York: Peter bll g, 1996. 119-125. 120. J'Kuitur li nd Fon sch rill, fOllnded in 1947, was owned by the Introduclory Lecture to "The First Institute for Sexual Science (19 19- Germ an-Soviet Fr iendship Society (G cscllschaft fUr DClilsch-Sowjet isd lC 1933)," an exhibit on loan to the Max Kade German Cullllr:'ll CCl1ler, Frcundschaft) before it became part of Yolk lind Weh . See Jacobs. University of C incin nati , OH USA, from the Magnlls-Hirschfeld 4°Transl:uion m ine. I. Gesellschaft e.Y., Berlin. The exllibit open ed at the row s 011 Literalllr " The 3gn.-clllcnt between Petain and H itler in October 1940. 4L11 Annual German Grad uale Student Conference, O ClOber 15-16, U As an interest ing dctail, C harlcs Spaak, co· writer of the script for 1999. Normalldie·Nib m!ll, was also t he scriptwriter o f fA G rallde "b lsion.

WQt·ks C ited t was in 1895 that Magnus Hirschfeld, a Jewish medical doctor ill I Magdeburg, published the pamphlet Sappho und Sok rales under ;1 Monod, Martine. ISMe/ tel que je I'ai V II, Paris: Les Editeurs Fran\"ais pseudonym. In the preface to a latcr work, Hi rschfeld expb ins to the Reunis, 1968. reader that he " . .. was moved to write [Sappho lind SokralCs] by the ---. i.e Nllage. Paris: Les Edileurs fram;ais Reunis, 1955. suicide of a young officer, Olle of my patients, who shot himself on the

---. i.e Whiskydel a Reillc. Paris: Les Editeurs Fran~aisR Cllllis, 1954. ni ght he m:trried, and left me his co nfession" (Sex xii). j-jirschfeld de· ---. Malacerta. Paris: Les Ed iteurs Fran~aisRcu nis, 1950. scribes Sappho lind Sokraces as " . . . a stone thrown il1to water which, - . Normandie·NjemcfI. Paris: Les J1:1itcu rs Fr.m r;ais Rcu nis, 1960 . fall ing, sets up waves that go on spreading" (Sex xii). Hi rschfeld's in Stendh al [Maric·H enri Beyle]. U! rouge elle noir. Lausanne: l1:1it1011s tention was to move homosexuality from lhe arena of illness to a nattl Renconu e, 1968. ral condition. The wo rk also serves a sociological function as an at tempt by H irschfeld to legiti mize homosexuality to th e bourgeois so ciety at large. In this paper 1 wish to 'lIla IYl.£ one) what Hirschfeld meant to achieve via his writings, two) how he presents his theories, and three) to what extent his arguments were sllccessful. '10 this en d I will examine the writin gs of some of H irschfeld's contemporaries.

Redef ini ng tlte "U r:l11ian "

H irschfeld founded his research largely 0 11 the works of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs, a German lawye r. Like Hirschfeld, Ulrichs Was ho mosexual, and ti le prejudice that he encoulltered led him Lo analyze himself, others like him, and their position ill society. In lhe 1860s,

rY)Clls 011 L il era /III" Volume 7 (2000)