Abstract
Remembrance as a specific motif plays an important role in three major works of 20th century German literature: Robert Musil's 'Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften' ('The Man without Qualities'), Heimito von Doderer's 'Die Dämonen' ('The Demons') and Hans Henny Jahnn's 'Fluß ohne Ufer' ['River without a Shore']. In addition, remembrance is linked to the conceptual problems of each novel.
In Robert Musil's novel, the process of remembering that is inaugurated by the characters Ulrich and Agathe leads away from the concept lying at the core of the novel - the concept of a man without qualities. Furthermore, remembering is contrary to the 'Anderer Zustand', the 'other state', because it launches a biographical reconfiguration and makes Ulrich a distinguishable character.
'Die Tiefe ist außen' ('Depth is on the outside/surface'): This dictum of Heimito von Doderer has to be reconciled with the poetic use of remembrance in his novel 'Die Dämonen'. In 'Die Strudlhofstiege', Doderer had developed a poetics of remembrance, which in 'Die Dämonen' is now subjected to a process of surfacing, a 'Veräußerlichungsimpuls'. Since Doderer regards remembrance as an inner, psychological phenomenon, this process of surfacing leads to problems which Doderer solves by using certain techniques of surfacing: e.g. concretisation (or objectivation) and writing down. Contrary to the received opinion, the use of these techniques results in a negation of remembrance as an introspective paradigm.
Hans Henny Jahnn's trilogy 'Fluß ohne Ufer' has long been seen as an example of the structural use of remembrance. However, only in the middle part, 'Die Niederschrift des Gustav Anias Horn', remembrance is given structural importance. Unintentionally, Jahnn takes up Doderer's shift from remembrance as an inner paradigm to written remembrance and, like Doderer, he intentionally avoids psychologising. With the introduction of a surreal return of the past into the present ('Inversion der Zeit'/'inversion of time') Jahnn breaks decisively with the traditional, psychological model of remembrance.
Thus, in the novels of Musil, Doderer, and Jahnn the faculties of remembrance lose substance and importance. The past (as the object of remembrance) is no longer that 'store of wealth' that one has to turn to if one wants to remain fit for life (and biography): the past is no longer the core of present life. Contrariwise, the past is seen as a heterogeneous Other of this life. The consequence is the dissociation of two spheres, that tradition and psychoanalysis regard as closely connected: the own remembrance and the own past of the subject. |
