K ulturwissenschaftliches Institut für Europaforschung
    Melanie Fröhlich (Tallinn/ Tartu September 2004)
    Culture, Nature, Semiotics: Locations IV
    Transitional locations in contemporary German literature:
    thinking dynamic environment with Bakhtin

    After the decline of Soviet Empire the experience of many Europeans is determined by transformations and locations of permanent transition . As the problematic of European integration is highly depending on it, the topic of transformation gets an important meaning.

    We can imagine that experiences of transformation, like breaks in biography, give rise to translate it into literature. By the example of German Reunification we can notice this especially for those born around 1975 in one system, but grown up in another. Above all we have to mention Jana Hensel, the author of the national best-seller Zonenkinder, published in September 2002. Hensel gives voice for her generation, namely the first "Wessis" from East Germany. Also Julia Schochs novella from March this year Verabredungen mit Mattok (Engagements with Mattok) can be seen in this context, what I want to show you.

    Dealing with the object of transformation in contemporary German literature, we have to raise the question, how to examine. Evidently this object absolutely requires dynamic models for cultural and environmental analysis. One possible way of investigation is given by the concept of Dialogism offered by Michail Bakhtin, who stresses the interrelationship between literature and reality. This interrelationship can be analysed as space and time relations, obviously expressed by the form-content-category of Chronotope. So space and time are highly important for this approach.

    As the organisers of our conference criticise "Environmental aesthetics", we can criticise canonical narratological approaches with Bakhtin and establish a counter-concept. Two points need to be recognized: 1. Space being reduced by categories like landscape and milieu to scenery. 2. Space being examined stressing the synchronous aspect regardless of time. In contrast I want to stress the interrelationship of space and time according to Bakhtin. Both dimensions are constitutive for the narration as for our world and over and above that for generating identity of the literary figure as for the human being.

    Against this background my lecture deals with two points I like shortly to mention: In my first point Analysing space and time: thinking dynamic environments with Bakthin, I attempt to point out the productivity of the Bakthinian approach contrasting narratological approaches focusing the analysis of transformation processes in literature. In my second point Translated transformations: transitional locations in contemporary German literature I follow two questions: 1. How the author is dealing with experiences of transformations? 2. What kind of space- and time-relations are significant for those experiences of transformation? What kind of images translate the experience of transformation?

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