The search for self and identity: four novels by Monika Maron

Abstract

This study of four novels by the German writer Monika Maron examines how the female protagonists establish a sense of their own identity. The silencing and ostracising of Josefa Nadler's critical journalistic voice in Flugasche challenges her to find ways to reconcile her continued faith in socialism with the rejection she faces from state authorities. To this end she turns to the examples of other critical voices around her and to mythical and religious images. Rosalind Polkowski's mental defection from the state in Die Überläuferin, leads her to radically reconstruct her identity by confronting past experiences. Realising the ineffectiveness of living a Nischenexistenz, she searches for her friend Martha, whose alternative qualities she incorporates into her self. In Stille Zeile Sechs, Rosalind Polkowski's futile efforts to break free from the dominance of her father's generation are seen in her relationship with the state functionary Herbert Beerenbaum. All attempts to redirect her life fail as she falls into situations and patterns which are merely repetitions of the past. The protagonist of Animal Triste uses repeated images of a love affair to give her life meaning. When these memories can no longer be exclusively sustained in her mind, she eventually confronts her feelings of powerlessness and the loss of self-determination. The main characters, who share similar personal and professional backgrounds, all find their quest for identity affected by an encounter with wider historical circumstances. Although inevitably shaped by their family backgrounds, they seek inspiration from key figures in their lives, in their quest to define themselves.