The article explores the connections between the phenomenon of evil and the phenomenon of the grotesque through the example of 20th-century literature in German. The introductory attempt to provide a concise definition for both phenomena leads to the realization that, although much research has been done on both topics, ultimately what connects them has always been the characteristic of being “beyond understanding”. A series of selected examples (F. Kafka “Die Verwandlung”, K. Kraus “Die letzten Tage der Menschheit”, G. Kaiser “Gas”, “Gas. Zweiter Teil”, E. Canetti “Komödie der Eitelkeit”, “Die Befristeten”, Ö. v.Horváth “Gebrauchsanweisung”, B. Brecht “Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui”, H. Kasack “Die Stadt hinter dem Strom”, G. Grass “Die Blechtrommel”, F. Dürrenmatt “Die Physiker”, P. Weiss “Die Ermittlung”, Th. Bernhard “Ein Fest für Boris”, W. Schwab “Volksvernichtung oder Meine Leber ist sinnlos”, E. Jandl “wien: heldenplatz”) are then given in order to show that the two often appear together because the evil that manifests itself in the content often finds its most fundamental expression in the form of the grotesque, which in turn can be both form and content.
Das Böse und das Groteske. Zusammenhänge zwischen zwei “unfassbaren” Phänomenen der deutschsprachigen Literatur im 20. Jahrhundert.
BÜRGER-KOFTIS, MICHAELA
2001-01-01
Abstract
The article explores the connections between the phenomenon of evil and the phenomenon of the grotesque through the example of 20th-century literature in German. The introductory attempt to provide a concise definition for both phenomena leads to the realization that, although much research has been done on both topics, ultimately what connects them has always been the characteristic of being “beyond understanding”. A series of selected examples (F. Kafka “Die Verwandlung”, K. Kraus “Die letzten Tage der Menschheit”, G. Kaiser “Gas”, “Gas. Zweiter Teil”, E. Canetti “Komödie der Eitelkeit”, “Die Befristeten”, Ö. v.Horváth “Gebrauchsanweisung”, B. Brecht “Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui”, H. Kasack “Die Stadt hinter dem Strom”, G. Grass “Die Blechtrommel”, F. Dürrenmatt “Die Physiker”, P. Weiss “Die Ermittlung”, Th. Bernhard “Ein Fest für Boris”, W. Schwab “Volksvernichtung oder Meine Leber ist sinnlos”, E. Jandl “wien: heldenplatz”) are then given in order to show that the two often appear together because the evil that manifests itself in the content often finds its most fundamental expression in the form of the grotesque, which in turn can be both form and content.
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