Steffen Martus Analyzes German Literature's Reflection of Society Since 1989
Literary scholar Steffen Martus presents a comprehensive study titled 'Contemporary Literary History,' examining German prose from the past four decades as a mirror of social change. Starting with the collapse of the bipolar world order in November 1989, Martus traces the shift from heroic narratives to a 'post-heroic' present, where individuals perceive themselves as parts of larger structures rather than powerful historical agents. The work serves as a modern counterpart to Erich Auerbach’s classic 'Mimesis,' utilizing literary sociology to analyze how major societal upheavals—including market radicalism, digitalization, right-wing populism, and the Corona crisis—are aesthetically processed in literature. A central focus is the rise and fall of 'pop literature' in the mid-1990s, exemplified by authors like Christian Kracht, which reflected neoliberal fantasies and consumer culture. Martus argues that literature is not self-sufficient but actively impacts reality, asserting that 'literary change is social change.' Through more than fifty chapters, the study offers an in-depth analysis of the interplay between poetic form and social context, effectively replacing half a basic literature course with its detailed exploration of recent German literary history.
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Steffen Martus Analyzes German Literature's Reflection of Society Since 1989
Literary scholar Steffen Martus presents a comprehensive study titled 'Contemporary Literary History,' examining German prose from the past four decades as a mirror of social change. Starting with the collapse of the bipolar world order in November 1989, Martus traces the shift from heroic narratives to a 'post-heroic' present, where individuals perceive themselves as parts of larger structures rather than powerful historical agents. The work serves as a modern counterpart to Erich Auerbach’s classic 'Mimesis,' utilizing literary sociology to analyze how major societal upheavals—including market radicalism, digitalization, right-wing populism, and the Corona crisis—are aesthetically processed in literature. A central focus is the rise and fall of 'pop literature' in the mid-1990s, exemplified by authors like Christian Kracht, which reflected neoliberal fantasies and consumer culture. Martus argues that literature is not self-sufficient but actively impacts reality, asserting that 'literary change is social change.' Through more than fifty chapters, the study offers an in-depth analysis of the interplay between poetic form and social context, effectively replacing half a basic literature course with its detailed exploration of recent German literary history.
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