THE IDENTITY CRISIS OF AN OUTSIDER: EXCEPTION AND RULE IN GÜNTER GRASS´ DANZIG TRILOGY

Abstract

Günter Grass (1926–2015), in his Danzig Trilogy (The Tin Drum – Cat and Mouse – Dog Years), depicted exceptional existences, who are not like most of the Germans before, during and after World War II, resulting in their isolation and the absence of guidance and support from the adults around them. The small-statured Oskar Matzerath critically observes and challenges the world from a frog’s perspective and uses his tin drum as a means of provoking the people around him. Joachim Mahlke, tortured by an inferiority complex, is not able to stand the pressure of social isolation. The half-Jew Eduard Amsel establishes his own underground world, in order to flee the dangers of the aggressive real world. They all experience a deep identity crisis and struggle to strike the right path in their lives, with a greater or lesser degree of success. The subjects of the analysis in this paper are these main figures, their common features and differences, their identity crises and their struggle to deal with these crises. The concept of an identity crisis is discussed here from two aspects: as identity deficit and identity conflict. An identity deficit (crisis of motivation) is the lack of a guiding commitment and struggle to establish personal goals and values. When going through an identity conflict (legitimation crisis), a person has several commitments, and in some situations at least one of them has to be betrayed. The examples of Oskar and Eduard show that art is and remains the only successful means to overcome the discord between the agreement with oneself and with society, and to overcome the identity crisis, which is the result of loss and/or inadequate choice of guiding commitments and values. However, Grass was of the opinion that it is the duty of artists to use their creative potential and talent with a responsibility towards society, to bring enlightenment with their criticism, and therefore help the people to become aware of the reality as it is.