Kritik und Autonomie: Die Programmatik in Elfriede Jelineks Romanen und Essays (1968–1975)

While Elfriede Jelinek scholars agree that the increasing social relevance of the early novels bukolit, wir sind lockvögel baby!, Michael and Die Liebhaberinnen is vaguely linked to a social, political, cultural or aesthetic critique, the ‘programmatic’ platform, if there is one, as well as its specific textual manifestations remain largely unexamined. Likewise, the ‘programmatic’ essays Statement and wir stecken einander unter der haut as well as Die endlose Unschuldigkeit together with udo zeigt wie schön diese welt ist wenn wir sie mit kinderaugen sehen arguably demonstrate the theoretical, ideological, and aesthetic perspective of the author, but their relation to the novels have only been marginally und unsystematically considered. The article discusses the programmatic potential in the novels and the essays with respect to aesthetic methods, authorial voices, and a motivic framing of characters. It is argued that the tension between critique and autonomy forms the core of a programme committed to challenging both text and reader.