The Collective Body as the Scene of the Power in the GDR Regime: a Study of Leibhaftig by Christa Wolf
Merve CihangirLeibhaftig (Wolf, 2002) portrays the personal and societal decay emblematic of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) society through the lens of a nameless sick individual. This narrative illustrates not merely the illness of a single woman, but the affliction of an entire state organism. Amidst numerous surgeries, the protagonist experiences fever-induced recollections and hallucinations, often imbued with political undertones during her hospitalization. The study explores the hypothesis that illness in Christa Wolf’s work is not merely metaphorical but manifests as a psychosomatic consequence of repressed emotions. The protagonist’s body symbolizes the collective deterioration of the GDR, serving as a metaphor for the damage inflicted by the East German repressive regime while also serving as a metaphor for the damage inflicted by the regime while also functioning as a locus of surveillance and power. Through the protagonist’s struggle against an intestinal rupture, Wolf illustrates the physical and emotional toll of living under East German surveillance. Consequently, this study sets aims to address the significance of the body metaphor in relation to state surveillance. Methodologically, this study adopts an eclectic research stance, drawing upon hermeneutics, sociology of literature, and psychology will be applied across the board within the framework of an eclectic research stance.
Der Kollektivkörper als Schauplatz der Macht des DDR-Regimes in Leibhaftig von Christa Wolf
Merve CihangirDer Verfall eines Staatsregimes am eigenen Leib: Leibhaftig1 (Wolf, 2002) eine Erzählung von Christa Wolf beschreibt den persönlichen und gesellschaftlichen Verfall repräsentativ für die Gesellschaft der DDR-Zeit am Fallbeispiel einer namenlosen Kranken. Es erkrankt also nicht nur eine Frau, sondern ein ganzer Staatskörper, der den Verfall eines Staates am eigenen Leib durchleidet. Die Protagonistin muss sich mehreren Operationen unterziehen und durchlebt während ihres Krankenhausaufenthaltes stets durch starkes Fieber begleitete Erinnerungen bzw. Halluzinationen, die häufig politisch gefärbt sind. Es soll der Hypothese nachgegangen werden, dass Krankheit gemäß dem Verständnis von Christa Wolf nicht metaphorisch dargestellt wird und als psychosomatische Folge sich anstauender Emotionen auftritt. Der Körper der Protagonistin steht repräsentativ für das Kollektiv der allmählich untergehenden DDR und fungiert nicht nur als Metapher für den Schaden, den das ostdeutsche Unterdrückungsregime verursacht hat, sondern wird in dieser Studie auch als Schauplatz für die Überwachung und Machtausübung erklärt. Anhand des Kampfes der namenlosen Protagonistin gegen einen Darmdurchbruch veranschaulicht Wolf den physischen und emotionalen Tribut, den das Leben unter ostdeutscher Überwachung fordert. Demzufolge setzt sich diese Studie zum Ziel, Antworten auf folgende Fragen zu finden: Wie spiegelt der Kampf der Protagonistin gegen die Krankheit den Verfall der ostdeutschen Gesellschaft unter dem Unterdrückungsregime der DDR wider? Welche Bedeutung trägt die Körpermetaphorik in Verbindung mit der Überwachung des Staates? Methodisch soll auf die Ansätze der Hermeneutik, Literatursoziologie und - psychologie zurückgegriffen und im Rahmen einer eklektischen Forschungshaltung übergreifend angewendet werden.
Christa Wolf is one of the most significant German authors of the 20th century, with many of her works are deeply influenced by the historical and political events of her time, particularly the German division and period of the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Her works offer insights into the lives and experiences of individuals in a divided Germany, shedding light on the social, political, and psychological ramifications of this period. Wolf’s keen interest often gravitates toward the health circumstances engendered by state oppression, sparking debates over whether illness in her works should be interpreted metaphorically. This delves into the interpretation of illness in Wolf’s Leibhaftig, asserting that it is not metaphorical but rather emerges as a consequence of the incompatibility between social conditions and psychological stresses, echoing the sentiments contained in Sontag’s essay “Illness as Metaphor”. It is plausible that Wolf’s engagement with this theme is influenced by Sontag’s exploration of illness in her own works. In Leibhaftig, illness is portrayed realistically due to the severe stresses experienced during the rule of the GDR. Wolf addresses the social dimension of the illness, using a collective body as the setting, wherein psychosomatic symptoms manifest as a result of repression and oppressive policies. This deliberate choice of the body metaphor serves as a poignant social critique, depicting the sick body of the state as emblematic of societal malaise. Through the lens of biopolitics, the collective body represents society, functioning both as a stage and as an archive of the GDR’s tumultuous history. The protagonist’s journey through illness is interspersed with memories and implicit references to repressive politics, highlighting the interconnectedness of individual suffering with broader socio-political contexts. Herein lies Wolf’s critique: The state’s pursuit of a healthy populace disregards the deleterious impact of its own policies on public health, exposing the inherent contradictions within the regime’s biopolitical framework. Wolf implicitly critiques the oppressive state by incorporating the surveillance of the body by doctors, nurses, and surveillance monitors into the plot. Through these medical instances, the control exerted by the Stasi is symbolized, with the exploitation of the body emerging as a prominent theme. Similar to the state’s dominance, the body appears vulnerable and submissive in the hands of doctors. Here, Wolf emphasizes that the hospital setting reflects GDR society. Particularly, the dependence on Western drugs highlights both a dilemma and a form of resistance against the state system. This study confirms that Leibhaftig offers a realistic portrayal of illness subjected to the dictates of an oppressive regime, a contention supported by comparison with Wolf’s other works. Wolf illustrates the connection between body and soul in LH through the interactions between psychological and physical symptoms. While the protagonist survives the fatal illness, less positive fates are also depicted in her memoir, such as the suicide of her fellow student Hannes Urban. These narrative elements suggest that the protagonist’s self-reflection process during her illness, accompanied by memories of the state’s repressive regime and the insights gained from her hospitalization, symbolizes the twilight of the GDR. The protagonist’s memories serve as a conduit for processing mental anguish and highlighting the societal harm inflicted by the regime. The metaphor of the collective body underscores Wolf’s critique of a state that endangers people’s well-being, especially their health, through pervasive surveillance, power dynamics, and oppression.
Drawing upon Susan Sontag’s essay “Illness as Metaphor” (1978), Wolf intricately explores the nexus between mental states, illness, and the body, illuminating facets of social and personal decay. Additionally, insights from Michel Foucault’s “The Birth of the Clinic: An Archaeology of the Medical Gaze” (1976) and his approach to biopolitics in “The History of Governmentality II: The Birth of Biopolitics” (2004), deepen our understanding of Wolf’s social critique, particularly regarding the collective body and physicians’ orientations within the biopolitical framework.
