Faserland, Germany the Machine, and Isabella Rossellini
In his novel, Faserland, Kracht uses the uncertainty of the main character as a symbol for the German people during post-Wende Germany.
What is post-Wende Germany, you ask? Well, I have an answer for you. Post-Wende Germany refers to the time after the transition from the communist government of the GDR to a unified democratic society. Die Wende is marked by many monumental events such as the Alexanderplatz demonstration (as well as other peaceful demonstrations and the Fall of the Berlin Wall. Post-Wende would be during the 90s, as the country slowly worked to become unified under one government. Now that you know what post-Wende Germany is (you’re welcome), let’s talk about the novel Faserland.
The narrator spends the entirety of the novel, and the entirety of his life, wandering from place to place, unsure of where he will end next and what the future holds. He doesn’t have a plan nor does he know what will happen to him. This sentiment can be seen in post-Wende Germany. The citizens, of both the East and the West, but more so the East had no idea what the reunification of Germany meant for them. Citizens of the East lost jobs and houses and degrees after the reunification, causing unemployment to spike and left many people confused and downtrodden. They, much like the narrator, had no idea what the future held for them. That didn’t stop the narrator from imagining a future, one in which he has children with Isabella Rossellini (okay, weirdo).
In his delusion of grandeur, he tells his children of his experience of Germany. In this imagined future, he refers to Germany as the Machine. This presents a cold, uncaring version of Germany that most associate with Nazi Germany. The narrator obviously has not had favorable experiences in Germany, the entirety of the novel can attest to that. He tries to distance and estrange himself from these stories and experiences even as he tells his imaginary children about them. In that way, he is telling this story of Germany, his story, in order to erase it from history. His story of Germany will therefore die with him. He’s not concerned with the bigger picture Germany, but with his own story and how Germany plays a role.
This showcases the narrator’s narcissism, which we see continually throughout the novel. His obsession with brands and his presentation. His looking down on others who don’t share his affinity for brand name clothes. How he doesn't pay attention to what someone is saying but rather is concerned with what he is going to say and focusing on himself. These are all classic characteristics of narcissists.
I don’t think that he’s trying to tell a story of Germany where Germany doesn’t exist, I think that he’s trying to tell a story of Germany where he doesn’t exist. His insecurities and narcissism lead him to be more concerned with his story rather than the story of Germany as a whole.
