Migration over Generations of Polar bear
The story Etueden im Schnee is a novel by Yoko Tawada that tackles the modern-day landscape of migration. This novel is unique through the storyline because it is split over three generations of polar bears. Through the various perspectives and time differences in the novel we are exposed to how migration and race plays roles on each of the characters and how it is still relevant today.
Yoko Tawada, contributes her ability to give a unique perspective on migration as she herself is a form of migrant who was born in Japan but educated and built her life in Germany. Her focus on specific language as a writer and student allows us to see the development of attitudes over the generations of polar bears and many of us can still see this clearly in modern society.
For the grandmother, who is the subject of the first chapter, we see the attitudes of a new migrant. This narrative structure seems to be the most simply written perhaps because Yoko Tawada relates to her the most as Yoko herself migrated from Japan to Germany. Tawada writes in an style that feels authentic or genuine. The Exil she suffers from is not always as important as the thoughts she has. Throughout her Exil she constantly thinks of her Heimat, or place that she feels most at home. This is a perspective that many books leave out and it encapsulates the thoughts of how an actual immigrant may feel. The grandmother's story is important to recognizing the contemporary issues that many first-generation immigrants experience. The grandmother never appears to fit in anywhere as she is first exiled to Germany because of literary issues and then to Canada because of political issues. This directly parallels the journey of a first-generation migrant who suffers from the ability to find a job and fight off the political laws that prevent them from feeling at home. The grandmother has been exiled in more ways than one and fights these aspects of migrating while seeking a better life. Compared to other readings that i have previously highlighted, Gehen, Ging, Gegangen, the thoughts and attitudes of the grandmother appear realistic and even a little tame compared to migrants that are displaced. This first short telling in the novel is able to directly show the contemporary issues associated with migration through the Grandmother’s mindset and attitudes.
The theme for the second-generation immigrant focuses more on language. Toska appears to all as merely a bear, who excels at tricks. Barbara, however, sees Toska as more than a Bear perhaps because we find out that this is the second Toska she has worked with. Barbara a circus employee who seeks a lifestyle more akin to that of an animal as seen through her desire to perform and be around animals and her building connections to animals such as highlighting how her name reflects the word “baer”, and Toska a bear who seeks a lifestyle more akin to a human through her yearning to act more civil through writing and acting. This idea of not feeling natural with their identities is a common issue that contemporary immigrants face. For second-generation immigrants it is hard to establish an identity as they live different lives in and out of their home growing up. Both characters pushed for lives that naturally wouldn’t be considered normal, a non-circus person joining the animal performers or a wild animal who desires to write and act. Their connection of feeling displaced in their identities allows them to understand each other without speaking any language Tawada writes.
“eine menschliche seele war nicht so romantisch, wie ich mir es vorgestellt hatte. Sie bestand hauptsächlich aus Sprachen, nicht nur aus gewöhnlichen, verständlichen sprachen, sondern aus vielen kaputten sprachscherben, den schatten der Sprachen und den Bildern, die nicht Wörter werden konnten” (pg. 203).
Elizabeth McNeil, PhD candidate at University of Michigan, writes “language is inherently relational and therefore necessitates an ethics of language. And as animals operate several complex systems of communicating… this ethics cannot be restricted to the sphere of human language. Rather, the ethos as the expression of the “I” must make space for the animal in recognition of the proximity of humans and animals as thinking and speaking, feeling and living beings”. McNeil is saying that Tawada is trying to close the gap between humans and animals. She is demonstrating here that with language there is no difference between how they think and speak. This theme is especially prominent for the second-generation immigrants who grow up forced to speak different languages at home and in public, The languages may appear different, but everyone is thinking and speaking the same things. This captures the thoughts I had while reading the second chapter as the language feels off when telling the story but with reflection, we can distinguish that it doesn’t differ. The important moments such as the death kiss are written in both perspectives to show that it was intimate for Toska and Barbara despite the differences they had.
In the last section of the book our hearts are opened to Knut the third-generation immigrant. Knut is the most immersed in his habitat as he learns the language word by word like a native infant learns the language. Knut doesn’t have memories of life in the North Pole and is in a sense isolated from his cultural past. Yet despite being a native in nearly every sense, Knut still sees some species related divisions. A book reviewer named Tony points out “Knut is also reminded of differences on a daily basis. On his leisurely walks around the zoo, he encounters various species of animals, yet his career is quick to divide them into two groups: those he could ‘marry’ and those who are too different to get involved with”. He shows the most obvious relationship is that between Knut and Matthias. The way their relationship works is distorted by time, and it is viewed differently. Knut even believes that he harms Matthias by having this relationship when he writes
“Knut wuchs jeden Tag mehr, während der arme Matthias immer weiter schrumpfte. Knut dachte plötzlich, die Milch käme vielleicht aus Matthias’ Körper, den er jeden Tag quallvoll zerquetschen müsse. Je mehr Knut trank, desto kleiner und ausgetrockneter wurde Matthias” (Pg. 218).
Knut shows who the contemporary focuses on by highlighting how he is viewed. Alienated from all aspects of his background I.e., culture, family, geography. Knut still is only viewed for his cuteness exploited for political change through his cute and cuddly demeanor. Knut may never live a normal life if he is separated from others and defined as a generational immigrant. Knut is both exiled from his life as a polar bear and as a human because he doesn’t really belong to either group, he merely exists.
Etueden im Schnee by Yoko Tawada highlights the various struggles of immigrants through the generational struggles they suffer. We are left with the impeding question of where does anyone truly belong?
