Does Erpenbeck’s Gehen, Ging, Gegangen showcase the typical German?
Through reading, my personal experiences and living with my family in Germany, I would argue that Erpenbeck’s novel: Gehen, Ging, Gegangen, is a contemporary piece of literature because it reflects the mentalities of Germans who share Richard’s. Yet, despite my claims, a vast chasm of difference in opinions emerged; these arguments vary from simply denying that Erpenbeck’s novel is contemporary to praising it as a mantel of contemporary Germany.
From the beginning of the story, the reader has a limited point of view, which primarily focuses on a German, Richard, and his experiences. This immediately provides the reader with the mentality of Richard and some of the reasons behind his actions. Yet, due to this limited perspective, the reader is unable to see the entire picture.
The novel begins with a monotonous undertone, due to Richard’s age and his mentality toward Asylum seekers, which was shared with some Germans, at the time. Unlike Germans similar to Richard, others were adamantly against any immigrants. Kohl perfectly describes the mentality of the majority of Germans by stating “Kohl said in an important policy speech in 1991 that “Germany is not a country of immigration.””(Juan Moreno), even before the refugees came into play.
At the start of the novel, Richard, just like some Germans, had a neutral view towards the Asylum seekers. This view is not dissimilar to a small group of German’s view on foreigners, in general. There has even been a resurgence of Nazi ideals (Samuel Osborn). A focal point of the story is Richard’s unwillingness to remember the names of each individual Asylum seeker, often referencing classical pieces of literature for substitute names, eventually becoming a positive influence on the refugees. This counters some of the German’s xenophobic ideals.
In a sense, Erpenbeck’s novel reflects the mentality of the average German, in the beginning of the novel. Having spoken with my german relatives, they shared similarities with Richard’s mentality about the Asylum seekers, mainly with the younger generations. This was in stark contrast with my grandparents. They likened Asylum seekers to the Turkish migrants that came during their time. To this day, they still dislike the Turks, even if they have lived in Germany for generations.
Even though they have these mentalities, it is difficult to dissuade them, due to how the news portrays these migrants and their own personal experiences. Just to name one case, in Schlossplatz, Stuttgart, on New Year’s Eve, two young, german women were assaulted by some of the refugees (Andrea Beckmann). These articles simply fuel the fire of the alt-right, in contrast to Richard’s ideals. So, from a moderate German’s perspective, Erpenbeck very accurately described Richard’s initial reactions towards the migrants in question.
This novel is very culturally relevant, since in was written just two years after the influx of refugees. There are many Germans who gradually changed their perspectives on the refugees, just like Richard’s slow change in mentality towards the refugees. Yet, as always, there are still people against the movement. Thus, one can argue that Erpenbeck’s: Gehen, Ging, Gegangen, is a contemporary piece of literature, which showcases the average mentality of a German in this situation. Yet, it does not reflect the mentalities of the German extremists. So, one could say that Erpenbeck’s novel is both contemporary and non-contemporary.
