Textpraxis #18

In this article, we discuss to what extent interpreters determine the fictional content of some work of literary fiction by considering what they take to be the thematic content of the work. We start by giving a summary of the respective theories of fiction and interpretation. Next, by way of examining a number of current interpretations of E.T.A. Hoffmann‘s Der Sandmann (1816), we argue that there is good reason to assume that interpreters indeed subscribe to the accordant theory of interpretation.

The life of a writer is one of uncertainty, for there are no guarantees of success, financial or otherwise, for fiction writers. Bestseller lists only provide us with information about the quantity of books sold but say nothing about the quality of those books. Books that stand the test of time are often said to become canonical. Granted the merits of a literary canon are heavily debated. This essay seeks to explore the question of canon by examining the relationship between literary archives and literature museums like the Deutsches Literaturarchiv and the Literaturmuseum der Moderne in Marbach. Moreover, it analyzes how such institutions contribute to the visibility of writers and texts. Understanding the processes which museums use to select which objects are exhibited can contribute to our understanding of how literary canons are created, maintained, and challenged. Literature museums make new avenues of engagement with literature possible by adding the experiential level. This essay thus seeks not just to contribute to the continuing dialogue about the literary canon, but also to expose the ways that archive and literature museums can impact the literary canon. Furthermore, it questions whether a museum dedicated to contemporary literature also has the ability to open that canon to new voices.

Philologie lebt nicht von Texten, sondern vom Gespräch über sie. In der Zukunft wird „Textpraxis“ deswegen ein neues Format anbieten, in dessen Mittelpunkt die Diskussion steht. In dem Podcast »Philologie im Gespräch« lädt die Redaktion von Textpraxis Wissenschaftler*innen ein, um über literarische Texte, literaturwissenschaftliche Verfahren und das Selbstverständnis der Philologien zu sprechen.