Looking for Redemption in a Globalized North: Representations of the Arctic in Judith Hermann’s Short Stories Kaltblau ( Cold-Blue ) and Die Liebe zu Ari Oskarsson ( Love for Ari Oskarsson )
This paper explores the literary representation of Iceland and Norway in two short stories by contemporary German writer Judith Hermann. It analyses both the depiction of these countries as part of the globalised western world and the redemptive power they are tentatively ascribed by the author. Con...
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Language: | English Norwegian |
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2008
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.7557/13.1192 https://doaj.org/article/612f7746b6674230b246ac29ba0d5b82 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:612f7746b6674230b246ac29ba0d5b82 2023-05-15T14:57:07+02:00 Looking for Redemption in a Globalized North: Representations of the Arctic in Judith Hermann’s Short Stories Kaltblau ( Cold-Blue ) and Die Liebe zu Ari Oskarsson ( Love for Ari Oskarsson ) Claudia Gremler 2008-02-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.7557/13.1192 https://doaj.org/article/612f7746b6674230b246ac29ba0d5b82 EN NO eng nor Septentrio Academic Publishing https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlit/article/view/1192 https://doaj.org/toc/0809-1668 https://doaj.org/toc/1503-2086 doi:10.7557/13.1192 0809-1668 1503-2086 https://doaj.org/article/612f7746b6674230b246ac29ba0d5b82 Nordlit: Tidsskrift i litteratur og kultur, Vol 12, Iss 1 (2008) Judith Hermann Contemporary German literature Space in literature Representations of the North Redemption Quest for self Norwegian literature PT8301-9155 article 2008 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.7557/13.1192 2022-12-31T00:01:15Z This paper explores the literary representation of Iceland and Norway in two short stories by contemporary German writer Judith Hermann. It analyses both the depiction of these countries as part of the globalised western world and the redemptive power they are tentatively ascribed by the author. Continuing a long German tradition of looking at Scandinavia from an almost colonial perspective, Hermann on the one hand presents these northern countries as a mere extension of central Europe, largely devoid of distinguishing national characteristics. At the same time she makes reference to the topos of the north as a vast and empty space and highlights both the specific arctic nature of the environment and the effect it has on her urban characters, who find themselves on a search for meaning and orientation in a postmodern fragmented world. Despite Hermann's overall sceptical attitude towards her characters' quest for happiness, these northern locations ultimately appear as potential places of self-realisation and enlightenment. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Iceland Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Norway Ari ENVELOPE(147.813,147.813,59.810,59.810) Nordlit 12 1 119 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English Norwegian |
topic |
Judith Hermann Contemporary German literature Space in literature Representations of the North Redemption Quest for self Norwegian literature PT8301-9155 |
spellingShingle |
Judith Hermann Contemporary German literature Space in literature Representations of the North Redemption Quest for self Norwegian literature PT8301-9155 Claudia Gremler Looking for Redemption in a Globalized North: Representations of the Arctic in Judith Hermann’s Short Stories Kaltblau ( Cold-Blue ) and Die Liebe zu Ari Oskarsson ( Love for Ari Oskarsson ) |
topic_facet |
Judith Hermann Contemporary German literature Space in literature Representations of the North Redemption Quest for self Norwegian literature PT8301-9155 |
description |
This paper explores the literary representation of Iceland and Norway in two short stories by contemporary German writer Judith Hermann. It analyses both the depiction of these countries as part of the globalised western world and the redemptive power they are tentatively ascribed by the author. Continuing a long German tradition of looking at Scandinavia from an almost colonial perspective, Hermann on the one hand presents these northern countries as a mere extension of central Europe, largely devoid of distinguishing national characteristics. At the same time she makes reference to the topos of the north as a vast and empty space and highlights both the specific arctic nature of the environment and the effect it has on her urban characters, who find themselves on a search for meaning and orientation in a postmodern fragmented world. Despite Hermann's overall sceptical attitude towards her characters' quest for happiness, these northern locations ultimately appear as potential places of self-realisation and enlightenment. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Claudia Gremler |
author_facet |
Claudia Gremler |
author_sort |
Claudia Gremler |
title |
Looking for Redemption in a Globalized North: Representations of the Arctic in Judith Hermann’s Short Stories Kaltblau ( Cold-Blue ) and Die Liebe zu Ari Oskarsson ( Love for Ari Oskarsson ) |
title_short |
Looking for Redemption in a Globalized North: Representations of the Arctic in Judith Hermann’s Short Stories Kaltblau ( Cold-Blue ) and Die Liebe zu Ari Oskarsson ( Love for Ari Oskarsson ) |
title_full |
Looking for Redemption in a Globalized North: Representations of the Arctic in Judith Hermann’s Short Stories Kaltblau ( Cold-Blue ) and Die Liebe zu Ari Oskarsson ( Love for Ari Oskarsson ) |
title_fullStr |
Looking for Redemption in a Globalized North: Representations of the Arctic in Judith Hermann’s Short Stories Kaltblau ( Cold-Blue ) and Die Liebe zu Ari Oskarsson ( Love for Ari Oskarsson ) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Looking for Redemption in a Globalized North: Representations of the Arctic in Judith Hermann’s Short Stories Kaltblau ( Cold-Blue ) and Die Liebe zu Ari Oskarsson ( Love for Ari Oskarsson ) |
title_sort |
looking for redemption in a globalized north: representations of the arctic in judith hermann’s short stories kaltblau ( cold-blue ) and die liebe zu ari oskarsson ( love for ari oskarsson ) |
publisher |
Septentrio Academic Publishing |
publishDate |
2008 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.7557/13.1192 https://doaj.org/article/612f7746b6674230b246ac29ba0d5b82 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(147.813,147.813,59.810,59.810) |
geographic |
Arctic Norway Ari |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Norway Ari |
genre |
Arctic Iceland |
genre_facet |
Arctic Iceland |
op_source |
Nordlit: Tidsskrift i litteratur og kultur, Vol 12, Iss 1 (2008) |
op_relation |
https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/nordlit/article/view/1192 https://doaj.org/toc/0809-1668 https://doaj.org/toc/1503-2086 doi:10.7557/13.1192 0809-1668 1503-2086 https://doaj.org/article/612f7746b6674230b246ac29ba0d5b82 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7557/13.1192 |
container_title |
Nordlit |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
119 |
_version_ |
1766329210235781120 |