Illness as Metaphor: Christa Wolf, the GDR, and Beyond

Abstract

Christa Wolf's 2002 narrative Leibhaftig continues the author's longstanding preoccupation with illness as a metaphor. A nameless female protagonist, who neglects to seek prompt medical attention for a common appendicitis, waivers on the fringes of consciousness as her body combats the lingering effects of infection. Because the narrative reflects events from 1988, critics have chosen to read it as a metaphor for Wolf's struggle to come to terms with the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Such an interpretation fails to take into account Wolf's continued use of illness as a metaphor in other literary texts and in her essays. Closer examination of Wolf's use of illness in this text reveals significantly broader implications for understanding the metaphor. The illness that is central to Leibhaftig represents not only a direct confrontation with the GDR's history but also a continuation of Wolf's self-exploration. Wolf's concern with world affairs in a broader sense allows us to read Leibhaftig as a commentary on contexts that extend beyond the boundaries of both individual and GDR reality.