Nazism and the Petit Bourgeois Protagonist: The Novels of Grass, Boll, and Mann

Abstract

one time I knew what I wanted and the task I set myself: nothing less than the novel of my (EDF, 704)1 This was Thomas Mann's intent in writing Doctor Faustus. Written without such intentions, Heinrich B*311's Billiards at half past nine and Giinter Grass' The Tin Drum could also be called novels of the epoch. That B0ll and Grass would not presume to accomodate and encompass an entire epoch indicates a characteristic difference between them and the older man of letters. From a perspective less grandiose, less imposing, B11l and Grass also attempt to come to terms with the last fifty years of German history. More specifically, all three novels focus on Nazism and the society in which it evolved. Precisely this focus on the social context of Nazism differentiates these novels from the many other postwar works which deal more with the war experiences of soldiers, what has been called confessional literature. From the more distanced vantage point of 1959, when Billiards at half past nine and The Tin Drum appeared, and from the geographically and experientially distanced viewpoint of the exile Thomas Mann in America, Nazism is viewed in a broader historical perspective. Portrayal of this larger social context in the 20th century poses problems for the novelist, however, as anyone acquainted with the crisisor death of the novel knows. One basic source of this crisis is the difficulty in portraying the great complexity of modern society. But if 20th-century society is opaque, then Nazi society appears to be more so. What parts of this vast society will each writer include? Will he try to limit his focus to those most responsible, or provide a cross-section of Nazi supporters from various social strata? Who is responsible, whose story shall he tell?