Why grotesque? Transgression and ambiguity in 'posttraumatic' literature

The grotesque, specifically as it appears in literature, provides a way for authors to express, and for readers to understand, the ambivalent emotions that follow traumatic events. The inherent irresolvability of the grotesque makes it a particularly useful tool for working through unresolved emotions, opinions and experiences. My project focuses on German as well as Polish literature immediately after the second World War. In addition, I integrate issues of literary translation, looking at places where the field of translation studies intersects the study of the grotesque.; In Chapter One, I define the terms "grotesque" and "trauma," and introduce some of the theory that underlies my arguments, demonstrating that the grotesque occurs most often in periods of upheaval and is closely linked to trauma, which for the purposes of this project includes political, religious and technological change. The concepts of silence and omission are important to this subject as well, and I cite several theorists who deal with this issue.; The second chapter focuses on close readings of postwar literature in German, giving examples of the grotesque in terms of the body, clothing, language and the mind. Texts include: Thomas Bernhard's Gehen, Frost, Ein Fest fur Boris and short stories; Friedrich Durrenmatt's Besuch der alien Dame; Peter Weiss's Marat/Sade; and Gunter Grass's Die Blechtrommel.; Chapter Three takes a similar approach to the literature of Poland, both in the interwar and postwar periods. Poland's war trauma, unlike the Germans' grappling with the issue of collective guilt, arises from a position of powerlessness and victimization. Texts include Witold Gombrowicz's Ferdydurke and Trans-Atlantyk, Bruno Schulz's short stories, and Slawomir Mrozek's Tango.; The fourth and final chapter deals with the theory and practice of literary translation. To some degree, translation is always a combination of disparate elements (i.e. languages), creating discomfort when traces of the source language creep into the target text. I analyze translations of some of the texts discussed above to investigate the relationship between translation and the grotesque.