| This dissertation explores the diverse manifestations of place in the novels of Josef Haslinger, Robert Menasse, and Elfriede Jelinek, three contemporary Austrian authors. The research focuses on the creation of inauthentic Austrian places and the segmentation of society into the disparate fields of privilege and disadvantage necessary for the construction of centers of tourism. This fragmentation of place posits an inevitable struggle between front and back regions, the outcome of which is often violence or death. Moreover, the creation of tourist-places necessitates the collection of artifacts, moments, and personalities, which are culled from the past and resurrected in the present as inauthentic, albeit profitable, place-identity. This fetishizing of the past is shown to be a dangerous practice which often results in the resuscitation of the darkest moments of history. This study further proposes that memory, deeply connected to place, is inherited as part of a larger collective experience that cannot be expunged from Austrian identity. Finally, an analysis of the Internet as a forum for literature production and consumption is incorporated into this project, specifically in regard to its significance as a symbol that stands in contrast to established forms of patriarchy and hierarchy. Virtual space on the Web is thus posited as an alternative, and more democratic, outlet for publication, especially for writers who have been marginalized by the literary or anti-intellectual establishment. |
