„Ich kann nichts für mich selbst" Identitäts(de-)konstruktion in Gertrud Kolmars Die jüdische Mutter (1931)

Abstract

This thesis examines aspects of the identity construction of the protagonist Martha Jadassohn in Gertrud Kolmar's novel “Die jüdische Mutter” (1965). It sheds light on her identity as a mother, Jew and woman, which is characterized in particular by 'Othering' experiences. It is concluded that Martha Jadassohn has a dependency identity that seems to break down when these dependencies dissolve. The resulting crises act as a catalyst for identity construction and help the character to discover new identities or reinterpret previous ones. The climax of this ambivalence of construction and deconstruction is the final self-deconstruction, which manifests itself in the act of suicide. However, this final act does not represent failure, but rather reflects an act of liberation from the determining consequences of a dependency identity. Thus, the novel is an indictment of the destructive social expectations of marginalized population groups (Jews, women and mothers).