Karneval und Identität in der deutschsprachigen Literatur

The question of the role of carnival in German-language literature has not been discussed in detail until now. Against the background that carnival customs are a cultural phenomenon of a universal nature, however, an investigation of this subject was long overdue. The work spans a time span of 500 years and takes a close look at the - largely - canonised literature. The role of the jester and the function of masquerading are given special consideration, as both reflect the identity-forming quality inherent in carnival. In the medium of carnival - according to a core thesis of the work - the ego crises of literary characters are negotiated, including potential solutions.