Literarische Irrtümer

Making mistakes is not only part of humans’ basic anthropological make-up and the driving force behind the philosophical search for truth, but it is also a significant element in literary framing and design, either as a necessary dramaturgical flaw (hamartia), as an event that causes surprise or as the initiator or accomplice of chance, fate, the subconscious and suppressed memories or thoughts etc. Literary depictions of errors, misjudgements and misconceptions can be found on various narrative levels, such as those of the characters and the narrator, in both a thematic and a structural respect and as a principle in poetics, that is, in the relationship between the (ironic) text and its readers. This collection of essays examines both the concept of ‘errors’ as an unforeseen deviation from what is expected and, in relation to that, the creative and productive potential in its literary framing and design.
With contribution by
Frederike Felcht, Henrike Fürstenberg, Hanna Eglinger, Joachim Grage, Dag Heede, Unni Langås, Patrick Ledderose, Stig Olsen, Clemens Räthel, Joachim Schiedermair, Antje Wischmann and Erik Zillen.