Moontlikhede en beperkinge van litteraturé engagée: Hans Magnus Enzensberger

Abstract

English: The aim ofthis study is an inquiry into the phenomenon of "commitment" in literature - both in terms of its potential and limits to cause directly, or facilitate indirectly, changes within a specific socio-political context. To concretise the more general, theoretical ideas concerning littérature engagée, the study focuses on the description of the oeuvre of Hans Magnus Enzensberger, one of the most important modem (committed) poets of German literature - to illustrate thus the development in his attitude towards commitment, and, by implication, to shed light on the theme of commitment as such. The first, introductory chapter circumscribes the literature-historical and socio-political contexts within which Enzensberger functions as a committed writer. Apart from a concise historical overview of the figuration of the problematic nature of commitment in a few aesthetic approaches, the focus is primarily on the historical context, since it is indeed the empirical socio-politics which are thematised by the committed artist. Attention is thus specifically devoted to the political and cultural implications of the development of the West German state of prosperity. The chapter concludes with indications of the intellectual influences on Enzensberger's reaction to the aforementioned - both in terms of his socio-political analysis (to a large extent determined by the Neo-Marxist assessments of Theodor Adorno), and his aesthetic considerations (of which Gottfried Benn and Bertolt Brecht are the main influences). The next three chapters describe Enzensberger's essayistic, dramatic, narrative and poetic work - especially in terms of whether it has a "committed" nature, or not. In chapter two his essayistic work is discussed, precisely because his aesthetic considerations, and the changes and developments accompanying it, figure explicitly here. Special consideration is given to the "Bewusstseins-Industrie" (a further development of Adorno's "Kulturindustrie" - an umbrella term to describe the diverse media and methods which aim to stabilise relations of domination), a motif which is repeated in Enzensberger's essays - and which consequently also determines his socio-political attitude. Another cornerstone of the study is a discussion of some essays which specifically thematise the relation "literature-politics" - because these also serve as theoretical framework for the literary texts discussed in chapters three and four. In chapter three Enzensberger's commitment is discussed against the background of his dramatic work (with specific reference to the documentary drama Das Verhor von Habana), his prose (in particular his only novel, Der kurze Sommer der Anarchie), and his role as editor of historical and literary texts. The development from optimism to a resigned acceptance of the futility of littérature engagée, theoretically accounted for in the essays, is here represented in a literary form. Chapter four focuses on Enzensberger's poetic oeuvre (1957-1995), where a similar thematical development is noticeable. Volumes of poetry are discussed individually, after attention is devoted to the most important formal-technical aspects of his poetics, namely "Entstellung" - which is characteristic of Enzensberger's Adornian concept of commitment. In conclusion, some remarks are made in chapter five about littérature engagée in Afrikaans - in comparison with and in reference to the foregoing investigation into commitment in Enzensberger's work. The focus is especially on the work of André P. Brink and Breyten Breytenbach as important exponents of committed literature in Afrikaans. The debunking of littérature engagée, discernible in Enzensberger's work, is thus contrasted with the optimistic point of view of in particular Brink - a juxtaposition which, as before, blurs a straightforward evaluation of the committed text and the committed artist.

Afrikaans: Die doel van hierdie studie is 'n ondersoek na die fenomeen van "betrokkenheid" binne die literatuur - beide in terme van die potensiaal én beperkinge daarvan om veranderinge binne 'n bepaalde sosio-politieke konteks direk te veroorsaak, of indirek te fasiliteer. Ten einde die meer algemene, teoretiese opvattings rakende littérature engagée te konkretiseer, fokus die studie op 'n beskrywing van die oeuvre van Hans Magnus Enzensberger, een van die belangrikste moderne (betrokke) digters van die Duitse letterkunde - om sodoende die ontwikkeling in sy houding jeens betrokkenheid te illustreer, en dus per implikasie lig te werp op die tema van betrokkenheid as sulks. Die eerste, inleidende hoofstuk dien as omskrywing van die literatuur-historiese en sosio- politieke kontekste waarbinne Enzensberger as betrokke skrywer funksioneer. Buiten 'n beknopte historiese oorsig oor die figurasie van die betrokkenheid-problematiek in enkele kunsteoretiese opvattings, word vernaam gefokus op die historiese konteks, aangesien dit juis die empiriese sosio-politiek is wat deur die betrokke kunstenaar getematiseer word. So word veral aandag gegee aan die politieke en kulturele implikasies van die totstandkoming van die Wes-Duitse welvaartsmaatskappy. Die hoofstuk sluit afmet verwysing na die intellektuele invloede op Enzensberger se reaksie op laasgenoemdebeide in terme van sy sosio-politieke analise (tot 'n groot mate bepaald deur die Neo- Marxistiese aanslag van Theodor Adorno), en sy kunsteoretiese opvattings (waarvan Gottfried Berm en Bertolt Brecht die beduidendste invloed is). Die volgende drie hoofstukke behels 'n beskrywing van Enzensberger se essayistiese, dramatiese, narratiewe en poëtiese werk - vernaam met betrekking tot die "betrokke" aard, al dan nie, daarvan. In hoofstuk twee word sy essayistiese werk te berde gebring, juis vanweë die feit dat sy kunsteoretiese opvattings, en die verandering en ontwikkeling wat daarmee gepaard gaan, hier eksplisiet beslag kry. Besondere aandag word gegee aan die "Bewusstseins-Industrie" (verdere ontwikkeling van Adorno se "Kulturindustrie" - dus 'n oorkoepelende term om die diverse media en metodes wat die stabilisering van sosio-politieke relasies van dominasie as doelstelling het, te omskryf), 'n motief wat herhaaldelik in Enzensberger se essays voorkom - en vervolgens ook sy sosio-politieke instelling bepaal. As verdere hoeksteen van die studie geld 'n bespreking van enkele essays wat pertinent die relasie "literatuur-politiek" tematiseer - aangesien dit ook dien as teoretiese stramien vir die literêre tekste wat in hoofstukke drie en vier bespreek word. In hoofstuk drie word Enzensberger se betrokkenheid beoordeel teen die agtergrond van sy dramatiese werk (met spesifieke verwysing na die dokumentêre drama, Das Verhor von Habana), sy prosa (spesifiek sy enigste roman, Der Kurze Sommer der Anarchie) en sy rol as uitgewer van historiese en literêre tekste. Die ontwikkeling vanaf optimisme na gelate aanvaarding van die futiliteit van littérature engagée, teoreties verantwoord in die essays, kry hier literêr beslag. In hoofstuk vier is die fokus Enzensberger se poëtiese oeuvre (1957-1995), waar 'n gelyksoortige tematiese ontwikkeling merkbaar is. Digbundels word individueel bespreek, nadat aandag gegee is aan een van die belangrikste formeel-tegniese aspekte van sy digkuns, naamlik "Entstellung" - wat dan tekenend is van Enzensberger se Adorniaanse konsep van betrokkenheid. Ter afsluiting word in hoofstuk vyf enkele opmerkings gemaak oor littérature engagée in Afrikaans - in vergelyking met en in toespeling op die voorafgaande ondersoek na betrokkenheid in Enzensberger se werk. As belangrike eksponente van betrokke literatuur in Afrikaans, word veral gefokus op die werk van André P. Brink en Breyten Breytenbach. Die ontluistering van littérature engagée, soos waarneembaar in die werk van Enzensberger, word hiermee gekontrasteer met die optimistiese standpunt van veral Brink - 'njukstaposisie waarmee 'n eenduidig positiewe ofnegatiewe evaluering van die betrokke teks en die betrokke kunstenaar, soos voorheen, onduidelik bly.