Die überforderte Generation: Mutterfiguren in Romanen von Ingeborg Drewitz

The article examines mother-figures in four of Ingeborg Drewitz's novels, which distinguish themselves through their strong autobiographical and subjective component and also through their narrative paradigm, the mother-daughter relationship. In contrast to many other women writers, Drewitz focuses not on the daughter, but on the mother whose perspective dominates the plot and narrative development. Using the studies of Sara Ruddick and Margaret Homans, I analyze the maternal experience both as praxis—what do these mothers actually do—as well as a discursive function, e.g., how are these maternal experiences expressed in textual features such as symbols, metaphors or images. (MS)