A Language of One’s OwnOn the Linguistic Plight of Stefan Zweig’s Later Writings (1934–42)

By focusing on Stefan Zweig’s later writings (1934– 1942), this article seeks to pinpoint instances of the author’s linguistic plight, of his slow but irreversible descent into a plurilingualism, which over time started to erode his confidence and belief not only in himself but also in the cosmopolitan ideals that defined him as a writer and human being. Rather than searching an explanation for Zweig’s plight in the realms of theory, this article seeks to show concrete instances of the author’s growing crisis of faith and self- doubt — of a writer who had once been discussed in the same breath as James Joyce — on his own craft.