Der Weg in den "anderen Zustand": Agathe als Vermittlungsinstanz zwischen Moosbrugger und Ulrich in Musils Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the special constellation of the characters Moosbrugger, Agathe, and Ulrich in Musil's novel Der Mann ohne Eigenschaften. They create a figurative mosaic, which leads to the so-called "anderer Zustand." This constellation is based on similarities and differences becoming visible in pathological irrationality, debilitating rationality, and the close love of mental twins. Combining Musil's statement of there not being a distinct line between illness and health with his irrational category of illimitability—the "anderer Zustand"—the character study of Agathe shows her predisposition to a schizoid personality disorder resulting in her affinity to irrationality. In contrast to Agathe, Ulrich's rationality does not allow him to participate in this unifying and mystical "anderer Zustand." Ulrich and Moosbrugger, a schizophrenic murderer of prostitutes, form two poles on a health-illness continuum between which Agathe oscillates. Agathe's role as intermediary between Ulrich and Moosbrugger increases her signifi cance in the novel such that she is not only defined by her relationship with Ulrich, her brother. Moosbrugger's established mental disease prevents him from being the counterpart that would enable Ulrich to achieve the "anderer Zustand." However, Ulrich finds in his sister a partner, in whom rationality is combined with an openness to temporary states of irrationality. To achieve this maximum unity, they increase their closeness by presenting their kinship as twins. This relationship fi nally unlocks both the moments of irrationality and the return into rationality, the essential precondition for the "anderer Zustand."