Interkulturalität Und Fremdheitserfahrung in Der Migrationsliteratur. Eine Untersuchung Am Beispiel Von Renan Demirkans Schwarzer Tee Mit Drei Stück Zucker Und Rafik Schamis Die Sehnsucht Der Schwalbe,

Abstract

In a context of globalization, migration has become a major social phenomenon. Therefore, people travel for many reasons. As a result, intercultural encounters are more likely to happen, and migratory movements progressively lead to more culturally heterogenous spaces. Interactions between people from different cultures have become a normal occurrence (Okoko 2014: ii). From the early 50s up to the 80s, Germany had significant migratory waves with the so called “Guest Workers” (Gastarbeiter) whose principal mission was to help rebuilding the post war country. Considering the fact that literature doesn’t arise ex nihilo and the fact that it is the society’s mirror makes it possible to understand the emergence of a literature written by the so called Gastarbeiter. However, the social changes and the permanent fight for recognition of the Gastarbeiter have led to an evolution from Gastarbeiter literature to an intercultural literature. This thesis seeks to explore the issues of intercultural encounters and their attendant consequences like the rise of discrimination, using Renan Demirkan’s Schwarzer Tee mit drei Stück Zucker and Rafik Schami’s Die Sehnsucht der Schwalbe as the focal texts. Furthermore, the thesis aims at exploring the relationship between the migrant characters and the different cultural environments as depicted by both authors. In addition, this study is aimed at identifying and elucidating the stylistic strategies and devices employed by the authors in articulating intercultural encounters. The selected novels have been given preference because they aptly capture and highlight intercultural encounters through the interactions between the main characters and the experience of different cultural environments. This thesis explores Demirkan’s and Schami’s selected works as creative responses to issues related to the globalization. The thesis examines the literary representation of cultural differences as well as intercultural aspects in the selected novels. The conducted study is a contribution to intercultural literary studies as it explores the selected works paying a special attention to their cross-border aesthetics.