Looking for Identity in Herkunft(2019) by Saša Stanišić

초록

This study examines finding identity through origin in the work Herkunft by the Bosnian-born German writer Saša Stanišić (1978~). The writer was born in Višegrad, Yugoslavia in 1978, and moved to Heidelberg, Germany in 1992 to escape the war in Bosnia. Herkunft by Saša Stanišić, winner of the 2019 German Book Award, is a work that alternates between autobiographical narrative and fantasy fiction, telling the story of his childhood, his escape from Bosnia, and his life as a successful writer in Germany. The main body of the text consists of 63 chapters and an epilogue, dealing with questions of identity, origin and homeland. The book is not a linear or chronological biography, but a multi-layered and vivid portrait of people of many origins. Identity can be a particularly important issue because Stanišić shows how we move between different cultures, languages, and memories in Herkunft. By exploring his identity through a variety of narrative forms, he shows that identity is not fixed or simple, but complex and changing. Stanišić talks about the various origins and influences that have shaped him, emphasizing the role of language, history, and suddenness in his identity. Therefore, by examining the author’s looking for identity in this study, it will be revealed that for Stanišić, identity is an opportunity and freedom to choose one’s own adventure.

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