The depiction of marital problems in Martin Walser's Ein fliehendes Pferd and Brandung

The troubled marriage at the center of Martin Walser’s Ein fliehendes Pferd and Brandung has not received the critical attention it merits. This thesis examines the depiction of marital problems as a central theme in Ein fliehendes Pferd and Brandung, two works in which Helmut and Sabine Halm are the main characters. Marital instability, seen especially from Helmut’s perspective, governs both works and is reflected not only in the Halms’ marriage, but also in the lives of the secondary characters.

This thesis is divided into six chapters. Chapter One offers a brief introduction to Walser’s works and the topic of the thesis, and reviews criticism on the two works being treated. Chapter Two provides a short characterization of Helmut and Sabine Halm as a necessary background for the analysis of Walser’s depiction of marital disharmony. Chapter Three addresses communication problems evident in the relationship between Walser’s protagonists. I analyze the Halms’ verbal exchanges and their body language, as well as Helmut’s inner monologues, in both works. Chapter Four covers the theme of flight as a reaction to marital problems and describes metaphors of flight and instances of physical and mental flight in the life of the protagonists. Chapter Five examines the relationships of two other married couples--one from each work--that mirror the disharmony present in the marriage of Helmut and Sabine. The final chapter contains conclusions about Walser’s depiction of marital problems and suggests avenues for future research.