The illness in Heinar Kipphardt's novel, "März"

Among the 1970?s generation, those who dedicated their lives to literature did not experience the effects of World War II and the economic crisis of the time. They were raised as an independent community of the Federal Republic of Germany which caused their separation from the previous generation. Therefore, these writers were thrust into the ?Tendenzwende? (Period of Change).The writers of this period turned against the Federal Republic of Germany and what they considered to be antiquated German literature. Peter Handke and Peter Schneider were considered the leaders of a new movement called, ?Neue Subjektivitat? (New Individualism). In this movement, writers wrote about their lives, their depressions and expressed themselves by portraying the progression of illnesses and sensorial awareness. Heinar Kipphardt, who was also a leader of this movement, wrote März which reflects the mindset of this period.The novel is about Alexander März, a schizophrenic poet who spends most of his life in a mental institution. The author depicts himself as a young psychiatrist who tries to reveal the struggle of März?s grim life and radically questions, ?what is normal?? in society. The author, Heinar Kipphardt, postulates that the psychiatric knowledge of the time was outdated and insufficient. The author makes us see through the eyes of the patient, März, the problems that the society has faced. Through the book, Heinar Kipphardt brings a different viewpoint on the criticism of the antiquated society, which refutes the outlook of the society on what was considered ?normal? and ?healthy?. Thus, this gives a brand new perspective to the old society which caused sensitive people to become ill. This is going to be the primary problem addressed in our research.The novel makes us enter a cycle of questioning how `mechanical? people in the past and present have endured throughout life. It explains how patients who suffer from viillnesses that we generally ignore or keep as a secret are actually a part of life. This is the most important aspect of this novel.As this novel is being analyzed, the language style and topic will naturally be considered. This thesis will be an example for the YA208A German Literature 2 lessons which also analyze prose in German Literature and Arts in the German Language Education Department Masters Program. Key Words: Literature Movement <>, Illness <>, Behavioral Education