Berlin As Memory Space In Contemporary Literature-Analyzed From An Intercultural Perspective Based On The Example Of Die Berlinreise And Selam Berlin

With the transformation of cultural paradigm in the 1980s,cultural diversity and pluralism were included in the cultural studies,the boundaries between traditional disciplines have been broken,interdisciplinary perspectives and methods are widely used.As one of the important topics of the literary study,memory is also one of the important themes of literature.From the perspective of cross-cultural studies,this paper is based on the concept of Assmann couple’s(Jan Assmann,Aleida Assmann)cultural memory(das kulturelle Gedachtnis),combined with the analytical methods of literary narratology.This article focuses on the contemporary german novels Die Berlinreise and Selam Berlin.The concrete research object is the constructed memory space of Berlin in the two novels.This thesis will explore the cultural space indications of Berlin in different cultural backgrounds,and the literary construction of Berlin as a recollection space.This thesis first analyzes Jan Assmann’s distinction between the communicative memory and the cultural memory based on Maurice Halbwachs’s theory of collective memory.In addition,the concept of memory spaces in relation to cultural memory forms and changes proposed by Aleida Assmann further distinguishes functional memory from storage memory.Location and literature are important media for memory and have their own characteristics.The part of the paper focusing on text analysis mainly uses the text analysis method.It focuses on three aspects.First of all,it examines the geographical space of the two german novels.Second,it discusses the interrelation between characters and the city in the works,through different attitudes towards father and son and mother to Berlin,and analyzes how the interaction space between the subject and the city is presented,and what memory factors influence the perception of the person in the urban space.Finally,it starts with the literary representation of the novels and analyzes the spatial sketch of the literary works,that is,how to use the plot arrangement,thematic description,narrative methods and the linguistic means that eventually complete the reconstruction of memory.Through the above three angles of analysis,the paper draws the following conclusions:The destiny of Berlin’s influences family fate and personal memories.The personal memories,as a component of collective memory,influence the new generation’s perception of the city in the interactive space of the city.The place full of memories can intuitively inspire the protagonist’s memories of the past,while the perception of urban space uses memory medium,like pictures,characters’ narratives,etc.and exerts influence on the present.On the other hand,Berlin,as a city full of changes,is indifferent and exclusive to the subjects with immigration background.The protagonists’ return to Berlin in both works can be regarded as a kind of regression and abandonment.It is a process of reexamining themselves and building new memories in the interaction between memories and the city to help the formation of personal identity or family identity.In the end,the two literary works serve as the medium of reminiscence,they construct their own literary space about the memory of Berlin.