"Wahrscheinlich sollte man reden miteinander" : Die narrativen Modi als Mittel der Gestaltung von Ehe und Beziehungsproblemen in Martin Walsers Novelle "Ein fliehendes Pferd"

Sammanfattning: This thesis is centrally concerned both to investigate the depiction of marriage and relation-ship problems in Martin Walser's 'Ein fliehendes Pferd' ('A Runaway Horse') while at the same time giving a careful account of narrative techniques (notably free indirect discourse) and shedding light on their function. In terms of method, the two-fold aim entails on the one hand a thoroughgoing examination of prior material on the novella and on the other a critical discussion of certain defining models of narrative theory – whereby concepts such as narra-tive situation, modus, perspective and focalization are subjected to fresh scrutiny. An attempt is made to clarify the significance of the novella's circular frame and to circumscribe its narra-tive situation. Despite the high incidence of focalization, the extent of a possible distanciation between the narrator and the central character, Helmut Halm, is investigated. The assignment of particular narrative modi to particular figures is seen to provide a key to understanding the characterization of the protagonists and their attitudes towards each other. Through the alter-nation of their respective modi the subliminal tensions in the Halms' marriage are made visi-ble, yielding a more differentiated depiction of the figure of Sabine in the process. Specifi-cally, the modus of free indirect discourse, which is exclusively reserved for the figure of Helmut, is shown to be an effective means of influencing reader response, although in the course of the novella this is increasingly relativized by contrasts with the other modi such as straight narration, direct and indirect speech.