From the Paradigm of «either/or» Exclusion to the Paradigm of Consciousness Expansion «both/and»: «Russians are those who Love Birch Trees» by Olga Gryaznova

Abstract

The important trend to the new paradigm of self-perception by literary characters in the global world of today as reflected in the modern German transnational literature is demonstrated by an example of the novel Russians are those who love birch tress (Der Russe ist einer der Birken liebt, 2012) by Olga Gryaznova, the young German author with Soviet background. The paradigm based on «exclusion» (either…or…) in national and cultural self-identification of literary characters that dominated in transnational German literature till now, seems to be alternated here by the new one, based on «inclusion» (both… and…).

Keywords

• contemporary German literature
• transnationalism in German literature
• migrant-literature
• Russian characters in modern German literature
• Olga Gryaznova