Obitelj u krizi i posljedice nemogućnosti svladavanja krize u austrijskom romanu

Abstract

Contemporary Austrian novels with a family theme go beyond the problematization of two-generational conflicts and tell the story of at least three generations of the family. These are generational novels that often deal with the phenomenon of crisis and the collapse of the family as a result of the crisis. The paper shows that historical caesuras run through the generational novel, showing the causes and consequences of major socio-political changes on the family, which is the basis for all family conflicts in the novel Es geht uns gut (We’re Doing Fine) by Austrian writer Arno Geiger. The approach to the topic begins with a conceptual definition of the crisis and the family, and a reflection on their interconnectedness. When it comes to crisis, the starting point is that it requires a reaction within the community, and that the lack of an appropriate response leads to disintegration; in this particular case it concerns the family but can be reflected in the wider society. The aim of this paper is to determine the cause of the family crisis in the novel, to describe how the crisis manifests itself and what the response to it is.