Günter Grass's "Danzig-Quintet"

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This study expands the concept of Grass’s ‘Danzig Trilogy’ into the ‘Danzig Quintet,’ a monumental literary exploration of Germany’s relationship with its Nazi past over forty years. The interconnected narratives of Die Blechtrommel, Katz und Maus, Hundejahre, örtlich betäubt, and Im Krebsgang are conveyed through the memories and language of seven first-person narrators. Employing Freud and Lacan’s dual conceptualization of memory—‘reliving’ versus ‘recollecting’—the author illustrates how these narrators affirm the reality of the Holocaust and German wartime suffering, while revealing the reluctance of ordinary Germans to confront their complicity in the Nazi regime. The intricate relationship of three generations to their history is further enhanced by the intertextual nature of the quintet. Drawing on theories from Peter Brooks, Umberto Eco, Shoshana Felman, and Hayden White, the study reveals how Grass’s narrative techniques prompt readers to perceive all five works as a cohesive narrative while resisting literary or historical closure. Additionally, it contextualizes each book within its production moment and reflects on the implications of Grass’s late admission in August 2006 regarding his service with the Waffen-SS during the war's final months.