THE BOY APPEARING (AS) THE SISTER: GENDER AND SILENCE IN GEORG TRAKL ^*

The present text is concerned with figures of unusual gender in two poetic texts by Georg Trakl, namely ‘Traum und Umnachtung’ and ‘Ruh Schweigen’, each which features the same violation German grammar at a crucial point. first starts ends scene boy recognising his sister's image mirror, will be read as specular identification that transgresses norms assignment. This transgression further illuminated Lee Edelman's No Future, analyses need heterosexual family to reproduce itself unchanged, Jacques Lacan's concept mirror stage discusses prerequisite for possibility speech. In reading issue silence, both thematised performed poem, come forefront. bi-gender figure appearing last lines understood being dependent on this silence appear, contrasting way protagonist silenced family. Both these therefore transgressing against related, though not identical, ways can only expressed poetical language. Der vorliegende Text beschäftigt sich mit Figuren ungewöhnlichen Geschlechts zwei dichterischen Texten Trakls, nämlich welche beide jeweils an einer kritischen Stelle den selben Verstoß gegen die deutsche Grammatik begehen. erste beginnt endet Szene, der ein Junge das Bild seiner Schwester im Spiegel erkennt. Dies wird verstanden als eine spiegelbildliche Identifizierung, Normen Geschlechtszuweisung überschreitet. Diese Überschreitung näher erleuchtet durch Edelmans Buch Zwang heterosexuellen Familie zur unveränderten Reproduktion analysiert, sowie Lacans Begriff des Spiegelstadiums, Identifizierung Vorstufe Möglichkeit Sprechens erörtert. Beim Lesen von Schweigen’ Schweigen, was vom Gedicht sowohl thematisiert auch poetisch vollzogen wird, Vordergrund gerückt zudem Voraussetzung dafür verstanden, dass zweigeschlechtliche Figur letzten Zeilen Gedichts überhaupt erscheinen kann. steht Kontrast zu dem zum Schweigen gebracht werden Familie, Protagonisten widerfährt. Beide also Überschreitungen verwandten, doch nicht identischen Geschlechternormen, nur poetischen Sprache so ausgedrückt können. Poetry express ideas may have seemed unthinkable its time writing. Reading poetry Trakl now, more than century after creation, reveal social cultural aspects were unnoticed or unnoticeable readers past. One most visible examples change topic Trakl's writing: while it has always attracted some attention, often conjunction matters sexuality, expansive view gender, would product hundred years since time, offer new perspective nevertheless staying close writings. Key such interpretation literally, i.e. allegory metaphor abstract ideal state affairs, but socio-cultural classification system familiar reader from their own everyday life. what follows, poems – interpreted own, specific semantic structure, words meanings, are enriched understanding does take assumptions ago granted. longed-for merging sexes into androgynous comes price. […] male female results temporary suspension opposites, then quickly dissolves, leaving subject bereft masculine self-sufficiency. Indeed, encounter sister-figure mature subject's psychic and/or physical death.5 Androgyny, seems, allow ‘male subject’ go living. Instead gaining femininity, imply fulfilment ideal, loses masculinity thereby Writing specifically Umnachtung’, Kaiser similarly asserts ‘choos[es] logic’6 moment death. For authors, cling lifeline, they proved right when androgyny leads all readings, allegorically, perfection necessary condition Such interpretations course wrong per se, common tendency homogenise treatment work neglect contradictions between enforcement texts. any case, possible scenes transfeminine identification, precise article show. say phenomenon assignation enforced primarily through subtle violence. Under view, thematise transgression: assigned confronted female. core difference whether succeeds. presents boy's repeated attempts escape imperative reproduce, induced him seeing sister mirror. These fail even he rejects temptation transgress, ultimately ending contrary burial sun, ambiguous symbol announcing general upheaval, shining much sister. There genre worth mentioning: comparatively long prose poem strong narrative elements, questioned one coherent narrative, written free verse comprising twelve lines. Conjoined theme silence. makes use range different silences, positive, negative. violence enforces inability speak silencing, usually stands foreground appears, connecting reproduction punishment enacted those who attempt it. Though title seem no less ambivalent, emphasises capability preserve form been lost. exactly speechlessness something closer language, bound order world instead points possibilities lying beyond about unnamed protagonist's failure figured possibly desire sister, violating assignment exogamy. It projected onto environment portraying nature, save few momentary images, decay serves backdrop avoid engaging relationships various kinds. interplay guilt accompanying become cisgender subject, positive moments transcending deployments Silence times speak, silencing effected guilt, other where speech appears unnecessary, ordinary language seems within reach. ever-same, unchanging proceeding towards eternity given name ‘reproductive futurism’.7 Edelman identifies futurism negation Other order, queerness favour calls ‘the Child’.8 practical terms, right-wing agitation (predominantly male) homosexuality founded fantasy Child guarantees continuation threatened sort deviant sexuality. many ways, elaboration just conflict: life because cannot obey reproduce. At cautions taking up rhetoric using oppose homophobia. He writes ‘identity's borders never fully fixed’,9 once counted more-or-less integrated accepted alternative frame futurism. Accordingly, under threat parents’ normative expectations logic without questioning presuppositions. Instead, attention transgressions sexuality assimilate alterity pre-given reproductive central boy's10 occurring near beginning very end. Eberhard Sauermann insists images exiting recognised appearance final sentence.11 As laconic is, point out recognition, followed violent action, marks end and, presumably, death boy. fits, less, pattern leading impossibility continued McLary identified. However, pay little encounters take, making descriptions somewhat abstract. Even Kaiser, writing text, contextualise rest poem. To think sister’ means context consider constructed, rhythm delays attempted escapes invariably mother, father suddenly reappear. sentence already sets curse driving text: ‘auf Knaben lastete Fluch entarteten Geschlechts.’12 prior mention having old man mother turned stone clear relates parent's situation, ageing decline, ordinarily compensated starting own. That childhood, presaging current fate, placed past remembered (l. 3) indicates liminal childhood adulthood. should leave inevitable sees mirror: ‘Aus blauem trat schmale Gestalt er stürzte wie tot ins Dunkel’ (ll. 5–6). contrast scene, elements configuration, remain strangely disconnected here: there interaction them causal relationship events described implied, stated. particular, motif identify medium appearance, obscured seemingly acting like doorway. ostensibly real part image. Kathrin Pfisterer-Burger's otherwise convincing remains She lists three possibilities: 1. moving behind brother becomes mirror; 2. siblings’ essential unity 3. recognises self mirror.13 developing interpretations, Pfisterer-Burger considers incest third proposed her plausible interest. From on, main motivation avoiding family, confrontation whom twin problematic incestuous refused symbolised relevance here surprisingly difficult show if hand admitted evidence. Andrew Webber ‘an analogical grouping mouth, wound, fruit sex’14 poetry, letting mouth breaking red 6–7) sexual committed ‘projection mirror-space’,15 speaks ‘traumatic, reflexive desire’16 inseparable thematic complex occasions Avoiding initially ‘sprachlose[] Trauer’ 8). Presumably, lost innocence grieved for, ‘verschwiegene[] Spiele’ 4) show, silent grieving James Lyon ‘apparent cyclical movement adult culpability’17 describes kinds While return innocence, muteness varying extreme valences, too numerous list. then, perhaps surprising passage combining preceded music. grief song decayed reed quietly sung soul 16–17), nature decay. quiet another silence: clarifies, absence intelligible sound, characterises works.18 expressive reversed ‘[d]ie Akkorde Schritte’ 20) cause feel pride contempt, preparing act commits soon after. climax musical theme, however, evokes emotion almost unfitting ‘Ein Orgelchoral erfüllte ihn Gottes Schauern’ 23–4). Although shares verb concerning chords, music originate himself evoke emotions elevate set apart. subordinates via horror reverence God called ‘Gottesfurcht’, somatised ‘Schauer[]’, deviating Christian concept. object next line hiding 25): Nick Land suggests sequence ‘gr’, metathesised ‘Orgelchoral’, refers virtue ‘Gretl’.19 appear capable outside himself, let could hypothesised music's lack faulted this: organ chorale, opposed vocal help establish relation God. instrumental reduced object, substituted horror. Haß verbrannte sein Herz, Wollust, da grünenden Sommergarten schweigenden Kind Gewalt tat, strahlenden umnachtetes Antlitz erkannte. 29–31) problem reflected ‘Kind’ grammatically neuter obvious markings. ‘Wollust’ violence, meaning certain here. Assuming aim feminising victim, instituting heterosexuality force: tries child victim perpetrator male. But enforce undermined ‘sein Antlitz’ 31) radiating child. Despite opposition dark light visual identity belies separate individuals opposite genders. problems raised repetition moment. An herbstlichen Mauern folgte er, Mesnerknabe, stille Priester; unter verdorrten Bäumen atmete trunken Scharlach jenes ehrwürdigen Gewands. O, verfallene Scheibe Sonne. Süße Martern verzehrten Fleisch. 54–8) stems ‘coming contact sin evil’.20 More concretely, implied garment scarlet colour that, context, blood (Isaiah 1:18) well evil (Revelation 17:4).21 Michel-François Demet secularises associations describing how sometimes uses conjure ‘impression desolate wretchedness, morose sexuality’22 (‘impression de pauvreté désolée, sexualité morose’23). Just still decay, freed troubles despite religious overtones passage. eroticises suffering ‘pure negativity’24 (‘négativité pure’25), reached bloody countenance covered refuse 58–9). drunken sweetness experiences priest proves haunting him. paragraph, elaborating imagery fire hinted earlier, cold grave ‘unsägliche[] Schuld’ 61–2), counterposed human fire, flaming demon 64). Purpurne Wolke umwölkte Haupt, daß schweigend über eigenes Blut Bildnis herfiel, mondenes Antlitz; steinern Leere hinsank, zerbrochenem Spiegel, sterbender Jüngling, erschien; Nacht verfluchte Geschlecht verschlang. 120–4) cloud be, suggests, sudden derangement envelopment night follows shortly clarity ‘both consciousness torn self’26 (‘conscience soi en même temps qu'image du moi déchiré’27). Bildnis’ member but, quite attacks suicide. avoided; she returns introduces sufficient ambiguity question metaphoricity undecidable. If phrase metaphorically, other, clearly separated other. individual famously addressed Lacan theory stage. lieu extensive key along applied shall suffice. occurs themselves proposes stage, I (je) formed interiorised. Jane Gallop follows: ‘The turning After subjectʼs mediated totalizing outside. example, organizes orients self.’28 total body’,29 ‘la forme totale corps’,30 anticipates body move coordinated way.31 Notably, excludes significant relation. states connects ‘socially elaborated situations’,32 ‘situations socialement élaborées’,33 castration affecting subject. particularly relevant asking fits picture. tempting assumed, strict idea postponing complex. merit respect collapse chronological multiple development happening once. readings drawing put emphases relate writers fruitful way. Eric Williams’ Lacan, primary narcissism,34 prelinguistic phase infant yet developed differentiate world. Williams character ‘enjoys undifferentiated symbiosis environment’.35 poems, portrayed ‘Edenic innocence’,36 ‘Kaspar Hauser Lied’, or, bygone fruitlessly repeat ‘Ebenbild’,37 cases, focuses fundamentally situation speaking retrospective idealisation pre-verbal, principally mirror-stage inaugurates second process self-alienation self's accession Symbolic ‘I’ operates discourse constitutionally purports speak. granted token identity, must submit series proscriptive instances, exigencies intended regulate desire, defer consummation.38 proliferates ‘accession’ ‘speaking succeed.39 Of proscriptions violate, function perpetuating prohibition identifying one, emphasised homosexuality. manage integrate recognise left fractured appropriate place fatherʼs house: patriarchal girl choose option dying ‘Fluch Geschlechts’ 2–3). act, larger forces himself. accident fashion similar description ‘a intent misrecognizing investment morbidity, fetishization, repetition’.40 exposes misrecognition overt display ‘morbidity’ affects everything else. Whether music, child, text's led conclusion open question: Could avoided submitting fittingly imagined house 120)? ended full (or image) kind accords grounding prohibitions? happens, explores possibility, account power patriarchy transgender shine. antithesis speech; quintessential speech, [scil. Heidegger] puts it, ‘das Wesen Sprache’ nothing Geläut Stille,’ sounding unarticulated, unborn perceive. They mute, definition higher communication.41 Recalling failed reproduction, inappropriate count gets live shine whereas dies, among ‘unborn figures’ fact, thought communication essence Ultimately, named title. night, specifically, sunset caused humans: Hirten begruben Sonne kahlen Wald.42 forest bare before sun precisely, set, suggesting decaying becoming barren allows plants place, ground. sense, inverted due sun's forest, below trees above them. dead point, anthropogenic eco-catastrophe ritual marking passing. Shepherds,43 protagonists idylls pastoral literature, traditional representatives humans living harmony unspoiled brought serving pallbearers honouring nature. massive upheaval environment. Taking lines, word gendered feminine, hierarchic patriarchy, which, buried, power, clearing space order. Ein Fischer zog härenem Netz Mond aus frierendem Weiher. 2–3) Inverting line, solitary fisherman make moon rise. Unlike shepherds, involved ritualistic extension actions, lunar counterpart Ancient Greek sun-god Helios. ‘Weiher’, similarity ‘Weihe’, holiness location adjective ‘frierend’ motions moonrise, static moon's place. astronomical exceptional belated salvaging sky gone resting earth. Kristall Wohnt bleiche Mensch, Wang’ seine Sterne gelehnt; Oder neigt Haupt purpurnem Schlaf. 4–6) relative concreteness ‘Hirten’ ‘Fisher’, pale definite contributes impression humanity, least thereof, conditions verse. ‘bleich’ recalls colourlessness fading away, vitality follow environment's warmth growth. bemusing ‘blauem Kristall’ says