Das ordentliche Leben der Marlen Haushofer

Marlen Haushofer's female characters in her novels and stories are all autobiographically tinted, representing "split-off personalities" that mosaic together to form a single figure. Like the author herself, they are women of the post-war generation, committed to rebuilding and the professional success of men. They are embedded in the temporal context of the 1950s and 1960s, with its constraints and moral ideals. They navigate between role adaptation, self-sacrifice, temporary resistance, and resignation. They attempt to bring order to their lives through various strategies. Ultimately, these attempts are doomed to fail. As this essay reveals, Marlen Haushofer is not the only one of her generation making these desperate attempts. She is an unyielding chronicler of her time, describing the fragility of bourgeois facades in clear language and exposing the apparent idylls of harmonious coexistence. Marlene Krisper personally met Marlen Haushofer and feels a kinship with her as a member of the so-called post-war generation due to many parallels.