The Dual Aspect of "Hunger" and the Roots of Alienation: A Thematic Analysis of Hert Müller’s "Atemschaukel"

Abstract

This article examines Herta Müller's novel Atemschaukel, focusing on its central theme of "hunger." First, it analyzes the two forms of hunger depicted in the novel: physiological hunger due to extreme food shortages and psychological hunger resulting from fear, oppression, and disciplinary violence. The paper then examines the dual symbolic meaning of the central motif of the "angel of hunger": it embodies both a demon that torments the flesh and an eternal shadow that devastates the soul and reveals the alienation of humanity. In order to trace the structural origins of hunger, this essay introduces Karl Marx's theory of alienated labor. Using four dimensions-the product of labor, the labor process, the essential nature of human beings, and interpersonal relationships-it systematically demonstrates how concentration camps transformed individuals into tools of labor through an extreme system of oppression. This process not only led to physical hunger, but also reproduced the accompanying mental emptiness and interpersonal alienation. Ultimately, this essay aims to show that the narrative of hunger in Atemschaukel goes beyond a mere condemnation of historical suffering and instead represents a profound philosophical examination of power, humanity, and existence.