Im Schnittpunkt. Sibylle Schwarzʼ Faunus und die Mischung der Diskurse

Sibylle Schwarz’s pastoral, Faunus, is among those works of the Greifswald author that generally receive scant critical attention. The reason for this may lie in the fact, that some scholars perceive the text to be flawed and lacking in originality. A closer examination, however, reveals an aesthetic experiment on the principles of a traditional bucolic. The narrative combines different stylistic devices, genres and ways of representation. Furthermore, it can be seen as a reflection on writing, the status of the imaginary and even on literature itself. Sibylle Schwarz exploited the possibility of combining differing parts of the text offered by the bucolic, while at the same time making use of a fixed arsenal of topoi. The blending of diverse discourses enabled her to achieve a high degree of codification that turns a simple narration into a reflection on art and literature.