Abstract
The disillusionment expressed by one of Martin Walser's characters, Gottlieb Zürn, when he must face another professional defeat captures the sense of desolation that plagues middle-aged men when they become conscious of their own mortality. Awareness that "time is running out" and that many of their dreams will go unfulfilled triggers feelings of regret, despair and stagnation, typical emotions during mid-life. As with Gottlieb Zürn, a setback in one's career usually triggers the crisis and exposes the link between one's social role and one's personal life.
Recommended Citation
Landwehr, Margarete
(1990)
"Crisis and Self-Discovery: Martin Walser Looks at Aging,"
University of Dayton Review: Vol. 20:
No.
2, Article 7.
Available at:
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/udr/vol20/iss2/7
