Dealing with Space in Human Life: An Analysis of Margit Schreiner’s Novel Kein Platz mehr

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the concept of space as presented in the German novel Kein Platz mehr (2018) by Austrian writer Margit Schreiner. The selected topic of the study was the space in human life. The research questions include 1) How does Margit Schreiner portray the notion of space in the context of residential settings? 2) How do the characters in the novel Kein Platz mehr deal with the lack of space? 3) How does the novel Kein Platz mehr explore the theme of space in society? The results showed that Margit Schreiner portrays the idea of space in residential settings by illustrating that each character has a different type and size of dwelling. The one thing they all have in common is not having enough space. The novel depicts three main types of residences: single-family houses, apartments, and a castle, situated in different locations: urban, sub-urban and rural. People cope with the lack of space in various ways. There are three approaches to deal with the abundance of possessions to create space in their dwellings: selling, discarding, and organizing one’s belongings. Space in society is described in terms of one’s position in society which is based on a certain social status or position. Humans are the members of society with their social status or position. Sudden changes in social status may lead to the loss of one’s place in society. Gender inequality between men and women also plays an important role in women’s lack of social opportunities and their status or place in society.