Martin Walsers „Halbzeit“ – ein verwickeltes Rollenspiel in der Ehe

Abstract

The paper aims to present complicated gender relations in Martin Walser’s novel “Halftime”. Moments of satisfaction or even happiness in the main character’s marriage are intertwined with annoyance and mutual boredom. Walser masterfully shows the essence of marital life in which happiness and unhappiness, tenderness and indifference, commitment and impatience, all go hand in hand. The game of appearances occurs in the most intimate spheres of life, spouses put on masks, and the border between truth and falsehood is almost unnoticeable.