Archetypes in Die Linkshändige Frau Throughout history, humans have tried to explain the phenomena of this world. Whether through pure imagination or actual quantified observation, various explanations of why we are here, why things happen to us and where punishments and blessings are written in a culture’s story. Many of these explanations have passed into myths and legends, stored forever in the heroic epics of lore. They follow similar patterns that reverberate throughout the ages and across cultures. These archetypes help us to reflect on our own experience and sojourn here on Earth. As Erich Fromm stated: “Both dreams and myths are important communications from ourselves to ourselves. If we do not understand the language in which they are written, we miss a great deal of what we know and tell ourselves in those hours when we are not busy manipulating the outside world.”
In his chapter on Mythic and Archetypal Criticism, Bruce W. Young explains how Carl Jung had a similar idea. Paraphrased, Jung believed that archetypes, or patterns in myths and legend, have distinctive character, something akin to a primordial figure. He postulates that as we study these archetypes or myths, “it is as though chords in us were struck” and we “feel a sense of realease” (Cowles 64). In short, Jung believes that myths help us resolve issues in our own life by experiencing the dreams, aspirations and answers found in myths. Humanity as a whole has similar dreams, aspirations, experiences and problems. Every human wishes to be prosperous, healthy, loved and confident. When we understand the power archetypes have, we can use it along with other aspects of mythic and archetypal criticism to understand our own heroic journey by observing the journey of our protagonist in Peter Handke’s Die Linkshändige Frau.
A common archetype experienced in myth is that of the hero’s journey. During such an archetype, we follow a protagonist as they embark on a journey to obtain or attain something and eventually return home to share their knowledge or wealth with those he or she left behind. Our protagonist Marianne in Die Linkshändige Frau makes a similar journey, but we do not see it come to an end.
At the beginning of the story, our protagonist is simply a “Frau”. It is almost as if Handke wants us to know she is much like a hero who has not gotten a name for himself yet, that she too starts out her journey as someone whose name is known only to a few, but not to the rest of us. It is only after she separates herself from her husband and strikes out on her own that we learn her name (Handke 20). These seem to be the feats that start her on her way to knowing herself and accomplishing her goal.
It seems that until she reached the point that she wanted to strike out on her own, Marianne has been playing the self-sacrificing and dutiful house-wife without much thought to her own happiness. For reasons not quite sure, she now wishes to discover something, though what exactly she wishes to accomplish is not known to either herself or us. As the journey progresses, it becomes clear that she wants to become her own solid person. Through Marianne’s conversations with Franziska, we glean that that she has never lived on her own, apparently having gone straight from her parent’s household to her marriage with Bruno.
A common theme in the hero’s journey is a confrontation with a dragon of sorts. During the course of Marianne’s journey, we see that she experiences a few dragons: her own lack of self-confidence as one, but mostly it is the frustration from the advice of others trying to give her a nudge in some direction she does not want to go. Franziska tries to get her to join a Frauenverein, but Marianne only sees that as another form of oppression. To her, if she cannot stand on her own without having to have a circle of women to support her, her journey is not complete. Bruno tries to bully her into coming back to him, but she sees only servitude and abuse in that relationship. The actor tries to get veer her off course with his profession of love and desire to court her, but again, she sees this as just another dragon. The problem is that she does not know how to express herself enough to slay the dragon. She seems to wait, hoping for someone or something to rescue her from these onslaughts.
The rescue comes when Marianne receives a visit from her father, a sort of magician or wizened archetypal figure after which she suddenly seems to make progress. It is from his advice that she is able to find peace again and see where her current path is taking her. She learns from him that if she continues her on wandering and not socializing or finding her place among the others, she will end up just like him: alone, old and wanting (Handke 70). After this, we see her move from a lone wanderer to a stalwart warrior, willing to explore and conquer herself and her fears. She talks to people of her own initiative and invites others to a party at her house. During the party, she asserts herself as master of her own heart, not to be swayed by any of the suitors, including Bruno, who would “own” her. She makes it clear that she will decide what is done.
It is interesting to note that Marianne herself seems to be gaining confidence from a myth or archetype within the story. As Marianne translates the story of Die Linkshändige Frau for her publisher, she gains confidence and progresses further on the journey herself. It would seem then, that even Marianne found what Jung had talked about: chords within her were struck and she found resolution by experiencing what a fictional character did along her own journey to fulfillment.
By the end of the novella, it is not clear if Marianne has finished her journey. She certainly has not divulged her knowledge to the world or shared her experience, or at least as far as we know. What we do know is that this martyr of a house-wife has reached a stage of strength and effectiveness, works hard for her goals and expects reward. She is sitting outside in the sun instead of looking longingly behind a window to the outside world (Handke 95-99). Though her journey may still be underway, we have followed her to a place we all hope to obtain, one of peace and happiness, one of progress and resolution. It is a place that most myths tell us their heroes have attained as well. In those legends, it is the penultimate step to completing the hero’s journey.

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