Disappointing Expectations. Intersectional Perspectives in Transcultural German Literature

Abstract

The article investigates how transcultural literature in the German-speaking context engages with intersectionality as a critical framework for understanding identity beyond fixed categories. Through the analysis of literary texts by Olga Grjasnowa and Sasha Marianna Salzmann, and theoretical reflections from Feminist Posthumanities, the study highlights how language becomes a site of resistance against binary oppositions and normative identity constructs. Intersectionality is approached not only as a sociopolitical lens but also as a linguistic and aesthetic strategy that allows for the expression of fluid, complex, and unclassifiable subjectivities. The article advocates for a polyphonic conception of German language shaped by the lived experiences of multilingual and intersectional authors.