The Problem of Language and Identity in the Works of Givi Margvelashvili and Herta Müller

Abstract

Givi Margvelashvili, a writer of Georgian origin born in Germany, and Herta Müller, a member of the German ethnic minority born in Romania, present compelling narratives on language and identity shaped by their distinct cultural environments. In both authors’ works, the socio-political conditions formed by the post–Second World War interdependence of Eastern and Western Europe play a crucial role. During this period, intensified intersections of languages and communities produced a new cultural-identitarian order, reflected in their aesthetic vision. For both writers, emigration and the complexities of language remain central themes defining their artistic perspectives and the thematic foundations of their work.