The Flexible World of Work and Its Consequences in Contemporary German Literature: The Case of Martin Suter’s Business Class
The Flexible World of Work and Its Consequences in Contemporary German Literature: The Case of Martin Suter’s Business Class

Summary/Abstract: Flexible working hours and teamwork: a working world of opportunities or constraints? The aim of this paper is to analyze the representation of the flexible reality of work and its consequences in contemporary German literature. The methodological approach of this paper can be described in two parts: Firstly, the theoretical framework and the historical overview was based on socio-cultural studies by sociologists, who examine the flexible world of work in the New Economy. Secondly, the interpretation of the chosen literary text was built on literary criticism through close-reading, on the concepts of New Economic Criticism and of Literarische Ökonomik. Martin Suter’s short stories in Business Class (2000) highlight the world of management and the conditions of flexible working. The protagonists, representing New Economy “entreployees”, reflect on the consequences, which can be summarized as follows: work-life balance is an unattainable goal; gender equality is not yet accomplished; employees are affected by competitiveness and uncertainty; professional success is a priority; stress and workaholism have become part of working life; self-worth and identity are defined by work. In this regard, literature as a tool of social criticism urges readers to re-evaluate the conditions of working society.

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