Stets seh’ ich mich mir winken, dem Winkenden entschweben. Robert Walser: to disappear in writing

Abstract

In Robert Walser’s work any intention of meaning would seem to be revoked in doubt, in favour of blatant mannerism. This, in turn, would take the actual form of a proclaimed abstention from the pursuit of any purpose, so as to be similar to a simple graphic texture. The aim of this article is to show how this peculiar textual economy favours the invention of a subject capable of giving rise to a fictitious identity to the point of no longer being able to distinguish any gap between reality and fiction.