The Wall

Marlen Haushofer was born on April 11th, 1920, in Frauenstein, Austria. She studied German literature and lived as an adult in Steyr, an industrial city, where her husband worked. She published her first novel, A Handful of Life, in 1963. Much of Haushofer’s work stems from her own experiences, both as a child in rural Austria and as a married mother. Her memories of her youth spent in nature feature heavily in her work, with her rural upbringing standing as a contrast to her adult life. The importance of nature is a prominent theme in The Wall. Throughout the novel, the protagonist reflects on how nature changes her view of herself and the world. Not only does she feel free of social constraints and gender norms, but also more free to see the world with fresh eyes.

The protagonist’s sense of freedom in The Wall, despite her severe isolation, stems from a feminist perspective. Haushofer uses her experiences as a married woman and mother to analyze the ways in which society conditioned her to accept the limitations of those roles. In many ways, these experiences contrast with her relative freedom as a child.