Belonging

Abstract

This chapter looks out from Germany, and German debates, to frame the debate on transnationalism within the scope of global events of the twenty-first century, specifically 9/11 and the “war on terror.” Readings of novels by Navid Kermani, Marlene Streerwitz, and Vladimir Vertlib reveal how the fear of terrorism itself masks deeper anxieties about transnationalism—when transnationalism is understood, popularly, as synonymous with globalization and especially neoliberalism. In these novels, protagonists begin by worrying about terrorism but end by worrying about the insecurity imposed by globalization/neoliberalism and the eroding of the protections offered, to citizens at least, by the nation. At the same time, the close readings presented in this chapter also highlight the hope for transnational solidarity that suffuses much of contemporary German-language writing.