German for
alienation. Used in
literature to denote a method of keeping a
distance between
viewer-reality and
literary-reality. This method was used often by
Bertolt Brecht in his
epic theater.
According to Brecht, Verfremdung is simply taking what is known, natural and clear about an event or character and to create astonishment and curiosity for it.
This goes from changes in scenery or games with linear time to changing punctuation. An extremely simple example is:
"Man denkt; Gott lenkt" >> "Man denkt: Gott lenkt"
(Man thinks; God controls >> Man thinks: (that) God controls)
In changing the semicolon to a colon, the
meaning goes from a statement of
man's subordination to God to a question of God's existence.
In the end, the technique is always used to push the viewers back a step or to trip them up so that they must think. Everything is an attempt to bring the viewer to new conclusions and thoughts on the world.
Probably the best example of this is the end of "Der gute Mensch von Sezuan":
So endet das Stück...
Den Vorhang zu and all Fragen offen. ...
Verehrtes Publikum, los, such dir selbst den Schluss!
Es muss ein guter da sein, muss, muss, muss.
--
So ends the play...
The curtain closed and all questions open. ...
Honored guests, go, find yourselves the answer!
There must be a good one, must, must, must.
Note: all translations my own