Günter Grass stands as a towering figure in world literature, most notably renowned for his seminal novel The Tin Drum. This novel marked a significant post-war resurgence in German letters, despite initial mixed reviews. Beyond its pivotal role in literary circles, Grass's works are deeply intertwined with the historical and cultural tapestry of his birthplace, Danzig, which significantly influenced his storytelling.

Grass's Literary Milestones

The Tin Drum, published in 1959, emerged as perhaps Grass’s most influential work, managing to bridge critical divisiveness and earning a place in both literary history and popular culture. The novel's adaptation into an Oscar-winning film further cemented its status. When Grass was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1999, The Tin Drum was highlighted as his crowning achievement.

The significance of Danzig is woven throughout Grass's oeuvre, serving as a narrative wellspring akin to William Faulkner's Yoknapatawpha County or James Joyce’s Dublin. Danzig’s transformation into the Polish city of Gdansk post-World War II left an indelible mark on Grass, fueling much of his literary exploration. Although his work later spanned a wider geographical canvas, the fall of the Berlin Wall and subsequent German reunification rekindled Grass’s focus on Danzig’s poignant legacy.

Exploration in Crabwalk

In the novella Crabwalk, Grass navigates the historical waters of Danzig through characters both real and fictional. Among them is Tulla Pokriefke, a recurring figure in his Danzig Trilogy, and the "old man," a thinly disguised self-portrait of the author. These characters underscore Grass's lifelong engagement with Danzig’s history.

Paul Pokriefke, a lackluster journalist, becomes a ghostwriter for the old man, tasked with narrating the tale of the Wilhelm Gustloff—a maritime tragedy whose death toll surpassed that of the Titanic. Here, Grass employs the structure of a novella to encapsulate a historical event of "unheard-of" proportions, in line with Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's definition of a novella.

Narrative Techniques and Themes

Grass deviates from traditional novella conventions by using a "crabwalk" narrative style, where the storyline unfolds in a non-linear fashion. This method mirrors the sideways progress of a crab, revealing the complicated narratives intertwined with the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff. Grass's approach allows him to delve into broader themes of historical memory and narrative responsibility.

Contrasting the critical reception of his earlier work Too Far Afield, which was scrutinized for its critical stance on German reunification, Crabwalk received a more favorable response. Its clear delineation between perpetrators and victims marked a shift in Grass's portrayal of historical accountability, reflecting broader European discourses on victimization in the late 1990s.

The Controversy of Remembering

Grass’s hesitance to tackle German expulsions and victimhood is mirrored in Crabwalk through Paul’s reluctance to narrate the ship's sinking and the old man's regret for not addressing it earlier. The normalization of German affairs post-reunification provided a context where such narratives could be more openly explored. However, these themes remain sensitive, as they touch on the complex interplay of German guilt and suffering.

The novella concludes with a cautionary note, as the narrator confronts ongoing right-wing propaganda that casts Germans solely as victims. This serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of simplistic historical narratives, emphasizing the necessity of nuanced engagement with the past.