Die tote Frau spricht: Neurodiverse Sprache in Elfriede Jelineks Ulrike Maria Stuart

Literary scholars often describe Elfriede Jelinek’s language as devoid of feeling or subjectivity. They claim the author’s cynicism is contained in her work and encourages the search for its psychological or even pathological causes. In contrast to these premises, we take a new look at the language in the drama Ulrike Maria Stuart from a neurodiversity perspective. This approach is founded in Disability Studies and is based on an alternative understanding of otherness. The main character in the play, a deceased Red Army Faction member inspired by the historical figures Ulrike Meinhof and Maria Stuart uses a neurodiverse counter-language that invites a reinterpretation of Jelinek’s so-called antipsychology. The struggle between linguistic control and loss of control leads to an alternative, neurodiverse communication based on an intensified sensitivity. This way, Jelinek presents neurodiversity not as a defect but as a potentially productive, heightened state of consciousness that does not impair communication but structures it in novel ways.