Women, Gender and Sexuality in German Literature and Culture Ser.: Virtuous Victim or Sexual Predator? : The Representation of the Widow in Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century German Fiction by Abigail Dunn (2013, Trade Paperback, New Edition)
'Was ist eine Witwe mehr als ... ein aufgewärmtes Essen?' According to politician and statesman Theodor Gottlieb von Hippel (1741-1796), widows were superfluous beings and second-hand goods, but they were also perceived by theologians and moralists of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a threat due to their sexual experience and supposedly ungovernable lust. This book analyses the overwhelmingly negative portrayal of the widow in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century German fiction. Male writers in the works discussed repeat the theory that, once deprived of their husbands, widows become sexually voracious. Indeed, the widow is often presented as a dangerous sexual predator who is prone to violence. Female authors, however, highlight the invisibility of the widow and portray her as a figure alienated from society and her family because she has internalized the ideas propounded by Hippel. The widow is depicted throughout as a figure to be at best re-educated and at worst to be feared and guarded against.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Lang A&G International Academic Publishers, Peter
ISBN-10
3034307764
ISBN-13
9783034307765
eBay Product ID (ePID)
175220369
Product Key Features
Author
Abigail Dunn
Publication Name
Virtuous Victim or Sexual Predator? : The Representation of the Widow in Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-Century German Fiction
Format
Trade Paperback
Language
English
Features
New Edition
Series
Women, Gender and Sexuality in German Literature and Culture Ser.
Publication Year
2013
Type
Textbook
Number of Pages
248 Pages
Dimensions
Item Length
8.9in
Item Width
5.9in
Item Weight
13.8 Oz
Additional Product Features
Series Volume Number
16
Number of Volumes
0 Vols.
Edition Description
New Edition
Table of Content
Contents: Widowhood in nineteenth-century Germany: Legal and social realities - Popular perceptions of widows - Representations of the faithless widow throughout German literature - The widow as a death-bringer - The incestuous widow - The virtuous widow - Women's representations of widowhood.
Copyright Date
2013
Topic
Women Authors, European / German, Semiotics & Theory