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‘ICH WOLLTE MEINE UNSCHULD ENDLICH LOSWERDEN’: THE SUBVERSION OF WILHELMINE GENDER NORMS IN FRANK WEDEKIND'S FRANZISKA
Author(s) -
Navratil Michael
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
german life and letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.1
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 1468-0483
pISSN - 0016-8777
DOI - 10.1111/glal.12016
Subject(s) - subversion , context (archaeology) , human sexuality , censorship , mythology , faust , sociology , gender studies , literature , art , philosophy , politics , history , theology , law , political science , archaeology
Frank Wedekind's late play Franziska (1912) has long been read primarily as a female version of the Faust myth. I argue that it is more fruitful to regard Franziska as a critical elaboration of predominant gender norms of the Wilhelmine era. Central issues that are at stake in the play include the discussion of the possibility of marriage, the natural differences between the sexes, the gender discourse of post‐idealist philosophy, censorship of discussions related to the topic of sexuality and patriarchal imaginings of gender‐related features. Setting Franziska in its socio‐historical context will expose the play's subversive potential and enable a new evaluation of its significance within Wedekind's œuvre.