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THE IMAGE OF THE WOMAN IN THE WORKS OF INGEBORG BACHMANN by ECKENBERT v. REDWITZ B.A., M.A., The University of British Columbia, 1970 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES Department of Germanic Studies We accept this thesis as conforming t-.n the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA May 1989 (cT) Eckenbert v. Redwitz, 1989 National Library Bibliotheque nationale 1*1 of Canada du Canada Canadian Theses Service Service des theses-canadiennes Ottawa, Canada K1A 0N4 The author has granted an irrevocable non• L'auteur a accorde une licence irrevocable et exclusive licence allowing the National Library non exclusive permettant a la Bibliotheque of Canada to reproduce, loan, distribute or sell nationale du Canada de reproduire, prefer, copies of his/her thesis by any means and in distribuer ou vendre des copies de sa these any form or format, making this thesis available de quelque maniere et sous quelque forme to interested persons. que ce soit pour mettre des exemplaires de cette these a la disposition des personnes interessees. The author retains ownership of the copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur in his/her thesis. Neither the thesis nor qui protege sa these. Ni la these ni des extraits substantial extracts from it may be printed or substantiels de celle-ci ne doivent etre otherwise reproduced without his/her per• imprimes ou autrement reproduits sans son mission. autorisation. ISBN 0-315-55244-1 i Canada In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of Germanic Studies The University of British Columbia 2075 Wesbrook Place Vancouver, Canada V6T 1W5 ABSTRACT The female characters play a dominant part in Ingeborg Bachmann's prose writings. This study attempts first to determine the existence of a coherent image of the female in Bachmann's narrative prose and then to analyze it. In contrast with much of contemporary literature, Bachmann's females show so many "traditional' contours of behaviour and mentality that the question of a conventional sex-specific image arises with the attendant question as to its purpose. An analysis of these character• istics reveals that Bachmann's image of the woman deserves the appel• lation "sex-specific" but that these "traditional" characteristics are infused with new values: the values of individualism, of a specifically female identity and of a new and particularly intense personal freedom. Thus emotionalism, irrationality and vanity are components of a new form of personal development and expression that is less restricting and more self—oriented than the "traditional" image which many critics have assumed they represent. This interpretation provides the key to the solution of a second critical problem in Bachmann's fiction: the female-male antithesis. This antithesis often assumes violent dimensions such as in the theme of the "sick male" or the "victimized" female. Bachmann depicts the "female" characteristics in marked contrast to those of the male and lends them moral significance in an antithetical world of male versus iii female, whereby the female and her values are assigned a morally higher position. Here the emotionalism, irrationality and non-utilitarian thinking of the female stand in contrast and are deemed superior to the calculated behaviour, rational thought and efficiency of the male. The image of the male is extended to represent the technological, rational and inhumane aspect of modern society. Thus, Bachmann's image at times transcends the male-female issues and points to problems of a universal nature: the reaction of the individual against ever increasing stric• tures laid down by administrative, economic and social structures of modern industrialized societies. Finally, the theme of personal freedom underlies all the personal conflicts, motivations and aspirations of Bachmann's heroines. It finds expression in the most extreme form of longing for a state of being entirely lacking in any form of limitation whatsoever: the Grenzubertritt. The failure of Bachmann's females in marriage and family life, their unsatisfactory relationships with the opposite sex, are all seen to have their roots in the incompatibility of social commitment with this urge for personal freedom. Bachmann does not solve the dilemma but tried instead to give poetic form to these goals and values and to sustain the hope for the ultimate attainment of the Grenzubertritt. CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT 11 PREFACE vli PART I. INTRODUCTION Chapter I. GENERAL REMARKS A. The Image of the Woman B. Previous Research C. Present Thesis 1. The Problem 2. Design of Thesis 3. Major Conclusions PART II. INVESTIGATION OF THE IMAGE OF THE WOMAN IN THE WORKS OF INGEBORG BACHMANN II. THE FEMALE CHARACTERS A. Selection of Characters B. Social and Environmental Characteristics 1. Age and Life-Stage 2. Educational Background 3. Social Status and Profession 4. Marital and Familial Status C. Psychic and Behavioural Characteristics 1. Vanity 2. Emotionalism 3. Irrationality iv V Page III. SOCIAL ROLES 28 A. The Role of the Mother B. The Wife-Role C. The Role of the Lover D. The Role of the Housewife E. The Role of the Professional F. The Role of the Outsider VI. THE SOCIAL INTERACTION 49 A. Social Interaction with Children B. Social Interaction with Women C. Social Interaction with Men D. Social Interaction with Society V. AGENTS AND PATTERNS OF DEVELOPMENT 68 A. Inner Impetus 1. The Search for Individuality and Identity 2. A Quest for Freedom 3. A Yearning for Grenziibertritt B. Outside Agents C. Patterns of Development PART III. DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF THE IMAGE OF THE WOMAN IN THE WORKS OF INGEBORG BACHMANN VI. A DISCUSSION OF ANTITHETICAL IDEAS AND THEMES 90 A. Emancipatory versus "Traditional" Concepts B. The Biographical versus the Text-Immanent View C. Sex-Specific versus Allgemein menschliche Interpretation D. Social versus Individualistic Values vi Page VII. AN ANALYSIS OF THE THEME OF FREEDOM 106 A. Working-Definition of the Image of the Woman B. Freedom and Social Environment C. Freedom and Psychic and Behavioural Characteristics D. Freedom and Favoured Social Roles E. Freedom and Interaction of Bachmann's Leading Female Characters with Four Social Groupings VIII. AN ANALYSIS OF THE FEMALE-MALE ANTITHESIS 125 A. The Image of the Male B. The Male-Female Conflict C. The Female as Victim D. The "Sick" Male AN ANALYSIS OF THE FUNCTION AND INTENT OF THE IMAGE OF THE WOMAN IN THE WORKS OF INGEBORG BACHMANN . A. Main Purpose B. The Didactic Intent C. The Literary Aspect of the Image of the Woman D. A Social Intent? E. The Intellectual Design of Bachmann's Image of the Woman PART IV. CONCLUSION X. A SUMMARY DISCUSSION OF MAJOR INTERPRETATIONS XI. OUR INTERPRETATIONS AND FINDINGS A. The Fall B. The Enslavement C. The Trap D. Death E. Grenziibertritt F. The Magic of the Woman FOOTNOTES 203 BIBLIOGRAPHY 231 PREFACE First, a statement about the intent of this study. The aim is to examine and to evaluate the image of the woman in the writings of Ingeborg Bachmann. Special emphasis will be given to the following questions: Do the various heroines incorporate common concepts, ideas and attitudes toward life and reality? If so, what are they and do they allow one to generalize and to speak of the female image in Bachmann's works? Is this image a "traditional" or "modern" one; is it a .,. .1 sex-specific image? Do autobiographical elements in Bachmann's fiction warrant investigation? Can their use in this study be justified? If a coherent image can be established, then what end or purpose was it meant to serve? Does Bachmann envisage a new role for women and, if so, how is this role to be defined? The investigation, it is hoped, will contribute some new insights about a facet of Bachmann's work which has up to now received little attention. Several difficulties arose during the conceptual phase of this study. The first of these was: which methods*were to be used in the real• ization of the aims of this thesis? Would it be permissable to generalize from the analyses of several individual characters? Would not the result be yii viii a computer-like statistical stereotype, derived from various collected data? And what were the alternative methods for realizing the aims of this study? However, one of Ingeborg Bachmann's own remarks on litera• ture: Es gibt in der Kunst keinen Fortschritt in der Horizontale,2 sondern nur das immer neue AufreiBen einer Vertikale. helped to influence the author's decision to select a method of compari• son and of inductive argumentation. Recurring problems, themes and con• flicts manifesting themselves in different individual human situations seemed to justify a search for common trends and themes. Bachmann con• tinues in the same lecture on literature: Und doch 1st nur Richtung, die durchgehende Manifestation einer Problemkonstante, eine unverwechselbare Wortwelt, Gestaltenwelt und Konfllktwelt imstande, uns zu veranlassen, einen Dichter als unausweichlich zu sehen.3 4 Many critics have chosen to apply this view to her own works . A general• ized Frauenbild may therefore be well justified. Especially the figure of Undine in Undine geht appears in itself already as a compound female image. The selection of the main female characters posed another diffi• culty.

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