Die weiblichen Figuren in Elisabeth Werners Romanen: selbstständige Frauen in nationalen Gewändern

Abstract

The female characters in Elisabeth Werner's novels: independent women in national costumes This essay examines the following novels of Elisabeth Werner: Ein Held der Feder (1872), Gesprengte Fesseln (1875), Heimatklang and Vineta (1877) and Wege des Schicksals (1909). Elisabeth Werner, pseudonym of Elizabeth Bürstenbinder, was one of the most popular writers of the family magazine ‘Die Gartenlaube’. The interest of research at Werner seems still to be relatively low. However, the extensive literary creation of the writer certainly deserves attention; it appears to be different from diverse points from the usual love and women's novels of the XIX century. This study analyses the female figures that no longer serve the common stereotype of the subservient wife and go through a self-awareness process. Elisabeth Werner lets characters slowly but surely grow until they find themselves. The Werner's women do not reach through silent forbearance and diligence to a fulfilled life, but through self-confident appearance and energy. The analysis should point out, what kind of roles and attributes take place to women in Werner's novels, which features characterize the self-awareness process and if and how Werner’s women say goodbye to the famous "Cinderella motif".