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Love, Marriage, and Sexuality in Sophie Albrecht's Graumiinnchen
By

Sara Rosemary Luly

A THESIS
Submitted to
Michigan State University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree of
MASTERS OF ARTS IN GERMAN STUDIES

Department of Linguistics and Germanic, Slavic, Asian and African Languages

2004

ABSTRACT

LOVE, MARRIAGE, AND SEXUALITY IN SOPHIE ALBRECHT’S
GRAUMANNCHEN

By

Sara Rosemary Luly

Throughout the eighteenth century there were certain female authors whose goal
it was through their literature to challenge contemporary notions of marriage, love and
domesticity. Texts such as Graurrfiiannchen, oder die Burg Rabenbfihl. eine
Geistergeschichte altdeutschen Ursprungs by Sophie Albrecht challenge the prevalent
love discourse and concept of the domestic sphere by fusing fairytale and gothic
elements. Albrecht's use of fairytale elements is innovative. Her social criticism does
not lie in the fairytale elements she employs, but rather in those genre expectations that
are left unfulfilled in the mind of the reader. Albrecht uses these unfulfilled motifs along
with gothic elements to describe societal problems facing women, including marital
disillusionment, the painful loss of romantic love, and the dangers of the domestic sphere.
Albrecht creates a type of pessimistic fairytale, one that does not offer a happy-ending
but rather reveals the hardships eighteenth century women endured within oppressive

domestic situations.

Copyright by
SARA ROSEMARY LULY
2004

ACKNOWLEGMENTS

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my primary advisor Prof. Karin
Wurst, whose guidance, patience and expertise have been instrumental in the completion
of this thesis. I would also like to thank Prof. Thomas Lovik and Prof. Elizabeth
Mittmann who have helped me a great deal as members of my committee. Finally I
would like to thank my friends and family, especially my mother, whose unconditional

support has given me the confidence to pursue my dreams.

IV

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction .......................................................................................... 1

Summary of Fairytale Scholarship ............................................................... 6
Sophie Albrecht
Biographical Information .................................................................. 14
Albrecht Scholarship ..................................................................... 17

Love and Domesticity in Eighteenth Century Germany21

 

Graumannchen ....................................................................................... 27
Conclusion ........................................................................................... 60
Bibliography ......................................................................................... 62

INTRODUCTION

Literary fairytales and gothic literature have historically been used as tools of
social criticism. Set in an unknown time and place, fairytales offer the distance necessary
to voice discontent with contemporary society, especially among female authors, whose
criticisms were generally not encouraged. Embedded in a symbolic language of magical
objects, haunted spaces, and gruesome creatures, female authors found a medium with
which they could express the problems that they faced in a male dominated society.1

It is therefore not surprising that a body of female authored fairytales and gothic
literature was created in the eighteenth century, a time in which women's role in society
was undergoing drastic changes. The changing economy as well as the influences of the
Enlightenment and Empfindsamkeit altered societal conceptions of marriage, family, and
gender roles. These changes drastically affected the lives of women. Their entire
existence was now relegated to the newly conceptualized domestic sphere, and defined
by their roles as wife and mother. Contemporary concepts of love and marriage denied
women their sexuality and created a "passionless" woman to ensure the stability of home
life. It is within this social climate that female authors such as Sophie Albrecht used
literature as a forum for addressing the inherent contradictions and revealing the hidden
dangers of the new social order. Their literature provides a voice for women, whose
perspective on these issues was not addressed by male-dominated, canonized literature,
or the patriarchal society as a whole.

Mmchen, oder die BuLg Rabenbiihl, eine Geistergeschichte Altdeutschen

Ursprungs, by Sophie Albrecht, is a gothic fairytale which addresses the problems

women faced in eighteenth century German society. It traces the life of a German
woman from early childhood to adulthood. The text presents the difficulties women face
first as young women confronting their sexuality, and later as adults, trying to conform to
the desexualized gender role which society has assigned them It portrays the hardships
and inherent contradictions of life in the domestic sphere: a realm established for their
protection, but very much the cause of their victimization. The following thesis will
analyze the way in which Albrecht uses fairytale and gothic elements to illustrate that the
female role in society, as defined by contemporary notions of marital zc'z'rtliche Liebe and
the new conceptualization of the domestic sphere, is not only detrimental to women but is
the source of their unhappiness and victimization. Graumannchen does not depict a
feminine alternative to male dominated society, nor does it reward the fully socialized
heroine with a happy ending. Rather, it creates a unique type of pessimistic fairytale, one
that traps the heroine in an unfulfilling social role and denies her any alternative. In
doing so the text suggests that there is no "happy ending" awaiting those women who
attempt to adhere to the social role assigned to women in marriage and the domestic
sphere while arguing that feminine alternatives to the patriarchal social order are non-
existent.

This criticism of contemporary society is embedded in Albrecht's innovative use
of fairytale motifs and elements of gothic fiction. The text presupposes the reader's
familiarity with the fairytale genre. The text engages the reader, first by establishing
familiar fairytale motifs, and then leaving them unfulfilled. As a result, the text's
; criticism does not lie~in its employment of familiar fairytale structures, but rather in those

motifs that are left unfulfilled in the minds of the reader. The moments when the

 

 

' There is also a male gothic tradition, which shares many of the same formal features and motifs.

2

fairytale fails to meet the reader's expectation draws attention to the underlying social
criticism.

In addition to employing fairytale motifs, the text uses symbols and structures
from the gothic tradition. The German gothic tradition has its roots in the Ritter—, Rc'iuber—
, and Schauerroman. (Hogle 66) The Ra'uberroman focused on the romantic outlaw, the
Ritterroman takes place in a medieveal setting, while the Schauerroman focused on the
mysterious and suppematural. Although elements of all three of these traditions can be
found in gothic literature, tt was the Schauerroman which had the greatest influence on
the gothic tradition. Schiller's Der Geisterseher was among the first German
Schauerroman (Hogle 68). Other gothic authors include E.T.A. Hoffmann's and Elise
Biirger (Hogle 6).

The female gothic tradition began with Ann Radcliffe and includes the works of
such authors as Charlotte Bronte and Sophie Lee (Hogle 5). Female gothic literature of
the time often used gothic elements to reveal domestic threats to feminine well-being.
These symbols, such as haunted spaces, and grotesque creatures are incorporated into
Graumfinnchen to strengthen its criticism of society.

Given the importance of fairytale structures and motifs in Graumannchen, an
understanding of the tale requires an understanding of the genre itself. Therefore, the
thesis will begin with a brief summary of fairytale scholarship and the various academic
approaches with which fairytales have been analyzed. The works of Vladmir Propp, Max
Liithi, André Jolles, and Stith Thompson are of primary importance in understanding the

structural aspects of the fairytale genre, and will therefore be discussed at length.

The thesis will include a brief biography of Sophie Albrecht and a summary of
Albrecht scholarship. It will contain a summary of Albrecht's works, and the academic
attention they have received. The purpose of this section is twofold: (1) it will illustrate
that the social criticism made in Graumannchen reflects Albrecht's own rejection of
social gender roles and (2) that the criticism of society present in Graumannchen is in
keeping with her tradition of writing social subversive literature that questions
contemporary gender roles.

The third section will address the role of women in eighteenth century society in
order to provide the appropriate socio-historical context. Those aspects of social order
which are most pertinent, namely the role of marriage, love, and the domestic sphere, will
be the focus of this section. I will rely on Niklas Luhmannn's Love as Passion to define
the changing love paradigm and its effect on eighteenth century society. Luhmann's text
analyzes the love paradigm in a general European context, and does not apply his theories
specifically to German culture. As a result, I will integrate his findings with Giinter
SaBe's Die Ordnung der Gefiihle: Das Dram_a der Liebesheirat im 18. Jahrhundert which
examines the love paradigm within the German context.2 Finally, The Contested Castle
by Kate Ferguson Ellis will explain the role of women within the domestic sphere, and
draw the appropriate connections between the changing domestic sphere and conceptions
of marital love in regard to gothic fiction.

Once this theoretical groundwork has been laid, the fourth section will examine
the text itself, identifying and analyzing the gothic and fairytale structures within the

socio-historical context created in section two. The text's use of fairytale structures will

 

2 See also Wurst "'Wilde Wiinsche': The Discourse of Love in the Sturm und Drang" In Literatur des
' Sturm und Drang. Ed. David Hill. Rochester: Camden House, 2003.

be analyzed in terms of the social criticism Albrecht is presenting. Mieke Bal's
Narratology will be used to examine the formal narrative elements of the text. This
theory of narratology has been selected because it offers a greater degree of
differentiation and precision in its terminology than other approaches. This degree of
precision will be necessary to examine the shifts in narrative perspective. Stith
Thompson's Index of fairytale motifs will be used to identify the fairytale motifs present
in the text. The works of Liithi and Jolles will be used to analyze the significance of
these elements within the fairytale genre. Only after the traditional significance of these
elements has been established can the innovative use of these motifs be examined. In
addition, socio-historical information will be incorporated when necessary, to provide the

correct social context for the interpretation of the text's criticism of society.

SUMMARY OF FAIRYTALE SCHOLARSHIP

Although Graumannchen does not adhere to all of the genre characteristics
established by structuralists such as Vladmir Propp and Max Liithi, the text draws heavily
upon fairytale motifs, and assumes the reader's understanding of the fairytale form.
Therefore, any analysis of Graumiinnchen as a text will inevitably incorporate fairytale
scholarship. It is for that reason that a brief overview of fairytale scholarship is provided.

The terms folktale and fairytale are closely related. The difference between these
two literary forms does not lie in formal genre differences, but in differences in the origin
of the tale itself. Tales that are derived from an oral tradition are termed “folktale”
whereas tales that are purely literary traditions are termed “fairytales” (Zipes Companion
167). Although this distinction has been articulated by folktale and fairytale scholars, the
two terms are frequently used interchangeably. The relationship between these two
forms of literature is so close that an investigation of fairytale scholarship would include
folktale scholarship as well. For this reason, theories of folktale analysis can and should
be applied to fairytales (Zipes Companion 167).

In many ways German fairytale scholarship began with the work of Jacob and
Wilhelm Grimm. They were the first scholars to systematically collect and, to a certain
extent analyze, folktales and fairytales. Although there were authors before them who
collected fairytales, they were the first to make statements regarding the methodology
used to collect their tales and comments on the genre itself (Zipes Companion 445).
Their interest in fairytales stemmed from feelings of nationalism. They believed that

understanding the myths and tales of a people would lead to a better understanding of the

culture itself. They also hoped to promote a unified Germany by creating a national

literature (Zipes Dreams 63). Scholars realize that the Grimm 's tales do not accurately

 

reflect the oral tradition of the peasantry. Their tales are adaptations of stories told to
them by well educated, bourgeois women.

During their lifetimes, the Grimm brothers published three editions of Kinder und
Hausm’circhen. In the final 1856 edition Wilhelm Grimm addresses briefly the question of
fairytale origin. Grimm proposes two main hypotheses explaining the similarities among
versions of European fairytales; (1) similarities in fairytales are probably the result of a
common culture of origin and (2) fairytales are the remnants of broken down myths. The
original myth must be constructed in order to properly interpret the fairytale (Thompson
F_ol_k_tlle 370). These two hypotheses shaped early fairytale scholarship. The first
hypothesis is the founding principle of the Indo-European theory while the second is the

main thesis of the broken-down myth theory (Thompson Folktale 370).

 

With the emergence of folktale collections throughout European countries, early
folklorists began to see similarities between texts from different countries. These
similarities seemed to suggest a common heritage. As a result mid-19th century folktale
scholarship focused almost exclusively on questions of origin. The question of folktale
origin developed along-side advances in the field of comparative linguistics.
Comparative linguistics was making great strides in re-constructing the Indo-European
language (Thompson Ep_l_k_t_al_e_ 371). From this field of study stemmed the belief in an
Indo-European culture (Thompson EO_lkt2_ll§ 371). If there was one language from which
all European languages formed, then by extension there must also have been one culture

with one set of beliefs and myths. According to Indo-European scholars, all

contemporary folktales are descendants of these myths. Using comparative linguistics
and mythology the original myths of the Indo-European people could be reconstructed

resulting in a better understanding of contemporary folktales (Thompson Folktale 371).

 

The efforts of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, as well as the work of Friedrich Max Miiller, a
comparative linguist who translated the Rig-Veda, resulted in the development of the
Indo-European theory of folklore origin (Thompson m 371).

During the early 20th century structuralism influenced fairy tale scholarship
significantly. Structuralists are concerned with identifying the characteristics common to
all fairytales. The text is viewed not as an individual text, but an example of a larger,
general category of literature. This movement was a reaction to the changing nature of
scholarship in the physical science (Propp 4). Structuralists believed that, like subjects of
scientific study, literatureneeded to be systematically classified, organized, and studied
on the basis of its structures (Propp 4).

In Einfache Formen, André Jolles identifies those universal elements, which are
indicative of the fairytale genre. He argues that the moral message of the tale that is
common to every tale in the genre is not moral in the philosophical sense, but rather is a
naive moral that appeals to the reader’s innate sense of an inequity (240). He calls this
innate sense a Gefiihlsurteil (240). According to Jolles, the form of the fairytale itself
reinforces and justifies the readers own Gefz'ihlsurteil and their need to have the
imbalance corrected (240). Every structure and element in the plot, from the linear
progression of the plot itself, to the happy ending justify our Gefz'ihlsurreil and our naive

moral (240).

The high point of structuralist interpretation occurred between 1950-1970.
During these years structuralism divided into two schools of thought. The first was
created by Vladmir Propp, a Russian structuralist. His work Momholo gy of the Folktale
which was first translated from Russian in 1928 gained international recognition after its
translation into English in 1968 (Zipes Companion 447). In Morphology of th_e Fothale
Propp identifies function as the basic unit of fairytale analysis. Function is defined by
Propp as the effect an action has on the plot (19). He also creates a system of analysis for
studying the relations of functions within the tale. Function is the smallest unit of a
fairytale, because it remains constant even if the characters, or the specifics of their
actions, change (19). Thirty-one universal functions are identified in this book. In
addition to identifying functions, Propp also identifies the character types present in
. folklore. There are 7 general character types; villain, donor, helper, sought for person,
dispatcher, hero, false hero (72-73). Each character type has a limited number of actions
available to them and must act within the limitations of their sphere of action (72).

Propp’s analysis has two implications for any formal analysis of folktales. The
most obvious of these is that there are a limited number of functions that plot motifs can
play in a folktale. The second thesis builds on the first; if there are a limited number of
functions available to the fairytale plot, then all plots will have essentially the same
structure. The folktale follows a linear path of narration, with each function building on
the previous function. As a result, there is a predominately linear, chronological and
formulaic structure for fairytales.

Claude Levi-Strauss created the second school of structuralist thought in his essay

"The Structural Study of Myth”. He maintains that there is a basic thought processes

behind all myths (130). This thought process can be uncovered by analyzing and
comparing individual structures of each myth. Levi-Strauss begins by condensing the
myth to its basic elements. He then lists the elements chronologically, grouping similar
elements together (121). When the transitions between these element bundles is
analyzed, the underlying thought process behind the myth emerges ( 124).

Max Liithi argues that the universal form of fairytales is the aspect of the genre
that makes these tales enticing to readers. Despite variation in fairytales, there is a basic
type (Grundtyp) of European folk fairytale. His goal was to determine the essence of a
folktale (Liithi European Folktalp 3). In his book The European Follgalp he identifies
five characteristics common to folktales; one-dimensionality (4), depthlessness (11),
abstract style (24), isolation and universal interconnection (37), and sublimation and all-
inclusiveness (66). Liithi argues that identifying the characteristics of this Grundtyp will
not only lead us to a better understand of the genre itself, but also explain the universal
appeal of folktales.

During the 19th century a psychoanalytic field of literary interpretation emerged.
Both Freud and Jung argued that there are connections between fairytales, and
unconscious images represented in dreams. In his essay "The Occurrence in Dreams of
Material from Fairy Tales" Freud states that fairytale motifs appear in patient's dreams as
a symbolic method of expressing deeper psychological problems. These problems are
almost exclusively sexual in nature. Analyzing these fairytale motifs uncovers the
patient's problem, and also leads to a better understanding of the fairytale itself (283).
Jung argues that there are symbols in fairytales accessible to a “collective unconscious”

(Zipes Companion446). Unlike Freud, Jung shifts the focus away from sexuality.

[0

Fairytales are meaningful across cultures because they contain those symbols that are
universally understood, due to the fact that they stem from a collective unconscious
(Zipes Companion 446).

In his book The Uses of Enchantment, Bruno Bettelheim uses Freudian child
psychology to explore the ways in which fairytales can be used to aid children throughout
various stages of development. He analyzes specific fairytales in order to determine the
way in which they are used by children to overcome difficulties of childhood including
overcoming oral fixation, resolving their oedipal complexes and understanding their
budding sexuality. According to Bettelheim, fairytales have a variety of different
Freudian interpretations. The child's stage of personal development will determine which
of these stages is more useful to him/her at a particular point in time (15). He argues that
these tales are important tools in child development and advises teachers and parents of
the best way to use these tales to aid children. He also argues against the sanitation of
original tales. He believes that the violence present in the older forms of the tales,
specifically the Grirnms' versions, are beneficial to the development of a child because
they offer a space in which the child can work through their feelings of anger and their
desire for violence.

Several scholars have offered Marxist interpretations of fairytales. Among them
is Johannes Merkel. According to Merkel, fairytales provide people with a form of
utopia and hope for the future (56). In his essay "Der urspriingliche Realismus der den
'Marchen' zugrundeliegenden Volksliteratur" Merkel explains how fairytales are utopian
because they teach that repressed individuals can overcome their difficulties with intellect

and diligence (56). Characters that are born to lower classes or denied access to various

ll

basic resources (food, money) can improve their situation and become equals with those
of higher social status (Merke156). This is a utopian message in that it does not reflect
the realities of society in which social mobility was severely limited.

Ernst Bloch offers a similar interpretation. In his chapter on fairy tales in Tim
Principle of Hope Bloch maintains that fairytales are utopian because they depict a world
in which individuals can improve their social standing through cleverness and
resourcefulness (354). It is possible to overcome social and natural inequalities. Poor
people can rise within the social structure and become nobility. This possibility is a
utopian message of hope. In addition, fairytales offer the utopia of a life without desires.
Characters are frequently given objects in fairytales to provide them with things that they
need. These objects are symbolic of the ideal State, which will also provide fully for its
people (357). In this way, Bloch combines both fairytales and the promise of a socialist
utopia, one in which people are provided for completely by the State (357).

Finally, several feminist fairytale scholars have addressed the representation of
gender in fairytales. Many feminist scholars have called for a need to reassess current
folklore cannon and to address the sexist nature of folklore scholarship. Claire Farrer
reveals the sexist nature of fairytale scholarship to date, and calls into question fairytale
canon formation (Zipes Companion 158). Shawn Jarvis and Jeannine Blackwell's Tm:
Queen's Mirror compiles a collection of German fairytales written by women, and in
doing so, offer alternative texts to the fairytale cannon. In the afterward Jarvis, compares
the motifs found in fairytales written by women to the motifs in fairytales by their male
counterparts (361-366). In doing so she analyzes the social critiques and experimental

nature of many of these tales.

12

Other feminist scholars call into question the traditional readings of canonized
fairytales. Maria Lieberman, for example, argues against the idea that fairytales reflect
“universal” truths and experiences (Zipes Companion 159). Instead she identifies the
elements previously labeled “universal” as highly sexist in nature (Zipes Companion
159). Several scholars choose to focus on fairytales‘ depiction of gender roles. Karen
Rowe argues that fairytales confine women to restrictive passive roles (Zipes Companion
159). Ruth Bottigheimer and Maria Tatar also examine women’s roles in fairytales. In
Grimm's Bad Girls and Bold Boys, Ruth Bottigheimer examines the way in which the
Grimm's editing practices effected the portrayal of women in the tales. She takes issue
with Bettelheim's assertion that fairy tales can be read "without gender distinction" (168)
and asserts that the Grimm fairy tales provide a paradigm of "gender—specific and gender-
appropriate" behavior (168). In Off With Their Heads! Tatar examines the portrayal of
women in fairytales. According to Tartar women are portrayed as children in traditional
fairytales (xxvii). These tales illustrated the socially "correct" role of women. In doing
so acted they as a tool of gender socialization (96). Tartar feels that the tales should be
re-written to reflect contemporary social ideals, including modern gender roles (229).

In conclusion, the focus of folktale scholarship has shifted significantly since its
conception in the mid-nineteenth century. Although many early theories regarding
folktales are no longer supported, each school of thought has contributed to our present

day knowledge of folktales and influenced the way in which we view the genre.

l3

SOPHIE ALBRECHT
l. Biographical Information
Biographical information on Sophie Albrecht is scarce. The most extensive
biographical information can be found in Berit Christine Ruth Royer’s Sgphie Albrecht
( I 75 7-1 840) Im Kreis der Schriftstellerinnen pm 1800: eine Iiteragg und
Mmissenschaftliche Werk-Monographie. Other works featuring biographic

information include Karin Wurst's F rayen in Drama and Ruth Dawson's The Contested

 

M. In her article "Reconstructing Women's Literary Relationships: Sophie Albrecht
and Female Friendship" Dawson focuses on Albrecht's network of female friends, and
examines the role they provided in offering support to one another as female writers. In
addition to these sources, Allgemeine Degtsche Biographie. as well as Deutsches
Theater-Lexikon: Biographisches ynd Biblimgmphisches Handmrfl contain brief

bio graphic entries on Sophie Albrecht.

Sophie Albrecht was born Sophie Baumer in December 1757 in Erfurt. She was
the daughter of Dr. Johann Paul Baumer and Johanna Maria Rebekka Christine Baumer
(von Teutzel) (322 Deutsche Biographie). Although little is known about Albrecht's
childhood or immediate family, personal correspondences between family and friends
indicate that she was an energetic child who was known for her tomboy behavior (Royer
32). As a child Albrecht had great freedom, and was allowed many privileges which
were, in general, not extended to girls at this time. Her father took great interest in her
education, and hoped that someday she might study at the university (Royer 33).

Albrecht's life was altered significantly when her father died in 1771 (Royer 39). The

14

following year the fifteen-year-old Sophie Baumer married Johann Albrecht, a former
medical student who had lived with the family for several years (Royer 39).

In the four years following their marriage, Johann taught medicine at the
university. In 1776 he was appointed personal physician to Count Manteuffel and the
Albrechts moved to Reval, Russia (Royer 40). For the next four years the couple traveled
throughout Russia and Germany (Royer 41). Both Johann and Sophie were interested in
literature and it was after their marriage that Sophie began her career as a poet and
published several works; both independently and in her husband's anthologies. They
returned to Germany in 1782, the same year in which Sophie's mother died (Royer 43).

Once in Germany, the couple began their work in the theater. In 1783 Sophie
made her debut performance with the Grossmann acting troupe in Frankfurt and Johann
left his medical career to begin writing for the theater (Royer 51). Two years later Sophie
left the Grossmann troupe and joined the Bondinische Troupe. The next several years
were filled with travel, as the couple moved from city to city writing and performing
(Royer 41).

Sophie Albrecht excelled in her new career. By the beginning of the nineteenth
century, she was one of the most successful actresses in Germany. Her substantial annual
income of 1,000 Reichstaler gave her financial independence. The social status
associated with her career freed her from the traditional female gender role to which
bourgeois German women were forced to adhere Gloyer 59). Sophie was active in the
female artistic community, and offered financial support as well as advice to aspiring

female writers (Dawson Recon_structing173).

15

In 1795 the couple moved to Altona where they took over direction of the Altona
National Theater and shortly thereafter, in 1796, the couple divorced (Royer 76). In the
same year Sophie left the National Theater which closed two years later due to financial
difficulties (Royer 76).

Johann Albrecht died in March of 1814 (Royer 96). After Johann's death Sophie
no longer pursued a career in the theater and lived a more traditional bourgeois lifestyle
(Royer 98). She supported herself with her writing but had limited success. Her
financial situation worsened significantly over the years, and by the early 18305 she
relied on friends for financial support (Royer 100). Albrecht died penniless on November

16 1840 at St. Georg Hospital (Royer 102).

16

2. Albrecht Scholarship

Whether the work under investigation is her love poetry or her cookbook, scholars
have been fascinated with Albrecht's criticism of the social roles assigned to women in
love, marriage and the home. Albrecht's works reveal the hardships women undergo in
eighteenth century society, as well as celebrate female sexuality and passion.
Unfortunately, many of Albrecht's works have been overlooked by scholars. Few
academic interpretations are available, and those that have been published focus almost
exclusively on Albrecht's early works. The works which have received the most
scholarly attention are her drama "Theresgen" and her collections of love poetry.

Albrecht's poetry was innovative for women's literature in its depiction of
romantic love and sexuality. In The Contested Quill Ruth Dawson examines the way in
which love, passion and virtue are combined in Albrecht's poetry. Dawson describes how
Albrecht pushed the standards of feminine modesty in her description of sexual romance
outside of marriage (292). Unlike other female poets of the time who went to great
lengths to justify love within an acceptable social context, Albrecht offered no such
justification, and focused instead on the intense emotion associated with love (Dawson
286). During her life, Albrecht published three anthologies of poems, interspersed with
short prose and dramas; Gedichte und Schauspiele (1781), Gedichte ymi Prosaische
Mag (1785), and a third volume including a re-printing of the first two in 1791
(Deutsche Biographie 322).

Many of Albrecht's other works addressed issues of love and marriage from a
feminist perspective. Her play Theresgen first appeared in Gedichte und Sclmuspiele,

addressing issues of love and marriage, this work has received the most scholarly

l7

attention. According to Susanne Kord, the drama explores the fictional nature of the love
rhetoric during the Sturm and Drang period (252). Kord also examines Albrecht's
innovative use of space with her integration of the city and country spheres. In Frauen in
12mm Karin Wurst examines the partner selection process depicted in Theresgen (74).
She states that the drama expresses the conflict between new bourgeois ideals of romantic
love including freedom of choice in marriage and the less progressive social reality (74).
Ruth Dawson examines the way in which patriarchal forces repress female passion in
Theresgen (Contested 302-313). In another article, Dawson examines the role that "class
boundary patrolling" plays in Theresgen with its depiction of eighteenth century marriage
(Catherine 18). An experimental prose piece entitled "Fragmente aus dem Tagebuch
einer Ungliicklichen", describes a disappointing love relationship (Dawson Contested
319).

Albrecht wrote two gothic fairytales at the turn of the century. The first fairytale
was published under three different titles. It was published in 1797 under the titles pm
Hofliche Gespenst and Legenden. It appeared seven years later under the title Id_am
Duba, das Mgdchen im Walde: cine rom_antische Geschichte (1805) (Royer 94, Dawson
Contested 336). This shift in literary genre reflected the changes that were occurring in
Albrecht's personal life. Following her divorce in 1796, Albrecht abandoned her work
with love poetry and developed a preoccupation with gothic themes and fairytale
literature. Both gothic fairytales criticize contemporary notions of marriage and love.
These criticisms reflect Albrecht's views on marriage, influenced no doubt by her own

failed marriage.

18

Unlike Albrecht's love poetry which expressed love outside of marriage, Dag
Hofliche Gespenst depicts marriage without love (Dawson Contested 339). According to
Dawson, the tale criticizes marriages of convenience. Like Graumannchen, the tale
questions the assumption that marriage is the "happy ending" (Dawson 340). Royer
offers a different interpretation. Whereas Dawson views the failed marriage in the tale as
criticism of arranged marriages, Royer argues that they represent a criticism of the
patriarchal society and the women who support it (256). She focus instead on the
heroine's search for self identity, as well as the homoerotic undertones of the fairytale
(256).

Two years later in 1799 Albrecht published Graumiinnchen. oder die Burg
Rabenbiihl eine Geistergeschichte aJtdeutschen Urspmpgs. Royer's interpretation is the
only scholarly work available for this text. According to Royer, Agnes' victimization is
caused by her obedience and acceptance of patriarchal gender norms (261 ). It is only
after Agnes rejects these gender expectations and takes a more active role that she is able
to make positive changes in her situation (270). Royer also examines the text's criticism
of the Catholic Church, and the unchecked power that it wields (268). Finally, Royer
interprets the conflict with Graumfinnchen as representative of Agnes' fear of childbirth I
(270). Albrecht's interest in the gothic continued with the publishing of Rommrtkische
Dichtung dwerengristlichen Kirche (1808) (Dawson Contested 342).

Shortly before her death, in an attempt to supplement her meager income,
Albrecht published a cookbook. Dawson notes that even in a cookbook, Albrecht was
able to voice her opinion on marital relationships (Dawson Contested 343). She included

an introduction, which warned wives about the nature of their husbands (Royer 102).

19

This cookbook appeared under two different titles in 1839, Erfurter Koclrbuch fiir die
biirgerliche Kiiche and Thtiringisches Kochbuch fiir die biirgerliche Kiiche. Both books
were relatively successful, and publication continued until 1865 (Dawson Contested 343).
Throughout Albrecht's literary career she has addressed women's role in society.
She is a proponent of female sexuality, and opposes oppressive patriarchal forces. In all
of her works we see subversive messages that questions prevailing social ideals and
challenges contemporary gender roles. Graumannchen also follows this pattern of social
criticism. The text questions prevailing notions of love, marriage and domesticity, and in

doing so criticizes eighteenth century gender roles.

20

LOVE AND DOMESTICIT Y IN EIGHTEENTH CENTURY GERMANY

Prior to the eighteenth century, extensive kinship networks identified individuals
and determined their status within society. These ties, formed by marriage, had a
significant impact on all aspects of a person's life. (SaBe 13) In his study of the depiction
of love in drama, Giinter SaBe writes: "In traditionalen Gesellschaften, in denen die
Abkunft in vielfacher Hinsicht entschied, welchen Stand and Rang man in der
Gesellschaft einnahm, hatte die Heirat im Vergleich zu heute einen ungleich ha'heren
Stellenwert" (SaBe 13). Marriage had far reaching implications for extended families,
affecting both their social and financial positions within society (SaBe 13). As a result,
marriage was not viewed as a relationship, but rather a contract arranged with the goal of
A maximizing the family's social and economic benefit. Due to the importance of this
decision, and the implications it had on the entire family, partner selection was not left to
subjective emotions or "chance". Instead, partners were selected on the basis of social
and financial status and marriages were arranged to ensure the maximum benefit to the
family.

As bourgeois society emerged in the eighteenth century, economic and social
changes eliminated the need for such arranged marriages (Luhmannn 145). Social
institutions replaced previous kinship ties, and extended families were no longer affected
by their relatives' marriages (SaBe 21). Families were now viewed as intimate units, re-
created with each new generation (Luhmannn 146). Marriage, as a result, became a

relationship between two individuals, without far reaching implications for their families.

21

(Luhmannn 146, SaBe 21). Once economic considerations no longer governed the
selection process exclusively, other criteria had to be chosen to justify partner selection.

It was within this social climate that the concept of a loved-based marriage, or
Liebesheirat emerged (SaBe 19). Love provided criteria for legitimizing marriage after
the institution lost much of its economic importance. Luhmannn describes how love
turned the uncertainty of partner selection into " subjective certainty" and was used as "a
sort of magical substitute for foresight" (147). It promised criteria for legitimizing a
potential match and offered order for an institution that appeared order-less.

The Liebesheirat was a product of bourgeois morality and enforced
Enlightenment concepts of individuality. The emphasis that bourgeois society placed on
individuality caused social status in relationships to be devalued (Luhmannn 131).
Liebesheirat provided new criteria to evaluate a partner in a society in which objective
criteria (i.e., money and social status) had lost much of their influence (Luhmannn 146).
In addition, Liebesheirat created meaningful relationships in which individuals could
overcome the negative side effects of individuality (SaBe 25). SaBe explains:

Die Suche nach sinnstiftender Zweisamkeit, die Hoffnung, in der Liebe
Einsamkeit, Egozentrik, und Isolation zu iiberwinden, der wnnsch, die eigene
Subjektivitc'it im Bezug zum anderen zu entfalten, sich selbst zu filhlen im F ilhlen
des Gegeniiber, im Gesprc'ich den unverstellten Ausdruck des Inneren zu erfahren
- all dies verweist aufpsycho-, sozial - und mentalitc'itsgeschichtliche Kontexte,
die Liebe in jeweils unterschiedlicher Gestalt erscheinen lassen. (25-26)
Marriages based on love provided the intimate relationship necessary to meet the needs

of an increasingly individualized population.

22

The concept of Liebesheirat was widely accepted and by the eighteenth century
contemporaries argued that "Liebe allein soll es (..) sein, was Mann und Frau verbina'et"
(SaBe 9). Love as the justification for marriage was not without its downfalls, however.
Several problems were inherent in a definition of marriage that required love. The most
problematic of these was defining the nature of marital love.

When love first became the justification for marriage, the only available concept
of love was amour passion (Luhmannn 146). This type of love was not appropriate for
the institution of marriage. Due to its passionate nature, amour passion required constant
innovation (Luhmannn 144) and as a result, lacked the stability necessary for marriage
(Luhmannn 146). Marriage required a "more peaceful" and less "turbulent, passionate
atmosphere" (Luhmannn 148) which could only be obtained through a more stable form
of love.

Slowly, a new model of marital love emerged. This love concept, referred to by
SaBe as "zr'irtliche Liebe", was void of sexuality and passion (39). Za'rtliche Liebe
rejected the "Egozentrik der Wollust" and instead grounded itself in "das Wohl des
anderen zur Bedingung des eigenen Gliicks " (SaBe 40). It was a selfless, moral love
which emphasized equality and friendship between individuals (SaBe 41). Based on
friendship and the happiness of the partner, za'rtliche Liebe was more stabile than amour
passion, and as a result could be maintained longer within the marital relationship.

Zc‘irtliche Liebe as the basis of marriage was not without its own set of problems,
however. A contradiction becomes apparent, when the issue of sexuality is addressed.
Zc‘z’rtliche Liebe is based on friendship, and the absence of sexuality. Contemporaries

argued against marriages based on sexual love, and maintained that sexuality was

23

detrimental to the marriage (SaBe 44). Many contemporary authors including Sophie
LaRoche and Gellert depicted the dangers that sexual desire posed to marriage (SaBe 44).
Yet marriage was the only social institution in which sex was allowed. How then could
marriage, whose main goal was procreation, be grounded in a type of love which
excluded sexuality? This contradiction became a topic of debate. Contemporaries tried to
bridge this ideological discrepancy by defining marriage as a friendship that "zum Zweck
der Kindererziehung, Sexualita't zulassen darf' (SaBe 41). This explanation was not an
adequate solution, however, and the inherent contradiction remained. By the turn of the
nineteenth century romantics such as Friedrich Schlegel proposed new concepts of love
which incorporated sexuality (SaBe 49). In Lucinde Schlegel sets forth a new conception
of Liebesehe which binds sexuality and love (SaBe 49). Graumannchen, however, does
not present this form of love as a viable option. This text keeps with the traditional
concept of za'rtliche Liebe, and forces the heroine to choose between sexuality and
marital stability.

Alongside these developments in the definition love, the eighteenth century
society re-defined the domestic sphere. The new role of the domestic sphere was to
provide a safe haven for the intimate family unit (Ellis 37). The emergence of this
private sphere led to the complete separation of domestic and public life. As a result,
gender roles became increasingly compartmentalized. Men represented the family in the
public sphere, and women were relegated to the domestic sphere and defined by their role
as wife and mother (Ellis xiv).

In order to fulfill the role of wife and mother required by the current conception

of the domestic sphere, society was forced to re-define female sexuality. Earlier

conceptions of female sexuality viewed it as a destructive force. Societal perceptions of
women, heavily influenced by the Genesis creation myth (Ellis 20), perceived them as the
source of temptation and weakness (Ellis 11). If left unsupervised, their female sexuality
would run rampant, undermining the structure of patriarchal society (Ellis 11). When
viewed as sexual creatures, women required constant male supervision (Ellis 11).

Once relegated to the domestic sphere, woman were no longer under the direct
supervision of their husbands. Women were left at home, unsupervised, while their
husbands worked in the public sphere. If women were seducers by nature, as the creation
myth suggests, then the abundance of unsupervised time would inevitably lead to
infidelity. Unchecked female sexuality would run rampant, and the "structure of
patriarchy would collapse under these new social arrangements" (Ellis 11). Sexual
women represented a threat to the stability of the domestic sphere, and an unstable
domestic sphere threatened the well-being of society in general. As a result, female
sexuality had to be redefined. A new concept of woman emerged, one who "sees, hears,
and therefore does no evil" (Ellis 11). Women were told to give up knowledge
(specifically sexual knowledge) in return for the safety that the domestic sphere was to
provide (Ellis 11). This new concept of women, which denied them sexuality and
passion was created (Ellis 11). These passionless women did not require the supervision
of men, and were therefore the stable force necessary to provide the foundation of home
life (Ellis 11). This new concept of woman was also more compatible with the concept
of zc'irtliche Liebe, which sacrificed sexuality for marital stability.

The re-definition of woman and her place within society is at the core of

Graumannchen. As we will see in the following section, Grauméinnchen illustrates the

25

necessity of sacrificing sexuality for the stability of marriage. Contrary to the prevailing
notions of contemporary discourse, Albrecht does not celebrate the new, desexualized

woman, but rather depicts this phenomenon as a loss for all women.

26

GRAUMANN CHEN

Grauméinnchen incorporates elements from two genres: gothic literature and the
fairytale. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, women became active in the
development of both of these literary traditions. Both gothic literature and fairytales
combine magical elements and the supernatural. This removes any criticism from
contemporary society and placing it at a safe distance from the reader. As a result, it was
easier, and more acceptable for women to write within these genres. As a result, gothic
literature and fairytales were used as a medium through which women's issues could be
expressed.

Both gothic fiction and fairytales blend elements of time. Gothic fiction is set in
"an antiquated or seemingly antiquated space" which includes places such as a castle, a
foreign palace, or a vast prison, among others (Hogle 2). These spaces are frequently
haunted or contain some secret from the past (Hogle 2). The antiquated setting is
essential to the genres' subversive message. It removes social criticism from the
immediate surroundings, and places it in a less threatening past. There it can be explored
and the issues resolved (Hogle 6). In this way, gothic literature uses the past to offer
solutions for the present and future. Fairytales make the same use of antiquated spaces. It
is for this reason that this form of literary expression was especially appealing to female
writers who were discouraged from writing social criticisms (Zipes m 39). Set in
the past, fairytales could indirectly offer hope for a utopian future (Seifert 23).

Ann Ronald argues that there is something inherently fairytale-er about the

gothic genre. She describes the gothic formula as "an adult fairytale complete with a

27

happily-ever-after ending" (178). It is therefore not surprising that the two genres should
merge in a single text. These two literary traditions are fused in Graumannchen. It is
within the gothic and fairytale elements that the author's social criticism resides.

The text consists of a frame narrative, which traces the life of the protagonist and
her family. This narrative surrounds a secondary, embedded narrative, which is the
history of the antagonist Graumannchen and the Burg in which he resides. The
introduction of the text can be further divided into a frame andembedded story. The
story begins with a description of Liebetreu's purchase of the Burg. This is interrupted by
a flashback, describing the life of the previous owner. The story returns to the frame
narrative, which is interrupted again with a flashback. This flashback describes the
nature of Liebetreu's first marriage, his wife's death, and the circumstances in which
Agnes was sent to a convent. The end of this flashback marks the return to the frame
story. Although this tale employs a variety of fairytale formulas and motifs, its narrative
structure is atypical for a fairytale. In his work The Fag/1' ale as Art Form anfi Portrait of
Map Max Liithi identifies the structures and motifs characteristic of the fairytale genre.
He illustrates how these elements are used to enhance the aesthetics of the fairytale.
According to Liithi, the fairytale structure is characterized by "clarity, compactness, and
exactitude" (54). He concludes that fairytales contain simplistic, linear narratives, use
simple character types and avoid lengthy descriptions. Liithi states that although the
fairytale "employs at times two-strand narration" it makes "no actual use of flashback"
(56). The absence of flashbacks and retrospection enables the fairytale to maintain what

Liithi describes as its "forward-directed goal orientation" (56).

28

Jeannine Blackwell supports the assertion that a simplistic narrative style is not
representative of women's fairytales in the eighteenth century. Female fairytale authors
made use of "encapsulated narratives and narrators and intertwined levels of time,
historicity, fantasy, and fantastic realism" (6). These stylistic characteristics differentiate
their fairytales from traditional fairytales, and place them between "naive, 'anonymous'
folktale and the. Romantic literary masterpiece" (3-4). It is therefore not surprising that
Sophie Albrecht's fairytales deviate from the simplistic formula identified by Liithi.
Many of his genre observations do apply, however, and will be examined as they appear
in this narrative.

Graumannchen is narrated through the perspective of an external narrator, who
interacts with both the reader and the characters in the text. Mieke Bal's N arratology
defines an external narrator as one that "never refers explicitly to itself as a character"
(22). External narrators are also used to disassociate the reader from characters within the
text (Bal 29). Characters remain figure types that lack individuality. Simple characters
are mandatory in the traditional fairytale to focus attention on the plot. Traditional
fairytales eliminate any elements, including lengthy descriptions and complex
characterization, that would draw attention away from the plot (Jolles 231).

In the course of the narrative, the perspective shifts and the events are described
using character-bound narrators. A text has a character-bound narrator if "the 'I' is to be
identified with a character in the fabula it itself narrates" (Bal 22). This shift generally
occurs during moments of intense emotion. If the purpose of the external narrator is to
create distance between the reader and the text, then the character-bound narrator is able

to provide insight to the character's emotions. One such shift occurs while Agnes laments

29

the loss of her love Justus. She cries out "Justus! wenn ich dich verlohren habe, will ich
erst Nonne werden." (34). This first person exclamation intensifies the emotion, and
draws the reader into the text.

It is the external narrator who begins the tale, opening Graumannchen with a
typical fairytale phrase "Vor uralter Zeit". This opening is similar to "Es war einmal" or
"once upon a time" in that it refers to an unspecified time in the past. Several scholars
have analyzed the role of these openings to the fairytale genre. Bloch argues that the
geographic and historical vagueness of the fairytale opening represent the utopian
element of fairytales. These openings represent an idyllic "Anderswo", where life is
brighter and easier (Bloch 33). Although there is merit to this interpretation, it seems out
of place in a fairytale such as Graumannchen, which is clearly not utopian. Andre Jolles
offers a similar interpretation, but one that lacks the utopian elements. He states that
fairytale openings indicate a departure from reality and rational thought (Jolles 244).
They allow the reader to enter this fictitious setting where fairytale logic must be applied.
Liithi argues that it is the ability of fairytale openings to fictionalize the text and indicate
the limits of the narrative. This is fundamental to the fairytale structure. (Liithi 49)
Neither of these interpretations, however, sufficiently explains the importance of the
opening in terms of constructing an effective social criticism. Here we turn to the works
of Zipes and Seifert. Zipes argues that during times of censorship fairytales were used as
indirect means of criticism (Zipes Mums 39). Seifert explains that, set within the past,
fairytales are able to indirectly criticize aspects of society and provide hope for the future
(Seifert 23). The distancing and fictionalizing effect of the opening line was essential to

the effectiveness of fairytales as a tool of indirect social criticism.

30

In the fairytale's introduction, the external narrator describes Liebetreu's purchase
of the Burg Rabenbiihl. Little information regarding the previous owner of the Burg is
provided. We know that the previous owner committed heinous crimes while owning the
Burg. Which prompted him to sell the land and flee to the Holy Land where he could
atone for the crimes he committed (4). At the request of the previous owner, Liebetreu
changes the fortress' name from Rabenbiihl to Waldschiitz (4). Rabenbiihl is formed
from the German word for raven, a bird which frequently symbolizes death. Waldschiitz
is derived from the German word schiitzen, meaning "to protect". Changing the name to
Waldschiitz is just one of the ways that Liebetreu tries to disassociate the fortress from its
violent past.

It is at this point that the narrator addresses the reader directly, insisting that the
missing biographical information is inconsequential. “. . .das aber auch beynahe alles iflt,
was wir euch liebe Leser, von ihm sagen konnen; auch werdet ihr nicht vie] dabei
verlieren...“ (2). This non-narrative comment draws attention to the information by
insisting that it is of little importance. According to Bal, non-narrative comments are
argumentative comments that exist outside of the fabula (33). It is within these
comments that "ideological statements" are frequently made (31). However, this non-
narrative comment does not provide ideological information. Instead, the narrator's
introduction and subsequent dismissal of this information creates a sense of mystery. The
original owner of the Burg is a ghostly figure that haunts the text, and draws attention to
the mystery of the Burg itself. The shift in narrative perspective is indicated by the direct
address of the reader as "lieber Leser". This type of interaction with the reader occurs at

several points in the text. The narrator's interaction with the reader creates another layer

31

of narration, one that is situated beyond the flame narrative. It is reminiscent of the
fairytale genre's roots in the oral tradition. Other types of narrator interjections exist, and
will be analyzed as they occur during Graumannchen.

The Burg Liebetreu purchases is quite old, and is filled with ruins and remnants of
battle. These elements are indicative of the gothic literary tradition. In his forward to m
Cambridge Companion to Gothic Fiction, Jerrold Hogle states that gothic fiction
generally takes place "in an antiquated or seemingly antiquated space" (Hogle 2). These
places include, but are not limited to, castles, prisons, subterranean crypts, graveyards,
large old houses, or aging cities (Hogle 2). Gothic elements abound in the initial
description of the Burg:

Viele verfallne Gefa'ngnisse, die noch, selbst in ihren Ruinen, welche doch jezt das

Tageslicht milderte, schrecklich waren; Gerippe, die in Retten hingen, Fallthu'ren,

die in zackigten F elsen endeten, andere, die in bodenlose Abgru'nde filhrten,

wurden gefunden(..) (5)
The text makes reference to prisons, ruins, fallen towers, and bottomless pits (5). While
most works of gothic fiction choose one or two of these typical elements, Graumiinnchen
heaps all of them into one description. It is within these spaces that characters in gothic
literature are haunted by secrets flom the past (Hogle 2). Hogle states that these
hauntings can be psychological or physical and flequently take the form of ghosts,
monsters or specters (Hogle 2). Hauntings in the gothic tradition represent repressed
issues. They can be manifestations of either personal conflicts, or larger societal
problems (Hogle 4). In the case of Graumannchen, the ruins are linked to the dark acts of

the previous owner. Their presence indicates the existence of unresolved conflicts. It

also foreshadows difficulty for Liebetreu and his family. Although these acts are never
described, their heinous nature is reflected in the state of the Burg. The choice of setting
(a fortress) as opposed to a castle or village, has violent implications. A fortress is not
only a living space, but a site of battle and conflict. After viewing the ruins Liebetreu
becomes convinced, "dafl dessen Erbauer ein grofier, ma'chtiger Mann gewesen, aber
auch zugleich, dafl dieser mc'ichtige Mann ouch ein hartes Herz besessen" (5). The
previous owner is characterized by his acts, which are visualized in the architectural
space of the fortress.

After purchasing the Burg, Liebetreu comes in contact with the villagers. They
are superstitious people, who flighten many of Liebetreu's servants with ghost stories and
legends about the Burg. Liebetreu does not believe in ghost stories. "Ritter Liebetreu
I war kein F reigeist, kein sogenannter Starkdenker (... )das, was alle, die ihn umgaben.
gesehen haben wollten, sah und ho'rte er nicht" (7). His inability to believe in the
supernatural is criticized in the text. This initial characterization reveals his primary
character flaw, his inability to foresee dangerous situations. Instead of heeding the
warnings of the locals, he organizes the reconstruction of the fortress. He believes that
reconstructing the fortress will result in a decrease of superstition among the
townspeople. This hypothesis proves correct, and local legend gradually fades away.

The reconstruction of the Burg is juxtaposed with a description of Liebetreu's
previous marriage. Rebuilding the Burg is an avoidance technique that Liebetreu uses.
The text explains that he is happier occupying himself "mit Bau und Reisen" than finding

a wife (11). The project consumes his energies and his thoughts.

33

The decrepit state of the Burg reflects Liebetreu's inner turmoil. His marriage to
Agnes (the protagonist's mother who shares her name) was an unhappy one. It ended in
betrayal, in the form of infidelity, and death. The phrase "ohne Liebe" is repeatedly used
to describe the nature of their relationship (11). "Seine erste Ehe war sehr ungliicklich;
ohne Liebe reichte ihm die stolze Agnes die Hand, ohne Liebe gab sie ihm seine Tochter
Agnes, ohne Liebe trug er alle ihre Launen Jahre long" (1 1). This sentence reflects
eighteenth century concepts of marriage which link love to marital success. Although
love was still not used to justify partner choice, lack of love was used as a justification
not to marry (Luhmannn 129). The text suggests that it is the absence of love with causes
Liebetreu's marriage to fail. On her deathbed his wife admits to acts of infidelity. Both
of these events indicate mutual incompatibility and are related to the failure of the
marriage. Afraid to love again, Liebetreu buries himself in his work (11).

In addition to offering a commentary on the role of love in marriage, the
description of Liebetreu's marriage is used as a tool for his characterization. His
dissatisfaction with a loveless marriage indicates his romantic side. His romantic nature is
even reflected in his name, Liebetreu, or "true to love". He adheres to the contemporary
love concept, which views marriage and love as intertwined. His compassion is revealed
in mistreatment of Agnes. On her deathbed Agnes asks to be forgiven for her infidelity.
Liebetreu suppresses his anger and responds with the forgiveness befitting a Christian.
"(M)uflte der edle Mann alle seine Stdrke ausrufen, um als ein Christ zu handeln" ( l l ).
Liebetreu is not completely without resentment towards his wife, however. After her
death, he sends his daughter Agnes, the reminder of his unhappy marriage, to live in a

convent. In doing so, Liebetreu punishes his daughter for the pain that his wife inflicted.

34

Many female authored fairytales negatively depict convents. In tales such as pm
Leben der Hochgrafin Gritta von Rattenzphausbeim by Bettine and Gisela von Arnim,
heroines are sent to convents against their will. In von Arnim's text the convent is a type
of prison where the girls are mistreated and also kept against their will. Frequently these
convents are juxtaposed with an alternative female community. In _G_rjt_ta the girls escape
the convent and find peace in an "autonomous female community" of their own creation,
removed flom society (Jarvis Spare the Rod 80). Other tales such as Boadicea and

Velleda by Benedikte N aubert also contain a utopian female community. (Jarvis and

 

Blackwell 39-74) Jarvis identifies these female communities as alternatives to marriage:
"Sometimes the experience of the female community outside traditional society has a
greater appeal (than marriage)" (364). Like the previously mentioned texts, the convent
in Graumjinnchen is not idealized; rather it is a form of punishment. Although Agnes'
life in the convent is not described directly, several passages indicate that she was
miserable there. She does nothing but cry while in the convent (13) and later at home she
states that she would choose death over returning. The alternative to the convent, which
would be life with her family and eventually her husband, is also problematic. In doing
so, the fairytale breaks with both traditional and women's fairytale traditions.
Grauméinnchen addresses the problems of marriage while simultaneously denying the
existence of an alternative utopian female community.

After several years Liebetreu marries "eine grofie schb’ne" Italian women named
Athlene (also spelled Athlena). The name Athlene bears a striking resemblance to the
Greek name Atlas, whose insolence sentenced him to a lifetime of supporting the heavens

on his shoulders. (Graves 48) Athlene's association with Atlas symbolizes her masculine

35

strength. The adjective grofl implies masculinity, and is a physical representation of her
dominating personality. The text's preference for a foreign evil stepmother indicates a
degree of nationalism. Athlene has two unmarried daughters whom she brings with her
into the house. The text does not describe them at this time, but relies on the reader's
knowledge of fairytale motifs to characterize them as the "evil stepsisters". On their way
to Rabenbiihl, Liebetreu retrieves Agnes from the convent and brings her home to live
with him and his new stepfarnily.

Agnes is described for the first time at this point in the narrative. She is a "scho‘ne
erwachsene Jungefrau" with "langen blonden Locken" (12). In her book From the Beast
to the Blonde. “Maria Warner examines the symbolic meaning of hair in fairytales. In
general, a woman's hair is flequently used as a symbol of her sexuality and erotic
attraction (Warner 367). Blonde hair has the added association with feminine goodness
and virginity (365-366). Blonde heroines abound in fairytales, and are flequently
juxtaposed with dark or red haired villains (366, 377). Agnes' association with good and
pure forces is further strengthened by her name itself, derived flom the Latin word agnus
meaning lamb. By describing Agnes as a "Jungefrau" with "langen blonden Locken" the
text is suggesting her inherent goodness and virginity. At the same time, her "lange
blonde Locken" indicate attractiveness and sexual appeal.

It is at this point that the first fairytale motifs enter the text. The text presupposes
the reader's familiarity with the fairytale structure. The reader is required to use these
motifs as a tool for constructing the missing information in the narrative. For example,
the introduction of stepmother and stepsisters is a powerful symbol in fairytales. These

characters are flequently malicious, and their presence generally indicates the arrival of a

36

dark time for the heroine. This pattern is visible in all variations of the Cinderella story
(Thompson Index3 501A). The evil stepmother is a malicious force in other tales
including "Snow White", "The Juniper Tree", and "Hansel and Gretel", just to name a
few. Although the text does not indicate a malicious side to Althene at this point, the
reader's familiarity with this fairytale motif predicts difficulty for the heroine.

Athlene is beautiful as well as spoiled and materialistic. Although Liebetreu is
overcome with love for his wife, Athlene is more interested in using his financial
resources to improve her lifestyle and secure wealthy husbands for her daughters. "Frau
Athlena liebte Pracht und gerc'iuschvolle F reunden; - ihr Gatte lebte nur in ihr und
glaubte nur seine Befehle befolgt, wenn ihr schoner Mund befahl..." (13). She uses the
pretense of love to exercise complete control over her husband. The ease with which
Athlene manipulates her husband is an indication of his romantic nature. The text
criticizes this, and cites it as the source of his weakness. He is ruled by a blind love for
Athlene, and this passion prevents him flom exerting control over his house and
possessions.

The parental dichotomy: weak father vs. strong stepmother, is a common motif in
women's fairytales as well as traditional tales. "Cinderella", "Hansel and Gretel", "Snow
White", "Beauty and the Beast" are just a few of the many traditional fairytales that
depict weak fathers and/or powerful mothers. Jarvis notes the consistency with which
passive fathers are presented as negative forces in female fairytales, a characteristic
which is not found in traditional fairytales (Jarvis & Blackwell 366). Passive or

powerless fathers, although well meaning, are flequently depicted in women's tales as the

 

3 The Stith Thompson Index classifies fairytales based on motifs. Each motif has an entry identifying all
known variations, and listing titles for individual fairytales, which contain the motif.

37

source of their daughter's problems (Jarvis and Blackwell 366). They do not adequately
protect their daughters flom hostile forces, and flequently place them in dangerous
situations. Liebetreu is so overcome with love for Athlene that he is unable to protect the
family's financial resources. Athlene's extravagance leads to Liebetreu's financial ruin.
He leaves his wife and children one day, and sets off for Italy in an attempt to obtain
funds flom wealthy relatives. Numerous variations of "Beauty and the Beast" include a
father who leaves for a distant land with the goal of securing finances for his family
(Griswold). By alluding to yet another fairytale motif, the text heightens the reader's
genre expectations. Before departing, Liebetreu leaves a letter instructing Athlene to find
a husband for Agnes, and to treat her well while he is gone. He forbids Althene to spend
Agnes' dowry (18). He acknowledges Athlene's dislike of Agnes "meine Agnes liebst du
nicht" ( 17) yet insists that she stay in the Burg "Agnes bleibt bei dir auf Waldschiitz" ( 18)
rather than return to the convent.

Liebetreu's letter confines Agnes to the Burg. Although intended for her
protection, this confinement is the source of Agnes' misery. This motif is at the core of
feminine gothic literature. The eighteenth century conception of the domestic sphere was
a realm established for the protection of family members, primarily women (Ellis xi, 37).

In her book The Contested Castle: Gothic Novels and the Subversion of Domestip

 

Ideology Ellis argues the domestic spheres, created for the protection of women, were
flequently the location of violence and abuse (x). Gothic literature portrays this
phenomenon through its preoccupation with the motif of the "failed home" (xi). The goal
of feminine gothic literature is to reveal the dangers associated with the domestic realm.

The dangerous elements are removed, thereby reclaiming the domestic sphere for women

38

(xi). These domestic spheres are identified and represented in a variety of ways in
feminine gothic literature. For the purposes of this interpretation, any non-public realm
to which a woman is confined will be considered a domestic sphere. In Graumannchen,
the well-meaning father confines Agnes to a domestic sphere under the care of a
"masculine" powerful mother with the hopes that it will keep her safe. In reality, he is
imprisoning her in what will become a dangerous realm of abuse, neglect and
exploitation.

The domestic situation in the narrative draws upon a familiar motif of Cinderella
Tales (No. 510 and 510 A in the Thomspon Index). These motif types depict the
persecution of the heroine by a stepmother and stepsister. In some versions the
emergence of an evil stepmother occurs during the absence (either physical or emotional)
of the father. This pattern holds true in Graumiinnchen. Overcome by jealousy for her
stepdaughter's beauty, as well as a desire for her sizable dowry, Athlene treats Agnes
cruelly. Athlene believes that Agnes' beauty is discouraging suitors flom marrying her
own biological daughters. As a result, she makes several attempts to decrease Agnes'
feminine charm assuming that it will make her undesirable to men. She begins by taking
away Agnes' finery and forcing her to wear simple clothing. This proves useless and
suitors continue to flock to Agnes' doorstep. The attraction of the suitors to Agnes
despite simple attire reveals the bourgeois morality that is present throughout the text.
Once stripped of her finery, Agnes is presented as a Naturkind, dressed in an
"einfachweiflen Kleide" and decorated with "einen Blumenkranz im goldenen Haar" (23).
Her suitors are drawn to her because of her simple appearance and the "natural"

femininity that she exudes, the feminine ideal of the eighteenth century.

39

 

 

narrator

has I
insta
wen

imp

ind.
lt‘X

C01

rim
fic
ree
P35

“fir.

At this point in the text there is a shift in narrative perspective and the external
narrator becomes an active character. The narrator speaks directly with Agnes:

Komm her! liebe Agnes! nicht so schu'chtem liebe Dulderin.’ schlag deine sanften

Augen auf.’ meine Leser sollen gleich horen, warum die vollen Thrc'inen die Kosen

deines Madonnengesichtchens verwischen, warum die blauen Augen so

geschwollen vom vielen Nachtwachen. Sev ruhig.’ es wird besser werden(.... )geh

nur hin, arme Einsame! ich ho're die Stiefmutter! (21)

Her ability to call Agnes over and hear the stepmother indicates that the narrator
has temporarily stepped into the narrative. The narrator assumes a maternal role in these
instances, consoling Agnes ("Sey ruhigl") and offering her hope ("es wird besser
warden"). Although Agnes' actions are not described directly in this passage, they are
implied by the comments of the narrator. This passage presents the role of the narrator as
a facilitator between the world of the reader and the world of the characters. It also
indicates the moral position of the narrator and creates sympathy for the protagonist. In a
text intended as a criticism of contemporary society, this type of intervention and narrator
commentary strengthens the text's message.

The phrase "meine Leser sollen gleich ho'ren" adds another element to the
narrative structure. Here the reader becomes the topic of conversation between two
fictional characters. Whereas the early passage indicated the narrator's knowledge of the
reader, this passage implies that the characters too know that they are "being read". The
passages draw attention to the act of story telling by acknowledging the reader's role in

narration as "audience".

Athlene realizes that her attempts to break Agnes' spirit and discourage suitors
have failed. She responds by locking her stepdaughter in a tower. She hopes to convince
Agnes, through abuse and confinement, to write Liebetreu and request permission to
return to the convent. Since Liebetreu insisted that Agnes remain at Rabenbiihl, Agnes
cannot leave unless she requests permission herself. If this were to happen, not only
would Agnes leave the household, but her dowry would be at the disposal of Athlene and
her biological daughters.

The evil Athlene is, in part, a reflection of contemporary societal truths regarding
the place of stepmothers in the family. Scholars examining the role of stepmothers in
fairytales argue that their evil nature was in part a reaction to the threat that biological
children posed to the security of the stepfamily. (Weber-Kellermann 36) As Ingeborg
Weber-Kellermann notes in her essay "Die Stiefrnutter irn Marchen", the law provided no
protection for stepchildren in a marriage (36). The husband's biological children were the
legal heirs and therefore jeopardized the status and security of the stepchildren (36). As a
result, fairytales often feature an attempt made by the stepmother to dispose of these
biological children (36). The stepmother's resentment towards her stepchildren is
articulated in many fairytales including "Briiderchen und Schwesterchen",
"Aschenputtel", and "das Marchen vom Machandelboom" (32). Although Weber-
Kellermann uses caution when applying social context to literary texts, she does interpret
the role of evil stepmother as a reflection of societal conditions (33). While other
fairytales allow the reader to speculate the motive behind the stepmother's villainy,
Graumannchen makes the financial aspect clear. Athlene's daughters lack the financial

security of a dowry, and she is therefore envious of Agnes' financial situation. This

41

creates a more realistic context, and as a result makes the characters themselves more
realistic.

Although it is common among traditional fairytales to make stepmothers appear
as villains, women's fairytales generally avoid this negative characterization. In the
afterward to me Oueen's Mirror. Jarvis writes: "Rather than evil (step)mothers
abandoning children or sending them off to certain doom, mothers and other family
members in these (women's) tales typically strive to preserve or restore family"(Jarvis &
Blackwell 365). Women who are portrayed as villains in women's fairytales are "not
witches and wise women, but rather the women who embrace the male world(...)"(Jarvis
Vanished 205). Royer argues that Athlene is portrayed as a villain in the tale because she
has taken the patriarchal social order and made it her own (262). This explains the
necessity of describing Athlene as a masculine force. Athlene is not the demonized
woman of traditional fairytales, but rather one of the masculine women that terrorize
female authored fairytales. The text chastises women who support the male system and
blames them more than men for the victimization of their gender.

Athlene's villainous acts continue. She accuses Agnes of witchcraft, and uses that
accusation to justify her imprisonment. Royer argues that the accusations of witchcraft
represent an abuse of absolute power as well as a criticism of the Catholic Church. She
states that this interpretation is strengthened when Agnes demands she be put through the
water and fire test in order to prove her innocence (226). However this interpretation
fails to address the underlying sexual connotations of the accusations. It is my
interpretation that the accusations of witchcraft are a reflection of societal conceptions of

female sexuality. Witches are flequently linked with female sexuality in literature.

42

Agnes is imprisoned in part due to her uncanny ability to attract suitors. This speaks for
her inherent femininity and sexual power, something that she does not control but that is
present nonetheless. Society is threatened by unchecked female sexuality (Ellis 11), and
as a result, Agnes is imprisoned. The reader knows that the accusations of witchcraft are
false. The absurdity of the accusations suggests that the text views the fear of feminine

sexuality as equally absurd.

The place of Agnes' imprisonment is described as a "verfallenes Gewo'lbe" that
Athlene calls the "Zimmerchen" (23). The space itself, a dark enclosed ruin, is a re-
occurring symbol in feminine gothic writing, and has been interpreted in a variety of
ways by scholars. Ellis argues that these spaces are demonized versions of the domestic
sphere, created to reveal their inherent danger. Juliann E. Fleenor states that these spaces
are a representation of the female sexual body, and therefore frequently represent a return
to the womb. Since maternal elements were associated at this time with the domestic
sphere, it is not unreasonable that a text should combine both of these elements.

The tower in which Agnes is imprisoned has a dark history. It was the place
where heinous acts occurred, and where prisoners were put to death. This part of the
castle has strong ties to the Burg's forgotten past, a past that Liebetreu attempted to
annihilate. The narrator explains this background information to the reader directly, and
Agnes remains unaware of the Burg's past (23). Faced with hunger, boredom, fear, and
threats of violence, Agnes consoles herself with thoughts of her love, Justus. Ritter
Justus, whose name means justice (Royer 257), is reminiscent of a chivalrous, medieval
time. The narrator explains that Agnes saw Justus prior to her imprisonment, and fell in

love with him flom afar. This love at first sight motif portrays love as an emotion, and

43

not the effect of rational thought. The type of love Agnes feels for Justus is a passionate,
romantic one. It does not rely on an intimate knowledge of the other person, but rather is
grounded in intense emotion. After inflequent, and relatively casual contact with Justus,
Agnes is obsessed with love for him While in the tower she cries out "Justus! wenn ich
dich verlohren habe, will ich erst Nonne werden" (34). The intensity with which she
loves Justus, and the lack of justification for this love, implies that Agnes feels a
passionate romantic love for him, as opposed to a less passionate, za'rtliche Liebe.

Agnes is consumed by thoughts of him and the possibility of their union remains
the only glimmer of hope in her world. The narrator interjects several comments, offering
a more realistic view of the situation than Agnes is able to give. The narrator validates
Agnes' choice in men by describing him as "ein schlanker Ritter, schb'n und gut" (32), but
adds a hint of realism by informing the reader that Agnes' love for Justus is not
reciprocated. The narrator tells the reader that "er (Justus) war zu wenig mit ihr bekannt,
um ganz gefesselt zu werden" (34). Agnes' obsession with Justus is pitied by the narrator.
"Ach' sie liebte ihren Ritter unaussprechlich, und das gute Ma'dchen dachte vielleicht,
Liebefordert Liebe" (34). There is an implicit criticism of Agnes' views of love. The
word "vielleicht" and "dachte" indicate that "liebe" does not in fact "fordert Liebe". Her
obsession with him is misplaced. Unbeknownst to Agnes, Justus soon forgets her
("Agnesens Bild wurde immer blc‘z'sser in seinem Andenken " (35) ) and he leaves the Burg
to visit his father.

Life in the tower continues to worsen for Agnes. At first she consoles herself
with thoughts of her father and Justus. She hopes that one of them will rescue her, and

that she will be reunited with Justus. This is a traditional fairytale motif; the damsel in

distress. As conditions in the tower worsen Agnes loses hope and begins to despair. As
readers of fairytales, our expectation is that Agnes' love interest will come to her rescue.
Contrary to our expectations, the knight not only remains passive, but over time forgets
the damsel and leaves the town all together. By establishing a fairytale context, and then
refusing to fulfill reader expectations, the author questions the "knight in shining armor"
motif. Instead, Albrecht presents a world closer to reality, one in which the heroine
cannot rely on the men in her life to rescue her.

The theme of male abandonment is present throughout the text. Agnes' world is
inhabited by weak men who repeatedly abandon her in her time of need and leave her at
the mercy of malicious forces. First, Agnes is abandoned by her father at the Cloister.
Secondly, she is abandoned by her father who leaves for Italy, and finally, she is
I abandoned by her love, who does not save her. This tripling is a characteristic of
fairytales. It re-enforces themes throughout the text and contributes to the aesthetics of
the fairytale form (Liithi 46).

Overcome with boredom, Agnes begs her stepmother to give her work. Athlene
responds by assigning impossible tasks. With each task Agnes is told that failure to
complete it in three days' time will result in punishment. This motif is present in a
number of stories, which are defined in the Stith Thompson's index as number 500-The
Name of the Helper. These stories, which include such tales as "Titeliture",
"Rumpelstilzchen" and "Tom-Tit-Tot", involve several consistent elements (31167). In
each case an impossible task is assigned to a young woman, a bargain is made with a
helper (flequently a supernatural helper), and the helper is overcome by correctly

guessing its name (F_F 167). The nature of the task, the situation in which the task was

45

assigned, and the nature of the bargain vary flom tale to tale (F_F 167). Vladmir Propp
identifies the helper as one of 7 dramatis personae (72 -73). The action sphere for these
dramatis personae includes "accomplishment of difficult tasks" (Propp 72). Protagonists
often receive help with completing impossible tasks flom magical creature and animals.
Despite this common occurrence among fairytale literature, this passage of the text bears
a remarkable similarity to Grimm No. 55, "Rumpelstilzen". The description of the
antagonist, as well as the unique nature of their bargain, drawsparallels between these
two tales. Several scholars have suggested a connection between these two tales.
Although "Name of the Helper" type tales had been circulating in the oral tradition for
many years, Scherf states that Albrecht's tale was based on Marie Jeanne L'Héritiers de
Villandon's fairytale novel "L'histoire de Ricdin Ricdon" (322).4 The two tales differ
significantly in the nature of the bargain between antagonist and the heroine. Unlike
earlier versions of the tale, Graumannchen was the first in which the heroine promises her
baby to the antagonist. In earlier versions, the heroine promises herself as payment for
the debt (Scherf 322).

Royer further traces the development of Albrecht's tale. She claims that
Grauméinnchen influenced Caroline Stahl's fairytale Der gelbe Zwerg, which in turn was
the basis of the Grimm's "Rumpelstilzchen" (257). In the course of my research
however, I have found no evidence to substantiate Royer's claim.

Both tales involve the confinement of the young woman and the threat of heinous
punishment. In "Rumpelstilzchen" the three tasks each involve spinning straw into gold.

The three-time repetition of the task, and gradual increase of the task's difficulty occurs in

 

4 L'histoire de Ricdin Ricdon first appeared in Marie Jeanne L'Héritiers de Villandon's La tour ténébreuse et
lesjours lumrineux (Scherf 321).

46

many fairytales and is flequently used as a method of building suspense. This is not the
pattern we see in Graumannchen. however. Here the tasks are unrelated, and no pattern
of increasing difficulty is apparent. The first task involves separating a bucket of water
into three different buckets by water type (one bucket for rain water, one for melted
snow, and one for creek water) (38). For her second task Agnes must remove the color
flom butterfly wings and use them to paint. The third task requires her to spin veils out of
spider webs. For the fourth task Agnes is told to separate grain flom a bucket. Finally,
she is ordered to warm an oven without wood (67).

In both tales, spinning is assigned as an impossible task. Over the years scholars
have proposed many interpretations of the spinning motif in Rumpelstilzchen. Spinning
straw into gold has been interpreted as a sexual act that indicates the heroine's ability in
bed (Rohrich 572), an indication of nobility (Rbhrich 578), and a pre-marital test of a
woman's industriousness (Rohrich 580). Since Agnes' spinning tasks are assigned by her
stepmother, and not a potential suitor, any interpretation that equates spinning with
sexuality or marriage is not appropriate in our context. In addition, spinning spider webs
into veils does not imply nobility. Instead, Graumiinnchen uses spinning to symbolize
onerous household tasks (Bottigheimer 146). In this regard spinning veils is similar to
the grain separations task in that they are both sadistic forms of traditional household
chores. These impossible versions of domestic tasks represent the warped domestic
sphere in which women are imprisoned. They also suggest the exploitation of women in
the domestic sphere.

Each of these tasks has a symbolic meaning. The water separation and fire task

are symbolic of the water and fire trials used during witch hunts. When first accused of

47

witchcraft Agnes demands a test to prove her innocence. "Ich werde der gesammten
Ritterschaft meine Unschuld durch F euer und Wasserprobe kund thun" (29-30). These
tasks re-enforce the earlier motif. Each time a task is assigned, Agnes is overwhelmed by
the impossibility of completing it, and makes no attempt to do the work.

After the third task is assigned, Agnes falls asleep and is visited in a dream by a
small gray man (Graumannchen). In the dream he guides her through the woods to her
beloved Justus. He appears for several nights in her dreams, each time reuniting her with
her love (47). In addition, these dreams not only indicate the role Graumannchen will
play within the narrative, it also familiarizes Agnes with him (47). When he later
materialized in‘ her room she is not aflaid of his appearance because of their previous
encounters. His ability to enter dreams indicates that he is a magical creature. His
association with the woods disassociates him flom society and aligns him with the forces
of nature. Graum'annchen's association with nature has sexual undertones.

After the fourth task is assigned, Agnes reaches the height of her misery. She
denounces God, and resigns herself to suicide. She laments her situation "Warum mir,
der Unschuld, Retten und Tod, und der Bosheit Ruhe und Triumpf! (...) Selbstmord!"
(45). That night Graumannchen appears in a ray of light and materializes in her room.
The juxtaposition of God and Graumiinnchen defines the latter as force outside of the
Christian religion. This strengthens his association with nature and introduces a new
element to his character, his association with pre-Christian religion. Graumannchen
offers Agnes hope. He explains to Agnes that he comes "dich (Agnes) vom Selbstmord zu
retten, und dir zu sagen, dafi ein lieber Jemand sich nach Agnes seynt, und ihr treuer

Liebe Thrc'inen weint" (48).

48

He assures her of Justus' love, and says he is there to help. He then proceeds to
effortlessly complete all of Athlene's tasks. Over the course of several days his nocturnal
visits continue. With each visit he completes the impossible tasks. Royer identifies
Grauméinnchen as Agnes' alter ego, an "Uberlebensmechanismus" that is (initiated) by
thoughts of Justus (263). The loss of her love indicates her darkest hour, and is the
catalyst for Graumannchen's creation (263). This interpretation overlooks the erotic
aspect of Graumiinnchen. Graumannchen only visits at night, and appears before Agnes
in her bedroom. In her dreams he leads her through the woods to Justus. He is closely
associated with nature, implying a connection to sexuality. These associations imply a
sexual aspect to Graumannchnen, and a sexual connection between him and Agnes.

Agnes is initially taken aback by his appearance and describes him as ugly (51).
Grauméinnchen is described as an un-human fleak with his "zahnlosen Mun " (69)
"langer gelben Ohren" (69) "schwarzen gliihenden Augen" (69) and "gelben Fingem"
(159). In general, gothic literature makes use of supernatural creatures to displace
internal desires and fears. The effect of creatures such as Graumannchen is that the
heroine's (and perhaps also the reader's) "deeply and internally familiar" desires and fears
appear before them in "seemingly external, repellant and unfamiliar forms" (Hogle 6).
These desires and fears take on a more specific meaning when feminine gothic literature
is examined. Feminine gothic tradition makes use of grotesque creatures (fleaks,
dwarves, cripples, etc) to symbolize a specific type of fear; namely the discomfort
women feel with their sexual bodies (Fleenor 244). Fleenor examines the way in which
gothic villains are used by female authors to displace the heroine's own sexuality (244).

Once the heroine's sexuality has been displaced on the deformed creature, the heroine can

49

extemalize the discomfort she feels with her sexuality. The ambivalent feelings Agnes
exhibits are caused by acceptance of and subsequent rejection of her sexuality.

Although Graumannchen's visits initially fill Agnes with joy, as the narrative
progresses her feelings toward him become increasingly ambivalent. This ambivalence
reflects Agnes' uncertainty and discomfort with her sexuality. If we examine Agnes'
interaction with Graumannchen, as well as her description of him, we can see a slow
acceptance, followed by rejection, of Agnes' sexuality.

After her initial uneasiness, Agnes grows accustomed to Graumannchen's
appearance and is no longer frightened (68). She describes him now as "fleundlich" (68).
She no longer feels alone (67) and instead she fears daybreak because, "rnit ihr
(Morgenrothe) versehwand Graumannchen" (67). Her comfort with Graumiinnchen
reaches a high point when the text states that Agnes "Vergafi es fast ganz, dafi ihr
Gesellschafter kein Wesen ihrer Art war, and wurde (...) furchtlos" (80). Her inability to
identify Graumannchen as a creature different flom herself indicates an acceptance of her
sexuality. It also marks her regression into the primal, natural world with which
Graumannchen is associated. She has stepped out of society, embraced nature and
subsequently, her sexuality.

As their relationship grows, however, a day/night duality emerges. During the
day, Agnes remembers her "Pflichten als Mensch und Christin" (68). She wonders who
Graumannchen is, and realizes that he is not a heavenly helper. "Grauma'nnchen schlang
sich nie in eine Gruppe der Engel in ihren Phantasien" (69). The text suggests that Agnes
is closer to Graumiinnchen than her religion allows; "Ko'nnen wir es ihr verdenken, dafl

sie sich vielleicht mehr, als sie es nach ihrer Religion sollte, an dieses Wesen anschlo ?"

50

(68). She recognizes him as an un-Christian force, and realizes the need to end the
relationship. "Auch dieses wurde zu seiner Schuld gelegt, und beim Erwachen der
Vorsatz gefafit, mit ihm zu brechen" (69). Her resolve diminishes in the evening
however; and she finds herself "nicht mehr so stark als der Morgen" (69). Agnes' nightly
"weakness" and morning-after guilt symbolize a sexual aspect to their relationship.
Graumiinnchen's association with night and Agnes' bedroom have erotic overtones. This
connection is purely symbolic, and the text offers no indication that the visits were

sexual in any physical (material) sense. Instead, Agnes' own sexuality is displaced on the
supernatural character.

At first Graumiinnchen helps Agnes in the spirit of friendship. He brings her food
and drink, and continues to perform the tasks that Athlene requires of her. One evening
V Agnes asks Grauméinnchen to tell her the history of the Burg. He reluctantly agrees, but
announces that this is the last flee favor and that he will, "thue nichts mehr ohne Lohn!"
(82). At this point the narrative perspective shifts, and Graumannchen proceeds to tell his
story.

The story of Graumannchen is an embedded narrative text, flamed by Agnes'
story. A flame story is defined by Bal as a narrative text "in which at the second or third
level a complete story is to] "(52). Bal identifies a number of possible relationships
between the flame and embedded narratives. The embedded narrative can replace the
flame narrative so that the reader eventually forgets the flame narrative (Bal 53). The
embedded narrative can explain or resemble the primary text, or the embedded story can
determine the primary text (Bal 53). It is also possible to have embedded narratives

which accomplish a combination of these functions (Bal 53). In the case of

51

Graumannchen, the embedded narrative explains the actions of the flame narrative.
Unlike flame narratives that eventually give way to the embedded narrative, the
Graumannchen story sheds light on mysteries contained in the flame narrative that
influence the flame narrative.

The embedded narrative is set off flom the flame story by a shift both in narrative
perspective as well as tense. The beginning of the embedded narrative is indicated with
the phrase "Er (Graumiinnchen) begann die versprochene Erza'hlung." (84). The
narrative perspective shifts flom an external narrator to a character-bound narrator,
Graumannchen. Graumannchen himself remains the narrator for the entire embedded
narrative. The tense shifts flom past tense to present and the passage acquires a feeling of
direct speech. This change in tense and perspective is once again reminiscent of the oral
tradition. Graumannchen is telling a story to both Agnes and the reader, and the use of
direct speech strengthens the association with the oral tradition.

Graumannchen begins the story with a description of himself. He is a pagan
priest, and one of the original settlers of the lands surrounding the fortress. He describes
the slaughter of the original pagan inhabitants by the Christians. The grotesque gothic
mood is created with descriptions of piles of unburied corpses "Leichen ha'ufen sich auf
Leichen" (88). Graumannchen criticizes the "Despotie, Widerspruch, Bosheit und
Unsinn" exhibited by the Christians (89). This is a blatant criticism of the Catholic
Church (Royer 266). Graumiinnchen explains that he is bound to the Burg by a promise
made to a fallen solider. He agreed to convert one of the Christians to their religion and
in doing so, take revenge for the fallen soldier's death. In an act of religious devotion, a

pagan woman gives Graumiinnchen her baby boy. He names the child Ulrno and raises

52

him to be a great warrior. Graumannchen‘ hopes that vengeance for the pagans will be
accomplished through Ulmo. The plan was successful and Ulmo became strong. Fearing
that the son might someday conquer his father, " es gab Augenblicke, wo er selbst gegen
mich stark seyn konnte" (94). He knows that "Liebe erzeugt Schwc'iche" and commands
Uhno to find a wife (94). Love is portrayed here as a weakness. Love weakened Ulmo
the same way that it weakened Liebetreu and led to his financial ruin. Ulmo falls in love
with a Christian and converts to Christianity. Once under love's control, Ulmo is unable
to continue to be the warrior 'he was. Instead, he renounces'his religion. In doing so he
loses his identity, and aligns himself with the enemy. This evokes the wrath of
Graumannchen. Ulrno's deeds resulted in a debt that was passed along to his descendents.
At the conclusion of embedded narrative the action in the flame narrative occurs
rapidly. Through Graumannchen Agnes learns of Justus' intended marriage and Athlene's
plan to dispose of her. Driven to despair by starvation and abuse, Agnes turns to
Graumannchen for help. Graumannchen agrees to help her for a price. She is aflaid that
this price may be her immortal soul. So deep is her despair that she cries out "rette!
rette! ich will alles - fordere! - selbst meiner Seele Heil scheint mirjetzt nicht mehr
wichtig!" (117). Graumannchen does not want her soul, however. He says " gieb mir als
Schuldschein eine deiner blonden Locken; auch versprech ich dir nicht eher als Mahne
vor dir zu stehen, bis ich dein Gliick vollendet, und du selbst ausruft: alle meine
Wilnsche sind erfu'llt! " (117). Only after Agnes is happy will Graumannchen specify the
terms of payment. A clause is added to this debt. If Agnes can guess Graumiinnchen's
name, " so ist deine Schuld bezahlt und das Hand deiner Verbindlichkeit gebe ich dir

unentgeldlich zuru'c " (119). Name guessing as payment for a debt is unique to

53

Thompson No 500 tales, The Name of the Helper. It is this unique nature of the pact
which separates it flom other helper type stories. The deposit, in the form of a lock of
hair, represents a piece of Agnes' self that now belongs to Graumannchen. Owning a
piece of someone's hair is flequently used in fairytales to symbolize a deep bond between
individuals (Warner 373). For a maiden, the loss of hair carries sexual connotations.
Warner explains that "maiden hair can symbolize maidenhea " (374), and the loss of hair
symbolizes a loss of virtue. When Agnes gives Graumannchen her piece of hair, she
gives in completely to her sexual self. The exchange of hair represents not only the depth
of this pact, but also the symbolic loss of her virginity.

Agnes ”reluctantly agrees to the conditions of the pact. Aided by a magical
disguise given to her by Graumannchen, Agnes escapes flom her tower. She proceeds to
go to the celebration her stepmother is holding in their house. The act of mis-recognition
by family members and using magical aids to sneak into festivals undetected can be
traced to several versions of Cinderella. The stepmother's inability to recognize her
stepdaughter at a ball is a motif that appears in Grimm's "Cinderella". Here too a woman
slips into a party, dances with the desired suitor, and returns home without being
recognized by her family, all of whom were present. While disguised she meets Justus
and informs him that, contrary to popular belief, Agnes is not dead. The disguised Agnes
encourages Justus to wait a few days' time until he will once again be united with his
love. Agnes returns to the tower without being discovered.

Within several days of the celebration, Liebetreu returns home. Together he and
Justus attack the Burg, driving out Athlene and her two daughters. There is no indication

that the antagonists are punished. The triumph of good over evil is symbolized in

54

fairytales by the protagonist‘s reward, and the antagonist's punishment. Albrecht offers a
more realistic look at life than traditional fairytales. Hers is a world in which individuals
are not always punished for their transgressions, and people rarely get the satisfaction of
witnessing the antagonist's punishment. After days of fighting, Liebetreu storms through
the tower door and embraces an anxiously awaiting Agnes. Justus follows Liebetreu.

The rescue is followed by Agnes' marriage to Justus. The marriage is described
with typical fairytale elation; "nie ward ein Ma'dchen, nie ward ein Ju'ngling gliicklicher,
als Justus und Agnes, als der Priester ihre Hc'inde schlofi" (141). The text continues with
the following description:

Der scho'nste Abend verdrc'ingte den scho'nen Tag. Der scho'nste Abendfu'hrte die
endliche Mitternacht herbei, siefand die Liebenden im verschwiegenen
Brautgemach. Es ist uns nichts mehr zu sagen erlaubt, als, Agnes lispelte mit
himmlischem Entziicken: ach! ich bin ganz gliicklich. (141)

There is an element of eroticism in this passage. The reader can assume that the events
after the wedding, which the authors is not "allowed" to discuss, are sexual. After
consummating their marriage, Agnes utters the phrase "ich bin ganz glu'cklich". The
association of happiness with the wedding night has definite erotic implications.

After uttering the words "ich bin ganz gliicklich", Graumiinnchen appears in the
room and places Justus in a deep sleep. Agnes is terrified of Graumannchen. With every
step towards her he appears larger, and his gaze is terrifying. (142). Agnes lies "in
eiskalter Angst" (142). This is very different flom the fliendly, helpful Graumiinnchen

described earlier in the text. He informs Agnes that she is pregnant and that her child is

55

the sum of the debt. Her pregnancy is another reference to sexuality. He promises to
return in nine months to collect the child unless Agnes can guess his name.
Agnes' marital unhappiness is explained in the text as the result of Graumannchen's
demand for her child this is symbolic of a deeper conflict. The threat that Graumiinnchen
poses is not to the safety of Agnes' child, as the narrative would suggest, but rather the
threat that unchecked female sexuality poses to the institution of marriage as a whole.
Sexuality, represented in gothic tradition with Graumiinnchen, was the force necessary to
secure a husband and produce a child. However, within the context of eighteenth century
conception of marriage, female sexuality poses a threat to both the concept of zc'irtliche
Liebe (which dissociates sexuality flom love) and the ideal domestic sphere (which
requires an a-sexual mother figure to maintain its stability). Realizing that the sexual
aspect of her self will no longer be compatible with her role of wife and mother, Agnes
views this force as threatening.

Agnes' conflict with Graumiinnchen causes misery within her marriage. She
becomes recluse and her health begins to deteriorate. The text states:

(...) F reude wurde ihrem Herzen fremd, F reude beleidigte in kurzem ihr

thrya'nensch weres Auge. Der Schlaffloh ihr Lager, die Gesundheit ihre Wange.

Die schb’ne bliihende Agnes war bald ein bleiches rastloses Gespenst. ( 146)
Her misery calls into question the utopian nature of marriage, and therefore critiques
contemporary notions of marriage. The Rumpelstilzchen motif lends itself well as a
vehicle for a critique of marriage because it is one of the few fairytales that does not end
with marriage, but explores in an indirect way the problems of life after marriage. After

the wedding, the text does not describe Agnes' married life as either happy or fulfilling.

56

She has little interaction with her husband, and is devastated by the conflict between
herself and Grauméinnchen. There is a complete lack of positive "fairytale-like"
superlatives, and instead Agnes' misery is described at length. The text's negative
depiction of marriage produces a heavy criticism of contemporary societal views of
marriage.

After several months have passed in this fashion, Agnes finally begins a search
for Graumiinnchen's name. She invites older members of the community to her house,
and asks them to tell her the local folk stories and legends. She hopes that one of these
stories contains the answer to Graumannchen's riddle. Few story tellers can be found
however, and none of them know the old legends.

As the end of her pregnancy approaches, Justus returns home flom a hunting trip
I and retells a strange event he had witnessed while in the woods. He describes a strange
congregation of "Wesen" that he identifies "eine seltsame fiirchterliche Mischung von
Thieren, Menschen und Geistem" (159). He recites the song he heard them sing, and
embedded in the lyrics is the name of Graumiinnchen. "Liebchen! Wipp dich - leise!
leise! Das ich’s kleine Diittelduflgen hei/J'e " (163).

In his essay "Rumpelstilzchen" Lutz Rohrich summarizes several interpretations
of the name-guessing challenge. Some interpretations argue that the title character was a
social outcast, hoping to marry the women he helped. If his name were revealed, it
would indicate his position outside society and make a marriage impossible (568).
Others argue that the naming of the creature represents the heroine's personal
development and identity as an individual (576). Still other interpretations suggest that

the name motif is linked to a folk belief that knowing someone's name gave power to the

57

individual (582). Finally, some interpretations argue that the creature is a devil figme.
Just as humans are not allowed to know the name of the devil so is the protagonist not
allowed to know the name of her "helper" (594). Selecting the correct name represents
the alteration of marital expectations. Once Agnes identifies marital love for what it is
and abandons her sexuality, Graumiinnchen no longer poses a threat. It is my
interpretation that the act of solving the riddle is a symbolic acceptance of a less-than-
ideal domestic situation. She recognizes the threat that Graumannchen poses to her
marriage, and realizes the necessity of dissociating herself flom him. "Solving the
riddle" represents accepting a de-sexualized existence and making amends with her new
role as wife and mother. She has "solved the riddle" of marriage and its incompatibility
with romantic love.

Relieved, Agnes' health improves. "Agnes sang and lachte, machtefrohe
Anstalten zum nahen Wochenbette" (164). The days later "Der Thurmwc'icher rufte der
eilften Stunde, als sie den schb’nsten Buben als Mutter kufite" (166).

After the birth of the baby, Agnes is transformed into an a-sexual mother figure.
She has discovered Graumannchen's identity, and therefore he no longer poses a threat.
This indicates that she has successfully disassociated herself flom her sexuality. She
prays to the Virgin Mary, something she has not done since she denounced God in the
tower, and asks forgiveness. "Agnes richtete sich im Bette auf, betete zur heiligen
Jungfrau, und versprach all ihr Lebelang mit keinem so zweideutigen Wesen, als
Graumiinnchen war, sich wieder einzulassen" (167). The Virgin Mary has historically
been used in literature to represent the ideal woman. As both a virgin, and the mother of

Jesus, Mary is a symbol of the ideal, a-sexual mother figure. Christine Kallinger writes:

58

"As a protector of women and children, Mother Mary symbolizes virginity, purity,
charity, female humility, submissiveness, and tenderness" (334). Aligning herself with
the Virgin Mary and promising never to associate with "so zweideutigen Wesen" indicates
her rejection of sexuality, and acceptance of her role as a-sexual mother. These two
actions are sufficient to release Agnes' flom Graumiinnchen's power. The deposit, a piece
of Agnes' hair, appears on a table, indicating the payment of her debt. The return of the
hair indicates a return of her sexual innocence.

The ending in Graumannchen is anti-climatic, when compared to its literary
relative "Rumpelstilzchen". Unlike the Grimm version of this tale, there is no final duel
between good and evil. It is uncertain what happens to Graumiinnchen, but there is no
indication that he is punished in any way. The lack of punishment has an unsettling effect
within the fairytale context. Although the text describes Agnes' happiness, "freudigen
Schreck" (169), it lacks the traditional closing which ensures continued happiness. The
text uses the expectation of the excessive happy ending generally found in fairytales to
draw attention to the reality of Agnes' situation. Hers is not the utopian world of fairytale
bliss, but rather a more realistic world in which difficulties of married life and

motherhood lie in her future.

59

CONCLUSION

Graumannchen by Sophie Albrecht delivers a criticism of contemporary ideals of
domesticity and marriage. The text leaves basic fairytale elements including the
punishment/reward motif, the knight as rescuer motif and the happy ending expectation
unfulfilled, and in doing so presents the realities of eighteenth century society instead of
idyllic expectations. Its use of those motifs found in "The Name of the Helper" type tales
are especially effective. This fairytale type, with its depiction of a post-wedding conflict
is used as an effective tool for questioning the assumption of marital bliss. "The Name of
the Helper" type conflict, found in Graumiinnchen is used symbolically to depict the
inherent incompatibility of marriage and sexuality, and the turmoil that this contradiction
causes in the lives of women.

The text's use of gothic elements strengthens the depiction of female victimization
at the hands of society. Embedded in the symbolic language of gothic literature, the text
depicts Agnes' prison as a demonic sphere, controlled by masculine forces and
established for the exploitation of women. In doing so, it questions prevailing notions of
domesticity, and attempts to reveal the dangers that were hidden flom public view.
Gothic elements are also used to portray another aspect of female hardship, namely the
suppression of female sexuality. The text uses the gothic character Graumannchen to
displace the protagonist's own sexuality. This enables the heroine's conflicted feelings
towards sexuality to be expressed as a conflict between herself and a demonic villain.
This type of gothic displacement provides a tool with which the text can address issues of

feminine sexuality, a topic that did not have a place in mainstream discourse.

In the end, Graumiinnchen offers no "happy ending" for women. It does not
reward those who adhere to social norms, nor does it offer a utopian feminine alternative.
Instead, it aims to reveal the inherent contradictions and dangers of the prevailing system,
and in doing so vocalizes the flustration and loss that women face in a society that

confines them to a-sexual, domestic roles.

61

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