Girls' literature
The term girls' literature refers to a sub-area of children's and youth literature , the target group of which is predominantly girls of a certain age and development level. The term is closely related to the history of the socialization of women and girls.
History of girls' literature
The girl's book emerged in the 18th century in the course of the Enlightenment. Moral writings, ethics, edification books and housekeeping were published, all of which had the aim of preparing the girls for their role as wives and mothers. In addition, the aim was to counteract the attempts at emancipation that arose in the early enlightenment, by using this type of literature to encourage women to use their natural "threefold destiny to be the wife, mother and head of the household", as stated in fatherly advice for my daughter (1789 ) by Joachim Campe means should be remembered. Two forms in particular, which also appeared mixed, were used to explain to the girls their position in society. On the one hand there were the "role model stories" in which the main characters act and live in accordance with the bourgeois canon of values - duty, virtue, selflessness, sensitivity - and then find fulfillment and happiness, and on the other hand the "warning stories", in which the main characters break the rules, but ultimately go on the right path after being purified.
In the 19th century little changed in the basic type of girl's book. The biggest change was the divergent development of girls' literature in Backfischbuch and popular narration. But the objectives remained largely the same. The focus was still on the development of specifically female sexual characters, which included self-surrender, passivity and meekness. The classics of the Backfischbuch are The Defiant Head (1885) by Emmy von Rhoden and Backfischchens Leiden und Freuden (1863) by Clementine Helm . In the course of the gradual abandonment of the girl's book as an instruction book, the Backfischbuch assumed the function of the educational novel, which was primarily aimed at the higher daughters. The popular narrative, represented for example by Johanna Spyri ( Heidi , 1882), Isabella Braun , Ottilie Wildermuth , Agnes Sapper , was close to the homeland and family novel .
In addition to the entertaining reading, the resulting yearbooks complemented the range of girls' literature. Thekla von Gumpert , whose daughters album was released from 1855 to 1933, should be mentioned above all .
The 20th century mainly produced series literature, some of which appeared in millions. These include: Else Ury , Nesthäkchen (1918–25); Magda Trott , Pucki (1934-41); Käthe Theuermeister, Hummelchen (1963–67); Martha Schlickert, Bummi (1957-68); Enid Blyton , Hanni and Nanni ( Ger . 1965 ff.) And Dolly (Ger. 1966–79). The series were based on the tradition of the Backfischbuch, but were adapted to the 20th century in terms of vocabulary and props. In addition, the opportunities offered by the professional world were included more closely. From the 1970s it becomes apparent that the girls' book has made further progress. Politically and historically conditioned novels with a strong autobiographical background were published. Likewise, the number of so-called problem-oriented girls 'books increased, which have taken the resolution to paint a more differentiated picture of the girls' world than did the Backfisch books, whose pseudo-reality is characterized by the pursuit of success and happiness.
Features of the girl's book
The girls' book is characterized by certain characteristics. The title often indicates that the book is explicitly aimed at girls by simply naming a maiden name (Susanne Barden; Das Mädchen Kit) or putting it in a certain context that primarily addresses girls (What is the matter with Ute ?; Life becomes more beautiful, Anne). In most cases, there is also a subtitle that emphasizes the girls as a readership group (“novel for young girls”, “girls' novel”).
The cover picture also takes on a steering function. According to the tendency towards sociability, groups of girls are often depicted, mostly on the books that are assigned to the prepubescent stage. From puberty onwards, it is preferred to use portraits that correspond to the classic child pattern - sweet, big dark eyes, etc. The main character is usually a girl who is about the same age as the reader. Its way of looking at the world, its wishes and interests and its role in society should be presented. In order to make it easier for the reading girls to identify with the characters shown, related narrative forms are used. The first-person narration, the authorial narrative, and the omniscient narrative have proven to be particularly suitable for this.
Scientific studies have found that girls' books are almost exclusively addressed to women and are rigorously rejected by boys, while boyish books, e.g. B. Adventure and gang stories, also arouse interest in girls. An explanation according to Malte Dahrendorf would be that due to the classic division of roles between man and woman and the resulting upbringing, girls tend to take note of “the 'masculine' rather than the overriding generality than, conversely, the boy typically 'feminine' as a subordinate aspect”.
According to developmental psychology, girls' literature is divided into pre-puberty and puberty. The books of the pre-puberty stage are aimed at 9 to 11 year olds and take up the stereotypical nature of the “wild bumblebee”. The 'defiant head' should be able to really let off steam before it then adapts to its social role and takes its place. The puberty narratives are aimed at young girls aged 12 and over. The subject is the "education to be a well-behaved lady" and in the more modern girls' books the puberty crisis.
In traditional girls' books, the girl's field of reference is limited to the family and the man as a fixed point. In most cases, the constellation looks like this: healthy, middle-class home; often the family lives in a single-family house outside the city; Girls attend elegant boarding school or other secondary school; no financial worries etc. If the girl is interested in a job, the so-called "dream jobs" such as stewardess, reporter, something in the fashion industry or care or social professions are usually addressed. However, there is no realistic representation of the professions, instead a romanticization takes place that promises the girl complete fulfillment.
criticism
The criticism of traditional girls' literature was particularly fueled by H. Wolgast. In his book “The misery of our youth literature”, published in 1896, he emphasized the artistic and aesthetic value of reading for young people and combined this with the socialist ideas of women's liberation. Wolgast criticized the defiant head as follows: “ There is not a full tone in the whole book that comes from the depths; it is all superficial chatter and fuss. .. Long stretches of bleak poplar of well-worn details. .. “(quoted from Karl Ernst Maier, p. 156). In Wolgast's opinion, the ideas of the art education movement represented a way for women to free themselves from the state of oppression. This should be done by the girl abandoning her preference for a certain girl’s literature, which only gets its peculiarity from the limited topics and material, and turning to valuable reading.
Even after H. Wolgast, the criticism continued. Various voices could be heard. There were those who, continuing Wolgast's artistic and aesthetic demands, rejected specific girls 'literature per se and those who did reject girls' literature, but ultimately tolerated it on the grounds that the adolescent girl's stage of development only permitted such reading.
These types of criticism only apply to a limited extent to the newer girls' book. There is a shift in the objective in an emancipatory-social direction. The author Roswitha Budeus-Budde believes in a positive literary development. Because individual problems and youthful attitudes towards life are dealt with in the newer girls 'books, in contrast to the previous topic of the social role of women, girls' literature is “on the way to a new aesthetic”.
See also
literature
- Klaus Doderer (ed.): Lexicon of children's and youth literature. Personal, country and material articles on the past and present of children's and youth literature . In 3 volumes (A – Z) and a supplementary and register volume. Beltz, Weinheim / Basel 1975, ISBN 3-407-56520-8 (developed in the Institute for Youth Book Research at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main).
- Gerhard Haas : Children's and youth literature. A manual , 3rd edition, Reclam, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 978-3-15-010325-8 .
- Isa Schikorsky: DuMont crash course for children and young people , DuMont, Cologne 2003, ISBN 978-3-8321-7600-6 .
- Reiner Wild (ed.): History of German children's and youth literature . 2nd edition, Metzler, Stuttgart / Weimar 2002, ISBN 978-3-476-01902-8 .