During the last two centuries the American perception of Germany has periodically shifted as both countries have been rivals, friends, opponents and most recently allies. This has also been mirrored in the periodically changing American picture of Germany and the Germans, which over the years generated an abundance of stereotypes. While on the one hand, positive images have emerged such as the ‘naturally virtuous and scholarly German,’ there have been, on the other hand, numerous negative generalizations, for example, the ‘hard drinking and violent Teuton.’
These notions were often formed through hearsay, personal experiences and encounters with Germans at home and abroad, through literature and political-social relations between the United States and Germany. They are often persistently maintained, have resisted any revision and are frequently regarded as the standard of thought. The role of American literature in creating, sustaining and perpetuating images continues to be of particular importance and this needs to be examined if one wishes to understand how a wide range of long-lasting German stereotypes came into existence. The images of Germany and the Germans which are projected in the works of numerous American writers, including Louisa May Alcott, Mark Twain, Thomas Wolfe, Erica Jong and Walter Abish, have become core images found in travelogues, novels, poetry and short fiction.
This thesis surveys the images of Germany and the Germans in American literature from the late 19th to the end of the 20th century, and proceeds to focus on two selected works: Walter Abish’s How German is It (1980) and Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying (1973). Abish’s novel is a natural choice for an endeavor of this nature as it is both an extensive and intensive exploration of images attributed to German identity. Jong’s novel, on the other hand, is an exploration of individual identity in a German setting and has been selected because of its enormous role in the relatively new field of women’s studies.
Table of Contents
1. Images of Germany and the Germans in American Literature from the Late 19th to the End of the 20th Century
1.1 National Images and Stereotypes in Literature
1.2 The Late 19th Century to the Turn of the 20th Century
1.3 The Country’s Changing Image through World War I and II
1.4 Postwar Germany through the Late 1990’s
2. The Depiction of Germany and the Germans in Walter Abish’s How German Is It
2.1 Displayed German Virtues and Characteristics
2.1.1 Obedience
2.1.2 Perfection and Thoroughness
2.1.3 Cleanliness and Punctuality
2.1.4 The Love of Nature
2.2 The Country’s Cultural Heritage and Past
2.2.1 ‘A Nation of Poets and Thinkers’
2.2.2 Castles, Classical Music and Art
2.2.3 National Socialism and the Holocaust
2.3 The Image of the ‘New Germany’
2.3.1 Brumholdstein and the People of the ‘New Germany’
2.3.2 Technology and Cars
2.3.3 Lifestyle and Food
3. The Depiction of Germany and the Germans in Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying
3.1 Displayed German Virtues and Characteristics
3.1.1 Cleanliness
3.1.2 The German Woman
3.1.3 Ugliness
3.2 The Country’s Cultural Heritage and Past
3.2.1 ‘Old Heidelberg’
3.2.2 Germany’s Dark Past: National Socialism and the Holocaust
3.3 The Images of Postwar Germany
3.3.1 German ‘Father Figures’
3.1.4 The German Countryside
3.3.3 Lifestyle and Food
4. The Quest for Identity in How German Is It and Fear of Flying
4.1 How German Is It: The Discovery of ‘Germanness’?
4.2 Fear of Flying: Finding One’s Own Identity Abroad
5. Summary and Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This thesis examines the evolving American perception and literary representation of Germany and the German people from the late 19th century through the late 20th century, specifically analyzing how stereotypes are created, maintained, and challenged in selected works.
- The historical transformation of American images of Germany from romantic ideal to post-war antagonist.
- A detailed literary analysis of Walter Abish’s How German Is It and Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying.
- The role of "German virtues" (such as cleanliness, order, and tradition) in masking the historical trauma of the Holocaust.
- The influence of national stereotypes on the protagonists’ quests for personal and cultural identity.
- The function of literature in both perpetuating and deconstructing deep-seated cultural prejudices.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1.2 Perfection and Thoroughness
Perfection and thoroughness, another two of the typical German virtues, are threaded into Abish’s novel. There is an “all-pervasive sense of order” (2) that foreign visitors perceive when entering a German airport. The epithet “well” underlines this omnipresent perfection; there are “well-mannered, well-behaved, and orderly people”, “well-attended performances in the theaters and the opera”, “well-designed highways” and “well-constructed cars” (3). However, within the same paragraph the narrator comments on this pursuit of perfection, casting it into doubt:
[…] this smooth and agreeable surface is broken by a sudden boisterousness, an unexpected violence, an outburst punctuated by the pounding of beer mugs on a table until they shatter, not to mention the broad, red-faced, meaty anger that is thrust aggressively forward and made to appear, with its accompanying black leather coat and black leather gloves, even more threatening, more menacing than it actually might be. (3)
This destructive energy appears to be woven into the German nation just as the obsession for perfection. Here, the narrator suggests an ambivalence but at the same time does not take a stand since it “could [be seen] anywhere else” (3).
Summary of Chapters
1. Images of Germany and the Germans in American Literature from the Late 19th to the End of the 20th Century: This chapter provides a historical overview of how American perceptions of Germany shifted from positive, scholarly admiration to negative, propagandized stereotypes due to political conflict.
2. The Depiction of Germany and the Germans in Walter Abish’s How German Is It: This section investigates how the novel uses traditional German virtues to establish a surface-level "ideal Germany" that ironically masks a dark, suppressed history.
3. The Depiction of Germany and the Germans in Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying: This chapter analyzes the satirical portrayal of Germany in the novel, focusing on how the protagonist’s Jewish background frames her perception of the country and its history.
4. The Quest for Identity in How German Is It and Fear of Flying: This chapter explores how the protagonists in both novels are forced to confront German stereotypes in order to better understand their own personal and cultural identities.
5. Summary and Conclusion: This final section synthesizes the findings, confirming that while images of Germany have evolved, they continue to serve as a mirror for the authors' own societal concerns and the struggle to process the Nazi past.
Keywords
Germany, American Literature, Stereotypes, Imagology, Identity, Holocaust, Walter Abish, Erica Jong, Postwar Germany, National Socialism, Cultural Heritage, Heterostereotypes, Literature Analysis, Germanness, Narrative.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores how American literature has constructed and maintained images of Germany and the Germans, specifically focusing on how these depictions change over time due to historical and political contexts.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers the transition of German stereotypes, the role of national virtues in masking past atrocities, and the struggle for individual identity within the context of German history.
What is the primary objective of this thesis?
The objective is to examine how the novels How German Is It and Fear of Flying use traditional stereotypes to explore German identity and the lingering shadows of the Nazi era.
What scientific methods does the author use?
The author employs literary analysis and the field of imagology, examining how historical events and cross-cultural relations influence the production of "images" of a foreign nation in fiction.
What content is included in the main body of the work?
The main body provides a historical overview of German images in American literature and conducts in-depth analyses of how Abish and Jong portray German virtues, cultural heritage, and postwar society.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include literary imagology, national stereotypes, German identity, Walter Abish, Erica Jong, the Holocaust, and the representation of German history in fiction.
How does Abish use irony in his portrayal of German society?
Abish contrasts the superficial "perfection" and "order" of the modern city of Brumholdstein with the reality of suppressed history and concealed brutality to critique the post-war German tendency to bury the past.
What role does Jewish identity play in Erica Jong’s novel?
For the protagonist Isadora, the German environment forces a confrontation with her Jewish heritage, as common cultural sites and habits constantly remind her of the Holocaust, ultimately helping her to define herself as an independent woman and writer.
- Quote paper
- Ulrike Miske (Author), 2007, The image of Germany and the Germans in Erica Jong’s "Fear of Flying " and Walter Abish’s "How German Is It ", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/115289
