Die Darstellung der Frau in Paul Maars Kinderbuch “In einem tiefen, dunklen Wald”

Abstract

The presentation of womanhood within children’s fiction has been critiqued by literature and gender research studies as the characters and roles portrayed are a product of tacit and habitual contemporary attitudes towards femininity. This thesis addresses Paul Maar’s depiction of women in ‘In einem tiefen, dunklen Wald’. Aside from language, Maar’s characters are not constrained by any gender roles. This is what makes Maar’s book unique in comparison to other gender-sensitive works: Instead of allowing matters of love and eroticism to force a return to traditional gender roles, Maar constructs his female protagonist separate from any such societal expectation. Depicted as a female character with masculine traits, Simplinella does not consider any of her own traits as masculine herself, but rather as her personal characteristics independent of gender. 'Femininity' is often erased from children’s fiction under the notion that it naturally equates weakness and inferiority. Maar instead rejects the binary as a whole so that gender is no more important than body height or country of origin. He develops a female character that is not affected by gender roles and stereotypes, thus redefining the concept of womanhood within children’s and youth literature.