«A utopia of love between equals». Challenging narratives and language exploring non-normative relationships in Die Freundinnen, Entmannung, Le corps lesbien
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13131/unipi/8xkz-kw25Keywords:
German Literature, French Literature, Christa Reinig, Johanna Moosdorf, Monique Wittig, Lesbian desireAbstract
The aim of this article is to primarily explore three specific examples – Monique Wittig’s Le corps lesbien (1973), Christa Reinig's Entmannung. Die Geschichte Ottos und seiner vier Frauen (1976), and Johanna Moosdorf's Die Freundinnen (1977). Also involving a comparative analysis with other texts, it will examine ways in which writers in 1970s German and French literature attempted to reflect on and represent monogamous and heteronormative norms. These authors sought to depict kinships in their fictional works that exceeded societal norms, challenging power dynamics inherent in the "traditional" family structure. An emerging theme from the analysis is that these writers, focusing on lesbian desire and relationships among individuals socialized as women, reflect on power dynamics typical of heterosexual relationships. Although their perspective might seem somewhat outdated today, being mostly based on on a strong binary framework, it can still serve as a valuable tool for analysing the literary representation of non-normative relationships.
The article places a key emphasis on examining how the explored themes and anti-normative perspectives influence the form and style chosen by the authors.
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