The price of pioneering: power and paralysis in Eveline Hasler's novels "Die Wachsflügelfrau" and "Der Zeitreisende"

Burns, B. (2009) The price of pioneering: power and paralysis in Eveline Hasler's novels "Die Wachsflügelfrau" and "Der Zeitreisende". Modern Language Review, 104(1), pp. 106-119.

Abstract

Eveline Hasler's historical novels Die Wachsflügelfrau: Geschichte der Emily Kempin-Spyri (1991) and Der Zeitreisende: Die Visionen des Henry Dunant (1994) portray the influential but vexed lives of two nineteenth-century Swiss pioneers: Emily Kempin, the first German-speaking female law graduate, and Henry Dunant, founder of the International Red Cross and winner of the first Nobel Peace Prize. The article examines Hasler's depiction of the personal struggle of these individuals to effect change in society, and assesses the literary achievement of two works which contribute indirectly to the ongoing discourse on women's employment rights and the ethics of humanitarian aid.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Burns, Dr Barbara
• Authors: Burns, B.
• Subjects: P Language and Literature > PT Germanic literature
• College/School: College of Arts > School of Modern Languages and Cultures > German
• Journal Name: Modern Language Review
• Publisher: Modern Languages Research Association
• ISSN: 0026-7937
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2009 Modern Languages Research Association
• First Published: First published in Modern Language Review 104(1):106-119
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher.