The Persistence of Bias in German Eighteenth-Century Studies

Abstract

in My recent book on German women novelists around 1800, i argue that a canon of German literature around 1800 exists, whether scholars desire it or not. optimists might counterargue that there are multiple canons, multiple methods by which titles are selected. a more pessimistic view would look at the field of German studies and see the persistence of a gendered, not to say sexist lens, despite at least three waves of change brought on by feminist literary critics and theorists. opinion is certainly divided. in this think piece, i take the pessimistic view that yes, we have a canon and despite inroads and new research, it unfortunately skews persistently toward male bias. i put forth this viewpoint in hopes of stimulating discussion and contributing actively to positive change in the field. To support my opinion, i argue as a scholar for other scholars and begin by looking back at the same relevant issues of canonicity and period themselves and measure both how times have changed and how they have not, comparing the specific case of women authors in German literature to more general developments in the humanities overall. in 1783, sophie von La Roche published the passage below in her journal, Pomona für Teutschlands Töchter, addressing her readers directly, speaking as a woman to women about women: