Given that Irmgard Keun’s fiction is only recently finding a wider and English-speaking readership, why and/or how should we value a 1920-30’s German female novelist? How should her work reshape our thinking about that time in Europe, political and social change, the lives of women, and the “life of the author”? How are you called to respond to Keun’s fiction specifically?
Length: 3-4 pages
Irmgard Kuen : Artificial Silk Girl
Solution:
Irmgard Keun: The Artificial Silk
Before the 20s, the authors did not explore the lives of modern young women. In their work, they projected women as individuals whose role was to maintain households and attend to their husbands. The trend persisted until the rise of Irmgard Keun. In her novel, The Artificial Silk Girl, Keun explored the lives of modern young women, their beliefs, desires, and challenges they undergo to achieve their goals. She indicated that unlike the ancient women whose main focus was family, modern young women wanted independence and social status. They used their beauty and sexuality to achieve their desires and objectives. Her projection of modern young women attracted criticism from the political class. They argued that Keun used her novel to project young women as immoral. However, her supporters believed that her novel gave the right description of modern young women. Therefore, this paper will explore the novel The Artificial Silk Girl, and ascertain why people should value Keun. Also, it will address how Keun reshaped people’s thinking in Europe.