drinking enforcement (I had forgotten this happens to Wilhelmine as well at one point!)
I think I must have blocked this one out (if I got that far). Geez, FW.
It happens after the plate throwing at Fritz and Wihelmine scene. What happens next, the essay reminds me, is that after this scene, Wilhelmine gets fever and a rash at night, but has to present herself to her father the next morning, as per regular.
What's the matter with you?" he asked. "You look completely changed. But I'll have you cured on the double." And he ordered a large mug full of old, very strong Rhine wine for me, which he forced me to drink. As soon as I had emptied the mug, my fever got stronger, and I started to hallucinate.
To be fair, what FW is doing here isn't meant as a punishment or a disciplinary measure. Making someone who looks feverish drink alcohol was a standard practice (and hey, up to and including the Spanish Flu in the 20th century people kept doing that). But it's of course anything but helpful. BTW, the scene does illustrate that 18th century medicine aside, a great many of Wilhelmine's various illnesses look like psychosomatic manifestations of the rebellion she can't express otherwise.
I've also by now read a short book from 1865 about Wilhelmine and Voltaire, and the 19th century author reminded me again on how deep and lasting the taboo to say anything critical about your parents was, especially if you were a woman, since there's an entire paragraph saying "readers, you'll have heard the Margravine was a bad daughter for writing this way about her parents, and it's true, she does that, offending our tender notions of family life, but it has to be said that 18th century people just weren't as committed to the family ideal and respect for one's elders the way we 19th century people are!"
(Note that the problem doesn't seem to be in the reported abuse but in the reporting.)
Now Voltaire of course also was less than respectful about his parents, but the writer doesn't even try to defend him on this account. (Possibly because he's French, and possibly because he's a man.) I'll do a write up of the Wilhelmine and Voltalire book - which is online - in some weeks, I can't right now, safe to say the other very 19th century attitude gem is this, only slightly paraphrased: "Now a hundred years later, we can see that Voltaire, unlike Fritz, wasn't a genius, he was just a talent, with his personality being more interesting than any of his works. Fritz was just more deep, you know? While both he and Voltaire were sarcastic, Fritz achieved a moral high standing that forever eluded Voltaire."
That's...err. Yeah. Tells you all about the mental attitude in Germany five years before the Franco-Prussian war.
Back to the J essay: In other words, as you and mildred would say: therapy via memoir! :P
Yes, and the refreshing thing is that unlike all the other writers, Jarzebowksi doesn't see this as devalueing the worth of the Memoirs. (Who aren't written as a history but as a highly personal work.) I mean, obviously if you want to find out what exactly happened, it's always important to see whether there's a second source backing Wilhelmine up or presenting a different version. But if you want to know how Wilhelmine felt about the various events during the years she was writing this, then it's invaluable.
Re: Claudia Jarzebowski: Violence and Experience. Thoughts about the Memoirs of Wilhelmine of Bayreu
I think I must have blocked this one out (if I got that far). Geez, FW.
It happens after the plate throwing at Fritz and Wihelmine scene. What happens next, the essay reminds me, is that after this scene, Wilhelmine gets fever and a rash at night, but has to present herself to her father the next morning, as per regular.
What's the matter with you?" he asked. "You look completely changed. But I'll have you cured on the double." And he ordered a large mug full of old, very strong Rhine wine for me, which he forced me to drink. As soon as I had emptied the mug, my fever got stronger, and I started to hallucinate.
To be fair, what FW is doing here isn't meant as a punishment or a disciplinary measure. Making someone who looks feverish drink alcohol was a standard practice (and hey, up to and including the Spanish Flu in the 20th century people kept doing that). But it's of course anything but helpful. BTW, the scene does illustrate that 18th century medicine aside, a great many of Wilhelmine's various illnesses look like psychosomatic manifestations of the rebellion she can't express otherwise.
I've also by now read a short book from 1865 about Wilhelmine and Voltaire, and the 19th century author reminded me again on how deep and lasting the taboo to say anything critical about your parents was, especially if you were a woman, since there's an entire paragraph saying "readers, you'll have heard the Margravine was a bad daughter for writing this way about her parents, and it's true, she does that, offending our tender notions of family life, but it has to be said that 18th century people just weren't as committed to the family ideal and respect for one's elders the way we 19th century people are!"
(Note that the problem doesn't seem to be in the reported abuse but in the reporting.)
Now Voltaire of course also was less than respectful about his parents, but the writer doesn't even try to defend him on this account. (Possibly because he's French, and possibly because he's a man.) I'll do a write up of the Wilhelmine and Voltalire book - which is online - in some weeks, I can't right now, safe to say the other very 19th century attitude gem is this, only slightly paraphrased: "Now a hundred years later, we can see that Voltaire, unlike Fritz, wasn't a genius, he was just a talent, with his personality being more interesting than any of his works. Fritz was just more deep, you know? While both he and Voltaire were sarcastic, Fritz achieved a moral high standing that forever eluded Voltaire."
That's...err. Yeah. Tells you all about the mental attitude in Germany five years before the Franco-Prussian war.
Back to the J essay: In other words, as you and mildred would say: therapy via memoir! :P
Yes, and the refreshing thing is that unlike all the other writers, Jarzebowksi doesn't see this as devalueing the worth of the Memoirs. (Who aren't written as a history but as a highly personal work.) I mean, obviously if you want to find out what exactly happened, it's always important to see whether there's a second source backing Wilhelmine up or presenting a different version. But if you want to know how Wilhelmine felt about the various events during the years she was writing this, then it's invaluable.