This is an essay in an interdisciplinary anthology on the subject of violence and language from the (German) middle ages to the early modern age. As opposed to a great many of the documents we'read, it's primarily a literary analysis and argumentation, though the historical perspective comes into it as well, of course. But what this isn't, for example, is a compare and contrast between Wilhelmine's memoirs and various other descriptions of the same events, let alone an attempt to figure out what "really" happened. It is an astute analysis of how violence of different types is presented in the text, how the different kinds of violence are tied to emotion, and the cathartic experience of the writing act. Jarzebowski doesn't argue with other interpretations, though she is a bit sarcastic in the footnotes, as in: Older historians aren't free of prejudice twoards the memoirs of the sister of their victorious King. (She lists Droysen and von Ranke.) Carlyle judges the memoirs specifically in regards to their female authorship: "A human book, however, not a pedant one; there is a most shrill female soul busy with intense earnestness there. (...) It is full of istakes, indeed, and exaggarates dreadfully, in its shrill female way."
The text excerpts Jarzebowski analyses - using Annette Kolb's translation into German, which is the one currently available in paperback and in print still and based on the longest version of the Memoirs -you're all already familiar with: physical abuse by Leti, humiliation by third parties (such as having repeatedly to strip for visiting ladies from Hannover to prove she doesn't have a hunchback), verbal abuse by FW and SD, food withdrawal or bad food, drinking enforcement (I had forgotten this happens to Wilhelmine as well at one point!), isolation as punishment, and, in tandem with 18th century beliefs, various physical illnessses as the result of verbal abuse. J. points out the structure and repeated cycles typical for the Memoirs:
Verbal abuse (insults like "English canaille" or "villain of a Fritz") => physical trespasses and encroachment (i.e. for example being forced to eat or drink) => humiliationg situations (being forced to vomit, being forced to show your naked back to visitors) => threats of physical violence => attempted physical violence, which if unsuccessful (beause, say, Wilhelmine is able to avoid the stick) of which triggers more verbal abuse => physical breakdown and illness on Wilhelmine's part.
J. points out while Wilhelmine describes these cycles for both herself and Fritz, she differentiates in one key regard. For Fritz, FW actually beating him (and in front of witnesses) is crossing a line that triggers, though the underlying causes are already multiple, the escape plans becoming serious. Fritz (in Wilhelmine's memoirs; remember, this is a textual analysis) thus sees physical violence by Dad against himself as different in quality from the previous forms of violence. Whereas, J. argues, Wilhelmine does not make this differentiation. When FW succesfully hits her (i.e. in the big August return scene), this isn't presented as worse than his previous verbal abuse or the various humiliations. It's all part of the same and she responds the same. Conversely, SD not becoming physically abusive isn't presented as better, once Wilhelmine has accepted the Bayreuth marriage and SD starts with the insults in earnest.
J. also positions that while Wilhelmine as narrator has no problem describing the physical violence of Leti the governess towards herself as wrong in as many words, even there there are mixed feelings (child!Wilhelmine asks FW not to send Leti to Spandau), and of course there are in a hopeless mess re: her parents, with narrator!Wilhelmine insisting they loved her, and she loved them, and sometimes they even loved her best (yet she never provides examples for those times). Of particular interest to me was J. pointing towards two particular scenes featuring Wilhelmine's sisters. When Friederike gets married first, she gives FW attitude for the bad food etc. (remember, this triggers FW throwing plates but not at Friederike but at Fritz and Wilhemine.) And during Wilhelmine's 32/33 visit, she has this dialogue with Charlotte, after stating Charlotte badmouthed her to SD: One day, when (SD) had maltreated me again and I cried in a corner of my room, (Charlotte) adressed me: "What's the matter with you?" "I'm desperate", I said, "because the Queen can't stand me anymore; and if this continues, I'll die of grief." Charlotte then replies: "How silly you are! (...) I only laugh when she scolds, and that's the best way to handle it." "Then you don't love her," I said, "for if one loves someone, one can't be indifferent to their opinion."
J. deduces mixed feelings from narrator Wilhelmine - on the one hand, there's (barely concealed) envy for the more distant relationship the younger sibs have towards their parents, on the other, there's the need to believe that this is solely possible because they love (and are loved) less, that the sisters have given up the ability to love in order to achieve this immunity.
Quote from the end of the essay: Thus it is possible to talk of a context of emotional violence in which Wilhelmine places her experiences for the most part, and which she submits her perception of her experiences to. The atmosphere of emotional violence becomes the dominating horizon of experience in the Memoirs. Thus, Wilhelmine's Memoirs become a perspective speficially tied to her status and critical of it at the same time. Her experiences of violence happen at different places and are transformed in various stages of remembrance until finding their final form in the Memoirs, the reliving, the alteration, the reordering, and thus don't render a final result but the process of reliving the past itself. Her text shows that she's conscious of the changeability of memories and experiences while writing them. To insist on analysing it for a definite singular statment or to read the text for finate statements would mean to ignore a key quality of the partly contradictory, heterogenous and argumentative text. Her Memoirs can be understood as an attempt to render an atmosphere of emotional violence which she perceived as inescapable, with experiences and memories becoming condensed. The text of the Memoirs thus can be understood as another arena in which said violence is (re)experienced.
Re: Claudia Jarzebowski: Violence and Experience. Thoughts about the Memoirs of Wilhelmine of Bayreu
Older historians aren't free of prejudice twoards the memoirs of the sister of their victorious King.
Heh, yay, call them out!
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.
J. points out the structure and repeated cycles typical for the Memoirs:
Wow, ugh. I did subconsciously notice that, because while I didn't realize it consciously, when you wrote the cycle out I was nodding and going "yup, yup, that was exactly what happened."
J. deduces mixed feelings from narrator Wilhelmine - on the one hand, there's (barely concealed) envy for the more distant relationship the younger sibs have towards their parents, on the other, there's the need to believe that this is solely possible because they love (and are loved) less, that the sisters have given up the ability to love in order to achieve this immunity.
That makes a lot of sense, that she's got to rationalize and in some sense validate the relationship she has with her parents. UGH.
Her Memoirs can be understood as an attempt to render an atmosphere of emotional violence which she perceived as inescapable, with experiences and memories becoming condensed. The text of the Memoirs thus can be understood as another arena in which said violence is (re)experienced.
In other words, as you and mildred would say: therapy via memoir! :P
Re: Claudia Jarzebowski: Violence and Experience. Thoughts about the Memoirs of Wilhelmine of Bayreu
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
a great many of Wilhelmine's various illnesses look like psychosomatic manifestations of the rebellion she can't express otherwise.
Yeah. :( I'm willing to believe she wasn't in great health in general, but the timing of all of these does sound a bit suspicious as well.
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!"
*facepalm* I guess that's... an improvement? A very very slight one :P
(Possibly because he's French, and possibly because he's a man.)
I gotta say the first part of this sentence made me laugh, which is good because the second part was depressing.
Fritz was just more deep, you know? While both he and Voltaire were sarcastic, Fritz achieved a moral high standing that forever eluded Voltaire."
Now this was totally hilarious! :D
and the refreshing thing is that unlike all the other writers, Jarzebowksi doesn't see this as devalueing the worth of the Memoirs.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Claudia Jarzebowski: Violence and Experience. Thoughts about the Memoirs of Wilhelmine of Bayreuth.
The text excerpts Jarzebowski analyses - using Annette Kolb's translation into German, which is the one currently available in paperback and in print still and based on the longest version of the Memoirs -you're all already familiar with: physical abuse by Leti, humiliation by third parties (such as having repeatedly to strip for visiting ladies from Hannover to prove she doesn't have a hunchback), verbal abuse by FW and SD, food withdrawal or bad food, drinking enforcement (I had forgotten this happens to Wilhelmine as well at one point!), isolation as punishment, and, in tandem with 18th century beliefs, various physical illnessses as the result of verbal abuse. J. points out the structure and repeated cycles typical for the Memoirs:
Verbal abuse (insults like "English canaille" or "villain of a Fritz") => physical trespasses and encroachment (i.e. for example being forced to eat or drink) => humiliationg situations (being forced to vomit, being forced to show your naked back to visitors) => threats of physical violence => attempted physical violence, which if unsuccessful (beause, say, Wilhelmine is able to avoid the stick) of which triggers more verbal abuse => physical breakdown and illness on Wilhelmine's part.
J. points out while Wilhelmine describes these cycles for both herself and Fritz, she differentiates in one key regard. For Fritz, FW actually beating him (and in front of witnesses) is crossing a line that triggers, though the underlying causes are already multiple, the escape plans becoming serious. Fritz (in Wilhelmine's memoirs; remember, this is a textual analysis) thus sees physical violence by Dad against himself as different in quality from the previous forms of violence. Whereas, J. argues, Wilhelmine does not make this differentiation. When FW succesfully hits her (i.e. in the big August return scene), this isn't presented as worse than his previous verbal abuse or the various humiliations. It's all part of the same and she responds the same. Conversely, SD not becoming physically abusive isn't presented as better, once Wilhelmine has accepted the Bayreuth marriage and SD starts with the insults in earnest.
J. also positions that while Wilhelmine as narrator has no problem describing the physical violence of Leti the governess towards herself as wrong in as many words, even there there are mixed feelings (child!Wilhelmine asks FW not to send Leti to Spandau), and of course there are in a hopeless mess re: her parents, with narrator!Wilhelmine insisting they loved her, and she loved them, and sometimes they even loved her best (yet she never provides examples for those times). Of particular interest to me was J. pointing towards two particular scenes featuring Wilhelmine's sisters. When Friederike gets married first, she gives FW attitude for the bad food etc. (remember, this triggers FW throwing plates but not at Friederike but at Fritz and Wilhemine.) And during Wilhelmine's 32/33 visit, she has this dialogue with Charlotte, after stating Charlotte badmouthed her to SD: One day, when (SD) had maltreated me again and I cried in a corner of my room, (Charlotte) adressed me: "What's the matter with you?" "I'm desperate", I said, "because the Queen can't stand me anymore; and if this continues, I'll die of grief." Charlotte then replies: "How silly you are! (...) I only laugh when she scolds, and that's the best way to handle it." "Then you don't love her," I said, "for if one loves someone, one can't be indifferent to their opinion."
J. deduces mixed feelings from narrator Wilhelmine - on the one hand, there's (barely concealed) envy for the more distant relationship the younger sibs have towards their parents, on the other, there's the need to believe that this is solely possible because they love (and are loved) less, that the sisters have given up the ability to love in order to achieve this immunity.
Quote from the end of the essay: Thus it is possible to talk of a context of emotional violence in which Wilhelmine places her experiences for the most part, and which she submits her perception of her experiences to. The atmosphere of emotional violence becomes the dominating horizon of experience in the Memoirs. Thus, Wilhelmine's Memoirs become a perspective speficially tied to her status and critical of it at the same time. Her experiences of violence happen at different places and are transformed in various stages of remembrance until finding their final form in the Memoirs, the reliving, the alteration, the reordering, and thus don't render a final result but the process of reliving the past itself. Her text shows that she's conscious of the changeability of memories and experiences while writing them. To insist on analysing it for a definite singular statment or to read the text for finate statements would mean to ignore a key quality of the partly contradictory, heterogenous and argumentative text. Her Memoirs can be understood as an attempt to render an atmosphere of emotional violence which she perceived as inescapable, with experiences and memories becoming condensed. The text of the Memoirs thus can be understood as another arena in which said violence is (re)experienced.
Re: Claudia Jarzebowski: Violence and Experience. Thoughts about the Memoirs of Wilhelmine of Bayreu
Older historians aren't free of prejudice twoards the memoirs of the sister of their victorious King.
Heh, yay, call them out!
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.
J. points out the structure and repeated cycles typical for the Memoirs:
Wow, ugh. I did subconsciously notice that, because while I didn't realize it consciously, when you wrote the cycle out I was nodding and going "yup, yup, that was exactly what happened."
J. deduces mixed feelings from narrator Wilhelmine - on the one hand, there's (barely concealed) envy for the more distant relationship the younger sibs have towards their parents, on the other, there's the need to believe that this is solely possible because they love (and are loved) less, that the sisters have given up the ability to love in order to achieve this immunity.
That makes a lot of sense, that she's got to rationalize and in some sense validate the relationship she has with her parents. UGH.
Her Memoirs can be understood as an attempt to render an atmosphere of emotional violence which she perceived as inescapable, with experiences and memories becoming condensed. The text of the Memoirs thus can be understood as another arena in which said violence is (re)experienced.
In other words, as you and mildred would say: therapy via memoir! :P
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.
Re: Claudia Jarzebowski: Violence and Experience. Thoughts about the Memoirs of Wilhelmine of Bayreu
a great many of Wilhelmine's various illnesses look like psychosomatic manifestations of the rebellion she can't express otherwise.
Yeah. :( I'm willing to believe she wasn't in great health in general, but the timing of all of these does sound a bit suspicious as well.
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!"
*facepalm* I guess that's... an improvement? A very very slight one :P
(Possibly because he's French, and possibly because he's a man.)
I gotta say the first part of this sentence made me laugh, which is good because the second part was depressing.
Fritz was just more deep, you know? While both he and Voltaire were sarcastic, Fritz achieved a moral high standing that forever eluded Voltaire."
Now this was totally hilarious! :D
and the refreshing thing is that unlike all the other writers, Jarzebowksi doesn't see this as devalueing the worth of the Memoirs.
YAY
I will look forward to Wilhelmine and Voltaire!