„Werde, die du bist“ – Zwischen Erinnerung und Emanzipation : Eine Analyse des Reifungsprozesses und der Identitatsfindung in Hedwig Dohms Werk

This paper examines Hedwig Dohm’s novella Werde, die du bist (1894) as a pioneering example of the Reifungsroman, a literary genre that engages with self-discovery and personal development in later life and was coined by Barbara Frey Waxman. Drawing on Waxman’s definition of the Reifungsroman and referencing Paul Ricœur’s theory of narrative identity, the analysis explores how the protagonist, Agnes, navigates the tensions between memory, identity, and societal expectations in order to better understand her process of maturation. From the perspective of feminist narratology, the diary form is highlighted as particularly significant. Ultimately, the analysis shows that Dohm’s work can be seen as an early form of the Reifungsroman, as it embodies key characteristics of the genre, such as reflection, physical journeys, and the questioning of norms. However, Agnes’s personal process of "becoming" remains incomplete—a sign of the conflict between the individual and the societal norms of the 19th century. Finally, the work reveals that maturation is not to be understood as a linear progression, but rather as a complex process that transcends boundaries of age and time.