The Woman as Survivor: The Evolution of the Female Figure in the Works of Heinrich Boell

This book is a comprehensive examination of the development of the female figure in Heinrich Boell’s fiction. The woman moved from the periphery in his early works to the central role, marked by important changes in her nature. Boell’s ideal woman refuses to compromise her individual sense of morality. Even in a materialistic society she alone is able to survive with her innocence and Naechstenliebe intact. A significant part of this study focuses upon the numerous parallels that exist between Catharism, a heresy which prevailed in the Middle Ages, and the philosophy Boell embraces in his later works. These insights offer a new interpretive perspective into Boell’s works, and in particular his women figures.