Love is (not) a Woman’s Topic. Images of Femininity in the Context of Romantic Relationships in Works by Contemporary German-speaking Female Authors

Abstract

This thesis examines the representation of femininity and romantic love in contemporary German-language literature, focusing on three works: Miroloi by Karen Köhler, Hey guten Morgen, wie geht es dir? by Martina Hefter, and Die schönste Version by Ruth-Maria Thomas. It analyzes how romantic relationships shape female identities and how these representations are reflected, questioned, and reworked in the selected literary texts. The study is based on the assumption that romantic love functions as a central cultural narrative that influences female life models and contributes to the stabilization of social norms. The thesis shows that all three works engage critically with established models of femininity and romantic love. While the texts differ in tone and structure, they each illustrate how female identities are shaped in relation to romantic relationships and how these frameworks can be challenged or transformed. Overall, the study demonstrates that contemporary German-language literature contributes to an ongoing discussion about femininity, love, and social ex-pectations.