This year the WIG Dissertation Prize winner is Gabrijela Mecky
Zaragoza. Her dissertation, completed in 2005 at the
University of
Toronto, has the title “’Da befiel sie Furcht und Angst’: Zur
Funktion
von Geschlecht in den Judith-Dramen des 19. Jahrhunderts.” The
dissertation impresses with its historical depth. Its feminist
approach
is innovative, and the case study convinces the reader of the
importance of the figure of Judith for feminist discourse. The study
makes inroads into research on the nexus of gender, fear and
anxiety, a
hitherto fairly unexplored area in feminist literary analysis of
18th-
and 19th-century texts. It combines a sophisticated theoretical
framework with detailed text analysis and historical and
biographical
explanations. Thoroughly researched and elegantly written, the study
illuminates significant shifts in the portrayal and reception of the
figure of Judith and, at the same time, reveals relevant
underpinnings
in the history and psychology accompanying the contexts of literary
production. The study also critically assesses previous feminist
research and moves the field forward by suggesting and demonstrating
what well informed and carefully argued current feminist work can
contribute to the readings / re-readings of female figures created
by
male authors. Particularly intriguing is the well-documented shift
in
the portrayal of Judith and the argument put forward about the
containment of female agency, power, and rage.
