„Phantom, du bist nicht meinesgleichen!“ Identity in the works of Annette von Droste-Hülshoff

Abstract

This thesis examines the role of identity in the works of German author Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. The analysis of this theme investigates the extent to which the author's mode of execution, composed of depicting conflicts of identity, can be unified into a pattern. Incorporating analysis results from the poems Das Spiegelbild and Am Turme as well as the ballad Das Fräulein von Rodenschild this thesis illustrates that Droste-Hülshoff employs miscellaneous ways and means to approach identity issues in her works. This thesis shows that the exploration of the self with their identity as an object of investiga-tion can involve both an intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in the process. Consequently, the examination of identity can be dependent on external influences. Furthermore, Droste-Hülshoff uses doppelgänger or mirror motifs in her works to support the fact that identity is multi-layered and can never be viewed from only one perspective.