“Johanna Spyri hat den schweizerischen Schriftstellerinnen den Weg ins Haus gewiesen”: mujer, literatura y sociedad en Suiza (1900-1950)

Abstract

At the beginning of the 20th century, when nationalistic movements threatened Switzerland’s fragile integrity, democratic values became the instrument to strengthen the pillars that supported the Eidgenossenschaft: from this moment onward freedom, equality or the concept of citizenship would function as a bond to join Swiss people. Literature, as a common element, was then chosen as the vehicle to “helvetize” such values and ideals. These political and ideological tendencies set Swiss women and, most particularly, Swiss (female) writers in a very problematic situation. Being “incomplete” citizens, since they were not entitled to vote until 1971, how could women writers support the ideals of a State which insisted in marginalizing them? In order to be able to fulfill their wish to write, female writers resorted then to several strategies to be able to please the demands of the critics, and yet not be unfaithful to their principles and women.