Deprived Women: representations of gender violence during National Socialism in Pálido Criminal by Philip Kerr

  • Alicia Romero López Departamento de Lengua Española y Teoría de la Literatura y Literatura Comparada Universidad Complutense de Madrid
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5209/RFRM.55878
Keywords: National Socialism, femicide, gender violence, microaggressions, rape.

Abstract

Set in Berlin in 1938, Philip Kerr’s The Pale Criminal takes place against the backdrop of the imminent Second World War. It is within this context that the detective Bernie Gunther sees himself embroiled in a series of fatal attacks on Aryan women, whose murders prompt him to join the Kripo (Criminal Investigation Agency) in order to find the serial killer before he strikes again. The novel brings to light a topic that has not received historical recognition and highlights the brutality of crimes against women within the already brutal context of the Second World War. Gender based violence was then, and continues to be, a controversial issue. In this instance the issue is approached by and through the criminal novel, providing a means through which we can uncover essential elements of the past that are just as relevant today.

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Published
2017-04-24
How to Cite
Romero López A. (2017). Deprived Women: representations of gender violence during National Socialism in Pálido Criminal by Philip Kerr. Revista de Filología Románica, 33, 259-270. https://doi.org/10.5209/RFRM.55878
Issue
Vol. 33 (2016): Nº Especial: Reflejos de la Segunda Guerra Mundial en la literatura y las artes II
Section
Articles

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