History

Fanny Lewalds autobiography is a wonderful resource for readings in gender, politics and religion in the nineteenth century Prussia. The autobiography is a window to Fannys consciousness as a woman, as a citizen of a politically active society and as an observer of swinging religions. The Education of Fanny Lewald is one of the finest autobiographies of a woman, so intensely ornate with ideals of a young woman and her needs from society.

The Education of Fanny Lewald deals with her coming of age. It talks about her education, the upbringing and the beginning of her writing career. What is important about Fanny is that she is not an active participant in the matters of politics but a keen observer. It is her observation which reflects in her writings and channels them towards refined readings on gender and class.

It is important to understand Fannys upbringing and her life to do justice in deciphering her autobiography. Fanny was the oldest daughter of her family. Being a doting daughter to Jewish parents, Fanny was pampered by her father. Her father believed in sound education for the children and gave Fanny ample opportunities to explore her talents. This often created rifts between Fanny and her mother since she was not allowed to study. Fanny was supported for her decision to take up writing as her career.

Religion was not much of a theme or subject in her writings. It was the society and social structure which took over most of her observation. Fannys interest in politics is also dubious based on this work. In fact, Fannys work seems like a young girls diary with all her observations and underlying beliefs spurned through beautifully. We look at the Prussian society of that time through her eyes, completely neutral and unaltered through the political and religious theories prevalent during those times. But, the gender-related layers in her writings make it more interesting and gripping.

It is interesting to note that Fanny begins her work by talking about her mother and gradually shifting to her maternal side. She writes,

My mother, from a wealthy family, was the youngest of twelve children..They were uneducated people.displaying their wealth only under special circumstances. 1

It seems showing off ones wealth was important in those times. Since, Fanny writes that her mothers family was frugal in running of their household.

She later compares her paternal side to her maternal side grandparents and terms them as less intellectuals than her fathers parents. Clearly, Fanny has a liking for her paternal grandparents owing to their cosmopolitan nature and traditions.

When she talks about religion or politics, like her words on Frederick William II and then on Jews and Christianity, we find a very objective kind of picture and not something which would establish Fannys views on the subject.

Fanny has a certain joy in being the first child of her parents. We can trace a certain hint of egotism in it. Fanny writes,
I have always been happy that I was the one who first acquainted my parents with the joys of parenthood, who first called them father and mother. 6
         
Fanny very interestingly states her own source of ideals and thoughts. She firmly states that ones ideas and thoughts always belong to hisher own family. She writes,
If you want to understand what has shaped a persons character, you should not enquire about his place of birth, but rather what kind of household he was born into and how he spent his early years. 20

Fannys views on gender and feminism took birth from her young days. An introduction to Kants views on feminism puzzled her and led her to rethink what a woman essentially is. Kants theory earned her aversion to weak feminism. She writes,

I firmly decided neither to arouse pity in men by my weakness nor to manipulate them by weakness burdensome to them. Instead of my childhood desire to learn as much as the boys, I now became determined to be as active in my circles as the men were in theirs, and to gain their recognition and respect instead of their protection and chivalry. 105

It is interesting to note that Fanny thinks that its upbringing and education makes a woman and not her charms and good looks. When she went to Berlin, the women of the city ridiculed her for her black hair and curls. She writes as a befitting response,
I was mostly dealing with half-educated and therefore usually arrogant women, who had no idea of the seriousness of my nature and my desires. 140

Fannys ideals about gender, her perception about gender equations have arisen greatly owing to her relationship with women. It is true of her other writings as well. In fact, her Polish friend talks a lot about how character is important for woman but it should not define everything else. She is also greatly fascinated by her aunt Minna. At a very early chapter, she writes about this aunt who loved her father dearly, referring to her aunt Minna. A stay at her house, made her realize the ordeals a woman has to go through and how to face them.

Fannys later years were not very bright. Her father was very upright from the very beginning. Her mothers illness brought significant changes in the family. Her father made the sisters take up the responsibility of the household turn by turn. This did not give Fanny ample opportunities to venture and see the world, to earn and provide for her. This was specially prevented by her father as it would reflect on his inability to provide for the family. This greatly upset Fanny and she went through a phase of depression, common to the women in the nineteenth century.

Fannys ideals and thoughts saw release in her later years, after her mothers death. She started writing and earning through the same. Her father, in fact, supported her by providing her a place of residence in Berlin. It is then that she met Adolf Stahr and married him. Her romantic involvements were many but not that significant. Stahr was an important man in her life.

Fannys writings resemble the nineteenth century women writings from all over the world. Women gradually understood their worth in the society. They were coming in terms with their existence in the society and their importance. Whether it was Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters or other women writers, novel or autobiography as a genre of literature to express their views and ideals on society and gender became extremely famous. Fanny too exploited the same and what could be seen as a beginning is The Education of Fanny Lewald.

The autobiography carefully notes down the unfolding of a society active in politics, with dwindling religious beliefs, with muted gender equations, through the eyes of a girl. It is as innocent and frank as that girl. We understand how there was one section which considered education important, and another which didnt. It is all presented clearly without exaggerations.