Microsoft Word Hollie Adams ma thesis

 
Gender Stereotypes in RH and JK 
Preußler’s RH is interesting in relation to gender as it inverts traditional stereotypes 
related to man and woman. The novel is escapist; a fun puppet story for children to 
enjoy and yet, it holds moralistic messages within its pages (Schrimpf). The story 
begins when der Räuber Hotzenplotz steals a singing “Kaffeemühle” from the two 
protagonists’ (Kasperl and Seppel) grandmother (Preußler 7). Kasperl and Seppel take 
it upon themselves to retrieve the mug for their grandmother. The two boys take on the 
role of hero as they pursue the robber to protect their grandmother. Kasperl and Seppel’s 
protection appears to be more of an instinct to protect the elderly rather than actively 
attempting to become a hero for reasons related to authority and dominance.
The grandmother in the story is entirely passive, however, the Fee that Seppel 
meets in the chapter entitled “Das Geheimnis der Unke”, is an active participant of the 
plot and a female character that boys and girls can admire (73). The Fee was 
transformed into a toad by Petrosilius Zwackelmann but she is saved and in return, 
saves Kasperl and Seppel by seeking revenge on Zwackelmann. Without the Fee, 
Kasperl and Seppel would have had great trouble freeing themselves from their 

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predicament. Here, the reader can see that both female and male characters can be active 
participants and heroes in the story.
Similar to RH is JK by Michael Ende, whose text adheres to some traditional 
gender stereotypes. The characters that display traditionally masculine or feminine 
qualities are Lukas, Frau Waas, and Emma the locomotive. Lukas, as one of the 
protagonists, is placed in a masculine, active role as an engine driver, whose hands are 
always black from working. He is portrayed as a hard-worker who always smokes a 
pipe and wears muddy overalls. As a locomotive driver, he is in a male-dominated 
occupation as many men work in engineering or driving positions (Carter 2015). On 
the other hand, Frau Waas is depicted as the typical mother figure. She is a shopkeeper, 
who adopts Jim and who takes cares of everyone else in Lummerland, making them 
food and treating them as her own children. She is in a strictly domestic role, remaining 
passive throughout the text. Her only role is as a mother pining for her adoptive son, 
Jim.