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“Aurelie Werner”: Intersections Between Hysteria And The Jewish Woman’S Assessment Of Jewishness In The Late 19th Century, Claire H. Woodward

Student Publications

"Aurelie Werner" is a story written by Sara Hirsch Guggenheim, a prominent neo-Orthodox writer in late 19th century Germany. This article analyzes the portrayal of Jewish women during this period, and the ways in which women responded to and coped with exclusion and prejudice. Specifically, "Aurelie Werner" portrays a young woman's experience of anxiety and uncontrolled emotion as she discerns her place in society as a Jew and as a woman. In the early 20th century, these symptoms would be designated as 'hysteric' in nature, and would often be used to describe the demeanor of Jewish women as they grappled …