Summer Project Findings: Intellectual and Sexual Journeys in Verena Stefan’s Shedding

1. Summer Project Findings: Intellectual and Sexual Journeys in Verena Stefan’s Shedding By Abigail Grable

2. Background • Set in West Germany in the 1970s • Detailed glimpse into physical and sexual journey of young protagonist • Travels throughout Europe, struggling to gain acceptance as both physical object and intellectual being • Experiences unfulfilling relationships and sexual encounters • Gains exposure to new political attitudes and medical advancements • Ultimately becomes advocate for women’s civil and reproductive rights

3. Outline of Findings The novella effectively showcases the protagonist’s struggle for both physical and intellectual acceptance as a woman, through the use of: • Recurring themes • Unconventional chronology • Subtle foreshadowing It also provides powerful perspective to obstacles that women battle even today

4. Recurring Themes • Sexual appeal VS. intellectual respect • Desire to attain physical cohesiveness “from head to foot” through sexual identification and satisfaction (Stefan 5, 6, 13) • Determined to experiment sexually through the birth control pill • Relief in being unable to acquire the pill suggests the daunting implications of being sexually active • The pill becomes a metaphor for the threat that sexual acceptance poses against a woman’s own physical and mental well-being

5. Unconventional Chronology • Alternates between progressing and regressing in time • Emphasizes similar roadblocks encountered with each romantic partner • Pinpoints dissatisfaction with her partners and her growing cynicism toward sex • Contrasts the protagonist’s desire to empower other women with her dwindling interest in spending her life with men

6. Subtle Foreshadowing • Predict the protagonist’s sexual rebellions and their impact on her sexual identity • Hints at her growing interest in women’s politics and women’s rights at various instances • Diverting from sexual engagement in the process • Indicates protagonist’s eventual acceptance of women as intimate partners • Prove to be more emotionally fulfilling than past relationships with men • Sexual rebellions highlight the protagonist’s self-acceptance as both a sexual and intellectual being • Reinforce her eventual lack of dependence upon men for such affirmation

7. Empowering Women • This sexual and mental journey can be especially enlightening for modern American women, who are fighting for their reproductive rights • Since contraception, abortions, and a woman’s sexual identity are largely controversial topics in the United States today, Shedding can provide useful perspective into the internal and external struggles that accompany them

8. Conclusion Shedding effectively showcases its protagonist’s struggle for both physical and intellectual acceptance as a woman, using: • Recurring themes • Unconventional chronology • Subtle foreshadowing It also provides powerful perspective for empowering women today

9. Questions What questions do you have for me?