'DIE PETROLEUMINSELN': POSTCOLONIALISM AND THE JEWISH QUESTION IN THE DRAMATURGY OF LION FEUCHTWANGER

Abstract

The German author Lion Feuchtwanger is widely recognized for his novel writing, especially for his historical novels. His work, however, points to a relevant dramatic production, still in his youth. The play Die Petroleuminseln (1925) addresses issues such as environmental racism and gender bias when narrating the story of Deborah Gray. Another point dealt with is the appearance of the character – a portrait of the stereotype imposed on Jews – and its intrinsic relationship with the protagonist’s desire for power. This configuration of narrative elements reveals the author's later need to leave his homeland. In this investigation, we seek to align such production with issues that were pioneering at the time, such as the post-colonialist ideology crossed by Ecocriticism and the connection produced by Feuchtwanger between Judaism and gender. We also try to clarify some points about the author's exile as a result of this set of factors and Bertolt Brecht's influence on his literary production.