Hysterischer Modus in Paul Schusters Erzählung Heilige Cäcilia
Hysterical Mode in Paul Schuster’s Narrative Saint Cecilia

Summary/Abstract: The present paper deals with hysteria from various perspectives, including a brief historical overview, paradigms of analysis and the interpretation of the story “Heilige Cäcilia” by Paul Schuster taking into consideration the hysterical mode. The hysterical mode is defined for the present study as a female form of resistance (Honegger 191-216) and we further understand it as a global category in dealing with non-conforming femininity and non-habitual sexual behaviour. (Lamott12) We see the hysterical mode as an emotional and physical response to long established misogynistic conventions in conservative communities. Move over, the research aims to reveal the metamorphosis of hysteria, which we see as a cultural model that represents an attack on rationality, on the logos of reality. (Didi-Hubermann 364). In this way, the paper illustrates through a literary text the strategies by which women seek to resolve the tensions created by the traditional understanding of gender roles.

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