Class Year
2026
Document Type
Student Research Paper
Date of Creation
Spring 2026
Department 1
German
Abstract
The films Joyless Street (1925), The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979), and The Drifter (2010) depict the influence of economic crises in restricting women’s flexibility and the shaping of their social roles. Through the themes of survival, resistance, and agency, the female protagonists navigate the economic hardships such as scarcity, poverty, and unemployment by using labor, sexuality, and personal relationships. Spanning the eras of post-World War 1, the Wirtschaftswunder, and the late 2000s, these women emerge as individuals, who are not weak, but rather constrained by the economic structures of their society.
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Capone, Anthony J., "Women at Work: Women in Economic Crises in German Film" (2026). Student Publications. 1200.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/1200
Included in
European Languages and Societies Commons, Film and Media Studies Commons, German Language and Literature Commons
Comments
Written for GER 400: Senior Seminar