SOURCE: Hallamore, Joyce. “The Reflected Self in Annette von Droste's Work: A Challenge to Self-Discovery.” Monatshefte: Fur Deutschen Unterricht, Deutsche Sprache und Literatur 61, no. 1 (1969): 58-74.

In the following essay, Hallamore traces the themes of introspection and self-examination in Droste-Hülshoff's work. Hallamore finds that Droste-Hülshoff's artistic exploration of these themes grows in complexity and assurance, particularly in the final years of her career.

Herr! gib mir, daß ich sehe!

(“Fastnacht”)

The personality of Annette von Droste presents a double image. The public image is that of the little spinster living as a social being in her secluded retreats and reflecting, in an unproblematic manner, the traditions and values of her aristocratic heritage, her orthodox Christianity, and her close emotional link with her Westphalian origins. The private image, that of the poet, is an infinitely complex one, and the woman who walked the moor in solitary hours, escaping...