Female Self-Injury and Self-Healing in Contemporary German Literature

Abstract

Self-injury is often regarded as an abnormal or even morbid behavior. Relevant literary works are always classified as non-mainstream categories. However, in recent years, with the increasing popularity of this topic, many German literature works have stepped into the ranks of best-selling novels, and even been included in reading materials in German primary and secondary schools. It is thus clear that while attracting widespread attention, such works also have certain educational significance. This article is oriented by the self-abuser’s development of self-identification, takes the theme of female self-injury in the contemporary German novels as the research category, analyzes the expression from the aspects of narrative structure and characterization, and explores the positive value of this topic embodied in literature.