| Summary: | 碩士 === 東吳大學 === 德國文化學系 === 96 === Rainer Werner Fassbinder, a well-known german director, had written lots of dramas during his entire life. All of his works reflect his criticism of the society, no matter movies or dramas. Although his works remain controversial, the core concept of his works still came from his concern of the question relating to individual existence. It is his viewpoint that being hampered by the society, each individual is not able to develop his individual freedom according to his willingness. Such a phenomenon of restricted individuality is a common motif in Fassbinder’s works. The psychologist Erich Fromm also shares the similar view. Fromm has mentioned about the paradox of the individual freedom in his book Escape from Freedom. He believed that if the progress of one's individuality does not follow his physiological development, it will result in his dependence on the outer world. He will even escape from the freedom via adopting various escape mechanisms.
Both of Fassbinder and Fromm held the belief that the society is the main mechanism that hampers an individuality to realize his free will and to develop his individual freedom. Besides, they both critized the capitalists' exploitation of the working class and argued that the manipulative education will result in one's loss of his autonomy and independency.
Due to the similarity of thier concepts, this text will interpret Fassbinder’s Drama The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant by means of Fromm’s freedom thesis. Although the protagonist Petra is aware of fighting for her individual freedom, her ideology still cannot be apart from the value of the bourgeois structure. Her problem results from her education. On the other hand, Karin differs from Petra in that she is not restrained by her education. The obedient behavior of Petra’s servant Marlene exhibits her masochistic mentality. She possesses almost none of the awareness of her personal freedom. The language of the roles also indicates some problems which are referred to the individual freedom. Furthermore, the two spaces in the drama, one of which is Petra’s house and studio, and the other is school which has been mentioned many times by the roles in the drama, both reveal the phenomenon of the restricted individuality.
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