In the foreword to an early translation of the play “Spring Awakening” by Frank Wedekind, its translator Francis J. Ziegler stated that the thesis Wedekind's statement for the play was "that it is a fatal error to raise children, boys or girls, in ignorance of their sexual nature." (The Awakening of Spring. Foreword.) From the beginning of this play, the audience can begin to understand exactly what inspired this belief. Wedekind wrote the play as an attack on the societal pretension, repression and hypocrisy around which he had been raised, particularly in terms of attitudes towards sexuality and morality. His work was often considered pornographic and, therefore, censored. Through complex characters and extremely frank and uninhibited scenes, Wedekind depicts an unmistakable link between sexuality and authority, and the corruption of youth that this link entails. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on "Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned"?Get the original essay On Wedekind's dedication of the play to parents and teachers, Emma Goldman wrote that "parents and teachers are, in relation to the needs of the child, the most ignorant and mentally indolent class.” (Goldman 64) When discussing the role of authority in the sexual development of children, it would be good to first examine the sexuality of the authority itself, how this sexuality significantly impacts the identity of authority and how it manifests itself. regarding the teaching, discipline and upbringing of a child. Another essential aspect of the play, which causes the most shock and provocation, is the sexuality of the children themselves, without which there would be no story. The sexuality of the play's authoritarian roles is not explored in depth, but is nevertheless noteworthy and integral to the exploration of the relationship between authority and sexuality. Mrs. Bergmann perfectly demonstrates the power of authority over sexuality when she addresses her daughter: “I did not act towards you differently from what my dear and good mother did towards me. » The issue of maintaining infantile ignorance turns out to be an inherited habit; Sexuality has become an unacceptable subject because generations have taught their children that it should not be discussed. Mrs. Bergmann is not willing to abandon her morality to educate her child about the realities of life, and as an audience we cannot fairly condemn her. His reluctance to educate his daughter sexually is not necessarily negligent. In the context of the time and place in which she raises a child, she acts only in the way she deems most beneficial, as her mother did before her; despite modern opinion, she has Wendla's best interests at heart. In a society that believed the truth about human reproduction would corrupt a child or even a teenager, Bergmann is actually an example of good parenting. Additionally, as a member of the 19th century middle class, Frau Bergmann herself would have been sexually repressed, despite being engaged in marriage. It was believed that sex was indulgent excess and that sex for the purpose of pleasure, rather than solely for conception, was inappropriate. Authoritarian sexuality can also be examined by examining the characters' attitudes toward the opposite sex. Martha's father expresses a particularly unhealthy image of women by suggesting to her that she is a whore because she put a ribbon in her petticoat and tried to express a certain femininity. This harsh treatment of his daughter is just one example to the public of what would now be consideredas an almost far-fetched exaggeration of the current situation; It's not surprising, after watching this scene. that the children in the play feel repressed, with characters like Martha's father in a position of authority. The irony of the scene lies in the fact that Martha is completely oblivious to his accusatory suggestion, because she is sexually ignorant and cannot understand what he means. Martha's father and other men of his time and environment were guided by a somewhat prejudicial idea of ​​women; it is almost reminiscent of the Freudian Madonna-Whore complex. Women were supposed to be one of two unattainable ideals. On the one hand, a woman could be a healthy and pure mother, a perfect wife, virginal and untouched, prudish and never sexually indulgent or even sexually curious, which of course is impossible if she were also to be a pregnant mother. Already, the female is forced to be “the fallen one”. On the other hand, a woman might be seen as a hedonistic and decadent whore, selfish and powerful, the cause and blame of all manly sins. It was never considered that there could be a bridge between these two feminine representations: a woman could only be categorized in one or the other. Regardless, according to this logic, it was impossible for a woman to be satisfied with herself, since a woman was either the fallen one or the fall. These ideas and opinions of the parents in the play, as taught to them by their parents, were then passed down to the children, with disastrous results, as evidenced by the fact that Martha's father categorically rejected like a whore. She can't be a pure and healthy woman because she behaved with "self-indulgence", so the only other option is to work on the streets, in her opinion. The most dominant theme of the play is the causal force of children's sexual ignorance. Every child experiences normal pubescent changes and phenomena, but due to the lack of information given to them by their teachers and parents, they often assume the worst. For example, Moritz expresses that he "thought [he] was incurable" and believed that "[he] suffered from an internal defect." When Wendla first learns of her pregnancy, her first reaction is one of confusion: “But that’s just not possible, Mother. I'm not even married. It becomes evident throughout the play that Wendla's ignorance and naivety have a profound impact on her sexuality, and she begins to form an almost fetishistic view of violence, however unconscious it may be. These problems can be attributed to the general problem of female self-esteem in the play; Wendla comes from a society that teaches her that self-esteem is arrogant and unattractive, that she does not trust her own thoughts and/or opinions, and that she was taught that it is right to doubt yourself. Martha asks Wendla, “Aren’t you proud of yourself, Wendla?” and she replies, “That would be stupid.” The adolescent emotions she experiences have no basis in fact, the sexual desire she feels (or what little she understands of it) is completely repressed, and so the confusion and emotional turmoil of puberty only increases. worsen her already fragile self-confidence. As a result of this tumultuous state, Wendla begins to understand her sexuality as an extension of violence. She knows no other way to manifest her sexuality and therefore becomes fascinated by the idea of ​​fierce or cruel interactions. Wendla does not immediately express sympathy to Martha when she tells Wendla that her parents beat her, but instead asks questions about how the beatings are administered. She begs Melchior to beat her, just to find out what it is.