Beyond the Bildungsroman: A Woke Perspective on Heinrich Mann's Professor Unrat and J.M. Coetzee's Disgrace

Abstract

This essay examines how the "woke" movement has revolutionized literary criticism. By centering marginalized voices and challenging traditional power structures, the "woke" perspective offers fresh insights into classic texts. The analysis delves into Heinrich Mann's Professor Unrat and J.M. Coetzee's Disgrace, revealing how these novels, when viewed through a "woke" lens, expose underlying power dynamics and societal inequalities. Through close readings, the essay demonstrates how both texts subvert traditional narratives of Bildung, or formation, exploring themes of gender, race, and class. Ultimately, this study argues that the "woke" movement has provided literary critics with a powerful tool to re-evaluate canonical works and to uncover new meanings that have been previously overlooked.