Die typisch untypische exotische Frau: Oscar Walter Ciseks Tatarin Muhibe
The typically atypical exotic woman: Oscar Walter Cisek's Tartar Muhibe

Summary/Abstract: The novella "Die Tatarin" (1928/29) establishes the literary fame of its author, Oscar Walter Cisek (1897 – 1966). The success of Die Tatarin is due not only to the choice of the little multicultural port city Balcik on the Black Sea coast as scenery of the novella, but also to the strong female main character, the Tartar Muhibe. Muhibe is not a passive oriental woman, but a fighter: She fights against poverty and hunger, against her lot as an abandoned wife, against the rules of a world where only men can work for a living. She begs, cheats, steals, and fights to survive, not minding any obstacle in her way, any laws, or ethical boundaries. This paper aims to identify how Cisek plays with and dismisses the Western European stereotypes regarding foreign (oriental) women, creating in his Muhibe a monumental strong, wilful, resilient, and unique female character.

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