Djavolica: prilog psihologiji kćeri iz boljih obitelji

Hans von Kahlenberg is the pseudonym of the German writer Helene Keßler (née von Monbart, 1870–1957), the author of numerous novels from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The work belongs to her earlier, more scandalous works similar to the famous Nixchen (1899), which also deals with the psychology of the “higher daughter” (höhere Tochter).

The novel analyzes the inner world of a young girl from a respectable, bourgeois family who rebels against social norms, conventions, and expectations of her class. The main character is a typical “devil” – seductive, temperamental, intelligent, and sexually curious, which was very daring at the time. Through a psychological study, Kahlenberg depicts the conflict between a strict upbringing, social expectations, and the natural instincts of a young woman seeking freedom and authenticity.

The book is written in the spirit of late naturalism and early modernism, with strong erotic and psychological elements that brought the author both criticism and popularity. In Germany, such works often caused scandals because they openly thematized female sexuality and criticized bourgeois morality. In the Croatian translation from 1920, it fits into the wave of modern European literature that penetrated Zagreb after World War I.

Like other works by Kahlenberg (Nixchen, Der Fremde), The Devil is more of a character study than a classic fable with a strong plot. The focus is on internal conflicts, emotional crises, and social criticism. The novel is relatively short, which gives it the concentrated, intense form of a typical psychological novella/novel from the beginning of the century.