Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Asia in Transition in the 21st Century (2025) 2709-5479 The Interplay of Female Repression and Violent Desire in Elfriede Jelinek’s The Piano Teacher Chung-Jen Chao Department of German Studies Trier University Violence is a widely explored interdisciplinary topic in the humanities and social sciences, including fields such as literature, philosophy, anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and political science. In the field of literature, Austrian writer Elfriede Jelinek, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2004, is renowned for her portrayal of various forms of violence, particularly in relation to gender issues. She is especially known for her focus on women’s experiences and her sharp critique, which has established her as a prominent figure in literary discussions. Jelinek’s novel The Piano Teacher is one of the most renowned literary works exploring how patriarchal society controls women’s bodies, emotions, and desires. With a sharp tone, she portrays this oppression as suffocating and deeply damaging, even to the point of distorting women’s psychological states and cognitive patterns. Jelinek demonstrates this through the protagonist’s violent desire to self-harm, to harm others, and to be harmed. This vividly illustrates the tension between suppressed inner desires and external constraints, and the destructive consequences that arise when these forces collide. In light of this, this article will analyze the relationship between repression and violence in The Piano Teacher within a gender framework, to understand how Jelinek portrays oppressed women on the one hand, and her patriarchal critique on the other hand. Through this, this study aims to reveal the systems of control and resistance in the novel’s depiction of gendered power dynamics. Keywords: Elfriede Jelinek, feminism, violence, sexuality, sadomasochism 1. Jelinek’s Engagement with Gender and Violence Elfriede Jelinek is renowned for her sharp critique and her portrayal of various forms of violence, particularly in relation to gender issues and women’s experiences. She usually explores violence and oppression within a gender framework, as they are closely connected to her personal experiences and feminist position. Jelinek grew up with a mentally ill father who was institutionalized early, leaving her under the strict control of her domineering mother. These oppressive experiences, marked by emotional isolation and her father’s early death, shaped the conflicted emotions that later emerged in her critical portrayals of gender and family dynamics. © 2025 Conflict, Justice, Decolonization: Asia in Transition in the 21st Century 1