German Language and Literature Commons^™

Brahms The Exotic: The Representation Of Non-European And Ethnic `Others' In The Hafiz/Daumer Settings Of Opus 32, "Romanzen Aus L. Tieck's Magelone," And "Zigunerlieder," Opus 103, Kristina Marie Eckelhoff

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Though scholars, performers, and classical enthusiasts alike recognized and praised the many facets of his compositional craft, Johannes Brahms's treatment of poetry in his Lieder has led to much conflicting assessments. The negative critiques exist partially because the majority of scholars do discuss an interpretation of the poems but seldom explain precisely how Brahms conveys the texts' meanings through his music, leaving the more specific details of text-to-music relationship and what it shows about Brahms's own understanding of the texts unexplored.

Brahms's Lieder have also been criticized because of the supposed lack of exotic qualities in those works that portray …

Fritzsche's New Book Looks At World Science Fiction Films, Kim Hill

News and Events (Discontinued Series)

No abstract provided.

Dreams, Hallucinations, Moving Statues, And Ekphrasis In Ludwig Tieck's Visual Writings, Joseph D. Rockelmann

Open Access Dissertations

When reading Ludwig Tieck's texts the reader becomes aware that dreams, the unconscious, and art play a key role. This study seeks to posit that Ekphrasis and dream interpretation are similar due to both analyzing a visual image and attempting to translate the visual into the verbal in order to gain a better and more complete understanding of it. G.E. Lessing believed that poetry and the visual arts were equal since each art form has its own strengths and when combined they create a complete art form. The artist focuses on portraying a single moment and its beauty so that …

Humor In Discourse: Herr Flick And Lieutenant Gruber In ‘Allo ‘Allo, Toke Van Gehuchten

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Humor in discourse is often characterized by the specific, i.e. humor arises in a particular context. Sitcoms often provide a medium for humor in that the characters act as types through the aid of linguistic tools. In the case of ‘Allo ‘Allo, for instance, the German character of Herr Flick is exemplified by his extensive usage of syntactic features, which are associated with speaker dominance, e.g. frequent use of the imperative, deontically used modal verbs and conciseness of utterance. On the other hand, the character of Lieutenant Gruber is typified by his usage of mitigation speech devices, such as the …

Die Raumsemantik In Ferdinand Von Saars Schloß Kostenitz Und Adalbert Stifters Brigitta - Ein Vergleich, Anna-Rebecca Nowicki

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

Seeking Infinity: Exploring The Meaning And Potential Of Young Adult Literature, Jacinta Yanders

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The category of Young Adult (YA) Literature has experienced tremendous growth in terms of readership and works produced over the course of the last fifteen years or so. While there has been some scholarly work done on the category, the research pales in comparison to almost any other facet of literature. For whatever reasons, scholars have largely decided to ignore the changes that have occurred in YA. However, that has not stopped readers from continuing to read these books. In fact, this paper not only addresses the background and what I believe to be the defining characteristics of YA, but …

Theory And Practice Of Translation: An Original Translation Of Regina E. G. Schymiczek’S Die Weide Der Seepferde (The Pasture Of The Seahorses), Bradley J. Davey, Ralph W. Buechler

Honors College Theses

This study outlines the original translation of the recently published Die Weide der Seepferde (2013) from Regina E. G. Schymizcek. We employ known translation techniques by following Hervey’s (2006) suggested gradients of degrees of translation and cultural transposition. While translating the work we discovered a unique aspect of German-English translation which we believe fundamentally adds to knowledge of translation theory.

Ästhetische Grenzgänge. Das Weiblich Erhabene In Schillers 'Jungfrau Von Orleans' Und Kleists 'Penthesilea', Miriam Zeh

Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Theses and Dissertations

No abstract provided.

A Multi-Media Approach To Building Listening And Speaking Skills In The Context Of Cultural Competency, Kirsten A. Krick-Aigner, Nina Jackson, Sara Futch

Arthur Vining Davis High Impact Fellows Projects

Students at Spartanburg High School recently received Apple MacBooks for use in the classroom. The goal of this project was to come up with short supplementary materials using this new technology to build German listening and speaking skills, as well as cultural competency. The hope was that incorporating technology would hold the interest of the students and provide new opportunities for instruction for the teacher. It was also hoped that the activities created would bring German culture to life for the students. The activities are divided into 4 sections: Nachrichten, Lieder, Jojo sucht das Glück, and Films & Märchen. Each …

Women Unafraid Of Criticism: An Annotated Bibliography Of Women Journalists Of The Neue Freie Presse 1920-1933, Carl Hayden, Dr. Robert Mcfarland

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Though women may have hidden behind masculine façade’s as indicated by Ann Tizia Leitich’s chastising remark, they definitely were not remaining as quite as they once did. Compared to the late 1800’s where one would be lucky to find five articles written by women in a given month, one can easily find about thirty in a given month during the 1920’s. Women expressed not only views about fashion in these articles, but also critiqued Freud, submitted literary analyses, created wonderful allegories and shaped the views of the United States of America and Japan. Through Professor Robert McFarland’s and my efforts, …

Germans & The Wild West: A Cinematic Reinvention Of German National Identity In The Cold-War Period, Romy Franks

Journal of Undergraduate Research

A few weeks ago, I was in my office with my younger sister, Maya, as she looked over our International Cinema poster. To my astonishment, I heard her say, “What? There’s a German film about Indians? Weird!” I think my disbelief stemmed from the fact that I had just returned from a research trip in Germany to study this very topic. It dawned on me in that moment that if my own sister was unaware of the Germans’ love for cowboys and Indians, then how in tarnation would the general American public be expected to know about this?

The Folk Heroine Elise Von Der Recke: Her Life And The Fictions Surrounding It, Nathan Conder, Dr. Michelle James

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In the late 18th century Count Cagliostro, an occult figure and magician, traveled across Europe preaching that he was able to contact the dead, and gaining many followers. In 1787 Elisa von der Recke, a woman with close connections to Cagliostro, wrote a book denouncing him as a fraud and warning others to not be taken in by him. Elisa von der Recke’s book was a huge sensation, first because it denounced one of Europe’s most notorious persons, and second, because it was written by a woman, and at that time women simply did not write these kinds of works. …

Comparing Gains In German Vowel Production Across Three Learning Environments, Anna Katharina Burton, Dr. Laura C. Smith

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This study sought to compare pronunciation gains in German in three learning environments, focusing especially on the umlauted vowels, e.g., /ø:/ as in Schönheit ‘beauty’ and /y:/ as in üben ‘to practice.’ Our research aimed to answer the following questions: 1. In which learning environment do students make more improvement in vowel production during an 11-week period: on a Berlin Study Abroad (SA), living in the German House, or while taking German classes? And 2. To what extent do problems with production of umlauted vowels impact the way native speakers rate the pronunciation of learners’ vowels?

Putting The Muse To Music: German Composers And Elisa Von Der Recke, Aubrey Hatch, Dr. Michelle James, Cindy Brewer

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Some artists create music directly, while other artists—like Elisa von der Recke—inspire others to create music. Elisa von der Recke was a literary phenomenon in her era, a woman whose writing was taken seriously by male readers, thinkers, and, very importantly, by male composers. At the height of her popularity and shortly after her death, several of Germany’s best composers put Recke’s poetry to music. Unfortunately, for all of their popularity during the German Romantic period, Recke’s poems—as well as their musical accompaniments—have all but disappeared1. The purpose of this project was to both compile and transcribe music that was …

Influences And Perspectives: Studying Abroad In Germany, Alexandra Nelson

Honors Theses

A group of Western Michigan University students who studied abroad in Germany within the past two years were surveyed to better understand what influences opinions and stereotypes of another culture. In this thesis the country and culture that was specifically observed was Germany. This thesis focuses on three factors that influence an individual’s opinions of another culture: (1) the influences from the individual’s family, friends and culture/society of his/her home country, (2) the influences from the host country’s culture/society of his/her study abroad, and (3) the influences of his/her experiences while studying abroad. In the survey, the students were asked …

Website To Preserve Unique Information On German Composer Luise Greger, Camila Trujillo Medina, Dr. Michelle Scott James

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The endeavor to preserve the memory of German composer Luise Greger (1862-1944) has taken me and my mentor, Dr. Michelle James, head of the German and Slavic Department, into the almost unexplored topic of early 20th century German music. Since very little effort has been devoted to Greger’s music, there have been but few sources we could turn to as we have gathered contextual information to frame Greger’s significance in history. As a result, we have been able to delve into an exciting area of knowledge, breaking ground where barely anyone else had been.

Martin Luther: Vater Einer Allgemeinen Sprache? Martin Luther: Father Of A Common Language?, Annika Ewaldz, Adam Woodis, Faculty Advisor

John Wesley Powell Student Research Conference

Martin Luther is well known for his 95 Theses, in which he rejects the Catholic practice of selling indulgences; but it was his groundbreaking translation of the Bible into German that instigated the standardization of the German language. After his excommunication, Luther was in hiding in the Wartburg Castle, where he translated his Bible into a vernacular and cohesive form of the German language. Many different dialects were spoken throughout Germany at the time making communication between regions difficult. Luther’s translation soon became the most influential Bible in Germany and was disseminated quickly due to the recently invented printing …

Women’S Writing: An Annotated Reader, Alexander Smith, Dr. Michelle James

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Before beginning this project I was aware of the vast variety of literature available in both English and German language. Having been fortunate enough to work with Dr. James already on the Sophie Project, an undertaking of the Department of Germanic and Slavic here at BYU, I was also aware of the number of German-language literature pieces that Dr. James has collected over the past years. However, I was not aware of the impact that this literature can have and the insights that it can provide.

Guide To Estonian Jewish Genealogy, Patrick Monson, Thom Edlund

Journal of Undergraduate Research

I am from Bountiful, Utah. I am majoring in Family History-Genealogy. During the 2011 Spring Term, I worked at the Estonian Historical Archives in Tartu, Estonia, and the Estonian Jewish Museum in Tallinn, Estonia. At the Archives, my major responsibility was to translate Hebrew documents into Estonian. I also transliterated Yiddish documents. At the Museum, I gave tours to visitors (mostly Jewish tourists from the U.S. and Israel), teaching them about the history and culture of Estonia’s Jews. At both the Archives and Museum, I composed a Guide to Estonian Jewish Genealogical Research, which is available at the Museum’s website, …

Change In Grammatical Competence On Study Abroad, Falk Kleinert, Dr. Hans Wilhelm

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Study abroad has long been argued to be the best way to improve a student´s proficiency in a second language, e.g., German. This claim is being scrutinized more and more in light of the current economic struggles facing many students and their families. This project is part of a larger study conducted by my mentor, Dr. Kelling, and his colleague, Dr. Laura Smith, assessing language gains on Berlin study abroad.

Language Acquisition On A German Study Abroad, Zachary Duvall, Dr. Laura Smith

Journal of Undergraduate Research

With increasingly difficult economic circumstances, ever more evidence is needed to validate the costs of study abroad. This study iss part of a larger project conducted by my mentor, Dr. Laura Smith and her colleague Dr. Kelling to assess linguistic and cultural changes by students during study abroad.

The Cinematographic Portrayal Of Americans In Late Stalin Era Soviet Film, James K. Pringle, Dr. Raissa Solovieva

Journal of Undergraduate Research

This research examines how Soviet directors portrayed Americans in the six anti-American films released during the late Stalin era (1945-1953). These six films are The Russian Question (dir. Romm, 1947), Meeting on the Elbe (dir. Alexandrov, 1949), Court of Honor (dir. Room, 1949), Conspiracy of the Doomed (dir. Kalatozov, 1950), Secret Mission (dir. Romm, 1950), and Silvery Dust (dir. Room, 1953). This period is unique because the allies of World War II became enemies in the Cold War. Accordingly, for the first time in Soviet Cinema, Americans became the enemy. Since the Soviet Union was a closed country, all actors …

Pronunciation Gains On Berlin Study Abroad: Does Starting Proficiency Play A Role?, Emily Hall, Dr. Laura Smith

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Study abroad programs have long enjoyed the prestige of being considered an exceptionally effective way to become fluent in a second language (Freed 1998). This conclusion has been supported by a multitude of studies. Smith, Aten, and Baker (2009) showed that German students on an 11-week study abroad in Berlin and on a similar study abroad in Vienna improved their accentedness, fluency, and comprehensibility in the course of the program. Moreover, Freed (1998) notes that many large-scale studies tend to find overall improvement in the listening and speaking skills of students participating in a study abroad. However, not all studies …

Beatriz’ Tod Als Eine Art Weiter Zu Leben: ‚Überschreiben‘ In Irmtraud Morgeners Leben Und Abenteuer Der Trobadora Beatriz Nach Ihrer Spielfrau Laura, Helen Titchener

Undergraduate German Research Conference

In diesem Vortrag werde ich zeigen, dass der Tod der Hauptfigur in Irmtraud Morgners 1974 Roman Leben und Abenteuer der Trobadora Beatriz nach Zeugnissen ihrer Spielfrau Laura eine feministische Rückgewinnung ist. Beatriz’ Tod ermöglicht Beatriz selbst, den anderen weiblichen Figuren Olga und Laura, und den weiblichen und auch männlichen Figuren Benno und Valaska weiter und besser zu leben. Wie ihr Schlaf, mit dem das Buch anfängt, gibt ihr Tod Beatriz eine neue Chance zu Leben. Das Konzept des besseren und rettenden Todes anstatt Beatriz’ möglichen Lebens, zeigt, dass die Deutsche Demokratische Republik in den siebziger Jahren keine Welt für Frauen …

Der Faust’Sche Paradox Und Wer An Kindsmord Schuld Ist, Nele Löcher

Undergraduate German Research Conference

Die größte Gefahr für Frauen im 18. Jahrhundert war die patriarchale Machtstruktur, die ihre Leben bestimmte. Dies beschäftigte nicht nur die Frauen, die unter ihr litten, sondern auch die Autoren des Sturm und Drang. Diese Männer der Aufklärung waren vor allem von der Tragödie des Kindsmords inspiriert. Bespielhaft hierfür sind die berühmten Werke Faust (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe schrieb mehrere Fassungen und zwei Teile, ich werde mich nur mit Faust I beschäftigen). Faust, der zwar als hervorragender, aber auch als typischer Mann beschrieben wird folgt einem Schema der Zeit. Er ist angezogen von der Unschuld und Tugend von Gretchen, doch …

Martin Luther: Vater Einer Allgemeinen Sprache?, Annika Ewaldz

Undergraduate German Research Conference

Martin Luther ist nicht nur für den Beginn der Reformation bekannt, sondern auch für seine Übersetzung der Bibel ins Deutsche. Er übersetzte diese Bibel in der Zeit nach dem Reichstag zu Worms in seinem Versteck auf der Wartburg. Er nahm besondere Sorgfalt in diese Übersetzung, so dass jede deutsche Person die Bibel sollte lesen können. In seiner Übersetzung hielt er sich nah an der Latein-Versionen der Bibel. Er plädierte auch dafür, dass Deutsch die Lehrsprache an den Universitäten sein sollte, vor allem an der Universität Wittenberg, und auch dass Deutsch, statt Latein, die Kirchensprache sein sollte, damit jede Person verstehen …

Brückenbauen: Die Deutsch-Amerikanische Dichterin Fernande Richter Und Ihr Drama Die Brücke, Calla Buttke

Undergraduate German Research Conference

Obwohl Fernande Richter (auch unter dem Pseudonym Edna Fern bekannt) als eine der besten deutschamerikanischen Verfasserinnen anerkannt wird, gibt es wenig verlässliche Information über ihr Leben und ihr Werk, einschließlich Die Brücke, ihr einziges Theaterstück, das in Milwaukee im März des Jahres 1917 uraufgeführt wurde. Diese Präsentation beschreibt einige vorher unbekannte Quellen mit Information über Richters Leben und analysiert das Theaterstück, Die Brücke, das vor wenigen Jahren unter Schreibmaschinenmanuskripten in der „Trostel Collection of German Theater Scripts“ in der Milwaukee Public Library entdeckt wurde und in Cora Lee Kluges Other Witnesses: An Anthology of Literature of the German …

Finanziell Verpflichtet, Geistlich Verbunden Und Zur Katastrophe Vorbestimmt: Die Notwendigkeit Und Die Gefahr Der Arbeit In Bahnwärter Thiel, Zach Nelson

Undergraduate German Research Conference

Obwohl die Industrialisierung in dem 19. Jahrhundert große Fortschritte für die Menschen Europas bedeutete, wird sie in dem Buch Bahnwärter Thiel von Gerhart Hauptmann aus einer anderen Perspektive betrachtet. Die Abhängigkeit zwischen Menschen und der Industrialisierung wird nicht positiv repräsentiert und das Leben von Thiel, der Protagonist der Geschichte, stellt die katastrophalen Folgen dieser gefährlichen Verbindlichkeit dar. Bahnwärter Thiel erzählt eine Geschichte, die die Arbeit Thieles in der Eisenbahnindustrie als notwendig für ihn erklärt, aber auch als eine zerstörende Kraft in seinem Leben. Zwar benötigt er seine relativ unkomplizierte Arbeit, um seine Familie unterstützen zu können, aber die spirituelle und …

Lena Goreliks Meine Weißen Nächte: Ein Bild Der Russischen Juden In Deutschland, Abigail Weisberger

Undergraduate German Research Conference

Diese Forschung untersucht Lena Goreliks Meine weißen Nächte (2004) als ein Hauptwerk, um die inneren Konflikte von russisch-jüdischen Einwanderern in Deutschland nach dem Fall der Sowjetunion im Jahre 1991 zu verstehen. Obwohl russische Juden politische Hilfe bekamen, in Deutschland einzuwandern, kamen sie nach Deutschland nicht aus religiösen Gründen. Eher argumentiere ich durch eine Analyse von Meine weißen Nächte, dass diese Immigranten eine schwache Verbindung zu ihrem Judentum wegen der historischen sowjetischen Unterdrückung hatten und, dass ihr Russentum eine größere Quelle von Fremdheit gewesen ist als ihr Judentum. Ich beginne mit einer Untersuchung von den Erinnerungen von der Protagonistin Anja …

Rock ‘N’ Roll Honecker‘: Die Fdj Und Westliche Rockmusik Während Der 80er Jahre, Dale Jones

Undergraduate German Research Conference

In der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik in den Achtzigerjahren entwickelte sich ein neues undeutliches Verhältnis zwischen der Führung der Sozialistischen Einheitspartei Deutschlands (SED) und dem westlichen Rockmusikstil. In meiner Arbeit werde ich zeigen, dass diese unsicheren Haltungen über Rockmusik die konkurrierenden Ideen innerhalb der Parteiorganisationen und die widersprüchlichen Elemente der SED-Organisationen offenbaren. Besonderes in der Freien Deutschen Jugend (FDJ) existierten Antriebe, die die westliche Jugendkultur mit dem Sozialismus vereinbaren wollten, um die Sicherheit der politischen Zukunft zu gewährleisten. Dieses Streben orientierte sich oft gegen die älteren Parteigenossen und Führung in der SED, die selbst kritischere und patriotischere Standpunkte in der Eskalierung …