German Literature Commons^™

Die Einwirkung Des Jugendstils Auf Rilkes FrüHwerk, Linda Collins Blumenthal

Dissertations and Theses

A review of the secondary literature written on Rilke's poetry reveals that his earliest work has scarcely been dealt with. This fact is not astounding considering that the poet found literary acclaim only in his more mature period. In those cases, however, in which Rilke's first poetry has been examined, it is approached outside the context of later developments. This paper is based on the thesis that a vital continuous thread which begins with Jugendstil and extends into his most mature poetry, runs through Rilke's work as regards life style and art theory. Many of his most typical symbols - …

Die Figur Der Rebellen Im Frühwerk Schillers: Die Räuber, Kabale Und Liebe, Don Carlos, Edward E. Heyen

Dissertations and Theses

Schiller's career as a dramatist spans more than two decades. Without too much difficulty, one observes that his plays are intimately related with one another. Particularly in the Storm and Stress period, his motives appear to be much the same: Schiller is an advocate of freedom, and the rights of men.

I maintain that the youthful rebel is a recurrent theme in Schiller's dramatic works and this can be shown by an analysis of four characters from three plays, followed by a summary of their similarities.

The rebellious youths of Schiller are Karl Moor (Die Räuber), …

Der Gebrauch Des Todesmotivs In Den Deutschen Poemata Von Paul Fleming, Paul Ancil Wolf

Dissertations and Theses

In the Deutsche Poemata the word Tod and its variant forms appear in over 130 different poems. The word may appear more than once in the same poem. Despite the frequency of this word, its use has not previously been researched in depth. Secondary sources fall into five basic categories:

1. the use of the word Tod is ignored completely;
2. its use may be isolated to borrowings from Roman Literature;
3. its use is Petrarchan;
4. if comprehensible at all, it is an expression of Fleming's Christian philosophy of nature;
5. Fleming's use of the word is typical for the entire Baroque era.

This …

Die Intrigantin In Ausgewählten Frühen Werken Gerhart Hauptmanns, Sidney Thomas Stuller

Dissertations and Theses

Gerhart Hauptmann, whose naturalistic period embraced the years 1885-1906, gave the world a negative picture of the woman who by her demeanor or actions destroys a man. In this thesis a distinction is drawn between lower class, unsophisticated women like Lene Thiel or Hanne Sehäl and more highly educated and somewhat emancipated women such as Anna Mahr and Hanna Elias. The former type destroyed the man through more coarse or brutal methods while the latter naturally employed a higher degree of sophistication exercising their destructive influence. Moreover, the former type married the men they subsequently ruined whereas the latter did …

Rilke Und ValéRy: Eine Wahlverwandtschaft, Anne Marie Roehr

Dissertations and Theses

The German poet Rainer Maria Rilke was proficient in languages, and his favorite one was French. He had lived in Paris and had many friends in French literary circles. He exchanged letters with some of them before he even met them personally; such was the case with the French poet and writer Paul Valéry. However, before the two poets met, a “meeting of the minds” had taken place in the year 1921.

In the spring of 1921, after a lengthy period of silence, Rilke came across a copy of the Nouvelle Revue Française, a famous literary review, where Valèry had …

Demian: Ein Weg Zu "Amor Fati", Wayne D. Nuss

Dissertations and Theses

Demian has the characteristics of a Bildungsroman and an allegory, and may be put into either classification. However, rather than squeeze the work into some literary mould and end up with an "ugly duckling," one can look upon Demian as the 40-year-old Hesse's world view presented in literary form, which in fact is the development of a life-formula, "amor fati." Demian then becomes a "beautiful swan."

The thesis is constructed in three main sections, looking at Demian from different perspectives: Demian as a Bildungsroman: Demian as an allegory; Demian as a life-formula.

The work contains the qualifications of a …

Die Prostituierte In Frank Wedekinds Dramen, Philip A. Mellen

Dissertations and Theses

The prostitute and the concept of prostitution played a meaningful role in both Frank Wedekind's life and his dramatic efforts. From his early youth to the writing of his drama Schloss Wetterstein (1910), Wedekind remained deeply interested in the personal, social and philosophical problems generated by the existence of the prostitute and what he imagined her sensually based philosophy of life to be. Four of Wedekind's dramas were dealt with, which seem to be representative of his struggle to vindicate his own corresponding philosophy of sensuality.

The first drama, Elins Erweckung (Elin's Awakening-1887), is important as his first drama dealing …

Die Gestalt Der Frau In Ausgewählten Dramen George Kaisers, Wolfgang H. Justen

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis' focuses on the characterization of the "woman", who occupies a very prominent part in the dramatic works of playwright Georg Kaiser (1878-1945). The purpose of this study is twofold: the first part re-examines the early plays Die judische Witwe (1910) and Europa (1910) and basically re-affirms the findings that Judith and Europa are "elementary beings", driven by only one force, their overpowering sexual desire. It can be pointed out, though, that already in these plays Kaiser turned toward mythology - which includes Old and New Testament for him - in the choice of his protagonists.

The examination of …

Die Gestaltung Des Raumes In Den Dramen Ernst Barlachs, Dieter Helmut Engelhardt

Dissertations and Theses

The importance of spatial spheres in dramas has only slightly been researched. On the whole this problem has been considered relatively unimportant. Ever since the publication of Lessing's Laokoon the distinguishing characteristic of a literary work was considered to be the element of "time", in contradistinction to works of the visual arts (painting and sculpture) where "space" was primary. It will be demonstrated that in Barlach's plays space assumes considerable importance. Although the dramatic concern is primarily expressed through successive dialogues and monologues, Barlach's language nevertheless can imaginatively create spatial spheres different from those visible on stage. Both spheres of …

Die Idee Der Neuen Welt In Fritz Von Unruhs Trilogie Ein Geschlecht, Paul Otto Soumokil

Dissertations and Theses

Fritz: von Unruh, who lives at Oranienhof in Diez an der Lahn, was born in 1885. He wrote the first two parts of his trilogy Ein Geschlecht during the literary movement in Germany which is known as "Expressionismus". The yet unpublished third part was not finished until 1958. It was in this trilogy that he developed his ideas of a new world.

The upheaval and destruction of World War I shattered the complacency of life and traditions which had so long been ingrained in Europe. This traumatic experience resulted in a new examination of life, its meaning and sense. The …

Der Richter Und Der Gerechte In Dürrenmatts Dramen, Helga Schlichtherle

Dissertations and Theses

In each of Friedrich Dürrenmatt's ten plays that appeared between 1946 and 1965 there are two protagonists. One of them is powerful and egocentric, strives for fame and power and challenges the world. To destroy his rivals he becomes a 'Judge', sometimes even an executioner.

His antagonist is humble and pious, believes in God, and considers life as God's gift. Christian ethics determine his decisions. He is the 'Righteous'.

Dürrenmatt's work divides into four periods which reflect the author’s times and beliefs.

The first three plays (Es steht geschrieben, Der Blinde, Romulus der Grosse show hope for a better world …

Die Moabiter Sonette; Letzte Gedichte Und Gedanken Albrecht Haushofers, Richard S. Kemmler

Dissertations and Theses

Albrecht Haushofer wrote the Moabiter Sonette while confined in a Nazi prison in Berlin during the last months of World War II. His arrest resulted from his indirect involvement in the resistance movement which culminated with the July 20, 1944 attempt on Hitler’s life.

From 1933 to his arrest Haushofer was directly and indirectly involved in work aimed at overthrowing Hitler’s regime and forming a new government. Through his father’s friend, Rudolf Heß, Haushofer was ‘inofficially’ appointed in 1933 to the Foreign Office under Ribbentrop. His effect on German government policies was however nil. In 1937 he left the Foreign …

The Image Of The Habsburg Empire In Joseph Roth's Radetzkymarsch And Die Kapuzinergruft, Deborah O'Dell

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores Joseph Roth's image of the Habsburg Empire es depicted in two of his works, namely Radetzkymarsch (1932) and Die Kapuzinergruft (1938).

Joseph Roth is perhaps the chronicler par excellence of the Habsburg Empire. Among the authors who have attempted, through their works, to come to grips with fin de siecle Austria, he has remained relatively unknown. However, Roth was keenly aware of the Monarchy's ultimate decline and fall. Losing the Monarchy was his most intense experience and his personal involvement with the Empire plays a dominant role in these novels. Hence, Chapter I provides a biographical sketch. …