Germanic and Slavic Studies

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This is the collection for the University of Waterloo's Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies.

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A. Schopenhauer and F. Dostoevsky: Some Philosophical and Literary Parallels
(University of Waterloo, 2016-09-29) Minin, Oleg
This thesis juxtaposes the philosophical theories of Arthur Schopenhauer with themes and characters in Fyodor Dostoevsky's major fictional works of the middle post-Siberian period (1863-1871). Of particular interest is the theme of will, which is prominent in both Schopenhauer's philosophy and Dostoevsky's fiction. The theme of will is discussed firstly, with relation to the notions of will as a thing-in-itself and with relation to the notion of will-to-live. Particular attention is rendered as to how Schopenhauer explains the relationship between will and reason. Then, a portrayal of this relationship, which is similar to Schopenhauer's, is _inferred from an examination of Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground. The philosophical argument expressed by the Underground Man, is viewed in the context of the socio-literary debate with Chemyshevsky and in the context of Schopenhauer's explanation of the will-reason relationship. As well, the Schopenhauerian notion of the will-to-live is applied to the analysis of some of the main characters of Dostoevsky's fiction, such as Raskolnikov, Svidrigailov, Ippolit and Stavrogin. Chapter I of this thesis, is devoted to exploration in the area of literary history. The purpose of this is to establish the hypothesis that Dostoevsky was acquainted with the philosophy of Schopenhauer. Following this brief survey, Chapters II and Ill, are devoted to reflections on and explanations of the concepts of will in Schopenhauer's philosophical works and its presence in Dostoevsky's fiction. The emphasis is on the relationship between will and reason, and the notion of the will-to-live. Chapter N contains an inquiry into the theme of suicide in both Schopenhauer and Dostoevsky. Such an inquiry reveals another example of thematic affinities between the two. Chapters V, VI and VII, are devoted to an analysis of Dostoevsky's characters with relation to suicide and Schopenhauer's notion of the will-to-live. The final chapter attempts to draw general conclusions from the evidence which emerges from this examination, as well as to further the thematic parallels between Schopenhauer and Dostoevsky regarding the theme of suffering.
Absurd America: Immigration and Meaninglessness in Werner Herzog‘s Stroszek and Franz Kafka‘s Der Verschollene
(University of Waterloo, 2018-09-11) Heintz, Jonas
In this thesis I compare Franz Kafka‘s novel Der Verschollene with Werner Herzog‘s movie Stroszek by utilizing Albert Camus‘ philosophy of the absurd as a literary theory. The absurd ad dresses the problem of meaninglessness with the resulting feeling of disconnect, and the break down of connections with society, and transforms it into a live-affirming outlook. I will identify elements of the absurd in the two works and show how much the protagonists are conscious of it, as well as show their reactions to the absurd. I am doing this by analyzing the authors’ portrayal of immigration to the USA in regards to the absurd. America is used by the authors as a play ground to explore the idea of finding meaning and a sense of belonging somewhere through im migration. But the dream of becoming oneself turns into a nightmare of losing oneself. America turns out to be a dreadful place where antonomy and chaos reigns. Consequently, the protago nists fail in every regard, both professionally and in their personal relationships; they are alien ated from American society and cannot stake out a meaningful existence. The authors show this mainly through the use of circle motives of repetitions in continuously worsening strorylines. In the end, Bruno in Stroszek becomes conscious of the absurd, but he is unable to solve it and chooses suicide to escape his suffering. Karl in Der Verschollene is unable to recognize the ab surdity of his existence and he does not have to experience Bruno’s pain, yet he also has no chance of redemption.
„Alles was mit Nachdenken verbunden ist“: Pünktchen und Anton in Buch und Film. Ein Medienvergleich der „Nachdenkereien“ bei Erich Kästner, Thomas Engel und Caroline Link
(University of Waterloo, 2007-08-24T17:34:01Z) Schulz, Nina
Erich Kästner’s novel for children, Pünktchen und Anton (1931), has been twice adapted for the screen, first in 1953 by Thomas Engel and then again in 1999 by Caroline Link. Both directors were also responsible for the screenplays which set the action in the present day. Kästner’s novel features 16 so-called “Nachdenkereien,” short passages following each chapter that outline moral principles, virtues, and values. This pedagogical content provides the readers with guidelines for the betterment of their own characters. After considering the genre of children’s literature as well as Erich Kästner’s reputation as an author of children’s books, the thesis focuses on the cinematic adaptation of these “Nachdenkereien.” Each version of Pünktchen und Anton is analyzed in turn with special attention paid to the representation of the moral lessons found in the “Nachdenkereien.” This analysis reveals that the film directors, being unable to reproduce cinematically the specific literary form of Kästner’s “Nachdenkereien,” transmit the content of these lessons by means of plot. Whereas Kästner uses a first-person narrator to explain the “Nachdenkereien” to young readers, the filmmakers introduce events that are not found in Kästner’s novel but which nevertheless convey the ethics present in the “Nachdenkereien.” Engel and Link therefore avoid the use of on- or off-screen narration in favour of incorporating the moral warnings into the plot. Other elements of the films, for example setting and characterization, aid in the transmittal of the story’s ethical messages. The movies leave it to their audiences to extract the moral guidelines contained in the stories, a departure from Kästner’s more direct entreaties to the readers. In either case, the readers/viewers of the stories are ultimately left with the final decision whether to heed the moral imperative presented.
“… als hätte man gerade begonnen zu existieren”: Identity Between Experiences of the Unfamiliar and the Question of Origin in Lutz Seiler’s Novel Stern 111 (2020)
(University of Waterloo, 2022-01-14) Karl, Vanessa
To this day, scholars and writers are concerned with the events of the Wende period and the representation of the DDR in Germany’s cultural memory. This period and its consequences are still relevant today and therefore also questions about a person’s origin and identity. This not only becomes apparent in the encounter of international cultures with their own languages and more or less different pasts but also on “German ground” between two German states: the BRD and the DDR. Already in 2014, Lutz Seiler addressed the DDR in his debut novel Kruso, for which he received the Deutscher Buchpreis. In 2020, he was awarded the Preis der Leipziger Buchmesse for his second novel Stern 111. There has been made no significant research on Stern 111 yet, so this thesis will make a first attempt to locate the novel within discourses of the DDR and Wende period and is concerned with mainly two aspects: the protagonist’s transition from adolescence to adulthood and his transition from a craftsman to a poet. The DDR is not the main plot element, neither before nor after the fall of the Berlin Wall, but functions as a catalyst for the protagonist’s emancipation and individuation. This sets the novel apart from other texts written on the subject. Following a constructionist approach, this thesis combines the discourses “Herkunft” (origin) and “Fremdheit” (otherness/the unfamiliar) and connects them with the concept of narrative identity. The following questions will be guiding the argumentation: How do the characters identify themselves? What identities are attributed to them by others? How do the characters experience “otherness” of the self and the people around them? How is identity negotiated between personal individuation and historical context? The novel illustrates dissolving identity structures in a time in which a whole system falls apart. This forces the characters to find ways of dealing with the imminent loss of security and identity. By exploring such ways the novel introduces a many-faceted notion of origin and identity that is repeatedly affected by change and renegotiation. Rather than being committed to a linear structure, it highlights fragmentary and recurring elements of plot and narrative structure. Such a fragmentary construction of identity is shown throughout the novel, the process of individuation as part of an attempt to achieve a coherent unit does not come to completion.
Also meine freundin sie kommt aus schwaben: Use of the German particle "also" in a study abroad context
(University of Waterloo, 2015-09-02) Schirm, Ronald Samuel Karl
English abstract: Conversation is at the core of human interaction, and has long been studied. Upon analysis, conversation proves to be highly regular and organized, and governed by an array of unconscious practices (see Sidnell, 2010; Hutchby & Wooffitt, 1998). The field of Conversation Analysis (CA), by using recordings of everyday human interactions, seeks to uncover this set of practices; CA however, has been primarily focused on L1 speakers’ interactions, and the CA research for second language acquisition (SLA) has been mostly focused on foreign language classroom interactions (see Pekarek Doehler, 2013; Seedhouse, 2004). The current study investigates the interactions between L2 and L1 speakers of German, using CA, in order to expand research into study abroad contexts. Using recordings of four Canadian advanced learners of German studying abroad in Germany interacting with two German L1 speakers, I focus on their particle use in German. It is often argued that particles, among other pragmatic features, are too nuanced for foreign language learners to acquire to use them in a target-like manner purely through interacting in the L2. Therefore, researchers argue that they should be taught explicitly in the foreign language classroom (see Betz & Huth, 2014). I demonstrate, through an analysis of L2 speakers’ use of the German discourse particle also, that language learners use particles in interaction and, more importantly, that the learners’ particle use can be target-like. The current study also demonstrates that CA can be used to understand foreign language learners’ interactions in the same way that it is used to analyse L1 speakers’ interactions. Furthermore, CA can be applied to track how the ways in which learners interact in the L2 changes during study abroad, providing deeper insights into the effects of studying abroad. German abstract: Konversation steht im Zentrum menschlicher Interaktion. Die systematische Analyse dieser Interaktionen zeigt, dass konversationelle Interaktion in hohem Maße regelmäßig und organisiert ist, und dass sie durch eine Reihe interaktionaler Muster geregelt ist, derer die Sprecher sich größtenteils nicht bewusst sind (Sidnell, 2010; Hutchby & Wooffitt, 1998). Die Analyse von Aufnahmen alltäglicher Interaktionen mit konversationsanalytischen (CA) Mitteln hat als Ziel die Dokumentation dieser Muster, jedoch ist der Fokus dieser Forschung typischerweise die Interaktion zwischen muttersprachlichen Interaktionsteilnehmern (L1-Sprechern). Die Analyse von spontanen Interaktionen zwischen/von Sprachlernern (L2-Sprechern) ist bisher auf Klassenzimmerinteraktionen begrenzt (Pekarek Doehler, 2013). In dieser Arbeit verwende ich CA, um die Sprachverwendung von L2-Sprecher im deutschen Auslandsstudium zu analysieren. Ich analysiere Aufnahmen von Interaktionen zwischen vier kanadischen Deutschlernern und zwei Muttersprachlern. Dabei konzentriere ich mich auf die Verwendung deutscher Partikeln durch die L2-Sprecher. Partikeln haben primär pragmatische anstatt semantische Funktionen in der Interaktion, und alleiniger Kontakte mit der Zielsprache wird oft als unzureichend für das Erlernen dieser sprachlichen Elemente erachtet, und diese Elemente müssen deshalb in Sprachkursen explizit gelehrt werden (Betz & Huth, 2014). Ich zeige durch die Analyse der Sprachverwendung von L2-Sprechern, und im Besonderen der Verwendung der deutschen Diskurspartikel also, dass Fremdsprachlernende Partikeln in der Interaktion systematisch verwenden und dass die Verwendung der Partikeln also sich in bestimmten Kontexten mit der Verwendung der L1-Sprecher deckt. In bestimmten interaktionalen Kontexten zeigen sich aber auch deutliche Unterschiede. Diese Studie zeigt an, dass CA verwendet werden kann, um L2-Interaktionen zu analysieren. Im Study-Abroad-Kontext kann CA verwendet werden, um systematische Veränderungen in den Interaktionsmustern Fremdsprachlernender während eines Auslandsstudiums sichtbar zu machen. Eine Integration von CA-Methodik in die Study-Abroad-Forschung kann zum besseren Verständnis der Erfahrungen Studierender im Auslandstudium beitragen.
Analysing 'aber' as a Disagreement Marker in written and spoken German by combining two different Approaches: Corpus Linguistics & Conversation Analysis
(University of Waterloo, 2014-09-08) Linneweber, Judith
Working with the methodologies of conversation analysis and corpus linguistics, the main goal of this thesis is to determine different pragmatic functions of aber and to describe patterns that are used to perform disagreement in German. Based on the used data, written sources and naturally occurring data (audio and video tapes), I also reflected on the differences of what people think they do with language and what they actually do. Furthermore, in my conclusion I challenge whether the detected patterns are trouble sources in native non-native interactions. My investigation showed that aber is used for negotiation processes and aims at ad-justing the interactants' perspectives or their level of knowledge. Arguing with aber, speakers try to strengthen their own position and weaken the recipient's opposite position. Here, differ-ent stable patterns reflect the gradual degree of the social problematicity of the aber-turn. The complex-construction type orients to a delicate action and contains hesitations, delays and re-starts. The aber is produced in combination with ja, the lexemes are pronounced separately. The combined-construction type is applied when the speaker performs a correction or tries to maintain a request. These turns contain a single aber or a ja aber, produced as one entity, and often a particle. The simple construction type is only applied when the positions are already established and a dissent turn is expected. The turns are produced with a single aber and no further hesitation marker. Difficulties for learners are opposition formats (Kotthoff 1991) and especially the use of particles, since their meaning is often context-sensitive, both elements are parts of disagreement turns with aber.
An Analysis of Peer Activities to Inform Foreign Language Learning: Word Searches, Voice, and the Use of Non-Target Languages
(University of Waterloo, 2010-10-04T18:29:37Z) Reichert, Tetyana
This empirical study investigates language use and collaborative learning in informal non-classroom settings by learners of German as a Foreign Language (GFL). I examine learner interactions resulting from a language course requirement for which small groups of students composed a role-play to be performed in front of the class. Bridging the two research traditions of activity theory and the socio-interactionist approach, my research starts with an analytical focus on speech events as they are embedded in an object-oriented educational activity. The activities are further analyzed using a conversation analytic (CA) approach within the socio-interactionist framework by focusing on the ways participants construct knowledge of the second language (L2) through word searches and the re-use of word search solutions. I also examine the role of voice when participants speak German, and the role of non-target languages in L2 learning. The video-recorded peer-to-peer interactions are the substantial part of the dataset for analysis. The data also include questionnaires, class observations and interviews, stimulated interviews, and in-class presentations that further inform the analysis. The data were gathered during the Fall 2007 semester with learners from two beginners courses of GFL. Two groups of three and two students, respectively, were chosen for closer analysis from among 31 students and 9 instructors participating in the study. This research found that students’ past individual and group histories serve as resources for the formation of the German role-play which becomes an analytical achievement based on shared understanding of the object at all phases of its construction, including the storyline and the formulation of the text in L2. Learners engage each other in learning, simultaneously displaying different kinds of expertise linked to task instructions, the circumstances of the context, speakers' biographies, and learning histories. The artifacts (e.g. textbook and dictionary) serve to support the authoritative knowledge when negotiating different types of expertises. Similarities in dealing with language problems could be observed in that participants learned lexical items by solving language problems, whereby the solution-word becomes a resource for further learning to produce the same item in different types of talk. Also, voices show up as the social facets of the construction of the knowledge in L2. Speaking voices gave learners the opportunity to practice varieties of vernacular German and to negotiate their discursive identities in the new language. Non-target languages provided cognitive support in solving problems with L2, serve social functions such as interpersonal work and expression of public self-image, and proved to be an essential tool enabling participants to work in the pursuit of the object of the activity as a collective achievement.
Analysis of the (Co-)Construction of Cultural Belongings in Several Episodes of a Korean-American Podcast
(University of Waterloo, 2024-01-26) Bauermeister, Christina Jasmin
Since the beginning of the 21st century, the “transnational turn” (Pence & Zimmermann, 2012, p. 495) in social, literary, and linguistic studies can be observed as a response to new forms of mobility and global interconnectedness, facilitated by rapid developments in the technological field and the spread of mass media and social media (Noh et al., 2013). This sociolinguistic study therefore investigates a specific small part of social reality construction (Gumperz & Cook-Gumperz, 1996) in one such digital and transnational new domain: in podcast conversations publicly available on YouTube, in particular four episodes of the show “Get Real” produced by Dive Studios, involving speakers with American, Korean, Canadian, and German affiliations. Using the method of interactional analysis (Imo & Lanwer, 2019), I investigate how the speakers co-construct their cultural belongings as individuals and as a group in the conversations through (dis)claiming cultural and linguistic knowledge. The analysis employs Positioning Theory (Davies & Harré, 1990; Harré & Van Langenhove, 1991; Van Langenhove & Harré, 1994) combined with the expert-novice model (Reichert & Liebscher, 2012), examining negotiations of levels of epistemic authority that construct speakers’ belonging to certain abstract cultural group identities, which builds on a conceptualization of culture “as an inventory of knowledge” (Busch, 2009, para. 44). Findings of the analysis reveal the embeddedness of the podcast in the specific ethnographic context of transnational Korea. The mapping of the discursive moves of the speakers in diagrams shows how the speakers relationally position themselves as belonging to more than one cultural community, co-constructing their own transnational new space that is both part of and in-between other larger cultural spaces. While doing so, they still move within the allowances and constraints of ‘transnational Korea’, drawing on its discourses and established personas and constructing different types of Other while constituting themselves as “authentically belonging” at the same time. Their concurrent embeddedness in global social phenomena such as the Korean Wave as well as being steeped with local Korea-specific discourses and ideologies is one of the findings of this thesis. Moreover, the subject position of “transnational Korean” or “Korean” appears to be closed off to certain people groups based on such local ideologies. This can be seen in the troubling effect of a German American immigrant speaker, whose co-membership in the Korean group identity is largely denied. These findings show that transnational German research, as suggested by Pence and Zimmerman (2012), will have to consider local ideologies and ethnographic constraints applying to the social space that the German abroad navigates and relates to.
Analysis of the linguistic repertoire of a migrant family
(University of Waterloo, 2020-01-27) Gaerdes, Konrad
The increase in mobilization that globalisation brings with it leads to an increasing amount of language contact. When groups or migrants come into contact with majority languages of a country, the minority language often undergoes changes. It is when these changes occur that we can analyse the language of these migrants to find out how they use language, mix language, and also analyse how their language changes due to language contact. In this thesis, I analyse a family of South-African-Canadians that speak German at home in order to find out how their immigration trajectory (from their ancestors moving from Germany to South Africa, and this family’s move to Canada) is showcased in their linguistic repertoire. Their linguistic repertoire is defined as “the set of varieties used in a speech community in various speech situations” (Finegan, 2004, p. 335). In order to carry out this study, I analyse the origins of some aspects of their repertoire and how these aspects set their repertoire apart from standard German. This analysis is based on participant observation, field notes, and recorded observation. I use discourse analysis to analyse the functions of two parts of speech, sowie, which, I argue, has some similar characteristics as like in English, as well as so, which is pronounced in a South African accent and has similar functions to the discourse marker so in English. In this family’s repertoire, sowie is pronounced differently, namely that the emphasis is on the first syllable instead of the last, like it is in standard German (“Duden: Sowie,” 2019). This sheds light onto how the convergence of languages is showcased in this family’s repertoire. I have chosen these two lexical items because they occurred often in my recordings and seemed to be characteristic of this family’s speech and I did not seem to exist in standard German. Furthermore, they seemed to stem from English, and this would provide insight into how the results of language contact can be observed in speech. iii The results of this study show that discourse markers can be borrowed from languages in the same way as individual words can. What is also shown is that translations of discourse markers can also be made and adopted into a repertoire, and that even with the translation, the discourse marker can maintain its original function. This is showcased by the discourse marker sowie in this family’s repertoire, which is a translation of like in English and has some of the same discourse marker functions as like does in English. By using aspects of different languages with which they have come into contact, this family displays their transportable identities (Zimmerman, 1998) through their repertoire.
Analyzing narrated language use: What does it mean to be a German speaker?
(University of Waterloo, 2014-08-22) Cooper, Stephanie
This thesis seeks to investigate what it means to be a German speaker, and how this identification can emerge, and change, as a person is describing their language use throughout different contexts of their lives. Using four interviews from the Oral History Project at the Waterloo Centre for German Studies, the analysis shows how four people, all from the Kitchener-Waterloo Region, position themselves as German speakers in English-speaking interviews. This thesis explores two research questions, the first is: how and through which discursive means do the interviewees position themselves in their interviews, and thereby formulate linguistic identities, based on their narrated language use. And the second question is: What impact do different individuals or groups have in formulating these identities, and how are these roles discursively constructed? The hypothesis is that insight into the language use of German members of the Kitchener-Waterloo Region can be found by analyzing the linguistic identities and the categories of interactants that emerged in individuals’ narrated language use. Using positioning theory, this thesis determines how the interviewees used the discursive practices of agency, indexicalization, description or evaluation of the past, to position themselves as language users. These positionings, which are dependent on the subject matter of the narration, as well as the interactional context, can change throughout the interview, contributing to the idea that identities are dynamic and emerge through interaction. Language attrition factors, such as the contact that individuals have with a language, are an important part of the analysis of the interviews, as different categories of interactants and domains of language use emerged in the interviews. The conclusion of this thesis highlights that linguistic identities must be understood as being complex, and as entities that emerge through interaction. Patterns highlight in the analysis indicate that the interactional context, and the interviewer, can impact how an individual narrates their language use. The situations, stories, and periods of time that are discussed in the interview also impact how the interviewees discuss their language use, as more contact opportunities are discussed and the individuals narrate their agency in their language use in different ways. The concept of what it means to be a German speaker is not something that can be easily defined, and can only be fully understood when contextualized by the interactional context, the internal context of the interviews.
Analyzing Portrayals of Hitler and Neo-Nazis in Two Contemporary Films: Er ist wieder da and Imperium
(University of Waterloo, 2020-09-04) Orminski, Nicole
World War II occurred three quarters of a century ago, but Nazis continue to be a popular choice of antagonist in contemporary film. These characters include not only those set in 1940s Germany, but also portrayals of Hitler as well as neo-Nazis in the modern day. Two films that contain such characters are Er ist wieder da (David Wnendt, 2015) and Imperium (Daniel Ragussis, 2016): Er ist wieder da portrays a revived Hitler in 2014 Berlin, and Imperium tells the story of an FBI undercover agent infiltrating a group of neo-Nazis around Washington, D.C. This thesis analyzes characters in the films to explore the portrayal of neo-Nazism in the present day. The analysis is carried out in three parts: by placing these portrayals into a larger film history; by using Jens Eder’s heuristic model “die Uhr der Figur” to investigate the characters; and by reviewing events in both the United States and Germany which define the cultural moments at the time of the films’ premieres. Film history contextualizes the ways in which Hitler and neo-Nazis have been portrayed over time. Portrayals of Hitler range from comedic reductions of the character to sympathetic humanizations, while depictions of neo-Nazis are shown as either reformed or non-reformed (usually undergoing reformation over the course of the film). Eder’s model, as described in Die Figur im Film: Grundlagen der Figurenanalyse (2008) and “Understanding Characters” (2010), provides a comprehensive, foundational understanding of the construction of these depictions by taking into account both the way in which the characters are constructed by filmmakers and the way in which they are received by audiences. An examination of the two countries’ cultural moments provides insight to the films’ resonance at the time of their production. The portrayal of characters in both films is indicative of the development of national discourses on neo-Nazism in the United States and Germany, as what qualifies as a socially acceptable portrayal of Hitler and neo-Nazis has changed over time. Hitler in Er ist wieder da toes the line of humanization, but more importantly, he embodies the ever-present susceptibility of a people to their prejudices. Similarly, the leading neo-Nazi in Imperium is not a caricature, but rather a calm and seemingly rational bigot who is dangerous because he fits in so seamlessly with mainstream society. These portrayals critique the underestimation of the influence of neo- Nazism in their respective societies, as well as the fortification of this influence by the misuse of media.
Analyzing the Manuscript Contexts of the Medieval German Verse Novella Die Königin von Frankreich (The Queen of France)
(University of Waterloo, 2024-08-30) Koepcke, Jana
The expectation that a purchased or borrowed book will be essentially identical across all copies worldwide is a modern notion. Every textual witness, meaning every manuscript (handwritten book) of the Middle Ages has its own value, with unique, specific linguistic, cultural, and temporal conditions reflecting its origin and representing a time-bound cultural knowledge. Each medieval manuscript constitutes an invaluable cultural artifact that provides a window into a literary heritage markedly distinct from our own. The transmission of texts together with other texts compiled in one multi-text manuscript are essential characteristics of medieval textuality. My dissertation contributes to our knowledge of fifteenth-century German language multi-text manuscripts, which are an essential element of pre-modern literary culture. I examine the multi-text manuscripts containing the Middle High German verse novella Die Königin von Frankreich (1400/1402), illuminating the insights they offer into the medieval German audiences’ perceptions of their literary heritage. I study manuscripts containing Die Königin von Frankreich and other texts, treating each manuscript as a unified entity created for a specific purpose. My goal is to demonstrate that medieval manuscripts and their collections of texts can be a valuable resource for literary studies. By examining the selection and arrangement of texts in multi-text manuscripts, even works like Die Königin von Frankreich, which were previously considered artistically inferior, can be appreciated in a new way. One key argument is that the interpretation of individual texts, such as Die Königin von Frankreich, is inherently context-dependent, with these works assuming different shades of meaning when surrounded by specific co-texts. Based on the content of the various other texts I establish connections between the collected texts within the respective multi-text manuscript. This examination illustrates that multi-text manuscripts, which might appear disparate to modern eyes, may have exhibited coherence or unproblematic organization to their original medieval audience.
Anna Seghers' Roman Transit und Volker Brauns Drama Transit Europa: Der Ausflug der Toten--Ein Vergleich
(University of Waterloo, 2007-08-22T18:32:33Z) Wittenzellner, Anna Maria
Abstract Anna Seghers’ novel Transit (1948) and Volker Braun’s play Transit Europa: Der Ausflug der Toten (1988) have not received as much attention as their other works. The topics transit and transition have not been taken into consideration sufficiently by previous research; some aspects of transit had been discussed, but not beyond a mostly superficial reflection. The intention of this comparative analysis is to deconstruct the implementation and impact of the complex topic of transit that we find in Transit and Transit Europa: Der Ausflug der Toten. Thus we gain a better understanding of the motivation that Seghers and Braun had to write the novel and the play respectively. Seghers’ novel not only preserves her own experience of exile and the desperate situation of emigrants during the Third Reich in general. She also writes in detail about the various aspects of the transition process, the despair leading to becoming a refugee and finding oneself alienated in a new environment. She shows that the threat of losing one’s identity in such transitional existence makes it even more important to respect fundamental values such as solidarity, loyalty, and humanity. All these aspects are included in her novel. This thesis works out the details through an in-depth textual analysis. The most important question to ask oneself in a transitional existence is whether you should remain or leave. This dilemma is equally evident in Volker Braun’s play. However Volker Braun includes in Transit Europa: Der Ausflug der Toten one entirely new dimension: he expands the historic situation to the present time. He establishes a strong criticism of civilization, of technical progress, that pollutes the environment and damages society. Braun shows that the transformation during a transitional situation may lead into a better world or into a more humane society; whereas Seghers emphasizes that even within the desperation of transit there lies the chance to be and to remain humane. After an overview of previous research on Transit and Transit Europa: Der Ausflug der Toten, there follows a definition of the theme transit; then a short introduction to the historical circumstances during the Third Reich and the GDR is provided. That is helpful because both texts include biographical and historical references to the lives of their authors. After this general part the text analysis itself will intensively examine the themes transit and transition. A comparison will show where Seghers’ and Braun’s concepts of transit as used in their texts run parallel and where they differ. The main conclusion of the analysis is that the transitional situation was not just relevant during the time of Anna Seghers’ exile but is also relevant in the present. Through the text of Volker Braun it becomes obvious that the topic will be ubiquitous in the future as well, since society is in constant transition.
Anne-Thérèse de Lambert und Sophie von La Roche als Innovatorinnen der weiblichen Erziehungsdebatte im 17. und 18. Jahrhundert
(University of Waterloo, 2008-08-18T17:24:24Z) Eisele, Katharina Eva
France played a leading role in the European Enlightenment, influencing other European countries in their thinking and development of philosophical ideas based on the emerging ideals of liberté, égalité and fraternité. Among the many topics alive in intellectual circles at the time, a debate about the education of females peaked in the 18th century, and it is not surprising that it was a Frenchman, François Fénelon, who drew attention first through his Traité de l'éducation des filles (1687) to the lack of education for females. His countrywoman Madame de Lambert extended his argument in her Avis d’une mère à sa fille (1688-1692, published 1728), a lengthy essay addressed to her daughter justifying the importance and describing the nature of female education. A half century later in Germany, Sophie von La Roche published her Briefe an Lina: Ein Buch für junge Frauenzimmer[,] die ihr Herz und ihren Verstand bilden wollen in her weekly paper Pomona für Teutschlands Töchter (1783/84). In these letters, collected and published in book form in 1807, she described the principles of a program of education for women which would lead to a happy life. Both of these female writers were exceptions in their time and fought to establish the position of women as educated and valued members of society. This thesis contextualizes and examines their writings to answer the question to what degree they contributed to a progressive step in the education of women at the time and the cultivation of educated and critical thinking in the next female generation. Hippolyte Taine’s sociological method assumes that literature can be analyzed through its author’s life on the basis of the three key concepts, race, milieu, and moment. After applying these concepts to the life of Madame de Lambert and Sophie von La Roche through historical background and sociological analysis, a close textual examination of the two central texts proceeds with these points of emphasis in each woman’s case: biographical background and social role determination (Frauenbild und Bestimmung der Frau); accommodation to the notion of ‘pleasing’ society, the males especially, and instilling happiness in others and themselves (Gefallen und Glück); and the education and erudition of women (Bildung und Gelehrsamkeit). Their contributions to these areas of active life and intellectual debate illustrate to some extent a personal adaptation to the conventions and standards of the era, but more importantly, beyond that, a breakout from traditional ideas and practices. In sum, Madame de Lambert is seen as a pioneer in the philosophical evaluation of the intellectual strength of women, and Sophie von La Roche, as a German counterpart with an emphasis on their practical enlightened education. The comparative analysis also reveals important sociological differences between Germany and France in the 18th century with regard to the subject of female education.
Approaches to “interculturality”, “transculturality” and “culture reflexivity” in self-help literature
(University of Waterloo, 2017-08-31) Hallwachs, Judith
Intercultural competence which is to be achieved via intercultural trainings has become in-creasingly relevant during the last decades: globalization is one factor to the reason why the necessity to include intercultural trainings in various organizations arose. Consequently, a lot of self-help literature has been published. Nevertheless, those trainings center the approach of interculturality, a concept which focuses on two cultures and thereby opposes ownness and foreignness. To assume that two cultures produce a culture clash is to be discussed critically nowadays: According to Welsch (1999), this approach homogenizes and separates cultures from each other. Instead, Welsch (1999) proposes the concept of transculturality which de-scribes the inner complexity and the enmeshment of various cultures in a more appropriate way. Against this background, this thesis examines the use of the intercultural approach in German self-help literature and in how far a culture reflexive or a transcultural approach is used. By analyzing aims, content and methods within a corpus of three books, it shall be clarified to which extent the authors stick to the paradigm of interculturality. The results show that all three books make use of the concept of interculturality, nevertheless, they do so with different intensity. While one of the analyzed books proposes critical questions regarding the approach, another uses the intercultural approach without doubting its accurateness. Concludingly, the thesis argues for a more culture reflexive approach in future publications of self-help literature as nowadays, we all are cultural hybrids (Vgl. Nazarkiewicz/Krämer 2009, S. 253, translated by the author).
Arthur Schnitzlers Traumnovelle - Stanley Kubricks Eyes Wide Shut. Das Geheimnis der Ehe.
(University of Waterloo, 2017-08-30) Buhl, Anne-Kristin
This Master’s Thesis is a compared analysis of Arthur Schnitzler’s Traumnovelle which was published in 1925 and its cinematic adaption by Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut in 1996. The story focuses on a married couple namely Fridolin and Albertine and vice versa Bill and Alice that gets into a crisis. The problems rise from jealousy and mistrust when both the protagonists open up about their unfulfilled dreams and sexual longings with other human beings. The thesis tries to elaborate an answer to the question: What is the secret of their marriages. Most of the studies have investigated the setting, the plot, motifs and other cinematic features while this thesis concentrates on the relationship between the main characters. One specific difference in comparison to other works of Arthur Schnitzler is the ending of his novels. Surprisingly, the Traumnovelle is the only novel that has a happy end and the protagonists do not separate or die. This is the initial point where the thesis wants to ask the question why? How come that Fridolin and Albertine find their ways back together. What has been the real source of their issues and what makes it possible to overcome those, if so. And further: In what respect differs or resembles the relationship of Fridolin and Albertine from the protagonists in Eyes Wides Shut?
Artistic and Social Tensions in the Pages of Ver Sacrum
(University of Waterloo, 2023-08-30) Devens Ortlieb, Helena
Vienna has for a long time fascinated scholars of history, art, politics and culture. A unique cultural hub at the turn of the twentieth century, Vienna was a modern city and home to many well-known artistic masters. In the fin-de-siècle, Vienna was a bustling center for change, ripe with tradition yet teeming with modern ideas that paved the way for the internal clashes, tensions, and conflicts that permeated the city. Fin-de-siècle Vienna saw one of the most famous artistic separations in Austrian, if not European, history. Young, modern-thinking artists separated from their traditional and rigid forefathers to create the Secession movement in 1897. The group, Die Vereinigung bildender Künstler Österreichs, with Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) and Koloman Moser (1868-1918) at the helm, consisted of modern artists whose mediums ranged from painting to architecture, and their legacy would eventually include a museum, the Secessionsgebäude, and an art journal, Ver Sacrum (1898-1903). In three essays, focusing on Gustav Klimt’s controversial artwork, depictions of the naked body, and Rainer Maria Rilke’s (1875-1926) contributions to the journal, this thesis explores the artistic and cultural tensions that permeated the pages of Ver Sacrum and demonstrates the journal’s role in fin-de-siècle Viennese cultural creation. Using Ver Sacrum to study and understand fin-de-siècle Vienna, this thesis demonstrates how the journal was influenced by the tensions of modern Vienna and how, at the same time, it contributed to those tensions. Emphasizing the journal’s recognition of and contributions to the artistic and social tensions that permeated fin-de-siècle Vienna, this thesis explores Ver Sacrum’s significant place in the creation and understanding of Viennese art and cultural history.
Assisted Dying in Swiss Literature: Power and Agency in Max Frisch’s Jürg Reinhart and Lukas Bärfuss’ Alices Reise in die Schweiz
(University of Waterloo, 2015-10-05) Andrews, Derek
The following thesis deals with the representation of themes of assisted dying in Max Frisch’s 1933/34 novel Jürg Reinhart and Lukas Bärfuss’ 2005 play Alices Reise in die Schweiz (Alice’s Trip to Switzerland), and discusses these representations in the context of institutional power and personal agency. I argue that the prewar representation of assisted dying has changed significantly this period, in that the institutional powers at work have shifted and that portrayals of characters’ agencies have become more compelling, seeing an overall increase in narrative importance. Utilizing a post-structural theoretical framework, based primarily on work by Michel Foucault and Judith Butler, I examine the texts in terms of their presentations of assisted dying by considering the discursive frameworks within which those representations find themselves. I do this by first examining the different institutional influences at work in the texts, such as the juridical and the medical, in order to determine the extent and nature of this influence, as it pertains to questions of assisted dying. Then, owing to the importance of humanist discourses of self-determination to the assisted dying debate, I examine the role and extent of agency as portrayed in the texts, within the context of the aforementioned discursive influences. Through this analysis, this thesis seeks to address the role of literature in the assisted dying debate by examining the various representations of discursive influence, and resistance against it, within the texts, in a bid to reach further understandings of how these institutions, such as the medical institution, work in reference to assisted dying. In chapter two, I provide an introduction to the research context within which these texts exist, examining secondary scholarship on the works and addressing the social context that grounds discussions of assisted dying. In the next chapter, I place this thesis in its theoretical context, establishing a methodological approach for the examination of power and agency in the texts. Then, in the two chapters that form the bulk of my analysis, I approach the works in turn, each time considering the institutional powers at work in the text, before moving to an examination of the portrayals of agency. I conclude that my chosen texts suggest that the discourses around assisted dying have changed, with the influence of religious discourse giving way, at least partially, to a more general public discourse, while the regulating effects of the juridical and medical spheres remain constant. Additionally, the role of agency in conversations around assisted dying, as reflected in the texts, seems to have become more important, as evidenced by the differences in representation between the works. These findings show that, owing to the discursive relationship between literature and public discourse, similar developments have occurred outside of the literary sphere.
Badges: Abzeichen als sprechende Objekte
(De Gruyter, 2017-05) Rasmussen, Ann Marie
This article presents early findings regarding the interplay between script (text) and image on medieval badges, which are small, brooch-like objects made from lead-tin alloy (pewter) and adorned with familiar images drawn from both religious and secular iconographies. Badges were mass-produced in the high and late Middle Ages and widely used north of the Alps. The analysis in this article provides the following taxonomy of script-bearing badges: (1) script as image; (2) script that confirms the image; (3) script that challenges the images; (4) script as prayer; (5) speaking images. One important finding is that badges sporting vernacular language texts are the most complex because image and text often contradict or play off of one another, and so assume that viewers can read both image and text. A second, interesting finding is that some badges use script to suggest that the badge itself is speaking.
Being a South Tyrolean: Examining Identity in Conversation and Linguistic Landscapes
(University of Waterloo, 2020-08-26) Carroll, James Ryan
In this dissertation, I examine the role of language in the enacting of identity in the German-speaking community in the province of South Tyrol, Italy. Within this province on the border between Austria and Italy, the languages of German, Italian, and Ladin are recognized as official languages, and the vast majority of the population there is multilingual. Group and cultural identities in this province are strongly connected to language. Despite the close proximity of these language groups, there is relatively little mixing between them. This dissertation focuses on the German-speaking community in South Tyrol and examines conversation and publicly-displayed signs in order to offer a better understanding of how this community enacts and negotiates these identities. I follow Zimmerman’s (1998) approach to identity, which holds that how identities are made relevant in a particular stretch of talk-in-interaction can reveal information about the interlocutors’ “transportable identities” and the larger social order. Blommaert (2005) echoes this notion, arguing that identities extend beyond the practices that both construct them and are influenced by them. Using this methodological approach, I use both interactional data from interviews with German-speaking South Tyroleans and the linguistic practices found in the linguistic landscape of South Tyrol to examine aspects of identity. Using the evidence found in these two data sets, I show that broader Discourses (Gee, 2014) can be found in these examples of day-to-day interactions and practices. Using the tools of interactional linguistics, I analyze transcribed interview data to show how my interview participants construct membership categories for the food traditions and the geography of South Tyrol. For these participants, “being South Tyrolean” is something that is greater than the sum of the parts, as well as contradictory at times. I show through selected examples from the linguistic landscape of South Tyrol how an official Discourse is displayed and reinforced on not only government-produced signs, but also on private signs. Fundamental to this Discourse is the viewpoint that the German language and language group are to be equal to the Italian language and language group, a viewpoint that has helped to protect the German language, but has also contributed to more rigid boundaries between the two groups. These Discourses can offer a more fine-grained understanding of group and cultural identities. Further, they can inform political and language policy decisions not only in the province of South Tyrol but also in the broader context of the country of Italy and the European Union.

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