From the Paper
"Max Weber was born in 1864 and died in 1920. He was a German social scientist and one of the founders of modern sociology. He studied in several German universities before working for a time as a legal assistant. He completed his doctoral dissertation and became a professor at the University of Freiburg in 1894, then professor at the University of Heidelberg in 1896. When he was in his thirties, he was nearly incapacitated by a nervous breakdown. Still, he managed to turn out a considerable body of work in spite of his infirmity. He is best known for his work in three areas of inquiry. He conducted studies in the sociology of religion and analyzed the influence of Lutheranism and Calvinism on the development of capitalism. He offered a political sociology that has become the foundation for much modern analysis of politics, social stratification, and burea..."

Tags:SOCIOLOGY: WEBER

From the Paper
"This study will compare and contrast two works by Thomas Mann ---"Death in Venice" and "Tonio Kruger "--- in terms of the author's treatment of the quest of the artist. Specifically, the study will focus on the different ways the two artists in the stories think of, feel about, and interact with the "outside" characters --- the unsophisticated, blonde, blue-eyed figures of infatuation. For both artists, these characters have great importance, both personally and artistically, as they attempt to formulate ideas about the relationship between art and life. The essence of the difference between the two tales is found in the ultimate isolation of Aschenbach from other human beings as a result of his quest for beauty, as opposed to the ultimate embracing of others on the part of Tonio as a result of his.

Tonio seeks knowledge of the world in order to come to an ... "

Abstract
This paper examines how the lighthearted fairy/folk tale of "The Sandman" becomes a sinister psychological thriller in the hands of nineteenth century German author E.T.A. Hoffman. It looks at how throughout "The Sandman", Hoffman never makes entirely clear the nature of the protagonist Nathaniel's visions and fear. It discusses how Hoffman's method of delivery, a personal narrator addressing the reader halfway through the tale, after presenting letters to and from the protagonist, help "The Sandman" to mirror itself and to present its theme of blurred barriers between the real and the unreal. It also evaluates how the structure of the story itself blends fantasy and reality.

From the Paper
"This interplay of the real and the unreal mirrors mental illness, schizophrenia in particular. Nathaniel is unable, throughout the duration of his life, to function in society without lapsing into morbid reflection. Witnessing with his ten-year old eyes the death of his father at the hands of the creepy Coppelius undoubtedly scarred him, leaving the indelible mark of the Sandman on his soul. The young Nathaniel was already afraid of Coppelius, who like clockwork visited his father. Perhaps the sense of foreboding he had was exacerbated by a vivid imagination, fed by the old woman's scary Sandman story. Nathaniel never outgrew this childhood experience, and as a result he fails to function fully as an adult. Sabotaging his relationships, Nathaniel cannot remain rooted in the "real world." It is Nathaniel's inability to process and overcome the tragedy of his father's death that leads him to accept a life of dread and dysfunction, and eventually causes him to attempt murder and successfully commit suicide."

Tags:schizophrenia, mental, illness, fantasy, reality

Abstract
This paper examines how E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale, "The Sandman", exemplifies the sublime as it is related to Freud's theory of the uncanny and psychoanalysis. It looks at how, by interpreting the tale as an uncanny psychoanalytic piece, Kant and Burke's understandings of the sublime are also illustrated. It attempts to show how Freud, Kant, and Burke all show the sublime feeling as being closely tied to the elements of fear, power, pain, and pleasure, and how, for Freud, these elements are part of the sublime due to their relationship with the uncanny.

From the Paper
"Hoffmann's German-romantic tale concerns the fortunes of a young student, Nathaniel, who suffers from a haunting childhood memory, related to a lawyer named Coppelius who mysteriously frequented Nathaniel's house late at night, and whom embodied for him the terrifying nursery tale of the "Sandman", a bogey monster who threatens the eyes of children. The story begins with a letter in which Nathaniel recalls the episode in which he is caught spying on a late night rendezvous that results in a terrifying near blinding at the hands of Coppelius. The story continues through a third-person narrator who recounts to the reader Nathaniel's grim fate as the dreadful memory of the ominous Coppelius is rekindled through encounters with a barometer dealer, named Coppola, and his associate, Professor Spalanzani."

Tags:heimlich, unheimlich, freud, kant, burke

From the Paper
"Elie Wiesel's autobiographical account of his life through the period of the Holocaust, Night, is a terrifying account of the horrors of that period through the eyes of a child who sees his family killed and whose own spirit is sorely tested even these many years later as he looks back on these events. The book is powerful and affecting, and it also serves as a very strong portrayal of the entire era of which the Holocaust is a part. This book presents the real effects of history, not the changes in leadership and the movements of armies but the changes in the lives of real individuals who become the victims of other people's hatreds an ambitions. The book can also be seen as an exploration of personal identity and an attempt for one man to come to grips with the fact that he has survived while so many did not...."

Tags:JEWISH, STUDIES

Abstract
A literary analysis of "All Quiet on the Western Front". The author discusses the writer's examination of the horrors of World War I through the eyes of the soldiers involved in the war, as well as the effects of war on society at large.

From the paper:

"All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, is a book that explores the true horrors of World War I through the eyes of a German solider. The author uses the character of Paul to tell a realistic story of what the average WWI solider had to endure. This book raises the issue of how destructive war can be not only to a country, but also to a generation of a nation. One of the major themes in the story is that of the lost generation. An entire generation of men fighting for their country was lost in World War I."

Tags:all, analysis, english, erich, front, literary, maria, novel, quiet, remarque, western

Abstract
This essay shows how two different composers, Schubert and Wolf, with a varied knowledge of "Mignon" relied on their own interpretation of the literature. The essay also explains and develops the differences between the two musical versions of Mignon.

From the Paper
"Throughout history, composers have turned to the poetry of celebrated poets when composing vocal music. Therefore, it is not uncommon to see the same poetry set to music by different composers within the same era. Such an example of this is the setting to music of the Mignon's Lieder from Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe's "Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre." Several composers, including Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, and Wolf have set this group of four poems to music. However, each composer's interpretation of the text varies in a different manner. This is based mostly on the personal understanding of the text, and how each composer perceives it. For the purposes of this discussion, we will be comparing the settings of both Schubert and Wolf. "

Tags:dis, franz, goethe, heiss, hugo, kennst, kennt, land, lasst, lehrjahre, lied, lieder, meisters, mich, mignon, nicht, nur, reden, scheinen, schubert, sehnsucht, so, song, wer, wilhelm, wolf

Abstract
This paper examines the classic literary saga Beowulf whose theme is the concept of ultimate good battling and vanquishing ultimate evil. The paper focuses on the retelling of the story through American author John Gardner's 1971 novel "Grendel" which presents the monster Grendel in a different light and not as the grim and unhappy spirit he is usually portrayed.

From the Paper
"Perhaps for this reason, Grendel has become almost as much a subject for discourse as Beowulf himself has. Editorial commenting in the numerous translations and interpretations of the poem have often included comments on the man monster. The many books and articles written on the poem usually include passages of chapters about him, his actions, motivations and personalities. Almost all of these works are usually written within the context of the poem, that is in direct relation to the hero Beowulf himself, "Grendel acts in such a manner because Beowulf does" is the usual rule followed."

Tags:Danes, behemoth

Abstract
This paper addresses the issue of "nationalism" in Ivo Andric's Nobel Prize winning novel, "The Bridge Over the Drina". As the book itself comes in several seemingly- independent sections, the concept of nationalism is expressed in many different ways.

Abstract
An analysis of Bertolt Brecht's play 'The Good Woman of Setzuan.' Throughout the play Shen Te juggles her promise to be good with the necessity to be bad. The author finds through the protagonist and the creation of her doppelganger, 'The Good Woman of Setzuan' portrays the struggle to be good while living in a corrupt society, and the delicate balance needed to survive within it as seen in Shen Te's struggle as a good woman leading the life of a prostitute.

From the Paper
"Shen Te, a good woman, a prostitute, and the only one willing to take three gods into her home is rewarded with 1000 silver dollars, with which she is to "above all be good"(712). This mission tears her in two. Shen Te and her doppelganger Shui Ta are in a delicate balance of power. Shen Te needs to keep her promise to the gods by being a good woman, helping those around her in need. Because Shen Te is too good, those she helps threaten to ruin her own survival. To remain a good woman Shen Te must create someone to fight for her. Like parents, both Shui Ta and Shen Te make up the whole of one unit. Shen Te is a nurturing, sweet mother-type while Shui Ta becomes a strict, disciplinarian, father-type. Through the protagonist and the creation of her doppelganger, Brecht's The Good Woman of Setzuan portrays the struggle to be good while living in a corrupt society, and the delicate balance needed to survive within it."

Tags:analysis, doppelganger, drama, good, play, shen, te, woman