Languages, Literatures, & Cultures Theses and Dissertations

Permanent URI for this collectionhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2785

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    A Comparison of Irony in W.M. Thackeray and Thomas Mann (Until 1918)
    (1950) Mohr, William; Foreign Study; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
    In our comparison of the irony found in Mann and Thackeray we will first discuss irony in its more concrete aspects, ironic content and then ironic form. Further, and particularly in connection with Mann, we will speak about the nature and position of the artist. This topic is actually another aspect of ironic content, but it is such an important problem in Mann's early works that it deserves special consideration. And finally, we will return to Mann's metaphysical irony.
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    DER HAUPTMANN VON KOEPENICK Wirklichkeit und Dichtung am Beispiel des Schauspiels von Carl Zuckmayer
    (1954) Werner, Sibylle B.; Zucker, Adolph E.; Languages, Literatures, & Cultures; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
    Die deutsche Dramatik des 20. Jahrhunderts uebt gegenueber Gegenwartsstoffen sichtlich eine starke Zurueckhaltung aus. Zu den Urnachen, die hier ununtersucht bleiben koennen, gehoert gewiss die, dass die Dramatiker hier jene historische Distanz vermissen, die es ihnen ermoeglicht, eine Begebenheit aus dem Tagesgeschehen und aus dem nuechtemen Bereich der Wirklichkeit in einen zeitlosen Raum zu ruecken. Carl Zuckmayers Der Haupmann Koepenick ist zweifellos eines der bedeutendsten und dichterisch geschlossensten Schauspiele, das ein Ereignis unserer Zeit, naemlich des 20. Jahrhunderts, dramatisch gestaltet hat. Der Dichter gehoert der bisher letzten grossen deutschen Schriftstellergeneration an, die - im ausgehenden vorigen Jahrhundert geboren -- ein ihr Dasein bestinunendes Grunderlebnis im Trommelfeuer des Ersten Weltkrieges empfing. Er und Berthold Brecht, der sich ganz der marxistischen Ideologie verschrieben hat, sind heute die fuehrenden deutschen Dramatiker. Zuckmayer, der im Dritten Reich Deutschland verliess und vor mehr als einem Jahrzehnt amerikanischer Staatsbuerger wurde, wurde nach dem Kriege auf den deutschen Buehnen haeufiger aufgefuehrt, als irgend ein anderer lebender deutscher Autor. Wenn auch sein im Zweiten Weltkrieg spielendes Stueck Des Teufels General das deutsche Publikum der Nachkriegszeit staerlrnr erschuetterte, als seine uebrigen Dramen, so erscheint Der Hauptmann von Koepenick, den er ein deutsches Maerchen nennt, als am klarsten durchkomponiert und in der Verdichtung von Wirklichkeit und Fiktion kuenstlerisch am besten geglueckt. Die ausserordentliche Buehnenwirksamkeit dieses Werkes verhilft ihm auch nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg zu staendigen Neuinszenierungen, die die unverminderte Frische dieses Schauspiels beweisen. So erscheint es nicht ohne Reiz, das alte Problem Wirklichkeit und Dichtung an diesem Stueck zu untersuchen. In den ersten grossen Abschnitt der Arbeit wird versucht werden, aus dem uns zur Verfuegung stehenden Material -- Zeitungen, die Erzaehlung Wilhelm Schaefers und die Selbstbiographie -- den Lebensweg des Schusters Wilhelm Voigt einschliesslich seiner Tat, die ihn beruehmt machte, und des Prozesses der durch die Presse gingen, darzustellen. Der zweite Abschnitt dient der Analyse von Zuclanayers Schauspiel. Hier werden wir weniger eine genaue und detaillierte Wiedergabe des Inhaltes bringen, als vielmehr an Hand der Handlung des Stueckes versuchen Dramaturgie und inneren Gehalt zu erklaeren. Weiter umfasst das Kapitel einige theatergeschichtliche Anmerkungen, die sich besonders mit der Wirkung und dem Erfolg des Stueckes und seines Helden beiseiner Urauffuehrung im Jahre 1931 beschaeftigen. Im dritten und letzten Hauptkapitel versucht die Verfasserin schliesslich Wirklichkeit und Dichtung des Stoffes auf einen gemeinsamen Nenner zu bringe. Besonderer Betonung liegt hier auf der Person Wilhelm Voigts, wie sie uns aus den historischen Quellen uebermittelt wurde, und wie Zuckmayer diese Gestalt umformte. Nach einer zusammenfassenden Schlussbetrachtung folgt dem Quellenverzeichnis ein kurzer Anhang, mit biographischen Notizen ueber den Autor Carl Zuckmayer, einer Quellenkritik sowie der Szenenfolge des Schauspiels und einer Reproduktion des Titelbildes der Selbstbiographie Voigts.
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    The 1974 Bilingual Education Amendments: Revolution, Reaction or Reform
    (1976) Schneider, Susan Gilbert; Baird, Janet R.; Languages, Literatures, & Cultures; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
    Purpose: The study examined in detail the legislative history of the 1974 Bilingual Education Act, Section 105 of the Education Amendments of 1974, Public Law 93-380. The study examined the roles of Representatives, Senators, lobbyists, judicial decisions, minority groups and Administration officials in developing the 1974 Bilingual Education Act.
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    WILHELM WEITLING: HIS DOCTRINES AND AGITATION IN SWITZERLAND
    (1950) Flavin, Harold; Cunz, Dieter; Languages, Literatures, & Cultures; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
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    Social and Political Thought In The Early Narrative Of Rómula Gallegos
    (1961) Allen, R.F.; de Nemes, Graciela Palau; Languages, Literatures, & Cultures; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
    This dissertation is a study of the essays and short stories written by Rómulo Gallegos in the early years of the twentieth century. It traces his social and political ideas which were set forth in his essays and transferred into the early narrative work of the author. The essays and short stories, presented chronologically according to their date of publication, represent his successive works. Gallegos' ideas derive from the corruption of his native Venezuela ruled by anarchy and dictatorship. Born in Caracas in 1884 under the dictatorial regime of Cipriano Castro, Gallegos first attracted a reading public in 1906 with his collection of essays published originally in the literary journal La Alborada. The essays, from the obscure files of this long dead periodical, constitute the symposium entitled Una posición en la vida, 1954. Showing the influence of nineteenth century European and Latin-American positivism, these essays set forth his fundamental social and political beliefs and reforms . Another dictator, Juan Vicente Gómez, put an end to this literary activity by closing the review. Gallegos then made his debut as a short story writer, publishing more than thirty stories in the literary periodicals entitled El Cojo Ilustrado, La Revista, Actualidades, and La Novela Semanal. In these stories, the patriotic preoccupations of the essays come to life. Eventually Gallegos became a novelist, establishing himself as a major writer of Spanish-American fiction. He is noted for his intention to effect reform and for his interest in the traditions and the national soul of the Venezuelan people. This dissertation shows the trends started in the essays, applied to the short stories, and developed to a larger scope in the novel.
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    Wolfgang Borchert: A Representative of "Trümmerliteratur"?
    (1989) Hohenwarter, Jyl Marie; Frederiksen, Elke G.; Languages, Literatures, & Cultures; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
    This investigation examines whether Wolfgang Borchert's short stories are representative of "Trümmerliteratur". By "Trümmerliteratur" I am referring to that short period in 20th century German Literature which was manifested by the causes and effects of World War II (1945-1947). Borchert's biographical data, the events leading to the emergence of "Trümmerliteratur" and a definition for and discussion of this literary phenomenon, and an analysis of four of Borchert's "Kurzgeschichten", ''Die Hundeblume", "Vier Soldaten", "Der Kaffee ist undefinierbar", and "Er hatte auch viel Ärger mit den Kriegen", are presented. Investigation includes as well an extensive bibliography.
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    El Estilo Es Una De Las Formas De La Edad (Una Biografia De Martin Adan)
    (1992) Gargurevich, Eduardo; Mora, Jorge Aguilar; Spanish and Portuguese; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
    This study deals with the life and major works of the contemporary Peruvian writer Martin Adan, the literary name of Rafael de la Fuente Benavides (Lima, 1908-1985). The methodological approach used in this dissertation combines socio-criticism, stylistic analysis, textual explications and biographical narrations in an attempt to constantly relate life and writing, under the assumption that life, in both its personal and social dimension, can be illuminated by a study of the writings. In order to provide a satisfactory explanation for Martin Adan's statement that entitles this dissertation (EI estilo es una de las formas de la edad), our text includes an Introduction and eight chapters. In the Introduction we discuss how this study was born and our understanding of Adan's statement as an invitation to consider writing and life an indissoluble unity. This understanding therefore justifies the different methodological approaches that the reader will find employed in the study. In the first chapter we confront the problem of the double identity of Rafael de la Fuente Benavides and Martin Adan. In this first chapter we narrate the origin of both identities, trying to relate the two and discovering that the artistic existence of Martin Adan relies precisely on the continuous searching for such a relation. From the second chapter on, the study begins dealing with Adan's works in a chronological way. Thus, chapter two deals with his first publications, while the final chapter deals with those books that appeared in the final moments of the artist's life. This chronological development has allowed us to observe how Adan's works relate to the different events of his life. At the same time, our extensive research concerning Adan's life, the different versions of his published works, as well as his original manuscripts exemplifies the analytic approach that best fits our main goal: to observe the development of a writing practice and a life. While the different chapters may be considered as offering eight different ways to read Martin Adan, it must not be forgotten that throughout the whole dissertation, what lends unity to this investigation is the relationship between writing and life. Style, in Martin Adan's case, reflects the different approaches he takes to confront his most recurrent obsessions. And this exactly is what Adan is constantly saying: style is one of the forms of age.
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    THE ROLE OF RULES, EXAMPLES AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES IN THE ACQUISITION OF DECLARATIVE AND PROCEDURAL SECOND LANGUAGE KNOWLEDGE
    (2016) Kachinske, Ilina; DeKeyser, Robert M.; Second Language Acquisition and Application; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    The relevance of explicit instruction has been well documented in SLA research. Despite numerous positive findings, however, the issue continues to engage scholars worldwide. One issue that was largely neglected in previous empirical studies - and one that may be crucial for the effectiveness of explicit instruction - is the timing and integration of rules and practice. The present study investigated the extent to which grammar explanation (GE) before practice, grammar explanation during practice, and individual differences impact the acquisition of L2 declarative and procedural knowledge of two grammatical structures in Spanish. In this experiment, 128 English-speaking learners of Spanish were randomly assigned to four experimental treatments and completed comprehension-based task-essential practice for interpreting object-verb (OV) and ser/estar (SER) sentences in Spanish. Results confirmed the predicted importance of timing of GE: participants who received GE during practice were more likely to develop and retain their knowledge successfully. Results further revealed that the various combinations of rules and practice posed differential task demands on the learners and consequently drew on language aptitude and WM to a different extent. Since these correlations between individual differences and learning outcomes were the least observed in the conditions that received GE during practice, we argue that the suitable integration of rules and practice ameliorated task demands, reducing the burden on the learner, and accordingly mitigated the role of participants’ individual differences. Finally, some evidence also showed that the comprehension practice that participants received for the two structures was not sufficient for the formation of solid productive knowledge, but was more effective for the OV than for the SER construction.
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    The Sword and the Pen: Life Writings by Militant-Authors of the Việt Minh and Front de Libération Nationale (FLN)
    (2016) Hoang, Phuong; Orlando, Valerie K; French Language and Literature; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This dissertation examines four life writings by militant-authors of the Việt Minh and Front de la Libération Nationale (FLN): Ngô Văn Chiêu’s Journal d’un combattant Viet-Minh (1955), Đặng Văn Việt’s De la RC 4 à la N 4: la campagne des frontières (2000), Si Azzedine’s On nous appelait fellaghas (1976), and Saadi Yacef’s two-volume La Bataille d’Alger (2002). In describing the Vietnamese and Algerian Revolutions through the perspectives of combatants who participated in their respective countries’ national liberation struggles, the texts reveal that four key factors motivated the militants and led them to believe that independence was historically inevitable: (1) a philosophical, political, and ideological framework, (2) the support of multiple segments of the local population, (3) the effective use of guerrilla and psychological warfare, and (4) military, moral, and political assistance provided by international allies. By fighting for the independence of their countries and documenting their revolutionary experiences, the four militant-authors leave their mark on the world using both the sword and the pen.
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    EXPLICIT WRITTEN CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK AND LANGUAGE APTITUDE IN SLA: IMPLICATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT OF LINGUISTIC ACCURACY
    (2016) Benson, Susan Dianne; DeKeyser, Robert; Second Language Acquisition and Application; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Most second language researchers agree that there is a role for corrective feedback in second language writing classes. However, many unanswered questions remain concerning which linguistic features to target and the type and amount of feedback to offer. This study examined two new pieces of writing by 151 learners of English as a Second Language (ESL), in order to investigate the effect of direct and metalinguistic written feedback on errors with the simple past tense, the present perfect tense, dropped pronouns, and pronominal duplication. This inquiry also considered the extent to which learner differences in language-analytic ability (LAA), as measured by the LLAMA F, mediated the effects of these two types of explicit written corrective feedback. Learners in the feedback groups were provided with corrective feedback on two essays, after which learners in all three groups completed two additional writing tasks to determine whether or not the provision of corrective feedback led to greater gains in accuracy compared to no feedback. Both treatment groups, direct and metalinguistic, performed better than the comparison group on new pieces of writing immediately following the treatment sessions, yet direct feedback was more durable than metalinguistic feedback for one structure, the simple past tense. Participants with greater LAA proved more likely to achieve gains in the direct feedback group than in the metalinguistic group, whereas learners with lower LAA benefited more from metalinguistic feedback. Overall, the findings of the present study confirm the results of prior studies that have found a positive role for written corrective feedback in instructed second language acquisition.