Essays and Research Papers on German Literature

A 5 page paper looking at this important German writer of the twentieth century in terms of the Jewish context of his works. The paper argues that his frequent allusions to deformity, illness, and guilt mirror his own self-perception, resulting from the anti-Semitic stereotypes of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Kafka's work entitled ...

A 4 page paper discussing the short story, The Hunger Artist. The writer analyzes Kafka's tongue in cheek style and humorous look at the life of a starving artist. No additional sources cited.

2 page discussion of loneliness in the character Gregor from Kafka's 'Metamorphosis.' No Bibliography.

This 5 page research paper argues that Gregor Samsa's transformation from man to insect in Franz Kafka's short story, 'Metamorphosis,' was completely unjust, in terms of his family's reaction to his condition, and their ultimate betrayal and rejection of him. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page essay in which the writer posits that Kafka's story is allegorical for the creationist evolution of the planet Earth, and also for the evolution of religious beliefs from antiquity to Christianity. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 9 page paper describes and compares the Franz Kafka stories, 'The Judgement' (1913) and 'The Metamorphosis' (1915).

A 5 page paper looking at two of Franz Kafka's posthumously-published novels, The Trial and The Castle, showing how they reflect the concerns of European modernism. The paper also notes that while their tone was a little too bleak and existentialist for most Americans of the Modernist period, Americans today are rediscovering Kafka because he ...

This 5 page report discusses the transformation of modernism in terms of Kafka's 'The Trial' and F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby.' The inherent differences of writers in the same modernist period but in Europe compared to America is also discussed. Bibliography lists only the two works themselves as sources.

A 4 page review of theme, character, and structure in Herman Hesse's 'Damien.' Meanings, metaphors, and characteristics of the novel are examined. No Bibliography.

A 7 page research paper on Hermann Hesse's novel of the same name. The writer details the themes of the novel, and relates them to the story and the text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 7 page paper discusses how German author Thomas Mann's life (1875-1955) affected his works. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 6 page paper that discusses the major themes in Thomas Mann's classic, The Magic Mountain. The focus of this paper is on the importance of disease, and the comparison Mann makes between the disease, the sanitarium and the outside society (the ills of society). FREE outline page included. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page essay on the use of the mountain and sanitarium setting as a device to portray the environment in which Hans Castorp develops an understanding of the horrors of the war. The paper proves Hans' progress in terms of the setting—from his introduction to reality at the sanitarium to a rejection of ...

A 9 page paper on Thomas Mann's Death in Venice, looking specifically at the way it is written to be understood on both an extremely literary level as well as by a more mass-market audience. The paper points out that by writing the story realistically but packing it with classical archetypes, Mann is able to ...

A 3 page analysis that examines that Gustav von Aschenbach, the protagonist in Thomas Mann's Death in Venice, illustrates the ideas concerning morality discussed by Freud in his work Civilization and Its Discontents. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper examining one episode of comic relief in Goethe's Faust. It concerns the Devil's advice to a first-year student trying to decide on a field of study, and contains considerable irony and satire. The paper concludes that the Devil's cynicism actually serves to throw Faust's sincerity into higher relief. Bibliography lists three ...

A 5 page paper that details the passage of magic, dreams, and incantations in a Midsummer Nights Dream and Goethe's Faust. The writer also examines how both works display these qualities and goes into significant plot analysis as well.

A 10 page research paper and essay exploring the issue of why, how and who were self-exiled in Paris. The writer focuses on a philosophical introduction to the mindset of the Parisian public and explores the works, politics and lifestyles of Gertrude Stein, Anais Nin, and Henry Miller. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 5 page paper looking at Friedrich Durrenmatt’s twentieth-century German play “The Visit” in terms of its significance in the genre of black comedy. First black comedy is defined, and then darkly comic aspects of Durrenmatt’s play are examined. Bibliography lists three sources.

A 5 page paper examining the issues Goethe raises in Faust and determining the extent to which they are relevant to our own time. The paper concludes that Faust is redeemed through not only an acknowledgment of his mistakes but an understanding of them; he is also redeemed through an increased knowledge of the importance ...

A six-page paper based on these central characters in Hermann Hesse’s classic novel Siddhartha. The paper compares these two characters in terms of their spiritual quest, concluding that there are many paths for seekers to take in attaining Nirvana. No additional sources.

A seven page paper looking at the way this novel by Thomas Mann can be understood as a farewell to the nineteenth-century artist. The paper explains that Mann’s work is at the same time an evocation and a rebuttal of German Romanticism. Bibliography lists seven sources.

5 pages. What is a role player? And why is Felix Krull described as one? In the book 'Confessions of Felix Krull: Confidence Man' by Thomas Mann, we find out what a true role player is. Felix is one of the best, and this paper artfully describes just what comprises that ...

A 7 page paper which discusses how "Man of Straw," by Heinrich Mann demonstrates more about how society really works than does traditional historiography. Various examples from real life are presented as examples which illustrate how we are often in the dark about reality, save through the expressions found in first hand knowledge and fictional portrayals of real life ...

A 5 page analysis of Thomas Mann's short novel. The writer examines the relationship between Aschenbach and the boy , Tadzio, who is the object of his obsession. No additional sources cited.