Essays and Research Papers on German Literature

This 6 page paper looks at Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front and Primo Levi's Survival in Auschwitz. The German novel that takes place during World War I is compared and contrasted to Levi's account of life in a concentration camp. No additional sources cited.

A 6 page research paper that first of all sets German authors Heinrich von Kleist in perspective against the cultural background of his day and then summarizes and analyzes his work "Michael Kohlhass." Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines the novel within the context of European history during the 19th and 20th centuries, considers what was special about World War I which inspired such literary eloquence, and discusses what motivated Remarque to write his novel. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

5 pages. In this analysis of Henrik Ibsen's well-known story A Doll's House, several different elements of the story are discussed including such things as the characterization, the plot, the tone of the story and more. This excellent paper explains these concepts and ties them all together in a cohesive explanation. Bibliography lists one source. ...

4 pages. An analysis of Emma Bovary. Examines to what extent she is a victim of early 19th century social constraints on women. Also considers whether she is personally responsible for her downfall, and what type of character she is. Conclusion states whether she could be a happy, successful person in today's America or whether ...

This 6 page paper examines the symbols and meaning of Franz Kafka's 1924 short story, In the Penal Colony and compares them, briefly, with plays by Brecht and Wenders. No additional sources are listed.

This 5 page report discusses Sigmund Freud’s “Civilization and its Discontents” (1929-30) and applies it to a literary character -- Mephistopheles -- from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s “Faust.” Both are tangentially based on the real world and real people, however, both are shaped and manipulated by their “founders.” For that reason Mephistopheles serves as one of the most valuable subjects ...

This 9 page paper looks at Franz Kafka's work, focusing on Gregor, the protagonist. Alienation is discussed as a major thematic element. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

Book Review: 5 pages. A mainstay of adventure fiction for children and adults alike, The Swiss Family Robinson has thrilled readers for over a century. Author Johann Wyss wrote this tale about a Swiss family shipwrecked on an island that has remained timely even to this day. The following report on the book ...

Taking Franz Kafka's book The Metamorphosis, this paper explains how one man's conversion into a disgusting creature causes conflict among his family and his life. The paper also discusses how "real life" metamorphoses can also cause similar discomfort in people.

This 8 page paper discusses various aspects of this novel. Included are historical perspectives, character analysis, reflections on German history and more. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page overview of Holocaust poetry. This paper emphasizes how poetry like that of Don Pagis, Paul Celan, and others have added significantly to our understanding of the horrors of this time in history, not through rote historical fact, but through the moving words of their poems. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

This is a 6 page paper comparing the lovers theme in “A Farewell to Arms” and “The Sorrows of Young Werther”. Ernest Hemingway and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe both developed stories which defied conventional thought for the sake of the lovers, love and passion within their time. Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” tells of a ...

An 8 page research paper that analyzes the surrealistic writing style of Franz Kafka as demonstrates in his famous short story "The Metamorphosis." The writer also includes basic biographical information. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 10 page paper delves into this infamous work that sees the protagonist turn into a bug. Themes are explored as well as style. Kafka's personal life is discussed in relationship to the story. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

This 5 page paper talks about Heinrich Boll's novel 'Billiards at half-past Nine,' --- it gives a character sketch on the main character in the novel, Robert Faehmel. This paper has one source cited.

This 5 page paper compares and contrasts ideas from the well known story writers with the infamous sociologist's communist model. Ideas concerning social stratification and family values are highlighted. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page research paper that analyzes the classic Grimm fairy tale in a sociological/ anthropological manner that relates the tale to cultural elements. The writer discusses the pagan elements in the story, as well as the nineteenth century mindset of the Brothers Grimm. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

An 8 page paper which examines how each short story represents a young man’s initiation or rite of passage. Bibliography lists 12 sources.

A 5 page paper which discusses the theme of choices in both novels. No additional sources are used.

This is a 5 page paper discussing the references of dreams and the supernatural in Mikhail Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita” and Thomas Mann’s “The Magic Mountain”. Mikhail Bulgakov’s “The Master and Margarita” and Thomas Mann’s “The Magic Mountain” both contain references to dream sequences to allow the characters to escape or mask the reality ...

A 5 page review of the stylistic elements of “The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge”. First published in 1901, “The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge” is Rilke’s only novel. The author of this paper analyzes Rilke’s characteristic use of nouns coupled with adjectives to convey vivid sensory images to his readers. No ...

A 4 page paper which examines the character of the lonely hero in Thomas Mann’s “Death in Venice” and TS. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” No additional sources cited.

A 5 page contention that this classic work of twentieth century literature provides a look in to the soul of the author as well as into the soul of the time in which he lived. The giant beetle into which the protagonist is transformed encounters many of the same difficulties encountered by Kafka himself ...

A 5 page contention that this classic work of twentieth century literature provides a look in to the soul of the author as well as into the soul of the time in which he lived. The giant beetle into which the protagonist is transformed encounters many of the same difficulties encountered by Kafka himself ...