Watts, Donald (1975) Social values in some novels of the 'Heimatkunst' movement. PhD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

The thesis compares the values and attitudes promoted in the fiction
of five authors associated
with the 'Heimatkunst' movement. The introduction
attempts a definition of the term 'Heimatkunst' and then proceeds
to
an
examination of the theoretical writings of Adolf Bartels and Friedrich
Lienhard, indicating the often considerable differences in attitude between
the two critics and outlining such common ground as they share with each other
and the "practitioners of
the movement treated in this study. The thesis
then moves to an analysis of single novels, where necessary relating these
works to their authors' other writings. The novels chosen for analysis are
Wilhelm von Polenz' Der Büttnerbauer, Adolf Bartels' Die Dithmarscher, Gustav Frenssen's Jörn Uhl, Ludwig Ganghofer's Der hohe Schein and Hermann
Löns's Der Wehrwolf. These analyses confirm the existence
of
that common
ground between the authors outlined in the introduction - their veneration
of rural life and their suspicion of urban culture and values, their anti-
intellectual bias, nationalist or racialist sympathies and their belief
that contemporary ills may be cured or ameliorated
by
a return to the
pre-industrial, nature-based values of the rural community. The manner,
degree and consistency with which they commit themselves to these attitudes
and views vary and there are certain preoccupations common
to
only some
of the authors dealt with, although even these differing concerns can often
be related to individual interpretations
of
shared premises. The thesis
concludes with an examination of common stylistic and technical features
of their fiction and the literary devices employed to direct the reader's
sympathies.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PD Germanic languages P Language and Literature > PT Germanic literature
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	German fiction -- 19th century -- History and criticism, German fiction -- 20th century -- History and criticism, Lienhard, Friedrich, 1865-1929 -- Criticism and interpretation, Bartels, Adolf, 1862-1945 -- Criticism and interpretation
Official Date:	April 1975
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Department of German Studies
Thesis Type:	PhD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Extent:	345 leaves
Language:	eng

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