Browsing by Author "Clark, Susan"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Die Funktion der Hauptzofen in Yvain, Iwein und Tristan
    (1982) Tar, Anne-Marie Milena; Clark, Susan; Weissenbenger, Klaus H. M.; Nelson, Deborah
    The introduction first recapitulates the different perspectives in which the courtly epics since Chretien de Troyes have been studied. Going from studies which mention the role of the "Ladies-in-waiting" only "in passim" one comes to those which concentrate on their role and its meaning in the three epics mentioned in the title. Mythological and Christian Symbolism, medieval allegory and alchemistic symbolism and Freudian interpretation are the four main streams that have been studied. The first chapter analyses what the "Ladies-in-waiting" do; think, reason and convince. The first part shows their triumphs, and the second treats their defeat and the tests they undergo to recover their former Situation. The third part shows that their abilities culminate in their mastering of speech, which permits them to manipulate their surroundings. The second chapter analyses what they are: first, the names they are given and their gestures, then their physical appearance, and finally their significance as Symbols and archetypes. The conclusion gathers the facts and tries to show that it is possible to overcome the disparities found in the studies mentioned in the introduction.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Discourse functions of negation in modern German
    (1985) Nilakanta, Rema; Copeland, James E.; Clark, Susan; Davis, Philip W.
    For a long time now, the study of negation has belonged to the discipline of logic. Linguists attempting to study negation have not ventured out of the confines of grammar. This work studies negation from a socio-cognitive point of view, treating negation as a cognitive process as well as a product of human interaction. The thesis invokes in large part, the stratificational approach to discourse proposed by Copeland and Davis which in turn is influenced by the Prague School and by text linguistics. Of primary concern in this work is the propositional blocking that typically characterizes negation together with the identification of some of the relational contexts in which blocking takes place. Four dominating contexts/functions of negation are proposed. They are: (1) denying presuppositions, (2) representing old information, (3) asserting new information without denying old information, and (4) giving expression to the speaker's attitudes, expectations, etc. The thesis also emphasizes that the above functions are not necessarily exhaustive. It does however, indicate a departure from older approaches to the study of negation.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Merlin, pion des pouvoirs superieurs: Étude du manuscrit huth
    (1980) Chiquoine, Nancy Klein; Nelson, Deborah; Alcover, Madeleine; Clark, Susan
    The thirteenth-century Huth Manuscript, published in 1886 by Gaston Paris and Jacob Ulrich, combines the prose version of Robert de Boron's Merlin (ca. 1129), and the work of an anonymous continuator, to provide a complete account of the life of this medieval prophet, from the satanic plotting which resulted in his conception, to his death by enchantment at the hands of his successor. Criticism aimed at analyzing this composite work generally has approached the task from an historical perspective, and the resulting studies have uncovered all manner of wouldbe origins for specific episodes. This method, albeit demanding, has an over-all disintegrating effect on the work as a literary entity: the story of Merlin is treated as an accumulation of detached, often contradictory episodes, never as a structural whole, a single coherent portrayal of the protagonist. Our thesis, contrary to that of the historical approach, is that the manuscript does present a cohesive narrative whose connecting thread is found in the very character of Merlin. When several demons confer in Hell, they decide that the only "defense” against the influence of the forgiving Christ figure lies in the creation of an Anti-Christ. A representative is subsequently selected to inseminate a mortal virgin. The damsel, however, is smiled upon by God, and the hybrid fruit of this sexual union is Merlin, a being endowed by the Devil with the power to know and remember all past events, and blessed by God with the very prophetic vision which Satan lacks. Merlin, unlike Man whose character is a moderate blend of divine and satanic qualities, is thus, in a very physical sense, half evil and half virtuous. The manichean forces, ever at odds, wage a battle for complete control of Merlin. As a result, this unusual character is no more than a pawn manipulated now by God, now by the Devil. Our thesis describes this struggle with the aim of discerning an ultimate victor. The ever-changing status in this close contest for supremacy manifests itself in three different ways. The Devil’s strong influence is illustrated when Merlin is transformed into a variety of characters with no other intention than to intimidate or deceive. However, these machinations, like the Enchanter’s very composition, are both good and evil. While the satanic side is more obvious, God’s influence shows itself through the prophecies this agent delivers while in disguise. Furthermore, the divine forces are predominant when Merlin tears away his mask to reveal himself to Pandragon. Here, he clearly rejects the deceitful qualities, and the battle shifts toward the Good. Merlin’s laugh, too, is a blend of the virtuous and the satanic, and also through this laugh, an equilibrium of the influences seems to be achieved; Merlin is humanised. For Merlin, this human outburst is at once ironic -- a cruel sign of superior knowledge -- and mortal -- a manifestation of his affirmation of social mores. Finally, the dynamic struggle gives way to divine supremacy as Merlin is used by God to set the stage upon which His plan, the Quest for the Holy Grail, is to be played out. However, when the seer attempts to use his God-given powers to gain the love of Niviene, he is blinded to God’s mission and thus, of no further use to Him. Merlin’s apprentice, Niviene, becomes his Nemesis, enchanting him into an eternal sleep. Merlin is blessed with a total loss of memory and the Devil, in this way is annihilated. The spirit of the Prophet is the trophy of God’s victory.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Servants of the love: a comparative study of the characters of Curvenal, Rual, Mark, and Brangaene in Gottfried's Tristan
    (1979) Hornung, Rolph Carl; Clark, Susan; Copeland, James; Weissenbenger, Klaus H. M.
    This study joins the scholarship on Gottfried's Tristan on the side that evaluates the love of Tristan and Isolde positively. A second point of departure is that the work's main conflict is between representatives of society and representatives of love. The representatives of society are Curvenal, Rual, Isolde Regina, and Mark. Each encounters the protagonists from a limited, prejudicial point of view that is a function of his or her social identity. In contrast, Brangaene stands in an uncannily sympathetic relation to the protagonists that is not determined by any social role. She is the lovers' servant, at the Irish court and in Mark's bed, and also their teacher, in the episodes of the lovers' ruses. Brangaene performs vital service for the lovers by helping to conceal their love and also by enhancing it through her verbal instruction and the positive example of her actions.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The soul as the bride of Christ: humility in Mechthild von Magdeburg's Ein Vliessendes Lieht der Gotheit
    (1980) Romann, Deborah Quann; Clark, Susan; Harris-Schenz, Beverly; Modrak, Deborah
    Mechthild von Magdeburg’s Ein Vliessendes Lieht der Gotheit establishes the necessity of practicing humility as the only method to attain eternal life. Through humility one might hope to achieve an elevated level of temporal worthiness which could culminate in mystical union. In the exercise of humility, one imitates Christ; by imitation, the soul grows in resemblance to the Divine, thereby further enhancing its worthiness. The theme of humility will be treated, comparing Mechthild's work with St. Bernard’s The Steps of Humility and with Augustinian doctrine regarding the denial of self. Humility is the necessary pre-requisite for becoming the bride of the Trinity. The allegorical significance of terming the soul "the bride of the Trinity" shall be examined, paralleling Mechthild’s use of metaphor in describing the nuptial bond to that of St. Bernard. Bernard, as well as Mechthild, based the concept of the spiritual marriage of the soul to the Triune God on the Song of Songs, that book in the Old Testament which underlines the necessity of the bride’s acquiescence to the will of the Divine King and her humility in accepting the rectitude of His actions and will. The bride must equal the King; she must be a fit match for Him, resembling Him in every manner. Yet, in resembling Christ, the corporeal manifestation of the Triune God, she must assume the same attitude in relation to Him that He did in relation to God the Father -- that of humble servant. In the spiritual marriage, therefore, equality is attained by the soul’s development of a self-concept which defines it as unequal. Mechthild did not know Latin; she was therefore reliant upon confessors for biblical and doctrinal information. Because we lack any information as to what writings she may have been exposed to via her Dominican confessors, Augustine and Bernard have been selected as comparative sources for the following reasons: St, Augustine exerted the most predominant influence upon Christian doctrine in the Middle Ages; St. Bernard catalyzed a Renaissance of European mysticism which began in the twelfth century, a mysticism marked by intense contemplation of the humanity of Christ which was a form of devotion practiced by Mechthild.