Keywords

Eifel, Clara Viebig, literature, Germany

Abstract

Clara Viebig was a woman author in Germany at the end of the nineteenth century, transitioning into the twentieth century. Viebig was born in Trier at the southern end of a region in western Germany known as the Eifel. Her works often utilized the landscape and countryside of this area, which has given them a unique dynamic. Although Viebig's technique has been examined in light of various literary styles, including naturalism (Krauss-Theim), neo-romanticism (Fleisscher), and Heimatkunst (Ecker), it has never been examined for its own unique merit. I believe that landscape plays a particularly profound role in shaping and influencing Viebig's characters, whether symbolically or as an actual character or personification within the story itself. I examine her use of landscape in the short story, "Am Totenmaar" from the collection Kinder der Eifel to show the impact of landscape on the characters of the story, and ultimately, the reader. My analysis will provide an increased understanding of the value of her works, her insights into the spiritual relationship of human beings to home and land, and her significant position in the development of German women's writing.

Description

The Library Student Research Grant program encourages outstanding student achievement in research, fosters information literacy, and stimulates original scholarship.