The present work deals with the concept of mimesis/imitation in art and litera-ture, in particular with its use and interpretation by J.M.R. Lenz and Georg Lukács. Mimesis/Imitation as the basic concept of the arts plays a significant role in the development of realism both authors support. Both Lenz and Lukács share Aristotle's views on the Mimesis/imitation as the nature of poetry and see its origins in anthropology. However, in contrast to Aristotle Lenz emphasizes the empirical side of imitation; in principle awarding the artist the critical role and responsibility for the capture and reflection of the whole. Lukács converts his earlier metaphysics into a Marxist philosophy of history. In a homogeneous medium of art it should be possible for realistic art to show the essence and the particulars of the society of its time. / Die vorliegende Arbeit befasst sich mit dem Nachahmungsbegriff in Kunst und Literatur, insbesondere mit seiner Verwendung und Deutung durch J.M.R. Lenz und Georg Lukács. Die Nachahmung als Grundbegriff der Künste spielt eine bedeutende Rolle bei der Entstehung des Realismus, dessen Apologeten die beiden Autoren sind. Sowohl Lenz als auch Lukács teilen mit Aristoteles die Ansichten über die Nachahmung/Mimesis als das Wesen der Dichtung und sehen ihren Ursprung in der Anthropologie. Jedoch im Gegensatz zu Aristoteles betont Lenz grundsätzlich die empirische Seite der Nachahmung, wobei dem Künstler die entscheidende Rolle und Verantwortung für die Erfassung und Spiegelung des Ganzen zugesprochen werden. Lukács wandelt seine frühere Metaphysik in eine marxistische Geschichtsphilosophie um. In einem homogenen Medium der Kunst soll es dem realistischen Kunstwerk gelingen, das Wesentliche und das Besondere des gesellschaftlichen Seins seiner Zeit anschaulich zu machen.

Though British singer Dusty Springfield had a very prominent and successful career, she is often left out of the history books. Her North American legacy has been reduced to her album Dusty in Memphis, an inaccurate and incomplete representation of Dusty Springfield’s career. Many aspects of her career are largely ignored, for scholars put her sexuality, her ability to “sound black,” and the influence of black musicians at the forefront of Dusty Springfield scholarship. The purpose of this project is to highlight influential musicians, experiences, and talents which have been left out of Dusty Springfield studies. This thesis focuses on Dusty Springfield’s performance experiences, her songwriting abilities, her audience/performer dichotomy, and various people and styles that have influenced her persona. By examining the artists and experiences that influenced her career, this thesis explores the ways in which persona is constructed and how it functions in the pop music industry.

The purpose of this study is to explore the manifestations and representations of masculinity and feminity in two novels of Marguerite Duras from a gender studies perspective. We will first review the traditional place of masculine and feminine stereotypes in the phallocentric order, basing our research on Bourdieu’s and Badinter’s work about the role of men and women in our society. Regarding the topic of sexual identity, our theoretical background will include feminist theories as Judith Butler’s gender performativity concept as well as Luce Irigaray’s notion of mimesis. The philosophy part can also give important clues for the interpretation of both male and female sentimental and sexual behavior: the work of the philosopher Michel Onfray, in particular his theory called "solar erotic", will help us to reveal the characteristics of Duras’ erotic writing. The results of our analysis show that both characters in the two novels present an ambiguous sexual identity: they seem to hesitate between the social obligation relative to their gender and the need of acting according to their own nature (androgyny of the Chinese). Our analysis shows the possibility of a deconstruction of the gender as well as a tendency to what Butler calls the subversion of identity. The exploration of Duras’ erotic writing seems to confirm those results, demonstrating the power of feminine desire and sexual pleasure in opposition to masculine sentimental pain and fragility.

This project examines the ways in which allusion and quotation may be used by playwrights in the composition of play scripts, principally through the writing of two full length stage plays, String and The Talent, accompanied by a supporting exegesis. This exegesis examines how quotation and allusion are used in these works to support particular meanings intended by the author. The project also looks at theories that consider the ways allusion functions, particularly focusing on the debate in the field between the advocates of the theories of influence and intertextuality. It does not attempt to provide an historical overview nor an exhaustive investigation of the development of the major theories and their advocates, but rather to consider more summarily - in outline rather than in detail - the manner in which these ideas have set out to explain how allusion functions in texts. This project suggests its own theory on the way (particularly literary) allusion works. Transtextuality, although itself only a partial and incomplete means of explaining the allusive transaction, refers to the movement of language between texts. Allusion offers a mechanism by which authors of a new text may underscore intended meaning by reference to established texts based on the assumption that the meaning of the quoted text is already understood (or can easily be accessed), and that therefore that meaning is transferable to the new text and can be absorbed into the different context into which it has been placed. The purpose of this study is in part to examine the way allusion works as a practice of intertextuality, transtextuality and the influence of one or more texts upon another. It concludes that allusion to and quotation from one text by another operate as acts of authorship, literary devices employed by the writer as mechanisms for the attempted communication of intended meaning. In doing so, it is hoped that the project may articulate ways in which allusion and quotation can be used by playwrights in the composition of their dramaturgy.

Zugl.: Osnabrück, Univ., Diss., 2007 u.d.T.: Hülsken-Giesler, Manfred: Sinnverstehen und Mimesis im Spannungsfeld von Körper, Leib und Technik

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1992. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [267]-277).

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Zugl.: Göteborg, Universiẗat, Diss., 2007.

Habilitationsschrift--Mainz. / Bibliography: p. [196]-219.

Habilitationsschrift--Mainz. / Bibliography: p. [196]-219.