This thesis undertakes an analysis of two interrelated aspects of Theodor Storm's later prose writing. The Novelle Carsten Curator (1877) has been selected since this work constitutes the most significant example of both "Befreiungsdichtung" and "das Peinliche". A definition of "Befreiungsdichtung" - the artistic projection of personal experience as an act of 'self-liberation' - and the way this is revealed in a series of earlier works is the subject of the first chapter. The following three chapters offer a study of the genesis of Carsten Curator and show by an investigation into Storm's relationship with his eldest son (Chapter 2) the extent of the autobiographical content in the Novelle (Chapter 4) and Storm's awareness of its 'confessional' nature while writing it (Chapter 3). The second part of the thesis concerns itself with artistic problems which thereby arose for Storm. The creative process conditioned Storm's treatment of the thematic complex of heredity, alcoholism and paternal responsibility in Carsten Curator and brought with it a degree of realism which the author and his more sensitive critics found 'unpoetic' and thus 'offensive' (Chapter 5). This constitutes "das Peinliche", which Storm believed detracted from the 'tragic' nature of the central conflict. The following two chapters assess Carsten Curator in the light of Storm's theoretical definitions of "das Tragische" and draw the conclusion that the Novelle is a prime example of his mature tragic art. Chapter 8 discusses the implications of "das Peinliche" for a study of Storm's later Novellen (1877 - 1888), including the development of his realism, the effects of literary censorship on his later treatment of the central themes of Carsten Curator and his knowledge of Naturalist literature, showing the absence of any direct influence where these themes are concerned. The thesis concludes that Storm's continuing preoccupation with the themes of Carsten Curator after 1877 can be attributed only to their 'confessional' nature.

The discovery of much biblio~raphical and biographical data has necessitated a fundamental reappraisal of Peter Huchel's life and work. In line with Huchel's own statements, it has been generally assumed that he was brought up on his !grandfather's farm in the Brandenburg village of Alt-Langerwisch and that this rural upbringing was of vital importance for the poet's development. He was, however, brought up by his natural parents in Berlin-Lichterfelde. In the wholesale repression of his urban upbrin~ing in favour of a mythical, idyllic childhood there is to be located the reason for his compulsion to write 8S he did as well as the key to the understanding of further distortions in the presentation of his life and work. Adopting a chronological approach, th~s thesis explores the interface between the mythical self, expressed in the poetry and biographical statements, and the historical, cultural and domestic context in which the myth was invented and expanded upon in the pre- and post-war periods. Huchel modified the mythical self according to the situation, be it the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, the G.D.R. or the Federal Republic. Alterations include the pre-dating of poems in the post-war period to imply an anti-fascist stance, the insertion of a social dimension into earlier poems when in the G.D.R. to convey the impression of continuity from Weimar into the G.D.R. as well as the subsequent removal of some such elements for Western consumption. These alterations are accompanied by corresponding modifications in his biography. The adopted' approach reveals Huchel to have been a neo-romantic, non- (not anti-) fascist author throughout his literary career in Germany, which continued virtually without interruption from the mid-twenties until his death in 1981. Huchel's inability to free himself from his neo-romantic beginnings, with which his mythical identity was inextricably linked, made him ~strangely anachronistic figure in the post-war period. His late'prominence in the West was in fact in large measure due to sympathy for the deposed editor of the G.D.R. literary magazine, Sinn und Form, and not to any reputation already established through his poetry. Huchel's career is ultimately of interest as a phenomenon in recent German literary history rather than as an expression of artistic and psychological finesse on his part.

This thesis examines the works of Gustav Freytag against the changing socio-political backdrop of the Vormarz, Nachmarz and Griinderzeit. It analyses the concepts of class, nation and folk in his writings, and provides an account of their shifting literary representation between 1840 and 1890. For the first time in recent criticism, it analyses all of Freytag's published work - his poetry, dramas, novels, theatrical theory, journalism, and historical and biographical studies. The thesis reveals a coherent anti-aristocratic position III Freytag's fiction, expressed through a thematic preoccupation with inter-class relationships. It argues that Freytag's love stories encode in the domestic a political polemic which presents German society as undergoing a process of radical bourgeoisification. It traces how Freytag's class concerns are increasingly nationalised after the revolutions of 1848, and explores how his Nachmarz writing constructs a concept of German national identity based on a sense of common German values. It argues that Freytag's later preoccupation with German history allowed him to synthesise his twin concerns of class and nation into a pseudo-philosophical concept termed the Volkskraft - a myth of German folk identity which is shown to be central to Freytag's final historical and literary works. It is a central contention of this project that Freytag's texts not only reflect issues of class, nation and the folk, but that these concepts were key to the coherent political agenda he wished to disseminate through his writing. It is argued that Freytag's works present a systematic attempt to re-imagine the social and political structures of Germany, positioning the bourgeoisie at the heart of the German nation state. Ultimately, Freytag is shown to promote a significantly more radical concept of sociopolitical relations in German society than research into his work has hitherto acknowledged.

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In a letter to Hebbel dated 29.12.1858 Fischer writes: "Ihre Poesien sind immer gleich Probleme [...] Sie nehmen und machen sich selbst die Poesie nicht leicht [...] und was Sie selbst schwer nehmen, wird und muss begreiflicherweise dem Leser noch schwieriger fallen." Criticism of Hebbel's poems has been largely negative. My intention is to adopt a critical approach which is not hampered by a rigid concept of what constitutes good poetry or other prejudices, and to open up new perspectives of Hebbel's poetry, by discussing different aspects of his verse. Standard criticisms of Hebbel's poetry are examined, and the reception of his poetry In the world of music, prior to the rediscovery of his works in general, is discussed. A register of the musical settings of Hebbel's verse documents the extent of his popularity as a poet amongst composers. Hebbel's aesthetics, which are inextricably linked with his perception of life, reveal his artistic aims and a personal vindication of his poetry. An analysis of Hebbel's poetic forms and strophic structures shows his indebtedness to tradition and his point of departure from it. Structural principles In Hebbel's poetry are examined. The arrangement of poems in pairs, an aspect which has not previously been examined, reveals how Hebbel overcomes the dissonance and dualism in the world within the poetic statement. The cyclical arrangement of poems often reflects Hebbel's attempt to perfect the poetic expression of fundamental, predominantly philosophical reflections. A collection of relatively unknown and inaccessible Hebbel poems is found in Appendix 1.

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