Masters Theses

Date of Award

5-2001

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts

Major

German

Major Professor

David E. Lee

Committee Members

Peter Hoyng, Stefanie Ohnesorg, Hiram Maxim

Abstract

In "The Specular Moment" David Wellbery highlights the structure of Goethe's poem "Willkommen und Abschied." His major interpretation is twofold: Firstly, the particular use of the verb "sehen" creates a referential structure that is the true focus of the poem and Wellbery points to the fissure of the subject from its organic unity that is expressed through the use of "sehen." Secondly, "Willkommen und Abschied" is a poem about art and art's ability to heal this rupture. Chapter one examines Wellbery's interpretation of "Willkommen und Abschied" in his two publications entitled "The Specular Moment." Chapter two is an account of previous scholarship on "Willkommen und Abschied" and of Wellbery's relation to various theorists. Chapter three includes reactions to Wellbery's interpretation, including extensive feminist criticisms. Chapter four presents the text history of "Willkommen und Abschied" and discusses Wellbery's argument for choosing an unauthorized variant of the text that best suits his interpretation. The conclusion underscores the great contribution made by Wellbery's structuralist approach while acknowledging that he does not adequately reveal the Lacanian foundations of his argument, that his introduction of the "Source," an essentially religious and extra-textual concept, contradicts his intent to depend solely on the text for his interpretation, and that his justification for using an unauthorized version of the text lacks credibility.

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