Author's School

Graduate School of Arts & Sciences

Author's Department/Program

Comparative Literature

Author's Department/Program

<--Please Select Department-->

Language

English (en)

Date of Award

5-24-2010

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Chair and Committee

Robert Milder

Abstract

By focusing on Melville's Mardi, Moby-Dick and Pierre, and by studying these works in the context of German romantic irony as defined by Friedrich Schlegel and practiced by Jean Paul Richter, this dissertation offers comparative readings of Melville's work that have not yet been explored. By placing these works in a German rather than a British context, this study hopes to illumine some of the structural qualities and philosophical concerns that angered Melville's contemporary critics and caused their fear that Melville's career had been ruined by his exposure to German literature.

Comments

Permanent URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.7936/K7FF3QDZ

Available for download on Monday, May 25, 2026

Share

COinS