This research paper is the project that I completed as my summer fellowship research project. The goal of this paper was to explain background and context for why some authors in Imperialist Germany chose to portray their protagonists in opposition to typical male characters of the time, instead focusing on the protagonists’ domestic roles as fathers and caretakers. The research came from two German novellas, Der Schimmelreiter by Theodor Storm und Bahnwärter Thiel by Gerhardt Hauptmann.
This paper showcases my skills as a writer in motivating myself to work independently and setting deadlines. I had to motivate myself to complete this project and set my own deadlines, which was challenging because there was no direct penalty for not complying with them. On another note, this paper showcases my ability to work with a variety of sources, as I used both English and German texts and German-language microfilm.