International Journal of Literature Studies
The International Journal of Literature Studies (ISSN: 2754-2610) is a monthly publication that aims to provide a scholarly platform for the dissemination of high-quality research in all areas of literary studies. Its scope encompasses a wide range of topics, including but not limited to comparative literature, literary theory and criticism, cultural and interdisciplinary approaches, modern and classical literature, and emerging trends in narrative studies. The journal seeks to promote critical dialogue among scholars, foster innovative perspectives, and support the global exchange of ideas that advance the understanding and appreciation of literature across diverse cultural and linguistic contexts.
Al-Kindi Center for Research and Development
Cultural Depiction of Prostitution and Poverty in The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon and In Darkest London
This discussion looks at two of the landmark texts on the themes of prostitution and urban poverty in late Victorian Britain: The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon (1885) by W. T. Stead and In Darkest London (1889) by Margaret Harkness. The paper will also look at how the two writers deal with the epidemic childhood sexualization, rampant poverty and institutional insensitivity by the established authority especially in the infamous slums of the East End in London. In this example by Stead, the story would serve as a weapon of investigative journalism that aims to induce outrage and arouse the moral anger of the people in order to create the necessary pressure that would succeed in changing the law. Employing sensationalism of journalism and evocative language, Stead deliberately propagates a moral panic to reveal how female innocence is commodified and those with seemingly big power are accomplices to it. By contrast, the difference between the literary style of Harkness and her realist prose with its explicit description of poverty-stricken life of people living in the urban area and the strength of these people contrasting the inefficiency of the existing institutions is quite startling. The influence of the most visible themes in the two works is the gender aspects of social suppression, the commercial and feminine exploitation of female weakness, the hypocrisy of the moral meaning displayed by governing classes, and the failure of state and humanitarian monitoring. By making use of thorough investigations into primary sources and interactions with secondary sources, the analysis determines that both Stead and Harkness apply journalistic sensationalism and social realism interchangeably, not only using these literary forms as the means of narration but as tools of social awareness and critical social thinkers. Although the stylistic and ideological distinctions that distinguish between two authors are big, both of them are successful at turning their literary works into a kind of socio-political activism that reflects on the laxity of readers and highlights the institutionalized ills of Victorian London.
Prostitution - Slums - Gender Oppression - Social Criticism - Victorian London
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Patriarchy and Racism: The Female Lament in Eat a Bowl of Tea
Eat a Bowl of Tea, the only novel by Chinese American author Louis Chu, first published in 1961, is regarded as a significant contribution to the field of Chinese American literature. Set within the context of Chinatown’s bachelor society, the novel realistically portrays the lived experiences of early Chinese immigrants in the United States through the marital narrative of Ben Loy and Mei Oi. Existing scholarship has focused mainly on the representation of male characters in the novel, while critical attention to female figures remains relatively limited. In response to this gap, this study centres on three distinctly characterized female figures, Lau Shee, Mei Oi, and the Jook Sing girls in the novel, and examines their lived realities and struggles under the dual pressures of patriarchal traditions within the Chinese immigrant community and systemic racism in American society, thereby revealing the structural oppression produced by the intersection of gender and ethnicity.
Eat a Bowl of Tea, Female Images, Patriarchy, Racism
Copyright (c) 2025 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
On the Evolution of Class Struggle Thought in Sean O’Casey’s Plays
Sean O'Casey (1880-1964) is one of the proletarian playwrights in 20th-century Irish literature. Through a careful examination of O’Casey’s plays with close reading, a discernible trajectory in the evolution of class struggle thought can be found. In his early work, The Harvest Festival (1918 or 1919), the protagonist Jack began to develop the thought of class struggle. In The Plough and the Stars (1926), the third play of his “Dublin Trilogy”, O’Casey reflected on the class struggle within the context of Irish nationalism with the portrayal of a marginal character, Covey. By the 1940s, he returned to the theme of class struggle in The Star Turns Red (1940) and Red Roses for Me (1942), demonstrating a deepening exploration. The evolutionary process of class struggle thought exhibited in the plays is essentially a mirror of the playwright’s ideological evolution. The formation of O’Casey’s class struggle thought stems not only from his personal life experiences but also from the international context. Examining O’Casey’s class struggle thought reveals that he is not merely an anti-war playwright as traditionally interpreted, but rather a playwright who attaches great importance to the class struggle as a means to fight for freedom and liberation, thereby providing a more comprehensive interpretation of his political stance.
Sean O’Casey, class struggle, the proletariat, ideological evolution, Irish plays
How Diversely a Narrator use Digital Rhetoric and Personal Rhetoric Depending on the Scenario?
In communication, the use of rhetorical devices is integral to persuading, engaging one another, and communicating messages effectively. Multimodal tools like images, memes, and interactivity add layers of meaning to rhetoric in digital spaces; however, personal communication is dependent on spontaneity and non-verbal cues. The study analyses how rhetorical strategies differ when applied to digital versus personal interactions and how they adapt to different communicative contexts. Based on thematic analysis of existing academic literature — peer-reviewed journals and conference papers — we identified key rhetorical patterns that were indicative of digital and personal communication. Digital rhetoric highlights ethos and pathos as a means of communal amplification, which can also be used in interactivity. In contrast, personal rhetoric is much more logos-oriented, with its firm grounding in rational reasoning and relational ethos. In addition, personal rhetoric is more convincing since it has more credibility by establishing authority, while digital rhetoric is more interactive. The importance of rhetorical adaptation is significant to marketing, education, and digital engagement. Future studies should examine the AI-enhanced rhetoric and the growing influence of this technology on human interaction.
Rhetorical devices, digital communication, social media, personal narratives, thematic analysis
Book Review: Unpacking Creativity for Language Teaching by Tan Bee Tin (2022)
Tan Bee Tin’s Unpacking Creativity for Language Teaching (2022) presents a thorough and critical examination of creativity’s role in language education, blending theoretical analysis with practical classroom applications. The book challenges conventional views of creativity as an optional or peripheral element in teaching, arguing instead for its central importance in fostering meaningful and dynamic language learning experiences. Through twelve well-structured chapters, Tin explores diverse dimensions of creativity, including its definitions, theoretical models (such as the 4Ps—Person, Process, Product, Press—and the 5As—Actor, Action, Artifact, Audience, Affordances), and its intersections with heuristics, constraints, and even algorithmic thinking. The book stands out for its interdisciplinary approach, drawing from applied linguistics, cognitive psychology, and pedagogy to present creativity as a multifaceted, context-dependent process that involves novelty, intentionality, and value. A key strength of the book lies in its balance between theory and practice. Tin not only deconstructs abstract concepts but also provides over 60 practical tasks designed to help teachers integrate creativity into their lessons. These activities reflect decades of research and classroom experience, offering concrete strategies to nurture creative language use among learners. The discussion on constraints is particularly insightful, demonstrating how limitations can paradoxically enhance creativity rather than stifle it. However, the review notes that the depth of theoretical discussion, while valuable, may be overwhelming for some readers, and additional real-world classroom examples could further strengthen the book’s applicability. Despite this, Unpacking Creativity for Language Teaching succeeds as both a scholarly resource and a practical guide, urging educators to move beyond superficial creative exercises and instead embed creativity as a foundational element of language pedagogy. Tin’s work ultimately redefines creativity not as a supplementary tool but as an essential, transformative force in language teaching and learning.
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Literature Studies
A Wound Made Local: Seamus Heaney's 'Irishification' of Myth in The Cure at Troy
This paper delves into The Cure at Troy, a dramatic work by Nobel laureate Seamus Heaney, which is a modern adaptation of Philoctetes by the ancient Greek tragedian Sophocles. From the perspective of adaptation, this study meticulously analyzes how Heaney, through his adaptive practice, reconstructed the original work's fundamental structure, character portrayals, and themes. The article aims to reveal Heaney's motivations for adaptation, the techniques and strategies employed, and to evaluate its impact on contemporary literature. Heaney's adaptation is not merely a literary innovation but also embodies profound political significance. Firstly, his adaptation carries clear political intent; secondly, he employed diverse adaptive methods, boldly reshaping and innovating the plot and dramatic structure; finally, Heaney's adaptation strategies offer significant reference and inspiration for subsequent Irish writers dealing with Greek tragedy.
Seamus Heaney; Philoctetes; The Cure at Troy; Adaptation Strategies
Wandering and Freedom: A Lacanian Reading of Subjectivity in The Adventures of Augie March
The Adventures of Augie March, a seminal work by Saul Bellow, descripts the protagonist Augie's wandering and self-exploration in mid-20th century American society. Augie is not a traditional hero; instead, he constructs a dynamic and fragmented subjectivity through a series of choices, failures, and existential reflections. This paper applies Jacques Lacan's theory of subjectivity as its analytical framework, tracing four stages in Augie’s development: childhood (mirror stage), adolescence (symbolic order), adulthood (split subject), and ongoing future (lack and becoming). It explores how Augie negotiates the question "Who am I?" in the tension between external social discipline and inner desire. The novel, with its open ending and resistance to narrative closure, critiques the traditional American Dream and offers a profound literary reflection on modern identity.
Amin Maalouf’s Leo The African : Between Self-Orientalism and Reconstructing Identity
This paper explores the fictional world of Amin Maalouf both as a manifestation of World Literature in French, and as an exceptionnal diasporic voice, while problematizing Maalouf’s positionality as an exophonic writer grappling with issues of language, exile, and identity. It further questions Maalouf’s engagement with the essentialist Logic characteristic of self-Orientalist/exoticist rhetoric, and thus speculates on his involvement -by accident or by design-with the machinery of the global capitalist marketplace and the publishing industry. The paper incidentally invites the reader to envisage Maalouf’s literary opus Leo The African (1986) as a market commodity making its way through the international circuits of book trade dissemination, and to further examine the discursive strategies mobilized by both author and publisher to promote the circulation of Maalouf’s text on a planetary scale.
Amin Maalouf; exophonic; World Literature; Self-Orientalism; Leo The African; Global market
Pagellu as Cultural Praxis: Embodied Social Values in Torajan Traditional Dance
Traditional dance serves as a vital manifestation of cultural identity and the transmission of values in numerous indigenous cultures. In Toraja, South Sulawesi, Pagellu plays a pivotal role in ceremonial life, representing spiritual devotion, communal cohesion, and ancestor veneration. Although previous studies have recorded its aesthetic and ritual components, there is limited understanding of how Pagellu operates as a cultural practice that actively incorporates and conveys social ideals. This study, conducted through ethnographic research, demonstrates that Pagellu functions as a dynamic pedagogy, incorporating embodied symbolism, intergenerational learning, and adaptive performance. The findings highlight the way the dance conveys religious, educational, economic, communicative, and patriotic ideals through its gestures, contexts, and modes of transmission. Despite its extension into contemporary environments, such as academic institutions and tourism, Pagellu preserves its cultural authenticity and educational profundity. These findings underscore the importance of traditional dance in preserving indigenous identity and highlight its ongoing relevance for cultural resilience in the face of modernization.
Gender Roles and Class Relations: Neurasthenic Representations in Edith Whartons’ The Age of Innocence and The House of Mirth
This paper examines the neurasthenic condition of Edith Wharton’s characters, Ellen, Lily and Aracher, in The age of Innocence and The House of Mirth. Those characters show rebellious attitudes to the social values and conventions of the nineteenth century American society. Our characters showed strong desires and ambitions to change the social values, gender roles and class relations. They did not accept the modern social system; while trying to live differently, they drained their nervous energy and became neurasthenic and ended up secluded and rejected as an act of retaliation. Lily and Ellen decided that they could not fit in and refused to submit to the culture’s belief that a woman should remain within the boundaries of her house. Therefore, they ended their lives. Lily killed herself and Ellen decided to live alone, in her apartment in Paris, and leave the New York society. On the other hand, unwillingly, Archer conformed to the social conventions of the time and suppressed his feelings for the sake of cultural acceptance. In fact, he remained living in his past where he fantasized a life with Ellen in a world outside New York society.
Neurasthenia, Edith Wharton, New Woman, American Nervousness, The Gilded Age, Industrial Revolution, Agrarian Society
Initiation and the construction of the masculine ethos in the negro-African novel: a comparative, psycho-sociological and anthropological study
So marked is it by its roots in orality and ancestral traditions, Negro-African literature highlights acts of initiation, understanding them as vectors for the transmission of a socio-cultural heritage confronted with colonial and post-colonial realities and upheavals. Using a transdisciplinary approach combining the sociology of the text, anthropology, sociocriticism and postcolonial studies, this work examines how these rites - whether social (circumcision), religious (Koranic teaching) or educational (modern school) - shape a collective ethos while reflecting the existential and cultural tensions between traditionalism and modernity. By analysing two works from this literature: Camara Laye's L'Enfant noir and Cheikh Hamidou Kane's L'Aventure ambiguë, we show how initiation, far from being a simple rite of passage, embodies an identity, existential and political issue. In Laye's case, the practices (circumcision, palavers) celebrate a cultural continuity that is transmissible and harmonious, nourished by both folk lyricism and residual orality. Kane, on the other hand, highlights the fractures of an initiation divided between mystical African spirituality and philosophical Western rationality. This initiation, embodied in the colonial school and the traditional school, a space for uprooting and identity metamorphosis, is intended as cultural resistance to post-colonial demands.The mechanisms governing this initiation reveal a dialectic between preservation and rupture: while Laye's circumcision maintains the masculinity so deeply rooted in the Malinké community, Kane's Samba Diallo dilemma demonstrates the alienation engendered by the oppositional hybridity between foreign educational models. Space emerges as a key initiatory actor, structuring power relations, post-colonial existential issues and gendered representations.
Initiation, education, identity, ethos, gender, space
Archetypes and the Process of Innovation in Modern Vietnamese Women’s Poetry
Archetypes, understood as universal psychic structures embedded in the collective unconscious of humanity, have undergone significant transformations when entering the realm of modern literature—particularly in the landscape of contemporary Vietnamese poetry. This paper explores the interrelation between archetypal motifs and feminine sensibility in the works of Vietnamese female poets from the late twentieth to early twenty-first century. Grounded in Carl Jung’s archetypal theory, Hans Robert Jauss’s reception aesthetics, and critical methodologies including archetypal criticism, myth criticism, and the psychology of artistic creation, this study aims to elucidate the evolving significance of archetypes in modern poetic discourse. Focusing on a selection of recurring motifs—namely Water, Darkness, Dream, Mirror, and Mask—found in the poetry of several prominent female voices, this article argues that archetypes are not static structures but dynamic sources of transformative energy. In the hands of female poets, archetypes become instruments for reconfiguring traditional poetics, subverting gender stereotypes, and constructing nonlinear, polysemous narratives. These functions contribute to the shaping of feminist discourse and the redefinition of feminine identity in modern society through the poetic interplay of language, cultural perception, and symbolic imagination.
Distance: the Flâneuse’s Path From Alienation to Wholeness in Mrs. Dalloway
This research focuses on the image of the flâneuse in Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. It aims to explore how women seek identity and draw strength from ordinary life by adjusting the distance between the self and the external world. By applying George Simmel's concept of distance, the research reveals that modernity offers women the freedom to step away from their confining daily roles and become the flâneuses to see and to experience the 'others'. By maintaining a delicate balance between detachment and involvement, flâneuses experience flexible physical and psychological distance which endows them with a unique aesthetic perspective. The aesthetic dimension helps them extract inspiration and strength from the everyday life. Different from the masculine flâneurs, who tend to objectify others, women construct a community of their own through the action of looking and building up. Their empathetic capability makes it easier for them to cross the distance between people and objects, thus transcending the distance from alienation to wholeness. The flâneuse’s experience in Mrs. Dalloway significantly contributes to the presentation of women’s experience in urban life. It reveals the complexity of social life and women's inner world, enriching the perspective for literary research on women’s agency in modernity.
Interconnectedness: A Study of Forrest Gander’s Be With through the Lens of Ecocriticism
Forrest Gander is the 2019 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Poetry for his volume Be With. Although such work is normally regarded as a collection of elegies, Gander’s distinctive poetry writing techniques and ecological insights are profoundly manifest in this collection, with intricate words exploring the relationship between nature and culture, language and perception. Through associating the American eco-critic Scott Slovic’s thoughts about ecocriticism, including the strategy of broadening the analyzing texts of ecocriticism, the reasons for ecological crises, and methods to deal with current environmental problems, this paper aims to examine Gander’s central ecological idea of interconnectedness in Be With.
Forrest Gander, Scott Slovic, Be With, Interconnectedness, Ecocriticism
Constructing Desire: Beauty, Love of Blackness and Black Constellations in The Bluest Eye
This paper examines The Bluest Eye as a critique of the ideological mechanisms that enforce white beauty standards and lead to the self-denial of Black identity. Through the experiences of Pecola Breedlove, Claudia MacTeer, and Pauline Breedlove, Morrison illustrates how dominant cultural narratives, particularly through mass media and literature, shape self-perception and enforce racialized hierarchies. The paper explores how Morrison historicizes the Black experience, analyzing the impact of Jim Crow laws, migration, and systemic exclusion on the construction of beauty and self-worth. Drawing on psychoanalytic and ideological critiques, this study argues that Morrison exposes the destructive effects of internalized racism and presents The Bluest Eye as an urgent call for Black solidarity and love of blackness. By engaging with theoretical perspectives on subject formation, ideology, and trauma, the paper discusses Morrison’s work within broader literary and cultural discourses on racial representation and self-identity.
black pride, disinterested violence, self-denial, constellations of support, standards of beauty, historicizing the black experience
“What if I lose my ability to language?” A psycho-social interrogation of the Language disorder narratives in bioscope and Literature; a Phenomenological analysis
The prevalence of inadequacy in the levels of comprehension, when it comes to an individual undergoing health imbalance is still a repressed concern. With comparatively minimal exposure on Language disorders3 in the Indian context, the construction and provision of an appropriate milieu that suffices the psycho-social4 needs of the individuals is a pressing priority. “Inclusivity” as a terminology has been gaining momentum in a multitude of spaces and yet the convalescing journeys of the individuals whose disruption of their ability to language1, prevails as an under-represented and undocumented arena of research and representation. This study is an attempt towards mainstreaming the media and literary documentation of pathographic narratives (especially language and communication disorders, i.e. Aphasia2) that aim at transforming the obscure knowledge of language disorders among the population into an agreeable scholarship creating a platform for a better psycho-social environment. This study is a representation of the muted outcry of those experiencing language disorders and in addition an attempt in channelizing the need for a global digital space that merges literature and media representations of the same. This study highlights the convergence of literature (The Man Who Lost his Language), media (My Beautiful Broken Brain) and sociology in thriving towards a socio-centered environment in India.
Transnationality, Mobile Identity, and Cultural Dislocation in Rabih Alameddine’s I, the Divine (2002)
Inspired by diasporic philosophy, conception, and avidity, Anglophone diasporic authors—such as Rabih Alameddine, a prolific Arab American author recognized for his bold yet creative narratives—have foregrounded heterogeneity, post-nationality, and cross-pollination, as approaches to contest essentialist national identifications and reductionist ethnic ideologies. Equally, diaspora literary criticism emphasizes the importance of border crossings and transnational movements, exemplified in diasporic narratives, prompting a re-evaluation of understandings and mindsets. Drawing on this theoretical premise, this article explores themes of traveling identity and transnational belonging, by meticulously analyzing instances from Rabih Alameddine’s I, the Divine (2002). It also unearths personal and cultural dislocation embodied in the protagonist’s disjointed life narrative, the lack of a central plot, and the uncertainty of claiming an irrevocable belief in belonging to a fixed abode. It concludes that the approach of belonging, the novel advocates, aligns with the postmodernist diasporic view, based on revisiting outdated assumptions of cultural identity and welcoming, instead, hybridity and post-ethnicity, which complicates the fixity of home and the pre-givenness of identity.
transnational belonging; Cultural dislocation; traveling identity
The Craft of Poetry: A Stylistic Study of Jamal Assadi's Verse
This article provides a detailed analysis of the stylistic features in thirteen selected poems by Professor Jamal Assadi . Through an examination of both phonetic and syntactic structures, the study identifies key elements such as external and internal rhythm, rhyme patterns, repetition, alliteration, and antithesis, which contribute to the musicality and flow of Assadi’s poetry. The article explores various grammatical elements, such as vocative expressions, imperatives, hyperbole, and techniques for emphasis, which amplify the emotional and expressive impact of the poems. Additionally, it emphasizes Assadi’s skillful incorporation of metaphor, simile, and symbolism, illustrating how these literary devices enrich his poetry with layers of meaning and nuance. The study also examines the interplay between classical Arabic poetic structures and contemporary themes, highlighting the harmony he achieves between tradition and modernity, this article offers valuable insights into what distinguishes Assadi’s poetic voice and contributes to the broader understanding of contemporary Arabic poetry.
Stylistic features, phonetic and syntactic structures, , rhythm and rhyme, metaphor and simile, vocative expressions and hyperbole, and traditional Arabic poetic forms
Gothic and Historical Elements in Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”
Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” still haunts us today 200 years after it was written. Irving incorporated Gothic elements such as ancient and isolated settings, nature, superstitions, and supernatural ambiguity into his short story. Irving also included historical figures such as the British Major John André and the headless Hessian soldier. The author wove elements of the Gothic with historical facts from the American Revolution to create a memorable, uniquely American story.
Gothic, historical, American Revolution, setting, superstition, supernatural, headless horseman
Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Finding Meaning in Meaninglessness: Comparative Reflections on Rumi and Kafka’s Literary Thoughts
This paper examines the metaphysical concept of ‘finding meaning in meaninglessness’ as reflected in the selected works of Jalal Ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, a thirteenth-century Persian poet, and Franz Kafka, a modernist Jewish author of the 20th century from Prague. The analysis compares their insights on hope and despair, showing how two literary figures from different eras and religio-cultural traditions address the challenge of finding significance in a meaningless reality. During moments of existential uncertainty, Rumi focuses on the importance of moving beyond the ego to achieve unity with the divine to find true purpose in life; whereas Kafka’s absurdist narratives reveal the profound alienation and anxiety of living, emphasizing the challenge of searching meaning in a complex and indifferent situation. Rumi's approach is grounded in Islamic mysticism and spiritual enlightenment, while Kafka's perspective is marked by Judaic esotericism, existential dread, and the absurdity of existence. Although Rumi’s spiritual optimism and Kafka’s bleak view of existence highlight their differences, both are essential for understanding the broader human condition or experiences of seeking meaning in life, particularly in the context of spiritual and existential crises arising from modernity.
Jalal Ad-Din Rumi, Franz Kafka, meaning, absurdity, human condition
Narrative Poetry Writing Skills Through Fantasy Imagination Strategies: Efforts To Improve Students' Creative Ideas
This study aims to describe the ability of elementary school students to develop ideas and imagination in writing narrative poetry. The background of this research is the low ability of students to develop ideas and imagination in writing poetry. Therefore, this study applies a fantasy imagination strategy to stimulate and improve students' ability to develop their ideas and imagination to produce more creative and expressive narrative poetry. The research method used is the case study method. Case data was obtained by conducting open interviews with several Indonesian teachers, and classroom observations. In addition, additional data studied is students' creative poetry in the form of narrative poetry resulting from implementing the fantasy imagination strategy model. The participants in this study are fifth-grade elementary school students in Indonesia. The implementation of this fantasy imagination strategy model is carried out by utilizing images and concrete objects. Students are invited to see, hear, touch, and feel directly with the object. The process of fantasy imagination is carried out by students when students interact with concrete objects they observe. Students explore their fantasy ideas and imaginations as a creative thought process. The results of this study show that every activity of writing narrative poetry through fantasy imagination strategies is effective in improving students' abilities. The activities carried out showed significant development in the aspects of developing ideas, vocabulary, and students' creativity in writing narrative poetry.
Writing Ability, Narrative Poetry, Fantasy Imagination Strategy, Creative Ideas
Copyright (c) 2024 International Journal of Literature Studies
The Inuit Searching for “Place” in The Ice Whale
Place theory is an emerging theory in the field of ecological criticism, emphasizing the psychological attachment, emotional connection, and self-identification of people to specific natural areas. The Inuit in Jean Craighead George’s The Ice Whale are deeply connected to the Arctic Ocean, and the Inuit region becomes a “place” about where the “self” is. Technological violence that some humans have inflicted on nature and the excessive pursuit of the economy has destroyed the marine ecology and plunged the Inuit into a state of “non-place.” The author reconstructs the ”place” by imagination, aiming to arouse children’s love for the ecological environment through the beautiful conception and call for the construction of a community of shared future for mankind.
Children’s literature, Ecocriticism, Place theory, Jean Craighead George, The Ice Whale
Willing Suspension of Disbelief in August Wilson’s ‘‘The Piano Lesson’’
Using supernatural elements in literature is a common phenomenon. The most discussed Black playwright, August Wilson (1945-2005), introduces supernatural elements in his works to deepen the exploration of African-American experiences and cultural heritage. Incorporating supernatural elements adds a rich layer of meaning and symbolism to Wilson’s work. They symbolize the characters' internal and external conflicts, enhancing their emotional and psychological complexity. They often reveal the characters' desires, fears, and past traumas that drive their actions and decisions. Wilson’s play “The Piano Lesson” (1987) subtly and symbolically uses supernatural elements. The present study sheds light on: Why and how did Wilson use the technique of "Willing suspension of disbelief” in his play “The Piano Lesson”? Because of the “Willing suspension of disbelief” technique, readers and audience do not question the credibility of the incidents and events in ‘‘The Piano Lesson.’’ The use of ghosts and supernatural elements contributes significantly to this play's dramatic power and intrigue. As much as they successfully keep the audience and the readers engaged, they create such an atmosphere on stage that the audience is made to believe what they see on stage.
Culture and Intra-gender Women Subjugation as reflected in Amma Darko’s Beyond the Horizon and Emecheta’s Second-Class Citizen
Very often, male beings are known to be the subjugators of women in different fields; they are pointed to be those who subordinate and manipulate women by hampering their visibility. This paper, however, finds paradoxically that women are at the basis of their own problems. It shows that they are those encouraging the male being’s domination over themselves through their intra-gender subjugation. Therefore, the paper has made use of Amma Darko’s Beyond the Horizon and Emecheta’s Second-Class Citizen to expose, through the interaction of characters, the cultural and the females’ intra-gender subjugation.
Women, subjugation, culture, intra-gender, visibility
The Presence of Biopower in Keiko Furukura from Sayaka Murata’s “Convenience Store Woman”
The collected written and oral works of a society portraying values and beliefs as well as their challenges are referred to as literature. In terms of age and volume, Japanese literature is comparable to Western literature. Sayaka Murata, a prominent Japanese author, critiques conventions, exemplified by her 2016 novella "Convenience Store Woman," shaping the identity of a 21st-century woman. Keiko, Murata’s heroine, works in a convenience store and lives through the question of absolute autonomy. This study investigates the presence of Biopower in Keiko Furukura from Sayaka Murata’s “Convenience Store Woman.” Specifically, it looks into character, settings, and themes. This study uses a qualitative method, specifically Discourse Analysis. The theories that support this study are Michel Foucault’s Theory of Biopower and Sociological Literary Criticism by Kenneth Burke. The results of this study reveal that Anatomopolitics and Biopolitics are the forms of Biopower present in the character. In the settings, both Anatamopolitics and Biopolitics are also exhibited. Similarly, Anatomopolitics and Biopolitics are the forms of Biopower found in the themes. Based on the findings, this study concludes that Biopower is present in Keiko Furukura from Sayaka Murata’s “Convenience Store Woman.” From the study’s conclusion, the following are recommended: The Death of Individualism: A Character Analysis of William Stoner from John William’s “Stoner,” Construction of Identity: A Sociological Critique of Natsuko Imamura’s “The Woman in the Purple Skirt,” Challenging Gender Norms: An Examination of Gender Norms in Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” Challenging the Contemporary Feminism of Kojima in “Heaven” by Meiko Kawakami.
The Postmodern Individual in J.M. Coetzee’s Novels: Exploring Issues of Identity, Representation, Intertextuality, and the Self
This paper explores the postmodern elements in J.M. Coetzee’s novels, focusing on his treatment of themes such as representation, intertextuality, fragmentation, and ambiguity. Through a close examination of works like Foe, Waiting for the Barbarians, and In the Heart of the Country, the study demonstrates how Coetzee disrupts conventional narrative structures and challenges traditional ideas of truth and reality. The analysis delves into how Coetzee’s novels reflect the postmodern rejection of a singular truth, emphasizing the plurality of perspectives and interpretations. The paper also highlights Coetzee’s use of fragmented narratives to depict the instability of identity and meaning in a chaotic world. Furthermore, it explores Coetzee’s conscious deployment of intertextuality, where his works engage with and reinterpret previous literary texts, reinforcing the postmodern view that no text is entirely original. The paper ultimately argues that Coetzee’s fiction exemplifies postmodern techniques, inviting readers to actively engage in constructing meaning and questioning established narratives.
Longing for a Home and the Role of Women in Louis L’Amour’s Narratives
This research explores relationships between Louis L'Amour's literary works and the Frontier Thesis, which defined the impact of the American frontier on national character and identity. The central theme of L’Amour’s literature is rugged individualism. This is described in some detail, analyzing how it is portrayed in his selected works. Primary focus is given to the longing for a home—a recurring but overlooked theme in L'Amour's narratives. By extension, the role of women in L'Amour's writings is highlighted. Women are depicted as crucial in the establishment of homes and communities on the frontier. Strong female characters in L'Amour's works embody the essence of homemaking and resilience on the frontier. Analysis of representative works by L'Amour show how the themes of rugged individualism, the longing for a home, and the role of women are woven together. A conclusion summarizes the key findings and discusses implications for understanding the American frontier experience through literature.
Frontier Thesis, Louis L'Amour, women in literature, language and culture.
Scientific Heroism and Its Representations: A Psychoanalytical Approach to Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus
Heroism refers to the qualities or attributes of a hero or heroine. A hero or heroine is the main character or the sole protagonist of a story, who, though flawed, is often endowed with admirable qualities and displays great courage and bravery as the story unfolds. In Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, Victor Frankenstein is portrayed as a gifted scientist who has a brilliant idea of imparting life to inanimate things. But, as a flawed human being, his uncontrolled passion, has worked against his intention and he has unwittingly ended up creating a monster. The paper, through a psychoanalytical approach, analyses the power of knowledge on Frankenstein in a techno-scientific world. It firstly, discusses the different features which make Frankenstein a tragic hero. Then, it lists out and discusses the conflictual forces or flaws that have worked against Frankenstein making him a victim.
Life in Trauma: An Analysis of Black People’s Living Condition in The Bluest Eye
This paper explores the depiction of black people’s living conditions in Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye, focusing on the trauma and systemic oppression experienced by the three main characters. By employing literary criticism and historical context, the analysis examines how Morrison portrays the intersection of race, poverty, and psychological trauma within the black community, and how the conditions of life for black people are shaped by traumatic experiences rooted in historical and systemic injustices. The findings reveal how the characters’ experiences reflect broader social issues of racism and inequality, illustrating the pervasive impact of systemic discrimination on their mental and emotional well-being. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the novel’s commentary on race and trauma, highlighting its relevance to contemporary discussions on social justice.
Toni Morrison, The Bluest Eye, black people, life trauma, oppression
The Interweaving of Humanity and Animality-Animal Narrative at Poems Seven: New and Complete Poetry
Alan Dugan was a contemporary American poet. His last volume, entitled Poems Seven: New and Complete Poetry, was published in 2001 and won Dugan a second National Book Award. This paper is based on Alan Dugan’s narration of animals in his new poems and Dugan’snarration of animals, which conveys his profound thinking and care about human beings and the life form of existence. “Human beings” are often closely related to animals. The animal narration in Dugan’s literary works expresses a hidden human world “behind his back.” Therefore, “animals” is one of the keys to interpreting Dugan’s complex, mysterious, and bizarre narrative world. The expression and writing of animals can be used as a breakthrough point of Dugan’s research so as to dig deeply into his spiritual world and artistic characteristics in order to achieve a new understanding and thinking of his literary creation.
Animal narrative; Alan Dugan; Poems Seven: New and Complete Poetry.