This paper analyzes Kazuo Ishiguro’s When We Were Orphans is a literary work that critiques and examines colonial structures and their consequences: Ishiguro criticizes the colonization of Shanghai by showing the inherent power imbalance between the native population and the colonizers, the chaos and lawlessness outside of the Settlement as opposed to within, and the general understanding of Shanghai and the Settlement held by characters from Britain. As a work of historical fiction, the novel serves to explore a particular society at a particular point in time, and therefore, must be analyzed with close consideration to the historical period and context in which the novel is set. At the same time, this paper concludes, Ishiguro’s observations and critiques are highly relevant in today’s society.
{"title":"One Territory, Two Worlds","authors":"Luke Gardiner","doi":"10.29173/mruhr771","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29173/mruhr771","url":null,"abstract":"This paper analyzes Kazuo Ishiguro’s When We Were Orphans is a literary work that critiques and examines colonial structures and their consequences: Ishiguro criticizes the colonization of Shanghai by showing the inherent power imbalance between the native population and the colonizers, the chaos and lawlessness outside of the Settlement as opposed to within, and the general understanding of Shanghai and the Settlement held by characters from Britain. As a work of historical fiction, the novel serves to explore a particular society at a particular point in time, and therefore, must be analyzed with close consideration to the historical period and context in which the novel is set. At the same time, this paper concludes, Ishiguro’s observations and critiques are highly relevant in today’s society. \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":129322,"journal":{"name":"Mount Royal Undergraduate Humanities Review (MRUHR)","volume":"1 8","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140720997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
What does it take to make a horror movie a household hit? Get Out, a debut film from acclaimed writer-director Jordan Peele, is a cultural behemoth—winner of 152 industry awards—that tackles the trauma that black people face within the horror genre and beyond the screen. This paper explores what it is about Get Out that shook the very foundations of the horror genre to its core, and why this movie is still relevant today. It considers the argument that Get Out became a cultural hit because it mirrors the reality of many black and brown people, and critiques the idea that—in exposing the horrors of racism—the movie is doing anything new. It closes by arguing that the central character Chris’ survival is one of the strongest reasons why Get Out performed as well as it did and completely dominated conversations around social commentary and its place in the horror genre.
{"title":"Lure of Jordan Peele’s Get Out!","authors":"Tia Myriani","doi":"10.29173/mruhr769","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29173/mruhr769","url":null,"abstract":"What does it take to make a horror movie a household hit? Get Out, a debut film from acclaimed writer-director Jordan Peele, is a cultural behemoth—winner of 152 industry awards—that tackles the trauma that black people face within the horror genre and beyond the screen. This paper explores what it is about Get Out that shook the very foundations of the horror genre to its core, and why this movie is still relevant today. It considers the argument that Get Out became a cultural hit because it mirrors the reality of many black and brown people, and critiques the idea that—in exposing the horrors of racism—the movie is doing anything new. It closes by arguing that the central character Chris’ survival is one of the strongest reasons why Get Out performed as well as it did and completely dominated conversations around social commentary and its place in the horror genre. \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":129322,"journal":{"name":"Mount Royal Undergraduate Humanities Review (MRUHR)","volume":"6 4","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140721021","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper synthesizes Indigenous critical theories of literature and the cultural languages that shape Indigenous literary texts, centering these approaches, and arguing that without this body of literary criticism, it would be impossible for Indigenous and non-Indigenous readers alike to appreciate Indigenous literature, including its profound value to humanity. It demonstrates the power of these theories by offering a reading of Thomas King’s The Back of the Turtle using them as lenses to uncover the rich tapestry, the convergence of tradition and innovation, and the transformative power of Indigenous narratives in shaping our shared understanding of humanity. In many ways, the paper argues, Indigenous critical theories have significantly paved the way for the study and interpretation of Indigenous literature, broadening the scope for readers from diverse backgrounds.
{"title":"Indigenous Literature","authors":"Angelina McMullin","doi":"10.29173/mruhr773","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29173/mruhr773","url":null,"abstract":"This paper synthesizes Indigenous critical theories of literature and the cultural languages that shape Indigenous literary texts, centering these approaches, and arguing that without this body of literary criticism, it would be impossible for Indigenous and non-Indigenous readers alike to appreciate Indigenous literature, including its profound value to humanity. It demonstrates the power of these theories by offering a reading of Thomas King’s The Back of the Turtle using them as lenses to uncover the rich tapestry, the convergence of tradition and innovation, and the transformative power of Indigenous narratives in shaping our shared understanding of humanity. In many ways, the paper argues, Indigenous critical theories have significantly paved the way for the study and interpretation of Indigenous literature, broadening the scope for readers from diverse backgrounds. \u0000 \u0000 ","PeriodicalId":129322,"journal":{"name":"Mount Royal Undergraduate Humanities Review (MRUHR)","volume":"138 17","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140725454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Arguably, Monty Python’s The Life of Brian is one of the most controversial interpretations of Christ’s story, due to the Pythons’ shrewd, satirical sense of humor and the film’s mockery of the historical public’s admiration and obsession with messianic figures. This paper takes a similar stance to scholars who argue, however, that the film is not blasphemous—it does not mock Christ himself. The argument hinges on the distinction between Christ and Brian. In separating Christ and Brian into two figures, the film operates on another level, allowing viewers to experience the rise of a messianic figure through Brian as well as introducing them to the historical context. Therefore, though ostensibly not about Christ, The Life of Brian provides insight into the historical time period of Christ and can be beneficial for those interested in furthering their understanding of Christ’s story.
Monty Python 的《The Life of Brian》可以说是对基督故事最具争议性的诠释之一，原因在于 Python 的精明、讽刺的幽默感以及影片对历史上公众对弥赛亚人物的崇拜和痴迷的嘲讽。然而，本文采取了与学者们类似的立场，认为影片并非亵渎神明--它并没有嘲弄基督本人。这一论点的关键在于基督与布莱恩之间的区别。影片将基督和布赖恩分为两个人物，在另一个层面上，让观众通过布赖恩体验弥赛亚人物的崛起，同时向他们介绍历史背景。因此，虽然《布莱恩的一生》表面上与基督无关，但它提供了对基督历史时期的深入了解，对那些有兴趣进一步了解基督故事的人大有裨益。
{"title":"History and Humor","authors":"Amy Hinz","doi":"10.29173/mruhr772","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29173/mruhr772","url":null,"abstract":"Arguably, Monty Python’s The Life of Brian is one of the most controversial interpretations of Christ’s story, due to the Pythons’ shrewd, satirical sense of humor and the film’s mockery of the historical public’s admiration and obsession with messianic figures. This paper takes a similar stance to scholars who argue, however, that the film is not blasphemous—it does not mock Christ himself. The argument hinges on the distinction between Christ and Brian. In separating Christ and Brian into two figures, the film operates on another level, allowing viewers to experience the rise of a messianic figure through Brian as well as introducing them to the historical context. Therefore, though ostensibly not about Christ, The Life of Brian provides insight into the historical time period of Christ and can be beneficial for those interested in furthering their understanding of Christ’s story.","PeriodicalId":129322,"journal":{"name":"Mount Royal Undergraduate Humanities Review (MRUHR)","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140725618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This paper introduces the idea of rhetorical genre, drawing on previous research in rhetorical genre theory to explain how the genres used in institutions affect the personal and professional lives of people who use them, and how they naturalize certain ideologies in those institutional settings. The paper lays out how—while rhetorical genres serve many practical purposes—they also affect power relations within an institution and can compromise the identity of the individual using them. When assessing the efficacy of these genres, this paper remarks, it is important to question how they were constructed and for whom. To further explore this topic, the paper recounts the personal experience relayed in previous research by Anthony Paré, in which he taught a professional writing course to female Inuit social workers.
{"title":"Institutional Rhetorical Genres","authors":"Victoria Krzpiet","doi":"10.29173/mruhr770","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29173/mruhr770","url":null,"abstract":"This paper introduces the idea of rhetorical genre, drawing on previous research in rhetorical genre theory to explain how the genres used in institutions affect the personal and professional lives of people who use them, and how they naturalize certain ideologies in those institutional settings. The paper lays out how—while rhetorical genres serve many practical purposes—they also affect power relations within an institution and can compromise the identity of the individual using them. When assessing the efficacy of these genres, this paper remarks, it is important to question how they were constructed and for whom. To further explore this topic, the paper recounts the personal experience relayed in previous research by Anthony Paré, in which he taught a professional writing course to female Inuit social workers.","PeriodicalId":129322,"journal":{"name":"Mount Royal Undergraduate Humanities Review (MRUHR)","volume":"136 34","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140725478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This Place: 150 Years Retold (edited by Ryan Howe and Jen Storm) marks a watershed moment in the portrayal of Indigenous histories in Canada. As a graphic novel anthology crafted by Indigenous creators, it turns the page on settler-centred narratives and restores narrative sovereignty. The stories offer an emotional journey through the past century and a half, exploring the resilience and resistance of communities that have endured a post-apocalyptic existence since the era of Contact. Readers bear witness to Indigenous imagination, psychic confrontations with the lingering impacts of genocide, and profound reflections on the nature of time and existence. This paper argues that, within the anthology, the story "Nimkii" stands out, offering a poignant representation of the resilience of Indigenous communities amidst the devastating historical event of the Sixties Scoop. Crafted by the writing of Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm and the artwork of Ryan Howe and Jen Storm, “Nimkii”’s narrative is a testament to the indomitable spirit of Indigenous Peoples, their deeply rooted connections to one another, and their fight to heal the enduring scars of colonial oppression. This paper offers an analysis of “Nimki”’s testimony, and closes by reflecting on the story’s potential impacts on an Indigenous reader.
这个地方：重述 150 年》（由 Ryan Howe 和 Jen Storm 编辑）标志着加拿大描绘土著历史的分水岭。作为一本由土著创作者精心制作的图画小说选集，它揭开了以定居者为中心的叙事的新篇章，恢复了叙事主权。这些故事为读者提供了一个穿越过去一个半世纪的情感之旅，探索了自 "接触 "时代以来经历了后启示录时代的社区的复原力和抵抗力。读者见证了土著人的想象力、与种族灭绝遗留影响的心灵对抗，以及对时间和存在本质的深刻反思。本文认为，在这本选集中，故事《Nimkii》脱颖而出，以凄美的笔触展现了土著社区在 "六十年代大屠杀 "这一毁灭性历史事件中的顽强精神。Nimkii "的故事由凯特丽-阿基文兹-达姆（Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm）撰写，瑞安-豪（Ryan Howe）和珍-斯托姆（Jen Storm）创作，证明了原住民不屈不挠的精神、他们彼此间根深蒂固的联系，以及他们为治愈殖民压迫留下的持久伤疤而进行的斗争。本文对 "Nimki "的证词进行了分析，最后对故事对土著读者的潜在影响进行了反思。
{"title":"Indigenous Resilience in Illustration","authors":"B. K. Brown","doi":"10.29173/mruhr768","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29173/mruhr768","url":null,"abstract":"This Place: 150 Years Retold (edited by Ryan Howe and Jen Storm) marks a watershed moment in the portrayal of Indigenous histories in Canada. As a graphic novel anthology crafted by Indigenous creators, it turns the page on settler-centred narratives and restores narrative sovereignty. The stories offer an emotional journey through the past century and a half, exploring the resilience and resistance of communities that have endured a post-apocalyptic existence since the era of Contact. Readers bear witness to Indigenous imagination, psychic confrontations with the lingering impacts of genocide, and profound reflections on the nature of time and existence. This paper argues that, within the anthology, the story \"Nimkii\" stands out, offering a poignant representation of the resilience of Indigenous communities amidst the devastating historical event of the Sixties Scoop. Crafted by the writing of Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm and the artwork of Ryan Howe and Jen Storm, “Nimkii”’s narrative is a testament to the indomitable spirit of Indigenous Peoples, their deeply rooted connections to one another, and their fight to heal the enduring scars of colonial oppression. This paper offers an analysis of “Nimki”’s testimony, and closes by reflecting on the story’s potential impacts on an Indigenous reader.","PeriodicalId":129322,"journal":{"name":"Mount Royal Undergraduate Humanities Review (MRUHR)","volume":"22 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140727248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
With the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots having just past, it is astounding to see the leaps and bounds made by queer historians towards developing an understanding of homophobia in the American postwar period which led up to the riots. While the publicised, state-sanctioned homophobic purges of men and women from public service has been well documented in American history, the equivalent persecution of gay men and lesbians in Canada has gone largely unexamined. Much like other oppressive acts enacted by the Canadian government, the purging of those suspected of homosexuality has been left out of Canada's collective national history. That organisations such as the RCMP and CSIS act as arbiters of archival documentation detailing the means of constructing and detecting the homosexual other only complicates matters further. As such, researchers can be better served through the examination of auxiliary texts, or interviews with those affected by the purges. This paper opts for the former, utilising postwar medical periodicals, popular media publications, and audio recordings of postwar symposiums to unravel the proposed medical basis for state homophobia and demonstrate how scholarly research was appropriated by the press. Through utilising a queer reading of these texts and employing contemporary queer theory, it is revealed that gender anxiety was at the root of the purges and that constructions of homosexual men and women as subversive was the result of self-reinforcing cycles of information misinterpretation.
{"title":"\"The Sex They Really Need:\" Medicalization and Popular Interpretations of Homosexuality in Postwar Canada","authors":"Joseph James Wawzonek","doi":"10.29173/MRUHR526","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29173/MRUHR526","url":null,"abstract":"With the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots having just past, it is astounding to see the leaps and bounds made by queer historians towards developing an understanding of homophobia in the American postwar period which led up to the riots. While the publicised, state-sanctioned homophobic purges of men and women from public service has been well documented in American history, the equivalent persecution of gay men and lesbians in Canada has gone largely unexamined. Much like other oppressive acts enacted by the Canadian government, the purging of those suspected of homosexuality has been left out of Canada's collective national history. That organisations such as the RCMP and CSIS act as arbiters of archival documentation detailing the means of constructing and detecting the homosexual other only complicates matters further. As such, researchers can be better served through the examination of auxiliary texts, or interviews with those affected by the purges. This paper opts for the former, utilising postwar medical periodicals, popular media publications, and audio recordings of postwar symposiums to unravel the proposed medical basis for state homophobia and demonstrate how scholarly research was appropriated by the press. Through utilising a queer reading of these texts and employing contemporary queer theory, it is revealed that gender anxiety was at the root of the purges and that constructions of homosexual men and women as subversive was the result of self-reinforcing cycles of information misinterpretation. ","PeriodicalId":129322,"journal":{"name":"Mount Royal Undergraduate Humanities Review (MRUHR)","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"127786217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Canada prides itself as a nation welcoming to immigrants, but this multicultural façade cloaks the struggles of immigrants who fight against systemic inequality. This study aims to expose the mechanisms of societal and systemic oppression faced by immigrants in Canada, especially Black immigrants, as well as the psychological isolation they endure living in the diaspora. The study relies primarily on Austin Clarke’s novel More, and investigates economic gatekeeping by Canadian employers who often require Canadian experience and education, relegating skilled migrants to unemployment and underemployment. This illustrates the barriers to upward social mobility faced by Canadian immigrants, a reality portrayed in More by the protagonist Idora’s poverty despite living for thirty years in Canada. This paper also delineates the societal oppression which manifests in the Canadian media’s perpetuation of discrimination and projection of degeneracy on Black Canadians. Furthermore, it investigates the role of unchecked police brutality in continuing psychological exclusion and brutal violence towards Black Canadians. The psychological alienation and denigration experienced by immigrants and those living in the diaspora is also explored through More. In this context, those living in the diaspora is defined by migrants and their descendants who live in one country but feel strong emotional and identity ties to their former country. Therefore, Canada’s image as haven for immigrants is dispelled through its systemic and societal prejudice and exploitation of immigrants, complicity towards acts of brutal violence conducted by police officers, and exclusion towards those living in the diaspora.
{"title":"Canada’s Façade of Equality: Austin Clarke's More","authors":"M. Ma","doi":"10.29173/MRUHR554","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29173/MRUHR554","url":null,"abstract":"Canada prides itself as a nation welcoming to immigrants, but this multicultural façade cloaks the struggles of immigrants who fight against systemic inequality. This study aims to expose the mechanisms of societal and systemic oppression faced by immigrants in Canada, especially Black immigrants, as well as the psychological isolation they endure living in the diaspora. The study relies primarily on Austin Clarke’s novel More, and investigates economic gatekeeping by Canadian employers who often require Canadian experience and education, relegating skilled migrants to unemployment and underemployment. This illustrates the barriers to upward social mobility faced by Canadian immigrants, a reality portrayed in More by the protagonist Idora’s poverty despite living for thirty years in Canada. This paper also delineates the societal oppression which manifests in the Canadian media’s perpetuation of discrimination and projection of degeneracy on Black Canadians. Furthermore, it investigates the role of unchecked police brutality in continuing psychological exclusion and brutal violence towards Black Canadians. The psychological alienation and denigration experienced by immigrants and those living in the diaspora is also explored through More. In this context, those living in the diaspora is defined by migrants and their descendants who live in one country but feel strong emotional and identity ties to their former country.\u0000Therefore, Canada’s image as haven for immigrants is dispelled through its systemic and societal prejudice and exploitation of immigrants, complicity towards acts of brutal violence conducted by police officers, and exclusion towards those living in the diaspora.","PeriodicalId":129322,"journal":{"name":"Mount Royal Undergraduate Humanities Review (MRUHR)","volume":"14 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"125379955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
In this essay I discuss the subject of violence and how toys and sporting equipment were used to teach young boys masculine behaviours that were aligned with the heterosexual ideologies of the first half of the 20th century in Canada.
{"title":"Boyhood Masculinity and Violence: How Toys and Sporting Equipment Taught Young Men Violence in Canada, 1900-1950","authors":"Jocelyn Chugg","doi":"10.29173/MRUHR547","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.29173/MRUHR547","url":null,"abstract":"In this essay I discuss the subject of violence and how toys and sporting equipment were used to teach young boys masculine behaviours that were aligned with the heterosexual ideologies of the first half of the 20th century in Canada.","PeriodicalId":129322,"journal":{"name":"Mount Royal Undergraduate Humanities Review (MRUHR)","volume":"2 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2021-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128190329","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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