Representation and identity are complex concepts with diverse connotations that involve the binaries ‘the self’’ and ‘the other’. These oppositions could either be referring to an individual, a group, or a particular sex. However, some concepts like Hanna Fenichel Pitkin’s ‘Concept of Representation’, Edward Saïd’s discourse on Orientalism, and Michel Foucault’s Concepts of Power and Resistance present a contradiction in the notion of representation, identity, and resistance. What then is a true representation, a real identity? Is resistance always predetermined or an entity in its own right? This article seeks to examine the relationship in these concepts in two Anglophone Cameroonian literary texts notably, Victor Epie Ngome’s What God Has Put Asunder and Rosemary Ekosso’s House of Falling Women and to assess the validity of the textual representation of a union between two parties and the representation of the African woman in Ngome’s and Ekosso’s texts respectively. The methodology employed is comparative, analytical, and descriptive. The study tentatively concludes that, in as much as paradox abounds in the treatment of representation and true identity, it is observed that the self is in the best position to present itself, that representation, identity, and resistance are intrinsically intertwined, and that Ngome and Ekosso are actively engaged in a textual representation of the grievances of the Minority Anglophones and the unfavourable treatment of the woman in a patriarchal setting respectively. Otherness is found as the root cause of power dynamics.
{"title":"Representation, Identity, and Resistance in Two Selected Cameroonian Literary Texts by Victor Epie Ngome and Rosemary E. Ekosso","authors":"Florence Mbi Nchia","doi":"10.46809/jcsll.v5i4.277","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46809/jcsll.v5i4.277","url":null,"abstract":"Representation and identity are complex concepts with diverse connotations that involve the binaries ‘the self’’ and ‘the other’. These oppositions could either be referring to an individual, a group, or a particular sex. However, some concepts like Hanna Fenichel Pitkin’s ‘Concept of Representation’, Edward Saïd’s discourse on Orientalism, and Michel Foucault’s Concepts of Power and Resistance present a contradiction in the notion of representation, identity, and resistance. What then is a true representation, a real identity? Is resistance always predetermined or an entity in its own right? This article seeks to examine the relationship in these concepts in two Anglophone Cameroonian literary texts notably, Victor Epie Ngome’s What God Has Put Asunder and Rosemary Ekosso’s House of Falling Women and to assess the validity of the textual representation of a union between two parties and the representation of the African woman in Ngome’s and Ekosso’s texts respectively. The methodology employed is comparative, analytical, and descriptive. The study tentatively concludes that, in as much as paradox abounds in the treatment of representation and true identity, it is observed that the self is in the best position to present itself, that representation, identity, and resistance are intrinsically intertwined, and that Ngome and Ekosso are actively engaged in a textual representation of the grievances of the Minority Anglophones and the unfavourable treatment of the woman in a patriarchal setting respectively. Otherness is found as the root cause of power dynamics.","PeriodicalId":508248,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Studies in Language and Literature","volume":"2 9","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141335418","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 investigates the intersection between literature and social entrepreneurship in Shadrach Ambanasom’s Son of the Native Soil. His work has been interpreted from different perspectives by scholars and researchers and the intention of this paper is not to duplicate those interpretations of meanings but to demonstrate how Ambanasom uses the above mentioned-text to lay bare his artistic vision as a social entrepreneur and identify the causes of the general human suffering in order to carve a path for the future. Through a careful reading of the text, this paper demonstrates that the problem leading to the chaotic situation in Ambanasom’s society is the lack of appropriate human resources especially at the level of those who hold major positions in the society and not just political, historical and geographical issues as many have pointed out. Through a new historicist lens, the findings revealed that the inability of some people in cardinal positions to consult their consciences and exercise justice is the main cause of the unresolved conflict in the imaginary society of Dudum. The conclusion here is that the main problem faced by this society is strictly moral. The study assumes that the leaders in key positions should act in conformity to the social normative charter to encourage development and peace.
{"title":"Literature and Social Entrepreneurship: Shadrach Ambanasom’s Artistic Vision of Dudum in Son of the Native Soil","authors":"Ngeh Ernestilia Dzekem","doi":"10.46809/jcsll.v5i4.275","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46809/jcsll.v5i4.275","url":null,"abstract":"This paper investigates the intersection between literature and social entrepreneurship in Shadrach Ambanasom’s Son of the Native Soil. His work has been interpreted from different perspectives by scholars and researchers and the intention of this paper is not to duplicate those interpretations of meanings but to demonstrate how Ambanasom uses the above mentioned-text to lay bare his artistic vision as a social entrepreneur and identify the causes of the general human suffering in order to carve a path for the future. Through a careful reading of the text, this paper demonstrates that the problem leading to the chaotic situation in Ambanasom’s society is the lack of appropriate human resources especially at the level of those who hold major positions in the society and not just political, historical and geographical issues as many have pointed out. Through a new historicist lens, the findings revealed that the inability of some people in cardinal positions to consult their consciences and exercise justice is the main cause of the unresolved conflict in the imaginary society of Dudum. The conclusion here is that the main problem faced by this society is strictly moral. The study assumes that the leaders in key positions should act in conformity to the social normative charter to encourage development and peace.","PeriodicalId":508248,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Studies in Language and Literature","volume":"7 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141335518","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 advent of today’s cross-cultural alterities, the percolating notions of ‘home’, ‘self’, and ‘other’, have undergone radical transformations. This alterity, if at all, has bred a world of changing identities under the indefatigable pretext of a global consciousness. In Totality and Infinity, Emmanuel Levinas has made us leery of forging a reality that never existed; a ‘saraband of cultures’ where nomadic figures become rootless subjects. Amid these palpable alterities, the ‘self’ has embraced the transient tropes of a planetary world and a diasporic consciousness. The question remains: how is it possible to think of postcolonial subjectivity amid a world of mobility and displacement? Or, more precisely, how can we conceive of subjectivity and alterity? Overridden by these questions, this article critiques the tacit roots of the poststructuralist subject whose rootless wandering demeans the primacy of historical rootedness. The subject’s errant rootlessness necessitates a thinking that is neither absolute nor homeless. The postmodern nomad forsakes the facticity of home and forges an otherness that is irreducibly errant. In doing so, the nomad grants the ‘other’ its own myths and ideals. Postcolonial subjectivity, as this article underscores, possesses an indispensable rootedness in the facticity of shared existence. This article re-thinks postcolonial subjectivity in accordance with the hermeneutic horizon of ‘factical rootedness’ in a world of impeding prejudices. While the Western hero represents the ‘other’, the postmodern nomad transcends the land. Both models of subjectivity are culturally and politically suspect. Whereas the colonial subject reduces the ‘other’ to an object of experience, the postmodern nomad does not defy the ‘other’s myths and idols. It so happens that instead of forging an alterity that evinces the self/other dichotomy by embracing an absolute otherness, hermeneutic prejudice encourages an alterity that defies the chauvinistic logic of the subject and the ‘other’s’ claim to absolute estrangement. The discussion on hermeneutic subjectivity calls for a radical return to the soil to which only the figure of the prejudiced subject can uphold. In The Waste Land, the Greek seer Tiresias, defied by Eliot’s prejudiced stance, trespasses the threshold of pure subjectivity and forges a transformative subjectivity that illuminates the corrective alterity of prejudice (Vorurteil).
{"title":"Towards Prejudiced Unhomeliness and Corrective Alterity: Ontology, Hermeneutics, and Transgressive Myth in T. S. Eliot’s The Waste Land","authors":"Omar Hansali, Houban Brahim","doi":"10.46809/jcsll.v5i4.272","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46809/jcsll.v5i4.272","url":null,"abstract":"With the advent of today’s cross-cultural alterities, the percolating notions of ‘home’, ‘self’, and ‘other’, have undergone radical transformations. This alterity, if at all, has bred a world of changing identities under the indefatigable pretext of a global consciousness. In Totality and Infinity, Emmanuel Levinas has made us leery of forging a reality that never existed; a ‘saraband of cultures’ where nomadic figures become rootless subjects. Amid these palpable alterities, the ‘self’ has embraced the transient tropes of a planetary world and a diasporic consciousness. The question remains: how is it possible to think of postcolonial subjectivity amid a world of mobility and displacement? Or, more precisely, how can we conceive of subjectivity and alterity? Overridden by these questions, this article critiques the tacit roots of the poststructuralist subject whose rootless wandering demeans the primacy of historical rootedness. The subject’s errant rootlessness necessitates a thinking that is neither absolute nor homeless. The postmodern nomad forsakes the facticity of home and forges an otherness that is irreducibly errant. In doing so, the nomad grants the ‘other’ its own myths and ideals. Postcolonial subjectivity, as this article underscores, possesses an indispensable rootedness in the facticity of shared existence. This article re-thinks postcolonial subjectivity in accordance with the hermeneutic horizon of ‘factical rootedness’ in a world of impeding prejudices. While the Western hero represents the ‘other’, the postmodern nomad transcends the land. Both models of subjectivity are culturally and politically suspect. Whereas the colonial subject reduces the ‘other’ to an object of experience, the postmodern nomad does not defy the ‘other’s myths and idols. It so happens that instead of forging an alterity that evinces the self/other dichotomy by embracing an absolute otherness, hermeneutic prejudice encourages an alterity that defies the chauvinistic logic of the subject and the ‘other’s’ claim to absolute estrangement. The discussion on hermeneutic subjectivity calls for a radical return to the soil to which only the figure of the prejudiced subject can uphold. In The Waste Land, the Greek seer Tiresias, defied by Eliot’s prejudiced stance, trespasses the threshold of pure subjectivity and forges a transformative subjectivity that illuminates the corrective alterity of prejudice (Vorurteil).","PeriodicalId":508248,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Studies in Language and Literature","volume":"115 35","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140986299","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}
The present study examines ekphrasis as a conduit for facilitating a more profound and meaningful engagement with the mysteries of the works of art and as a means of transcending established notions of aesthetics, dismantling the conventional subject/object dichotomy, resisting the pervasive technological enframing of our world, and fostering a mode of dwelling characterized by its poetic essence. The study aims to demonstrate that by intertwining language and visual representation, ekphrasis challenges our assumptions regarding the nature of beauty, invites us to see beyond the surface of things and opens us new possibilities for understanding and interpretation. Anchored in the philosophical framework of Martin Heidegger, the investigation illuminates the potent role of ekphrasis in disrupting customary modes of perception, compelling a reconsideration of our engagement with art in a manner that aligns with authenticity, immersive involvement and poetic mode of dwelling to cultivate a deeper embeddedness in the world and to foster a sense of wonder and appreciation in our encounter with the interconnectedness of entities.
{"title":"Beyond Aesthetics: Ekphrasis and the Poetic Engagement with Art","authors":"Hossein Zamani Alavijeh","doi":"10.46809/jcsll.v5i4.273","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46809/jcsll.v5i4.273","url":null,"abstract":"The present study examines ekphrasis as a conduit for facilitating a more profound and meaningful engagement with the mysteries of the works of art and as a means of transcending established notions of aesthetics, dismantling the conventional subject/object dichotomy, resisting the pervasive technological enframing of our world, and fostering a mode of dwelling characterized by its poetic essence. The study aims to demonstrate that by intertwining language and visual representation, ekphrasis challenges our assumptions regarding the nature of beauty, invites us to see beyond the surface of things and opens us new possibilities for understanding and interpretation. Anchored in the philosophical framework of Martin Heidegger, the investigation illuminates the potent role of ekphrasis in disrupting customary modes of perception, compelling a reconsideration of our engagement with art in a manner that aligns with authenticity, immersive involvement and poetic mode of dwelling to cultivate a deeper embeddedness in the world and to foster a sense of wonder and appreciation in our encounter with the interconnectedness of entities.","PeriodicalId":508248,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Studies in Language and Literature","volume":"110 31","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2024-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140986814","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 research article investigates the parental influence on children's social behavior within the context of Katherine Mansfield's short story, "A Doll's House." The study primarily adopts a library-based approach and employs a descriptive analytical methodology. The research aims to explore the impact of parents and other family members on children's socialization and their conduct in society, with a specific focus on their interactions with peers and classmates. Additionally, the article examines the ramifications of social norms and social classes on parental figures. The involvement of school officials, peers, classmates, and their interactions with other children is also examined. The findings of the study indicate that the parents depicted in the story do not serve as positive role models for the socialization of their children. While the majority of children tend to imitate and perceive their parents as positive role models, one child does not blindly imitate the parents and may exhibit behaviors that deviate from parental expectations. These findings are useful as they contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamics between parental influence and children's social behavior, especially in the literary context of the short story. They shed light on the complex relationship between parents, children, and societal expectations as portrayed in the story, which can be relevant for literary analysis, child psychology and sociology. The findings may have implications for understanding the potential consequences of negative role modeling by parents and how it can influence a child's behavior and choices.
{"title":"Parents as Role Model for Social Behavior of Children: A Case Study of the Short Story “A Doll’s House” by Katherine Mansfield","authors":"Farahnaz Yousefi","doi":"10.46809/jcsll.v4i6.236","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46809/jcsll.v4i6.236","url":null,"abstract":"This research article investigates the parental influence on children's social behavior within the context of Katherine Mansfield's short story, \"A Doll's House.\" The study primarily adopts a library-based approach and employs a descriptive analytical methodology. The research aims to explore the impact of parents and other family members on children's socialization and their conduct in society, with a specific focus on their interactions with peers and classmates. Additionally, the article examines the ramifications of social norms and social classes on parental figures. The involvement of school officials, peers, classmates, and their interactions with other children is also examined. The findings of the study indicate that the parents depicted in the story do not serve as positive role models for the socialization of their children. While the majority of children tend to imitate and perceive their parents as positive role models, one child does not blindly imitate the parents and may exhibit behaviors that deviate from parental expectations. These findings are useful as they contribute to a deeper understanding of the dynamics between parental influence and children's social behavior, especially in the literary context of the short story. They shed light on the complex relationship between parents, children, and societal expectations as portrayed in the story, which can be relevant for literary analysis, child psychology and sociology. The findings may have implications for understanding the potential consequences of negative role modeling by parents and how it can influence a child's behavior and choices.","PeriodicalId":508248,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Studies in Language and Literature","volume":"29 11","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139266041","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 study delves into the complex landscape of tertiary teachers' professional development in Bangladesh, examining both the formidable challenges and promising prospects that shape the growth and effectiveness of educators in the nation's higher education system. In Bangladesh, tertiary education plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of its youth and the nation's economic progress. However, the quality of higher education hinges on the quality of instruction, making professional development for teacher’s imperative. The study unveils the significant challenges faced by these educators, including the burden of heavy workloads, financial constraints, limited access to development opportunities, and resistance to change. These challenges collectively hinder the professional growth of teachers, which, in turn, affects the quality of higher education. Conversely, the study illuminates the substantial prospects of professional development for tertiary teachers in Bangladesh. It underscores the vital role professional development plays in enhancing teaching skills, aligning curricula with industry needs, and preparing graduates to excel in the global job market. Strategies such as institutional support, technology integration, faculty collaboration, and needs assessments have been identified as avenues to address these challenges effectively and unlock the potential of growth for educators in Bangladesh's higher education landscape. In conclusion, while Bangladesh grapples with obstacles that impede the professional development of tertiary teachers, the prospects remain optimistic. By recognizing the importance of continuous learning, investing in institutional support, harnessing the power of technology, and implementing strategic policies, the nation can empower its educators to thrive in their roles. This, in turn, promises a brighter future for higher education, better-prepared graduates, and a stronger national economy.
{"title":"English Language Teachers’ Professional Development at Tertiary Level in Bangladesh: Challenges and Prospects","authors":"Md. Abdullah Al Younus","doi":"10.46809/jcsll.v4i6.237","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.46809/jcsll.v4i6.237","url":null,"abstract":"This study delves into the complex landscape of tertiary teachers' professional development in Bangladesh, examining both the formidable challenges and promising prospects that shape the growth and effectiveness of educators in the nation's higher education system. In Bangladesh, tertiary education plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of its youth and the nation's economic progress. However, the quality of higher education hinges on the quality of instruction, making professional development for teacher’s imperative. The study unveils the significant challenges faced by these educators, including the burden of heavy workloads, financial constraints, limited access to development opportunities, and resistance to change. These challenges collectively hinder the professional growth of teachers, which, in turn, affects the quality of higher education. Conversely, the study illuminates the substantial prospects of professional development for tertiary teachers in Bangladesh. It underscores the vital role professional development plays in enhancing teaching skills, aligning curricula with industry needs, and preparing graduates to excel in the global job market. Strategies such as institutional support, technology integration, faculty collaboration, and needs assessments have been identified as avenues to address these challenges effectively and unlock the potential of growth for educators in Bangladesh's higher education landscape. In conclusion, while Bangladesh grapples with obstacles that impede the professional development of tertiary teachers, the prospects remain optimistic. By recognizing the importance of continuous learning, investing in institutional support, harnessing the power of technology, and implementing strategic policies, the nation can empower its educators to thrive in their roles. This, in turn, promises a brighter future for higher education, better-prepared graduates, and a stronger national economy.","PeriodicalId":508248,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Critical Studies in Language and Literature","volume":"20 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139270220","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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