scholarly journals Pro-Social Trickstars in Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 556-576
Author(s):  
Paul Rüsse ◽  
Anastassia Krasnova
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
American Fiction ◽  
Ethnic Literature ◽  
Turn Of The Millennium ◽  
Folk Tale ◽  
Male Characters ◽  
Research Questions

Tricksters are usually defined as non-heroic male characters obsessed with food, sex, and general merrymaking, occasionally changing shape and even gender but eventually returning to their masculine self. But is this necessarily true in contemporary ethnic literature? The current essay explores the notion of the trickstar, or the female trickster, in Afghan- American fiction, analysing the three heroines in Khaled Hosseini’s 2007 novel A Thousand Splendid Suns, which is a mother-daughter story set in Kabul at the turn of the millennium. In order to place this text into a cultural context and underscore the significance of the trickstar figure, it is compared to a traditional Afghan folk tale, “Women’s Tricks.” Two research questions are at the centre of this article: (1) In what ways are trickstars from Afghan folklore similar to the heroines of Hosseini’s novel? and (2) What roles do his heroines perform as pro-social trickstars?

Studying the Effects of Meditation: The First Fifty Years

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doug Oman
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Measurement Instruments ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Physiological Measurement ◽  
History Of ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Meditative Practices

This chapter traces the history of modern meditation research. Meditation is conceptualized primarily as a seated practice for systematically training attention. Historically present in every major religion, meditation was traditionally used for spiritual purposes and usually accompanied by ancillary practices, such as spiritual fellowship. This chapter traces the dynamics and evolving interplay between dominant conceptions and forms of meditative practices under scientific study, as well as critiques of those conceptions, research questions, study designs, measurement instruments, and public reception and application. It describes how developments in each of these spheres have at different times opened up new lines of research, sometimes transforming other dimensions of ongoing research and practice. For the past fifty years, modern meditation research has progressed through partly overlapping periods that emphasized physiological measurement and secular adaptations; links to numerous health and well-being outcomes; emphasis on a sui generis psychosocial goal (mindfulness); advances in physiological and questionnaire-based empirical measurement; expansion of public, corporate, and governmental interest; increased concerns about abandonment of ethical bases and cultural context; and initial moves toward greater inclusiveness and integration of diverse methods and traditional perspectives.

scholarly journals Maskuliniti yang Diruntuhkan Feminiti: Satu Penelitian Stereotaip Gender dalam Novel Seri Dewi Malam Karya Affifudin Haji Omar

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wan Hasmah Wan Teh
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Female Representation ◽  
Female Authors ◽  
Male Characters ◽  
Second Sex ◽  
Feminist Ideology ◽  
Female Stereotypes ◽  
And Gender

Ideologi feminis menyumbang kepada fahaman bahawa lelaki dan perempuan dipengaruhi oleh pengalaman kehidupan yang berbeza ketika menghasilkan sesebuah karya kreatif. Feminis percaya bahawa pengarang lelaki tidak dapat menampilkan dimensi kejiwaan perempuan kerana mereka tidak pernah merasai pengalaman sebagai seorang perempuan. Ideologi seperti ini muncul sebagai tindak balas terhadap kebanyakan karya yang dihasilkan oleh pengarang lelaki yang sering mempersembahkan watak perempuan sebagai the second sex, terpinggir, bisu dan lemah dalam sistem sosial yang didominasi oleh lelaki. Walau bagaimanapun, tindakan pengarang lelaki ini tidak boleh dihukum kerana kegagalan mereka memahami dimensi perempuan yang berbeza dari diri mereka. Pencitraan perempuan daripada perspektif pengarang lelaki harus dilihat daripada konteks masyarakat dan budaya yang meletakkan stereotaip tertentu mengikut jenis kelamin. Bertitik tolak daripada fahaman tersebut, makalah ini mengupas konsep gender yang dibentuk oleh masyarakat sosial serta meneliti imej stereotaip lelaki yang dikenali sebagai gender maskulin dan imej stereotaip perempuan yang dikenali sebagai gender feminin. Hasil dapatan makalah ini mendapati pengarang novel Seri Dewi Malam telah mengubah fahaman pembaca tentang pengarang lelaki dalam mencitrakan imej perempuan dan menolak stereotaip sedia ada dengan menonjolkan imej positif yang dimiliki oleh watak Rohana sebagai gender feminin yang meruntuhkan stereotaip gender maskulin watak-watak lelaki di dalam novel.   The feminist ideology argues that the production of a creative work amongst male and female authors is defined by their specific life and gender experience. Feminists believe that male authors are unable to tap into the thoughts and emotional dimension of female authors because they have never experienced the life of a female. This argument emerged as a form of reaction towards the production of novels by male authors who often portray the female characters as ‘the second sex’, forsaken, tacit and weak in the male-dominated social system. Understandably, these prejudiced portrayals reflect their failure in understanding the female gender as a whole. Narrating the female from the male perspective thus has to be approached from the social and cultural context that gives rise to these stereotypes. This paper addresses the notion of gender from the perspective of society and explores the conceptual division between the male representation as ‘masculine' and female representation as ‘feminine’ in the novel Seri Dewi Malam. It argues that the author of the novel has managed to transform the female stereotypes by instilling more positive representations to the protagonist Rohana and her femininity in challenging the masculinity of male characters.

Analyze Genres and Events

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian Schrag ◽  
Kathleen J. Van Buren
Keyword(s):  
Visual Arts ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
Part C ◽  
Time Performance ◽  
Symbolic Systems ◽  
Research Questions

Step 4, the bulk of the Guide, comprises three parts: Part A, “Describe the Event and Its Genre(s) as a Whole”; Part B, “Explore the Event’s Genre(s) through Artistic Domain Categories”; and Part C, “Relate the Event’s Genre(s) to Its Broader Cultural Context.” Part A teaches readers how to collect information about an event and its genres. It advises readers to explore an event by looking through seven “lenses”: space, materials, participant organization, shape of an event through time, performance features, content, and underlying symbolic systems. Part B applies the seven lenses to exposing which—if any—elements of the following five artistic domain categories occur in the event: music, dance, drama, oral verbal arts, and visual arts. These arts are addressed in turn, so that readers can jump to the sections that relate most closely to their work. Part C helps readers to connect artistry in an event with broader cultural contexts. Numerous research questions, suggested activities, and practical examples are provided throughout Step 4.

scholarly journals Te “Concept – Image − Motive” Triad in Arab-American Fiction Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 53-64
Author(s):  
M. A. Dubovitskaya
Keyword(s):  
American Literature ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Social Aspects ◽  
Arab American ◽  
American Fiction ◽  
Concept Image ◽  
The Social ◽  
Arab American Literature ◽  
Linguistic Material

Arab-American multicultural, or cross-cultural, literature related to different time periods is closely examined in the article. Tese writings are part of borderline literature due to the fact that the central theme in them is the theme of dual (transitional) identity. Te author provides a defnition of “liminality”, which is necessary when considering the phenomena of bilingualism and biculturalism. Te relevance of the study is due to the growing interest in emigrant literature as a source of meanings scattered in the text, contributing to the understanding of the social and cultural context. Te motive, image and the concept are singled out in the works of Arab-American literature to decode hidden meanings. Te results of the analysis of the main motives, taken in diachrony, are presented, and their similarities and differences are revealed. Te fact that the same motives, for example, the motives of nature and music, are found in completely different works, speaks of their semantic, cultural and literary signifcance. Te novelty of the research is seen in the combination of linguo-literary and linguo-stylistic methods in the analysis of linguistic material, which helps to identify psychological, cultural and social aspects in the Arab-American fction discourse.

scholarly journals She lures, she guides, she quits : Femile characters in Tim Winton's "The Riders"

2010 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
M.Pilar Baines Alarcos
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Female Character ◽  
Traditional Concept ◽  
Female Protagonists ◽  
Male Characters ◽  
Female Archetypes

Tim Winton is an Australian writer whose male characters often defy the traditional concept of masculinity. As for the notion of femininity, however, this kind of defiance is not displayed. In this essay, I study the presentation of the female protagonists in The Riders in order to illustrate this point, bearing in mind the Australian social and cultural context that surrounds them. Winton’s fictional women, no matter whether they are strong or weak, are normally depicted according to female archetypes. This leads to their negative portrayal as ambivalent beings, thus making them unreliable and even dangerous, as is the case of Jennifer and Irma. In contrast, Billie is a positive female character. She, who is also significantly a child, combines both feminine and masculine qualities. It is precisely this characteristic that enables her to be her father’s protector.

scholarly journals GENDER CONSTRUCTION IN MUSLIM TWEENS STORIES: A Discourse of Intersectionality of Religious and Gender Representations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erni Suparti
Keyword(s):  
Fairy Tales ◽  
Religious Identity ◽  
Visual Representation ◽  
Gender Construction ◽  
Religious Values ◽  
Media Consumption ◽  
Gender Representations ◽  
Male Characters ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
And Gender

The following study set out to examine the creative works of five Muslim tweens in Toronto, Canada, with focus on analysing the intersectionality of religious and gender representations in their works. Theoretical framework underlining this study is a discourse on visual representation of female Muslim characters, hybrid construction of gender, religious values, and media consumption. The primary research questions of this study are; (1) How do Muslim tween girls reproduce meaning and construct gender identity in their creative works? (2) How do their stories intersect gender construction with their religious background and media consumption? The results of this study revealed the hijab (Muslim head scarf) as significant visual representation of female Muslim characters in young adults’ stories. It affirms hybrid representation of gender, religious and media consumption which, in turn demonstrates Muslim tweens mitigation in gender construction. This study also reveals the fluidity of domination which explores aspects such as new context of non-existent male-characters, religious identity and kindness as the indicator of perceived beauty. Additionally, some of these tweens associate feminine identity and representation with nature which is deeply rooted in Western fairy tales and religious values (Judeo-Christian and Islam).

scholarly journals The old man and Slovenia: Hemingway studies in the slovenian cultural context

1990 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 51-62
Author(s):  
Igor Maver
Keyword(s):  
American Literature ◽  
Literary Criticism ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Ernest Hemingway ◽  
Nobel Prize Winner ◽  
American Fiction ◽  
Contemporary American Literature ◽  
English Novel ◽  
Erskine Caldwell ◽  
The Times

The name of Ernest Hemingway was first mentioned in Slovenian literary criticism by the writer and critic Tone Seliškar in 1933. Soon afterwards, Griša Koritnik, the foremost translator of English and American literatures in the period between the two wars, in his article »The Great War in the English Novel« described the protagonist of the novel A Farewell to Arms (1929) somewhat enigmatically as »the symbol of the old generation«. In a short survey of contemporary American literature, which Anton Debeljak in 1939 freely adapted from the article previously published by J. Wood Krutch in The Times,  Hemingway was grouped together with the Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck and novelist Erskine Caldwell, which is to say with the giants of the then mainstream American fiction. However, it is curious that a Slovenian reader should already from this article have learned how Hemingway, the author of »powerful stories«, had recently become monotonous, which was before he even had a fair chance to get acquainted with any of his works translated into Slovenian.

scholarly journals The old man and Slovenia: Hemingway studies in the slovenian cultural context

1990 ◽  
Vol 23 ◽  
pp. 51-62
Author(s):  
Igor Maver
Keyword(s):  
American Literature ◽  
Literary Criticism ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Ernest Hemingway ◽  
Nobel Prize Winner ◽  
American Fiction ◽  
Contemporary American Literature ◽  
English Novel ◽  
Erskine Caldwell ◽  
The Times

The name of Ernest Hemingway was first mentioned in Slovenian literary criticism by the writer and critic Tone Seliškar in 1933. Soon afterwards, Griša Koritnik, the foremost translator of English and American literatures in the period between the two wars, in his article »The Great War in the English Novel« described the protagonist of the novel A Farewell to Arms (1929) somewhat enigmatically as »the symbol of the old generation«. In a short survey of contemporary American literature, which Anton Debeljak in 1939 freely adapted from the article previously published by J. Wood Krutch in The Times,  Hemingway was grouped together with the Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck and novelist Erskine Caldwell, which is to say with the giants of the then mainstream American fiction. However, it is curious that a Slovenian reader should already from this article have learned how Hemingway, the author of »powerful stories«, had recently become monotonous, which was before he even had a fair chance to get acquainted with any of his works translated into Slovenian.

scholarly journals Understanding the Function of Empathy through Laila Halaby’s West of the Jordan

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-90
Author(s):  
Ishak Berrebbah
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Arab American ◽  
American Fiction ◽  
Ethnic Literature

Abstract Arab American fiction has received great attention in the post-9/11 period. This ethnic literature has been put under a critical lens due to the aspects that shape it and the issues discussed in it. One of the main objectives of Arab American fiction is to bridge cultural differences and appeal to its readers, both Arabs and non-Arabs. This particular objective is achieved by the authors’ willingness to trigger empathetic engagement with their characters. As such, this paper looks at how Laila Halaby’s West of the Jordan (2003) functions in accordance with the poetics of empathy. In other words, the aim of this paper is to show how fiction appeals to its readers through empathy and how empathetic engagement sustains the characters-readers connection, taking West of the Jordan as a literary example. This paper suggests that empathy in fiction is multi-layered and serves different purposes. The arguments are based on a conceptual framework supported by scholarly perspectives of prominent critics and theorists such as Chielozona Eze, Heather Hoyt, and Suzanne Keen, to name just a few.

scholarly journals IDENTITAS TOKOH PEREMPUAN LINTAS BUDAYA DALAM KUMPULAN CERPEN MALAM TERAKHIR KARYA LEILA S. CHUDORI (The Cross Cultural Identity of Female Protagonist in Leila S. Chudori’s Short Stories Compilation Malam Terakhir)

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 61
Author(s):  
Nita Nurhayati ◽  
Aquarini Priyatna ◽  
Lina Meilinawati Rahayu
Keyword(s):  
Short Stories ◽  
Cultural Identity ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Cultural Theory ◽  
Cultural Construction ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Male Characters ◽  
The Social ◽  
Female Protagonist ◽  
Research Show

Tulisan ini mengkaji identitas tokoh perempuan lintas budaya yang terdapat dalam kumpulan cerpen Malam Terakhir karya Leila S. Chudori. Kajian ini menggunakan teori identitas, lintas budaya, dan naratologi. Pendekatan yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan struktural yang menganalisis struktur narasi yang membangun konstruksi identitas tokoh perempuan lintas budaya. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode deskriptif analitis. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa identitas tokoh perempuan lintas budaya dalam cerpen-cerpen karya Chudori ditampilkan sebagai identitas yang cair, identitas yang dapat berubah sesuai dengan konteks sosial dan budaya tempat tokoh perempuan berada. Gambaran tokoh perempuan lintas budaya dapat dilihat melalui ciri-ciri fisik tokoh yang dapat dibedakan dengan penduduk setempat dan pendatang, interaksi tokoh dengan penduduk setempat, dan keterasingan yang dialami tokoh perempuan. Selain itu, identitas perempuan lintas budaya juga dapat ditunjukkan melalui penggambaran latar yang terdapat dalam cerpen-cerpen karya Chudori.Abstract:This paper examines cross cultural identities of female protagonist in Chudori’s short stories compilation “Malam Terakhir”. The study uses the theory of identity, cross-cultural theory, and naratology. The approach applied in the research is   structural%it  analyzes narrative struc- ture which builds  cross-cultural construction of female identity. The method used in this research is analytic descriptive method. The results of the research show that cross-cultural identity of fe- male characters in Chudori’s short stories compilation are fluid identity, the identity of a female protagonist which can change   according to the social and cultural context where the female character lives. The image of cross cultural identitiy of female protagonist can be seen through physical characteristics which can be distinguished from the natives and settlers, interaction with the native, and the alienation experienced by the female protagonist. In addition, cross-cultural identity of female protagonist can be seen through setting description in Chudori’s short stories compilation.

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