At the Crossroads of Memory and Imagination: a Poetic Image of a Window at Night in Samuel Beckett’s "A Piece of Monologue"

The pivotal objective of this research is to analyse a poetic image of an imaginary window at night as well as a “ghost” room in Samuel Beckett’s play A Piece of Monologue through the binary lens of Gaston Bachelard’s The Poetics of Space, and Beckett’s biography. An absent onstage window, being part of an imagined reality created by the Speaker, becomes the nexus of this short play, and is discussed in relation to its locus, the writer’s memory, and material imagination. Tightly linked to Beckett’s life, childhood home and the instance of his birth, this image becomes a multi-layered construct, which gains a life of its own in the play and represents the universal themes of birth, death, loss of loved ones and mourning.

John Paul II's Pilgrimages to Poland - Native Context and Universal Message. Comments from a Participant and Researcher

The article concerns a relatively small but important fragment of John Paul II's pastoral activity, namely his pilgrimages to Poland: the nature of these pilgrimages, their historical background and teaching - especially to the extent that went beyond the immediate and Polish context. The text is the result not only of reading papal statements, but also of personal observation of the political and social atmosphere. The first two parts contain a concise description of the Pope's eight pilgrimages to Poland (before and after the political transformation). The third highlights out the main universal themes raised by the Pope: the dignity of the person, truth and freedom. During consecutive pilgrimages to Poland, he deepened and expanded the themes of his teaching. This collection of his sermons and speeches to Poles constitutes a comprehensive (devoid of redundant repetitions and omissions) treatment of important social, philosophical and theological issues. John Paul II, when speaking to Poles and about Poles, did not lose his universal perspective; he appealed both to Christians and to all people of good will. Papal pilgrimages to Poland are a significant part of modern Polish history, and their message is a valuable intellectual and spiritual gift.

The Mythopoetics of Atogun’s Fight Against Political Corruption in Nigeria: A Comparative Analysis of Taduno’s Song and Orpheus Myth

The aim of this paper is to examine the correlation between the Orpheus Myth and Atogun’s novel Taduno’s song through the lense of mythopoetics. It also aims at analysing the manner in which the eponymous hero fights against political corruption in particular in Nigeria. The study is important because it enables us discover the ways in which Atogun adapts the Orpheus myth and marries it to his own strategy of fighting corruption so as to address the contemporary political situation in his country, Nigeria. The primary data for this paper is the novel Taduno’s song and the Orpheus myth. Secondary data in the form of works and papers on myth and mythmaking as well as on political corruption have been reviewed and used to support arguments in this paper. A close reading method has been used to analyse words, expressions, situations and contexts in the primary sources in terms of themes and style. The secondary sources have mainly been used to adduce evidence in support of arguments in the paper. The study establishes that Atogun adapts the Greek myth to the Nigerian situation in order to bring the contemporary political situation of his country to the fore. This is because the Orpheus myth encapsulates universal themes that allow it to be adapted to the present century. The study also concludes that evidence from the narrative indicates that in addition to stronger institutions, Africa also needs stronger, morally principled, courageous and selfless citizens who can rise against political corruption anywhere it rears its ugly head in the continent.

Mark Twain

Mark Twain is one of the most fascinating figures in American history. His literary works have intrigued, illuminated, inspired, and irritated millions from the late 1860s to the present. Twain was arguably America’s greatest writer from 1870 to 1910. In an era of mostly lackluster presidents and before the advent of movie, radio, television, and sports stars, Twain was probably the most popular person in America during the 1890s and competed with only Theodore Roosevelt for the title in the 1900s; his celebrity status exceeded that of European kings. Twain’s varied experiences as a journeyman printer, riverboat pilot, prospector, journalist, novelist, humorist, businessman, and world traveler, combined with his incredible imagination and astonishing creativity, enabled him to devise some of American literature’s most memorable characters and engaging stories. Twain was mesmerized, perplexed, frustrated, infuriated, and inspired by Christianity. He strove to understand, critique, and promote various theological ideas and insights. Twain’s religious perspective was complex, inconsistent, and sometimes even contradictory and constantly changed. While many scholars have ignored Twain’s strong focus on religious matters, others disagree sharply about his religious views, with most labeling him a secularist, an agnostic, or an atheist. The evidence indicates, however, that throughout his life he engaged in a lover’s quarrel with God. Twain was an entertainer, a satirist, novelist, and reformer, but he also functioned as a preacher, prophet, and social philosopher. He tackled universal themes with penetrating insight and wit including the character of God, human nature, sin, providence, corruption, greed, hypocrisy, poverty, racism, and imperialism. Moreover, Twain’s life provides a window into the principal trends and developments in American religion from 1865 to 1910.

Mothering Identity Experiences: A Backwards Glance

Aspects of human growth and development have been studied since the inception of psychology as a field of science. The impact of the quality of mothering on children has been highly researched. However, little attention has been paid in the professional literature to the experiences of mothers as their children move through developmental stages. The focus of this hermeneutic phenomenology study was to investigate how mothers’ experiences of their child's growth and development changed her perceptions of her identity and herself. Participants were eight women who had launched the oldest child from the home within the last 2 years. Extensive data analysis and triangulation procedures were conducted to develop themes. Universal themes experienced by all participants were categorized as internal (questioning, comparison, being purposeful, and feeling supported) and external (experiencing joy). Some participant experiences were influenced by incidental themes such as subsequent children, expectations versus reality, and spirituality. Participants’ experience of their mothering role was also impacted by the process of letting go through the developmental progression of their children. Clinical implications are discussed.

The Diffusion of Identity: A Study of Three Contemporary Thai Short Stories through the Lens of Western Narrative Conventions

Literary works give expression to universal themes through settings, subjects, and techniques that are culturally tied. This article reviews generic conventions involving point of view, protagonist, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution that typify Western short stories in order to examine how varying patterns can illuminate cultural contrasts between Thailand and the West. Widely known stories by Katherine Mansfield and Amy Tan serve to exemplify the conventional Western pattern and its versatility and to provide a basis for discovering alternative patterns that characterize numerous contemporary Thai short stories. An analysis of stories by S.E.A. Write award winners Phaitoon Thanya, Anchan, and Ussiri Thammachot through the comparative lens of Western conventions reveals how divergent narrative techniques involving point of view and plot elucidate and corroborate divergent expressions regarding the nature of identity. Narrative patterns in these Thai short stories help produce diffusions of identity that reflect a collectivist ethos and an acceptance of uncertainty and impermanence, while adherence to the Western formula reinforces a core belief in the permanence and persistence of the individual ego over time.

Tema “Keluarga” dan Relevansinya dalam Pembelajaran Bahasa Jerman

This study aims to obtain data on the theme of "family" and its relevance in learning German for class XII IIS SMA Negeri 11 Makassar. This research is a qualitative descriptive study. The population of this study were all students of class XII SMA Negeri 11 Makassar who studied German which consisted of 3 (three) classes, namely class XII IIS 1, XII IIS 2 and XII IIS 3 with a total of 106 people. The sample technique used was purposive sampling, amounting to 36 students. The data collection technique used an open questionnaire. The data that has been obtained were analyzed descriptively qualitatively. The results showed that family life in Germany was very good. This can be seen based on the culture of life through the attitude of independence, equal rights (work) in the family, and free time. The relevance of learning in this study is mainly on cultural themes that themes like this are suitable themes to be studied because the purpose of language learning is not only to mastery of language but also to culture, namely by looking for learning materials that are related to cultural and universal themes. but on the one hand it is specific in purpose so that the learning process occurs much faster because the themes used or studied also exist in our culture. In addition, we see that the German family is very punctual and disciplined, so its relevance in the learning process is highly respected by the nature of discipline and timeliness.

From Our Clinic, Across the Globe

This chapter outlines the engagement of both local and international colleagues with Managing Cancer and Living Meaningfully (CALM) and highlights its universal themes and applicability across various cultures and settings. The Global CALM program, which has trained thousands of individuals to date, is introduced and the keys to successful CALM implementation in international sites are presented. Finally, several current CALM research projects are summarized and the expanding international research supported by the Global CALM program is described.

Poola intertekstuaalsed meemid COVID pandeemia kohta

The aim of the paper is to show the Polish story of the Covid-19 pandemic as seen through a humorous looking glass. Different stages of coronavirus presence in the media and social discourse have been accompanied by the appearance and development of jokes and memes, which illustrate the rapidly changing pandemic situation. The database consists of over three hundred memes, movies, and comments collected between February and May 2020, during the pandemic humour peak, and come mainly from private WhatsApp and Facebook accounts of the researchers. The humorous material is related to introduced restrictions, changing laws, parliamentary elections, news from other affected countries as well as seasons and festive times – especially Easter – occurring in the same period of time. The universal themes present in the humorous material travelling around the world are complemented by the strictly culturally immersed topics, reflecting the specific social and political situation in Poland. The analysis undertaken in the article focuses on various kinds of mechanisms which involve intertextuality (allusions) as well as complexity of references that function as sources of humour, with special attention being paid to cultural references, for example, films, paintings, references to political life, including those of the life under socialism as well as universal themes, such as animal memes.

Best Children's Picture Books from Abroad: Valuing Other Cultures

Translated children’s books can play an important role in helping children develop an understanding of other people. Outstanding picture books in this specialized genre affirm the fact that each person is unique, but there are universal themes and feelings that every person possesses, regardless of culture or language. A comparison of the past six years of Caldecott Award Winners and outstanding translated children’s books provides insights into their similarities and differences. While the Caldecott books all seem to be big, bright, and beautiful, the translated picture books selected for study seem to be diverse in style, medium, and bookmanship.