The theme of the cast-away has inspired numerous literary works. This paper develops a philosophical reading of two important examples, Coetzee＇s Foe （1987） and Bowles＇ The Sheltering Sky （1951）, in terms of the...The theme of the cast-away has inspired numerous literary works. This paper develops a philosophical reading of two important examples, Coetzee＇s Foe （1987） and Bowles＇ The Sheltering Sky （1951）, in terms of themes such as isolation, silence and truth. But who authors, or authorizes ＂truth＂？ As Merleau-Ponty （1970） saw, the ego cogito of phenomenology symbolizes the quest for ＂global truth＂ where ＂what is evident for him＂ is or could be for all, for he ＂speaks for everyone＂. These two works, however, challenge the standard that ＂he speaks＂, and she does not： that women ＂as such＂, as it would seem, have always already been spoken for. Instead, the focus here is on ＂the self＇ not as neutral ground but as always engendered, in every sense of that word--always emergent as well as creative always acculturated, situated, embodied, sexed or de-sexed--always speaking, or remaining stubbornly silent, and always refusing, like truth itself, to be ＂pinned down＂展开更多
The paper examines the development of ＂Negro poetry＂ from the Negritude movement through the analysis of Sartre as featured in Black Orpheus （1976）. Following the analysis of Sartre, the author looks at the Black/...The paper examines the development of ＂Negro poetry＂ from the Negritude movement through the analysis of Sartre as featured in Black Orpheus （1976）. Following the analysis of Sartre, the author looks at the Black/White binary and its cultural and political context, which is based on the dominance of Europeans over Blacks. Then the author examines how Blacks have attempted to subvert this binary through alternative political stands, such as the practice of anti-racism, and innovative cultural art and literary forms, such as the Negritude movement. Like Sartre, the author focuses on ＂Negro poetry＂ and examines its limits and the challenges it put forth against the White supremacist elements in White dominant culture. The author concludes that while ＂Negro poetry＂ reflects a step forward in the anti-racist development of Black political and cultural identities, it is a limiting method of approach that does not subvert enough White dominant culture. This position enables the author to argue that, for example, the essentialist, racist, and gender--and sex--biases within the representations and images of the ＂feminine＂ and Black women are not sufficiently critically re-represented in ＂Negro poetry＂ of the Negritude movement. The method of this approach is （1） to look at Sartre＇s writing in Black Orpheus, （2） to include the secondary literature of this text within my analysis, （3） to examine sections of ＂Negro poetry＂ as featured in Black Orpheus, and （4） to critically access the racial, sex, and gender dimensions of ＂Negro poetry＂ as they relate to the achievements of the men or artists of the Negritude movement.展开更多
An inquiry into the ontology of critical gender consciousness in Africa Philosophy is long overdue. Hitherto discourses on gender problems lost focus because of the tendency to leave out the gaps in culture created by...An inquiry into the ontology of critical gender consciousness in Africa Philosophy is long overdue. Hitherto discourses on gender problems lost focus because of the tendency to leave out the gaps in culture created by colonial experience, modernity＇s assaults and unAfricaness in ontology and essence. It is argued here that the fulcrum for a legitimate feminist doctrine is Theistic Humanism, the philosophy of African philosophy that exposes the epistemological and metaphysical basis of the rightful and ethical place of women in the society without injury, injustice and abuse on womanhood. Theistic Humanism as an ontology and cosmology abhors class struggle among husbands, wives, sons, daughters, etc.. Class struggle between men and women degenerated from the oneness of being ontology and Gender community where husbands and wives were happily married with different complementary social roles for the preservation of society.展开更多
It may be argued that one of the recurring themes in the fiction of Toni Morrison is the problem of emotional suffering. Indeed, a line of her characters endure a series of traumatic past experiences, the consequences...It may be argued that one of the recurring themes in the fiction of Toni Morrison is the problem of emotional suffering. Indeed, a line of her characters endure a series of traumatic past experiences, the consequences of which are strongly echoed in their present lives and often foreshadow their future. Thus, this article discusses some of the characteristic literary-fantastic manifestations of grief and grieving in Morrison＇s novels, seen as internal and external expressions of the protagonists＇ mental pain. First, the text outlines the major grief-generating conditions for Morrison＇s heroes in general, and then it focuses on the various modes in which their feelings of grief and grieving are communicated. Second, the study exposes the characters＇ psychological strife and the influence it exerts both on themselves and their surroundings. Third and last, the paper concludes with an attempt to establish some typical patterns of grief and grieving common to Morrison＇s fictional figures. In order to reflect a variety of grief-stricken individuals populating Morrison＇s world, the analysis examines a group of three female characters. Taken all together, the selected examples serve to exhibit the complexity of the problem in question, as well as to illustrate the different shades of human sorrow.展开更多
Feminist criticism, an off-shoot of the Women Liberation Movement of the 1960s, is a gender-based discourse that considers, in some details, the significance of images of women constructed by literature as derogatory ...Feminist criticism, an off-shoot of the Women Liberation Movement of the 1960s, is a gender-based discourse that considers, in some details, the significance of images of women constructed by literature as derogatory and biased; hence, the need to reconstruct womanhood in literary works. From time immemorial and according to historical facts, the Nigerian woman is seen as the bolt of a repressive patriarchal structure that persistently reduced her dignity and human essence and compelled her submission to the whims and caprices of the man. Woman, therefore over the years, has been so long conditioned in the environment of masculine dominance. With the advent of modernization however the world-view of woman and man starts to experience a radical change that calls for a reconstruction of the place of woman round the globe. The enlightenment leads to the feminist criticism among others. Tanure Ojaide represents this world-view in his collection： God＇s Medicine-Men and Other Stories. The fiction is a collection of 10 short stories out of which, however, this paper studies only the first story, ＂Come Back When You Are Ready to Die＂ with a view to exposing how well Tanure Ojaide responded to feminist＇s aspiration for a non-sexiest literary representation of the woman.展开更多
A face-to-face qualitative interview study was conducted to examine the perceived gender roles and gender identities among 10 to 12 years old girls in Hong Kong. Sixteen girls aged 10 to 12 were asked to take pictures...A face-to-face qualitative interview study was conducted to examine the perceived gender roles and gender identities among 10 to 12 years old girls in Hong Kong. Sixteen girls aged 10 to 12 were asked to take pictures from the media they consumed that illustrated ＂What girls or women should or should not be; and what girls or women should or should not do＂. Analysis of interviews and images captured found that celebrities and characters in popular media play a significant role in socializing preadolescent girls on gender roles and gender identity formation. Celebrities and media characters that caught the interviewees＇ attention were mainly female adult entertainers and media characters. Girls showed admiration of specific talents and personalities of the celebrities and media characters. They paid much attention to the private lives of the celebrities. They learned from celebrities and media characters that certain behaviors were not acceptable in the social arena.展开更多
文摘The theme of the cast-away has inspired numerous literary works. This paper develops a philosophical reading of two important examples, Coetzee＇s Foe （1987） and Bowles＇ The Sheltering Sky （1951）, in terms of themes such as isolation, silence and truth. But who authors, or authorizes ＂truth＂？ As Merleau-Ponty （1970） saw, the ego cogito of phenomenology symbolizes the quest for ＂global truth＂ where ＂what is evident for him＂ is or could be for all, for he ＂speaks for everyone＂. These two works, however, challenge the standard that ＂he speaks＂, and she does not： that women ＂as such＂, as it would seem, have always already been spoken for. Instead, the focus here is on ＂the self＇ not as neutral ground but as always engendered, in every sense of that word--always emergent as well as creative always acculturated, situated, embodied, sexed or de-sexed--always speaking, or remaining stubbornly silent, and always refusing, like truth itself, to be ＂pinned down＂
文摘The paper examines the development of ＂Negro poetry＂ from the Negritude movement through the analysis of Sartre as featured in Black Orpheus （1976）. Following the analysis of Sartre, the author looks at the Black/White binary and its cultural and political context, which is based on the dominance of Europeans over Blacks. Then the author examines how Blacks have attempted to subvert this binary through alternative political stands, such as the practice of anti-racism, and innovative cultural art and literary forms, such as the Negritude movement. Like Sartre, the author focuses on ＂Negro poetry＂ and examines its limits and the challenges it put forth against the White supremacist elements in White dominant culture. The author concludes that while ＂Negro poetry＂ reflects a step forward in the anti-racist development of Black political and cultural identities, it is a limiting method of approach that does not subvert enough White dominant culture. This position enables the author to argue that, for example, the essentialist, racist, and gender--and sex--biases within the representations and images of the ＂feminine＂ and Black women are not sufficiently critically re-represented in ＂Negro poetry＂ of the Negritude movement. The method of this approach is （1） to look at Sartre＇s writing in Black Orpheus, （2） to include the secondary literature of this text within my analysis, （3） to examine sections of ＂Negro poetry＂ as featured in Black Orpheus, and （4） to critically access the racial, sex, and gender dimensions of ＂Negro poetry＂ as they relate to the achievements of the men or artists of the Negritude movement.
文摘An inquiry into the ontology of critical gender consciousness in Africa Philosophy is long overdue. Hitherto discourses on gender problems lost focus because of the tendency to leave out the gaps in culture created by colonial experience, modernity＇s assaults and unAfricaness in ontology and essence. It is argued here that the fulcrum for a legitimate feminist doctrine is Theistic Humanism, the philosophy of African philosophy that exposes the epistemological and metaphysical basis of the rightful and ethical place of women in the society without injury, injustice and abuse on womanhood. Theistic Humanism as an ontology and cosmology abhors class struggle among husbands, wives, sons, daughters, etc.. Class struggle between men and women degenerated from the oneness of being ontology and Gender community where husbands and wives were happily married with different complementary social roles for the preservation of society.
文摘It may be argued that one of the recurring themes in the fiction of Toni Morrison is the problem of emotional suffering. Indeed, a line of her characters endure a series of traumatic past experiences, the consequences of which are strongly echoed in their present lives and often foreshadow their future. Thus, this article discusses some of the characteristic literary-fantastic manifestations of grief and grieving in Morrison＇s novels, seen as internal and external expressions of the protagonists＇ mental pain. First, the text outlines the major grief-generating conditions for Morrison＇s heroes in general, and then it focuses on the various modes in which their feelings of grief and grieving are communicated. Second, the study exposes the characters＇ psychological strife and the influence it exerts both on themselves and their surroundings. Third and last, the paper concludes with an attempt to establish some typical patterns of grief and grieving common to Morrison＇s fictional figures. In order to reflect a variety of grief-stricken individuals populating Morrison＇s world, the analysis examines a group of three female characters. Taken all together, the selected examples serve to exhibit the complexity of the problem in question, as well as to illustrate the different shades of human sorrow.
文摘Feminist criticism, an off-shoot of the Women Liberation Movement of the 1960s, is a gender-based discourse that considers, in some details, the significance of images of women constructed by literature as derogatory and biased; hence, the need to reconstruct womanhood in literary works. From time immemorial and according to historical facts, the Nigerian woman is seen as the bolt of a repressive patriarchal structure that persistently reduced her dignity and human essence and compelled her submission to the whims and caprices of the man. Woman, therefore over the years, has been so long conditioned in the environment of masculine dominance. With the advent of modernization however the world-view of woman and man starts to experience a radical change that calls for a reconstruction of the place of woman round the globe. The enlightenment leads to the feminist criticism among others. Tanure Ojaide represents this world-view in his collection： God＇s Medicine-Men and Other Stories. The fiction is a collection of 10 short stories out of which, however, this paper studies only the first story, ＂Come Back When You Are Ready to Die＂ with a view to exposing how well Tanure Ojaide responded to feminist＇s aspiration for a non-sexiest literary representation of the woman.
文摘A face-to-face qualitative interview study was conducted to examine the perceived gender roles and gender identities among 10 to 12 years old girls in Hong Kong. Sixteen girls aged 10 to 12 were asked to take pictures from the media they consumed that illustrated ＂What girls or women should or should not be; and what girls or women should or should not do＂. Analysis of interviews and images captured found that celebrities and characters in popular media play a significant role in socializing preadolescent girls on gender roles and gender identity formation. Celebrities and media characters that caught the interviewees＇ attention were mainly female adult entertainers and media characters. Girls showed admiration of specific talents and personalities of the celebrities and media characters. They paid much attention to the private lives of the celebrities. They learned from celebrities and media characters that certain behaviors were not acceptable in the social arena.
