Seven Days Without a Pun Makes One Weak. Two Functions of Wordplay in
Literature and Literary Theory. Stefan Kjerkegaard
Abstract
Wordplay occupies a significant
position in several important conceptions and theories of literature
principally because it has both a performative and a critical function
in relation to language and cognition. This article describes the
various uses and understandings of wordplay and their origins in its
unique flexibility, which involves an interaction between a semiotic
deficit and a semantic surplus. Furthermore, the article illustrates
different methods of incorporating theories of wordplay into literature
and literary theory, and, finally, it demonstrates the ways in which the
use of wordplay often leads to the use of metaphors and figurative
language. Full Article
Women, Marriage and Economy in Jane Eyre
Ya-huei Wang
Abstract
This paper
describes how Charlotte Bronte uses Jane Eyre as a conduct book to
describe basic virtues that women should have and to criticize the
marriage of convenience, declaring that only qualities of mind prove
what a woman is really worth. Conduct books criticize the notion of
female bodies as objects, tending to train women to be submissive so as
not to dominate others through their appearance or body. It is through
her mind that Jane Eyre, a governess who has no social status, no money,
and little beauty, can become a woman that a man like Rochester would
marry.
Full Article
Schema Theory and the Language of Fear in Leila Abouzeid’s Novel Year of
the Elephant Ahmed Fakhri
Abstract
Leila Abouzeid‟s Arabic novel Year
of the Elephant is arguably one of the best known novels in modern
Moroccan literature. Using insights from Schema Theory, the study
focuses on the interpretation of various events that provoke fear and
anxiety, a major theme in the novel. In particular, a sample of
fear-provoking episodes are analyzed to show how the interface between
information provided in the text and readers‟ variable background
knowledge results in different interpretations of these episodes. The
analysis is significant in two ways. First, the potential for multiple
interpretations identified can serve to account for the text‟s appeal to
various readers. Second, the analysis highlights the value of the
linguistic stylistics approach adopted for determining the role of
culture-specific knowledge in understanding the narratives of other
literary traditions.
Full Article
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