Smart Moves Journal IJELLH (International Journal of English language, literature in humanities)
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Exploring Transnational Identity and Borders in Amitav Ghosh’s The Shadow Lines
Get PDFIn contemporary Indian literature, post-independent writers grapple with the complexities of identity and nationhood amidst historical legacies such as partition, migration, displacement, and violence. These issues delve into the primal origins of people and their subsequent diasporic experiences, which challenge their cultural and societal identities. This paper aims to delve into the theme of transcending national identity in Amitav Ghosh’s novel, The Shadow Lines. Through the novel, Ghosh interrogates the construction of borders and national identities, probing the boundaries between people and the geographical landscapes they inhabit. Set against the backdrop of significant historical events like the freedom movement in Bengal, the Second World War, and the partition of India in 1947, the narrative spans three generations across three distinct cities—Calcutta, Dhaka, and London. The characters navigate diverse horizons, shaped by memories of traumatic historical events and nationalist struggles. Their journey from ‘Going Away’ to ‘Coming Home’ is marked by blurred lines between nations and families, symbolized as ‘Shadow Lines,’ transcending temporal and spatial borders in their diasporic experiences. Additionally, the paper delves into the intricacies of individual identity and the inner and outward conflicts arising from geographical dislocation and cultural disparities depicted in the novel
Fate, Redemption, and Human Agency in Selma Lagerlof’s The Rattrap: An Examination Through the Lens of Indian Philosophy
Get PDFThe paper explores the themes of fate, redemption, and human agency in Selma Lagerlof’s short story The Rattrap, through the framework of Indian philosophical concepts, particularly those from Hinduism and Buddhism. It draws parallels between the narrative structure and motifs of the story and core elements of both Hindu and Buddhist thought and how the story resonates with the moral and philosophical values of both traditions
Beyond the Jester: Pocket’s Multi-dimensional Trickster Identity in Christopher Moore’s The Serpent of Venice
Get PDFThe paper titled, “Beyond the Jester: Pocket’s Multi-dimensional Trickster Identity in Christopher Moore’s The Serpent of Venice” tries to dissect the trickster traits embodied in the character named Pocket, a fool in the novel. The paper defines as well as briefs out the major characteristic features attributed to the trickster figure in general. Pocket, the fool portrayed by Christopher Moore is different from that of Shakespeare’s fool. Shakespeare depicted Pocket only as a supporting character; whereas Moore’s Pocket is the main character. Moore characterized Pocket as a foolish, crude and crazy figure with good intentions which resembles a trickster. Tricksters are generally treated as the mythical characters commonly found in the folktales and mythology that carries specific traits that makes them different from that of a fool or jester or even clowns. Tricksters are also considered to be a source of humour or laughter that through their tales transmit some moral values. Pocket in The Serpent of Venice takes in some features which make it similar to the so-called mythical figure, trickster. Thus, the paper intends to analyse how trickster qualities like ambiguity, shape-shifting, sexual appetite, lying, boasting, and messenger/imitator of Gods and so on are present in the characteristic of the fool, Pocket which makes him different from Shakespeare’s representation
Reimagining the Fictional Spinster: A Critical Reading of Barbara Pym’s Some Tame Gazelle
Get PDFIn fiction, spinsters have always remained at the periphery of the narrative framework. Their presence in central and engaging roles has been marked by an invisibility. Even as secondary figures, their characterisation has been reduced to a set of demeaning stereotypes. A range of negative traits like lonely and miserable, frumpy and frustrated, manipulative and scheming have accompanied them. The fiction of 20th century novelist Barbara Pym is remarkable for bringing these sidelined characters to the narrative forefront and delving deep into the unexplored realms of their lived realities. The present paper seeks to examine the representation of the spinster in the novels of Barabara Pym with reference to her maiden novel Some Tame Gazelle published in 1950. The narrative plot remains focussed on the lives of the Bede sisters-Harriet and Belinda and the course of their humdrum lives. Within this framework, the paper examines how the characters negotiate the multiple issues of love and marriage, heartbreaks and acceptance, social engagement and inner conflicts, body image consciousness etc. Through a textual analysis of the narrative plot, driven by microscopic investigation of their lives, the paper tries to understand whether Pym reinforces, subverts or reinvents stereotypes attached to the conventional depiction of spinsters. In the ultimate analysis, it transpires that contrary to societal perception, the lives of the spinster have its own worth and rewards
Empowering Foreign Language Education within the New Liberal Arts Framework: A Tripartite Model for Sustainable Transformation
Get PDFForeign language education (FLE) is undergoing profound transformation under the dual pressures of technological disruption and educational reform. Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) has demonstrated capabilities in language processing that challenge the traditional focus on mechanical skills, meanwhile China’s New Liberal Arts (NLA) initiative calls for interdisciplinary, value-oriented education that transcends conventional disciplinary boundaries. Confronting what Kramsch (2014) termed the “instrumentalist trap”—the reduction of language learning to decontextualized grammatical and communicative competence—this paper proposes a tripartite model of Curriculum Reconstruction, Teacher Agency, and Technology Mediation as an integrated framework for sustainable change. We argue that FLE must shift from “learning the code” to “reading the world,” leveraging technology to foster critical cultural understanding, ethical reasoning, and interdisciplinary literacy. Ultimately, this approach seeks to align foreign language education with the goals of the NLA while affirming its enduring relevance in an AI-permeated era
Women, Society and Culture in the Plays of Girish Karnad
Get PDFStudying Girish Karnad is a difficult and challenging task, since he has been a prolific and impactful in various fields. He is well-known as playwright, director, and actor as well as for the numerous important positions which he has held in the field of Indian culture in general and for the performing arts in particular. The Research work is proposed to present and understand woman’s problem and finding solution for those is very relevant and basic with help of the characters in play. This attempt is to analyse the anxiety of women with the Introduction of modernity. The cultural and societal influence on the writer in writing his plays is analysed here in the paper. The work brings the light on Re-Inventing tradition in the plays of Karnad. The work will present a critical study on social and cultural ideologies in the plays of Karnad
Gothic Resurgence: Tracing the Evolution of Elements from the 18th Century
Get PDFGothic is now a significant genre that rules the artistic world in India and is loved, appreciated, and demanded by the audience. Gothic evolved further in India as the cruelty imposed by the British Raj increased, and slavery, discrimination, loss, pain, and war inspired the authors to write more about them. People could relate more to the Gothic genre because it was either a reflection of their current situations or the fiction in these stories was a distraction from their everyday problems. This paper aims at the emergence of the numerous elements related to Gothicism. It will also uncover the rising popularity of these Gothic elements in the country since the 18th Century. Many gothic elements, like horror, fear, mystery, supernatural, sadism, etc., are an integral part of the Gothic genre, drawing not just readers towards the genre but also inspiring the next generation of writers. The aspects highlighted in this paper include the various elements used in Gothic literature since the 18th Century and why people are attracted to this genre
Locating Women in Inside the Haveli by Rama Mehta
Get PDFInside the Haveli, the prestigious Sahitya Academy Award winner English novel written by Rama Mehta, a notable novelist of India of the 20th century, presents the tale of an urban young woman, Geeta, and her struggle to preserve her identity and individuality in the traditional surroundings of the haveli of the Rajputs, a martial race of India. It gives to the reader a lot to contemplate about the lives of the women of the haveli, their customs and rituals, their rigidity to adapt modern ways and culture, their ignorance towards female education and their willing discrimination towards themselves and other women of the society and household. Through this novel, Rama Mehta tries to convey that every woman is blessed with an inner strength and it is not necessary to rebel to preserve one’s identity. Geeta does not rebel against adverse circumstances and does not insult any relationship, but on the other hand, in a very dignified way, maintaining her individuality, discovers the path of her emancipation. 
Didactic Potential of Classical Indian Riddled Narratives
Get PDFThe ‘riddled narrative’ has served as a timeless technique of storytelling, especially in India. The technique was historically used to impart moral instruction to the masses and was often intricately related to minutely interlaced philosophical teaching points that were passed on to the audience effortlessly. This paper examines the scope of integrating riddled narratives into modern educational practices for nurturing critical thinking and moral development
Examining Semiotic Structures and Their Impact on Translation Equivalence in Media: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of India and the West
Get PDFThe paper deals with the complex relationship of semiotic structures and translation equivalence pertaining to media localisation, and it attempts to explore the same within the framework provided by the National Education Policy, 2020, in India. A semiotic analysis of the film "PK" or any other movie will reveal how signs, codes, and conventions can carry meaning to the audience. For example, the use of the alien character to criticise human customs is used metaphorically in the context of commenting about societal norms. With a focus on Indian and Western cultural contexts, this study examines the relationship between semiotic structures and translation equivalency in media localization. The study explores the difficulties of maintaining cultural meaning in translation and is based on India\u27s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes multilingual education and cultural inclusion. It argues how the semiotic properties of language in media discourse shape the reception and understanding of translated texts in various language and cultural communities, with special emphasis on NEP 2020.
This is some critical work towards the realisation of NEP 2020, which has been insistent on multilingual education and cultural diversity. Culture and language become even more important with NEP; it promotes even the first language as one of the tools to learn through and continues insisting on local languages in educational and media contexts. It advocates that NEP should be the basis of translation in local media content. The calls for localisation within the NEP framework, paying attention to semiotic depth with the source text, and guaranteeing literal and dynamic equivalence in the target text.
The NEP 2020 promotes multilingualism as an inclusive strategy by highlighting the use of regional languages and cultural symbols in media and education. To preserve the core of Indian semiotics, media translation within this framework necessitates cultural sensitivity and depth. Drawing on examples from localised educational media, the paper now proceeds with a number of case studies specifically dealing with the problems and strategies for dealing with semiotic complexity in the creation of contextually relevant and culturally specific translations. The results of the current work show that if the semiotic level is allowed to dominate, this will result in linguistic correctness at the expense of the interpretative/semantic level, thus limiting communication and interaction.
In other words, this research on semiotic structures in translation practice under web media conditions is a detailed and situational recognition of the structural necessity that translators and localizers are to be aware of such dynamics