Smart Moves Journal IJELLH (International Journal of English language, literature in humanities)
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From Silence to Speech: The Evolution of Women’s Voices in Literature
Full text linkThis research paper explores the evolution of women’s voices in literature, focusing on the transition from silence to speech. Women writers have gradually found their voice, breaking free from the violence, repression, and marginalization that once defined their representation in literary works. The paper highlights the role of feminist literary criticism in understanding this evolution and focuses on themes such as motherhood, domestic violence and the struggles women face in patriarchal societies. Using Kamala Markanday’s novels, particularly Nector in a Sieve and Some Inner Furry. This paper examines how these narratives reflect the emotional and social landscape of women, transforming their voices into acts of resistance. Through this study, we trace the trajectory of women’s voices in literature, illustrating how their expression has reshaped perceptions of gender roles and women’s agency
ESL Trainees\u27 Perceptions of Peer Feedback: Impact on Materials Design and Professional Development
Full text linkPeer feedback, a collaborative strategy where learners engage in mutual evaluation and constructive critique, has emerged as a cornerstone of learner-centered pedagogy in language education. By fostering critical thinking, metacognitive awareness, and communicative competence, it shifts the traditional teacher-dominated dynamic to one of shared responsibility and active participation. For ESL trainee teachers, this practice not only refines linguistic accuracy but also cultivates empathy and adaptability—skills vital for navigating diverse classroom contexts. Despite its pedagogical promise, the efficacy of peer feedback, hinges on learners\u27 perceptions of its value, clarity, and applicability. Along these lines, this study examines how English as a Second Language (ESL) trainee teachers perceive peer feedback as a pedagogical strategy in materials design. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected from 18 postgraduate diploma students through questionnaires and semi-structured group interviews. Results reveal positive attitudes toward peer feedback, with participants reporting significant benefits for materials development, language skills enhancement, and metacognitive awareness. Challenges identified include time constraints, interpersonal dynamics, and feedback literacy limitations. This research contributes to an understanding of how collaborative assessment practices can be optimized in ESL teacher education programs to foster both technical competence and professional skill development
Indigenous Ecological Wisdom and Ecocritical Consciousness in Mamang Dai’s The Legends of Pensam
Full text linkThis paper articulates the bonding between the Adi community with their environment, based on an eco-critical reading of Mamang Dai\u27s The Legends of Pensam where myth, memory and ecological wisdom add to a novel interface over time. It asserts that, in addition to encapsulating indigenous environmental consciousness, Dai\u27s narrative also critiques anthropocentrism by offering a cosmology of all-encompassing reciprocity, reverence and interdependence. Through an analysis of animistic beliefs, oral traditions, and place-based practices, this study focuses on the capacity for nature-informed consciousness to resist cultural erasure and environmental decline, inspired by eco-spiritualism, bioregionalism, and ecofeminism. At the same time, the paper critiques the disruptive forces of modernization, colonial intrusion, and the Anthropocene, which threaten to sever this delicate human-nature bond. Through close textual analysis, supported by Dai’s interviews and critical scholarship, the study demonstrates how The Legends of Pensam engages with pressing ecological concerns while offering a counter-narrative to homogenizing development discourses. By explicating the Adis’ profound intimacy with their land and their resilient cultural memory, the novel bridges traditional ecological wisdom with contemporary environmental thought. Ultimately, this research accentuates how indigenous narratives like Dai’s enrich ecocritical discourse and reaffirm that the survival of human society is inseparable from the vitality of the natural world
Oceans of Meaning: A Blue Humanities Reading of Moby-Dick
Full text linkHerman Melville’s Moby-Dick has long been celebrated as a monumental work of American literature, but a reading through the lens of the Blue Humanities reveals new dimensions of its oceanic imagination. This perspective shifts attention from land-based narratives to the centrality of water in shaping human culture, identity, and ecological consciousness. In Moby-Dick, the sea emerges not as a passive backdrop but as an active, dynamic force that mirrors the uncertainties, dangers, and mysteries of human existence. The vastness of the Pacific Ocean becomes a symbol of both possibility and peril, underscoring the limits of human knowledge and ambition. Captain Ahab’s relentless pursuit of the white whale highlights the destructive consequences of trying to dominate nature, while Ishmael’s reflective passages invite readers to see the ocean as a site of philosophical depth and spiritual renewal. The novel also foregrounds the global and multicultural dimensions of maritime life, with the Pequod’s diverse crew serving as a microcosm of interconnected oceanic economies and cultural exchanges. At the same time, Melville’s meticulous descriptions of whales, whaling practices, and marine environments anticipate contemporary ecological concerns, offering insights into the exploitation of marine life and the need for a more sustainable relationship with the ocean. By integrating ecological, cultural, and symbolic interpretations, this study positions Moby-Dick as a foundational text within the Blue Humanities, illustrating how literature can capture the fluid, transformative, and ethically charged nature of water. Such an approach not only enriches our understanding of Melville’s novel but also contributes to broader discussions on climate change, ecological justice, and humanity’s everlasting entanglement with the sea
Washing the Fallen: Art, Storytelling, Ritual, Remembrance, and Resilience in Sinan Antoon’s The Corpse Washer
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The Arbaeen Pilgrimage as Unintended Drama Therapy
Full text linkThe Arbaeen pilgrimage, commemorating the martyrdom of Imam Hussein, is one of the largest annual religious gatherings in the world, drawing more than 20 million participants to Karbala, Iraq. While its primary purpose is devotional, the pilgrimage also functions as a profound site of psychological release, communal solidarity, and spiritual renewal. This article explores the Arbaeen pilgrimage as an unintended form of drama therapy, combining theoretical analysis with empirical evidence from a survey of 300 pilgrims conducted in 2024. Ritual practices such as chest-beating, lamentation poetry, and Tashabih plays reflect key drama therapy mechanisms, including catharsis, empathy, role-play, and transformation. Survey data indicate that 83% of participants experienced emotional catharsis, 78% reported spiritual transformation, 72% deepened their connection to the Karbala narrative, and 88% emphasized a profound sense of belonging. Beyond these ritual expressions, the study highlights the extraordinary generosity of the Iraqi people during Arbaeen: local residents and volunteers provide pilgrims with food, massages, rest, shelter in homes, and comprehensive services in mawakib (communal tents). This hospitality transforms the arduous journey into a shared experience of compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance, reinforcing the therapeutic dimensions of the pilgrimage. The findings suggest that the Arbaeen pilgrimage operates as a culturally embedded therapeutic practice, merging religious devotion, collective mourning, and communal generosity to foster emotional release, resilience, and solidarity
The Amalgamation of AI Tools in Language Learning: Opportunities and Challenges
Full text linkThe rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the field of education, particularly in the domain of language learning. The integration of AI tools such as intelligent tutoring systems, adaptive learning platforms, speech recognition, and chatbot-based interactions has transformed traditional pedagogical practices by offering personalized, flexible, and learner-centered experiences. These tools not only enhance vocabulary acquisition, pronunciation accuracy, and grammar proficiency but also promote autonomous learning and cross-cultural communication. However, the amalgamation of AI in language education also presents significant challenges, including issues of accessibility, data privacy, ethical concerns, over-reliance on technology, and the need for teacher adaptation and digital literacy. This paper explores the dual nature of AI-driven language learning by highlighting both its opportunities for innovation and its limitations that demand critical evaluation. By analyzing the pedagogical implications, technological possibilities, and practical barriers, the study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how AI can reshape the future of language education while ensuring balanced and ethical implementation
Politics, Individuality, and National Identity in Alan Moore’s V for Vendetta and Watchmen
Full text linkAlan Moore’s V for Vendetta (1982–1989) and Watchmen (1986–1987) stand as two of the most influential graphic novels in modern English literature, blending visual art with profound philosophical inquiry. Both texts interrogate the relationship between politics, individuality, and national identity, offering critical reflections on postwar Britain and Cold War America. Through dystopian and deconstructed superhero narratives, Moore exposes how power and ideology shape personal and collective identities. This paper examines the political allegories, the construction of individuality, and the crises of national identity represented in V for Vendetta and Watchmen. It argues that Moore’s works not only critique authoritarianism and moral absolutism but also illustrate how identity is fluid, fragmented, and shaped by historical forces. Using a cultural and literary analytical framework, this research situates Moore’s storytelling within the broader discourse of postmodern politics, cultural trauma, and the subversion of myth
The Resurgence of Self: Neo-Dalit Consciousness in Contemporary Indian Writing
Full text linkThis paper examines the rise of Neo-Dalit Consciousness as a transformative intellectual and literary movement within contemporary Indian writing. Building upon the foundational narratives of early Dalit literature—marked by testimony, resistance, and the exposure of caste oppression—Neo-Dalit Consciousness represents a significant ideological and aesthetic shift. It redefines Dalit identity through assertiveness, global engagement, and a sophisticated critical framework rooted in Ambedkarite thought. This new consciousness foregrounds agency over victimhood, dignity over imposed inferiority, and proactive political participation over passive suffering. Writers and thinkers such as Suraj Yengde, Meena Kandasamy, Yashica Dutt, and Manoranjan Byapari articulate this shift through works that challenge Brahminical hegemony, reclaim marginalized histories, critique mainstream aesthetics, and imagine egalitarian futures. Characterized by intersectionality, intellectual rigor, and transnational solidarity, Neo-Dalit writing not only interrogates structural caste violence but also constructs alternative epistemologies that de-brahminize knowledge production. As a literary and socio-political intervention, Neo-Dalit Consciousness signals a critical turning point—repositioning Dalit voices from the margins to the center of contemporary discourse, and redefining the possibilities of resistance, identity, and justice in modern India
Redefining Femininity: An Analysis of Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Vikas Bahl’s Queen
Full text linkThis research paper offers a comparative analysis of Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things (1997) and Vikas Bahl’s film Queen (2013), focusing on the portrayal of Indian womanhood, resistance to patriarchy, and the protagonists’ journeys of self-discovery. Both works center on female characters who challenge societal norms and assert their agency in different socio-cultural contexts. Ammu in The God of Small Things defies traditional caste and gender expectations but faces tragic consequences, while Rani in Queen breaks free from patriarchal constraints, achieving personal empowerment. By applying feminist literary and film theory, this study explores themes of autonomy, modernity, and tradition, examining how these characters navigate the intersection of gender, class, and caste. The paper underscores the evolving representation of women in Indian literature and cinema, highlighting the contrast between personal triumph and social oppression in their respective journeys