International Journal Online of Humanities (IJOHMN)
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Transforming Early- Stage Writing into Composing: How to Motivate Young ESL Learners to Write, the Activity Way
No full textWriting is an activity in which mind and body are simultaneously engaged; content and language correlate; a person and ‘an other’, as a representative of a community, coexist. If any one element in the pairs mentioned above turns dysfunctional, writing collapses. While in a second or foreign language, possibilities of such failures and mismatches are more. This paper explores the potentials of the activity theory as discussed at length in the Soviet psychology of the first half of the last century. The paper begins with an inquiry into how writing instruction in English as a second language (ESL) can be made more productive, and ends with a proposal of transforming the act of writing into an activity of composing, using the framework of activity theory
Revolutionary Ideals and Moral Dilemmas: Exploring Leftist Politics in Edward Bond’s The Bundle
No full textThis study explores revolutionary ideals and moral dilemmas in Edward Bond’s The Bundle, focusing on its leftist politics. It analyzes how the play critiques capitalism and presents alternatives through themes of justice, compassion, and collective responsibility. Edward Bond is known for his politically charged plays. In The Bundle, he addresses issues of class struggle, inequality, and survival. The play critiques capitalist structures and explores the tension between individual morality and collective action. Bond uses his work to promote social and political transformation. The study uses a Marxist critical framework to explore the play’s ideological elements. Textual analysis examines the play’s narrative, characters, and symbolism. Historical and social contexts are also considered to situate the play in the tradition of leftist theater. The play critiques capitalism and advocates for collectivism. It presents the moral dilemmas faced by individuals in revolutionary movements. The abandoned child symbolizes the tension between survival and ethical action, reflecting the sacrifices needed for change. The study shows that The Bundle critiques socio-economic systems and calls for revolutionary action. It highlights the moral complexities of achieving justice in an unjust world. The Bundle challenges audiences to engage with the moral ambiguities inherent in revolutionary struggles. By critiquing capitalist oppression, it forces a confrontation with the ethical compromises that often arise in the pursuit of social change. Bond’s portrayal of these tensions emphasizes the complexities of balancing morality and progress. Ultimately, the play reinforces the enduring importance of politically conscious theatre as a tool for both critique and social transformation
The Politics of the Unity Accord of 1987 in Baya’s Tomorrow’s People
No full textThat politics is the acquisition, retention and perpetuation of power seems to have been the teleology of the Unity Accord of 1987. This was an agreement signed between ZANU-PF and PF-ZAPU in the glare of the Gukurahundi genocide when the ethnic and political other had been rendered helpless and, therefore, offered a Hobson’s choice. The agreement authorised ethnic subordination and left feelings of bitterness on sections of the country. In examining the politics of the Unity Accord, the study draws from Baya’s play titled Tomorrow’s People (2009). It is one of the literary texts that narrativises the sentiments about the unity agreement. The paper uses the Social Identity Theory to argue that the agreement was solipsistic in terms of constructing the them and us binaries in ethnic relations in Zimbabwe. The paper concludes that the implications of the accord have not been sufficiently theorised in terms of its political, social, linguistic and economic belonging and equal opportunities. There can never be national unity without reconciliation and forgiveness; enforced forgetfulness breeds bitterness and magnifies ethnic identification as shown in Zimbabwe today. 
Chorography of Contemporary Migrations and Fractured Identities in Kamila Shamshie’s Novel Home Fire
No full textIn the realm of literature, representation extends beyond mere inclusion; it demands accurate and nuanced portrayals of diverse identities. Identity, a multifaceted construct encompassing dimensions such as race, gender, sexuality, and class, is a central theme explored by authors to unravel the intricacies of human experiences. This research article investigates the theme of contemporary migrations and fractured identities within the context of Kamila Shamsie’s novel Home Fire (2017). Employing the concept of chorography – a method that maps and represents spatial and cultural phenomena – the study delves into the intricate portrayal of identity in the novel. It scrutinizes how characters grapple with their cultural, religious, and personal identities amidst the backdrop of migration.
The article illuminates the challenges faced by migrants, particularly those from Muslim backgrounds, as they navigate cultural assimilation, religious identity, and the clash between tradition and modernity. Migration, as depicted in the novel, becomes a catalyst for the fragmentation of identities, unraveling struggles with belonging, cultural boundaries, and the profound impact of political and social factors. Additionally, the research explores the role of memory and history in shaping characters\u27 identities and their experiences of migration.
This earnest exploration aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the intricate relationship between contemporary migrations and the fractured identity of the Muslim community on a global scale. By contributing to existing literature on migration studies and identity formations, the article sheds light on the profound impact of fractured identities on characters\u27 sense of belonging and their interactions with others. Through a meticulous analysis of the text, the article reveals the intricate ways in which these fractured identities resonate within the narrative, adding depth to discussions on Pakistani English Literature, representation of identities, Muslim religion and individual identity, and the pervasive issue of Islamophobia
The Dehumanising Mood in Early Nigerian Creative Writing: A Hallmark of Modern Literature
No full textThe early Nigerian creative writings are recognised as modern literature not simply for the time of their production but among other prevailing characteristics is the recurring mood. Several of Nigerian literatureis laced with the dehumanising mood and a systematic reading of certain works here has not proved the contrary.In this paper we follow a synchronic study of mood on some selected works to substantiate this hypothesis (that there is dominant dehumanising mood) in certain texts of Nigerian literature. Narratives in the texts under study capture timehues of Nigerian cultures and circumnavigate around issues that create dehumanising mood. However, dehumanising feeling itself is one of the major quirks of modernism. This work therefore discusses how the texts consistently narrate oppositions and hostilities that sustain dehumanising mood through narrators and some characters who speak for themselves. Although the texts bequeath a fecund legacy of cultural assertion that later corresponds to the global avowal of black dignity/integrity – negritude, dehumanising mood remains constant and marks those works out as modern literature. Thus, attention will be given to some works of Elechi Amadi’sThe Great Pond, The Slave and Flora Nwapa’s Efuru.The argument is sustained under these sections: modernism/modern literature;source of dehumanising mood in the The Great Pond, The Slave and Efuru; stigmatisation and rejection of conventional truth; and the conclusion
Virginia Woolf As/In/And Children’s Literature: an Overview
No full textThis article examines a lesser-known aspect of Virginia Woolf’s literary work: her engagement with children’s literature and culture. Focusing on Woolf’s modernist contributions to the genre, we introduce two short stories—The Widow and the Parrot (1988) and Nurse Lugton’s Curtain (1991)—originally written for her nephews and later published as picturebooks for a broader audience. Beyond these works, we present artistic representations of Woolf in Kyo Maclear and Isabelle Arsenault’s picturebook Virginia Wolf (2012), Michèle Gazier and Bernard Ciccolini’s graphic novel Virginia Woolf (2011), and Zena Alkayat and Nina Cosford’s Virginia Woolf: An Illustrated Biography (2015). We also consider the renewed relevance of Woolf’s Flush (1933), a biographical narrative recently reissued in illustrated form. This article offers an overview of selected works that highlight Woolf’s complex relationship with children’s literature
Revolutionary Echoes: Marxist Insights into The Social Class and Economic Conditions in Rabindranath Tagore’s Subha
No full textRabindranath Tagore, a renowned literary figure and a futuristic, has written the short story Subha, a work that transcends its romantic narrative to offer a broader critique of power structures and societal ideologies. If someone is a woman, her situation is going to be worse; if she is physically challenged, her situation is going to take a nightmare - this is how the late nineteenth-century society used to treat women, painted by Tagore. The protagonist Subha is a woman who is physically challenged and her relationship with Amal, who belongs to the upper class, changes their relationship quo and causes one of the reasons for the plot’s trajectory. Applying Althusserian lenses to this exploration, the research scrutinizes the manifestations of the Ideological State Apparatuses within the narrative. The central research questions guide the inquiry, emphasizing an in-depth analysis of the operationalization of the Ideological State Apparatus in delineating social class distinctions. This paper maintained in a qualitative methodology involves a meticulous examination of the text and discerns the nuanced portrayal of social class within Subha. Drawing on Althusser’s Marxism theory, the study, moreover, investigates how the Ideological State Apparatus influences characters’ relationships, exploring the intersections of personal desires and societal expectations. However, the research findings aim to contribute to the understanding of how ideology shapes literary narratives, shedding light on the intricate dynamics between characters, social class, and plot trajectories. In a broader context, this study underscores the enduring relevance of Marxist theory in literary analysis, offering insights into the mechanisms through which ideological forces operate in shaping the sociocultural landscape depicted in Tagore’s Subha
Stream of Consciousness
No full textStream of consciousness is a great term in modern literature. Though the application of the stream of consciousness by the Western and some Russian novelists have been mentioned as a special technique, its existence in many other writers of the world is apparent in different forms.
The deep ocean of memories is the store house called Chitta. Consciousness proper is not confined to brain or memory, any others, though all these are part of it. What has been construed as stream of consciousness is only a part of the whole. Everything from tiniest matter to the Divine is consciousness. The core issue is Chit, the origin of consciousness. It is a great hope that groping in th dark, Man the mental being, is growing from ignorance to knowledge, from partial to the whole.
 
Phonetics and Phonology: A Grey Area of Research in Pakistan
No full textThe present study aims to underscore those issues that render phonetics and phonology a less explored area of research in Pakistan. Traditionally, articulatory and auditory phonetics are focused for general understanding of English speech sounds in Pakistan, but acoustic phonetics that deals with understanding of pronunciation required for effective communication, is almost abandoned. This study is qualitative in nature and is based on empirical evidences from primary and secondary source research articles as well as personal observations. It has been found that experimental phonetics and phonology is generally not focused due to the paucity of subject specialists, unavailability of the trained staff, inadequacy of teaching techniques and methodologies, insufficiency of in-service courses, dearth of technical facilities, lack of interest of English teachers, and the traditional examination system in Pakistan that does not demand testing of pronunciation and speaking proficiency of English students. In this way, the advance study on phonetics and phonology is neglected almost on all levels in educational institutions. All these factors indicate that the importance of experimental phonetics and phonology is not yet well understood, hence, it is still demarcated a grey area of research in Pakistan. Moreover, a few researches are available on experimental phonetics and phonology for acoustic analysis of speech sounds. The study will be beneficial for English teachers and students as well as the educationists to critically understand the importance of phonetics and phonology in Pakistan. To get desirable results, the education stakeholders are supposed to equip English teachers and students with all required resources. Extensive training of the teachers and adoption of modern teaching techniques and methodologies along with well-defined syllabus can play a significant role. This study is different from the existing ones as it focuses the general pronunciation and communication issues of Pakistani English learners due to the lack of knowledge and interest in English phonetics and phonology
Diction Analysis in Adiga\u27s Between the Assassinations: A Socio-linguistic Inspection of Selected Stories
No full textThe effectiveness of any statement hinges on the adept utilization of language by the speaker. When an author selects the appropriate vocabulary, it not only conveys the precise meaning but also encapsulates the speaker\u27s intended mood. The choice of words is a powerful tool that goes beyond mere communication; it serves as a reflection of the speaker\u27s social standing, educational background, ethnic values, and the broader societal context to which they belong, i.e., their speech community. Aravind Adiga adeptly employs socio-linguistic principles in his stories to establish a profound connection with the reader. Adiga deliberately tailors the manner of speaking characters use in their daily lives; from diverse societal backgrounds, professions, educational levels, and ethnic values. This research article delves into the nuances of Adiga\u27s narrative techniques, particularly in the selected stories from his short story collection novel \u27Between the Assassinations,\u27 aiming to discern the conscious choices he makes in portraying the characters\u27 linguistic expressions. The novel unfolds with characters embodying the struggles and emotions of those facing challenging circumstances or predominantly stemming from the lower echelons of society. Consequently, their communication styles are imbued with colloquialisms and vernacular, serving as a poignant mirror reflecting the harsh realities of life