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An Interview to Explore the Importance and Integration of DBP (Drama-based Pedagogy) in Enhancing the English-Speaking Skills of the Undergraduate Students
Full text linkThis study explores the undergraduate students' response to the integration of drama pedagogy with their regular curriculum to enhance their English-speaking skills. Grounded in the Sociocultural Theory (SCT) and Drama-Based Pedagogy (DBP) Model as a framework for integrating drama activities into language learning, the study explores the students' responses and their thoughts about how this integration could be useful for them in enhancing their English proficiency. An interview method is employed to collect qualitative and quantitative data. Undergraduate students, both male and female, belonging to the undergraduates of the B. Tech Marine Engineering study programme at the Maharashtra Academy of Naval Education & Training (MANET), MIT Art, Design and Technology University, participated in the interview. The interview questions were regarding their personal experiences of drama participation, and their view of using the DBP model for enhancing their pronunciation, fluency, and conversational skills. A questionnaire was used as an instrument for the exploration and analysis of the students' opinions. The findings were expected to reveal positive opinions of students on using Drama-Based Pedagogy Model to enhance their speaking abilities and confidence. The study underscores the importance of integrating arts with language learning with the aim of upgrading the English-speaking competencies of students personally, academically and professionally. It aims to get an insight to the students’ readiness for future prospects, and to inform the formation of innovative strategies tailored to the needs of the learners for enhancing their communication competence. It was revealed by the study that most of the respondents preferred some primary forms of lifelong learning, some fun-filled drama activities to enhance their speaking skills to help them in their future careers and professional development. Although most of the respondents highly appreciated the inclusion, to enhance speaking skills and command of English, some also had apprehensions regarding the possibility of implementation and credibility of drama activities from texts in English
From Dystopia to Endurance: Poverty and Resistance in the Urban Landscape in The City of Joy
No full textUrbanization is often perceived as a driver of economic progress and modernization. However, for the marginalized poor, cities frequently become sites of exclusion, systemic oppression, and extreme hardship. Dominique Lapierre’s The City of Joy presents a powerful literary exploration of urban dystopia, depicting the struggles of slum dwellers in Anand Nagar, Calcutta. While the novel exposes the harsh realities of poverty, discrimination, and systemic exploitation, it also portrays resilience and collective survival, challenging traditional dystopian narratives. This study examines The City of Joy through a socio-literary lens, focusing on how urban dystopia operates as a mechanism of both oppression and hope. The research analyzes the dual portrayal of despair and endurance in the novel, investigating how Lapierre critiques economic disparity, social injustice, and survival mechanisms within the urban dystopian framework. Employing a qualitative and textual analysis approach, the study draws on dystopian literary theory, Marxist criticism, urban studies, and resilience theory to contextualize the novel’s themes. Key theoretical insights from Bauman on “wasted lives” (2011), Harvey on urban capitalism (2003), and Appadurai on slum resilience (2001) inform this analysis. Findings indicate that The City of Joy presents a multidimensional perspective on urban dystopia, portraying the city as both a site of severe oppression and extraordinary human endurance. The novel illustrates how the economic underclass is systematically excluded yet persists through solidarity, adaptation, and hope. The study highlights that while the novel critiques capitalist urbanization and social hierarchies, it also reveals the transformative power of human agency and communal resilience. It further reframes the urban dystopian narrative by juxtaposing deprivation with perseverance, offering a poignant critique of systemic inequalities while celebrating the unbreakable human spirit. This study contributes to the discourse on literature’s role in representing and resisting urban poverty, emphasizing how storytelling can illuminate both oppression and survival in contemporary cities
Discrimination of Hybridity: Challenges of Postcolonial Writers to Go Beyond the Limits
No full textThis article will examine the development of the hybridity’s discrimination in British literature and the transformation of the neo-hybridity in postcolonial literature. It will also investigate how the postcolonial writers should encounter neo-hybridity with the purpose to explore and include the voice/narrative of the otherness/indigenous in the postcolonial literature. As British Empire made hybridity into a weapon to prolong its colonial rule with psychological slavery, the consequence is still evident in the postcolonial period. English educated, colonized non-White subjects who were British enterprise’s ultimate aim of hybridity initially served the purposes of Empire. Unfortunately, those non-white hybrid subjects’ transformation into white artifices produced the conflict of representation that is also inherited in postcolonial world as non-white hybrid subjects are struggling to break the fixity of stereotypical outlook. The prerogative hybrid subjects specially the postcolonial English writers go through a self-recantation with alienation. In consequence, the postcolonial English writers always rely on the hybrid individual whenever they attempt to discover any otherness/indigenous world, restricting the ability to exhibit the home-grown non-hybrid other/otherness character. To do that, the postcolonial writers face the challenges of discriminatory hybridity. They need to reformulate the process of utilizing the hybridity to explore the otherness/indigenous world, concentrating on the emergence of the neo-hybridity in the postcolonial literary world.  
The Market of Morality: Ethical Dilemmas in the Capitalist World of Aravind Adiga
No full textThis paper explores the ethical dilemmas within the capitalist framework depicted in Aravind Adiga’s novels, focusing on The White Tiger, Last Man in Tower, and Selection Day. It critically examines the tension between morality and materialism, analyzing how Adiga’s protagonists navigate corrupt socio-economic structures to achieve success. By drawing on neoliberal critiques, the research highlights the commodification of ethics in modern India and how financial incentives often override traditional moral considerations. Employing a multidisciplinary approach, the study integrates literary criticism, economic theory, and moral philosophy to establish a new conceptual framework: “Ethical Fluidity under Capitalist Pressures.” This framework explores how individuals adjust their moral principles in response to economic incentives and systemic corruption. Additionally, the study introduces the concept of “Moral Debt” to demonstrate how accumulated ethical compromises shape future decision-making. By positioning Adiga’s works within broader discourses on capitalism, morality, and social justice, this paper offers fresh insights into the socio-economic conditions shaping individual ethics in contemporary Indian fiction. The analysis underscores how Adiga critiques neo-liberalism’s impact on personal integrity, revealing that morality within a capitalist system is often a negotiable commodity rather than an absolute principle. Ultimately, this research argues that Adiga’s narratives serve as cautionary tales, compelling readers to reconsider the ethical costs of economic ambition in an increasingly commodified world
Scholarly Perceptions on Dyslexia: Unveiling the Nuances of Learning Challenges and Pedagogical Triumphs
No full textDyslexia, a distinct learning disorder, manifests through persistent challenges in reading, writing, and spelling, stemming from impaired phonological processing abilities. Addressing dyslexia through medical intervention alone remains an impractical pursuit; rather, its obstacles may be overcome through a confluence of specialized educational methodologies and compassionate psychosocial support. Thoughtfully curated pedagogical approaches, in harmony with effective learning strategies, empower dyslexic individuals to attain remarkable linguistic proficiency. While scientific inquiry has deepened our comprehension of dyslexia from a biological perspective, a persistent void in pedagogical understanding continues to hinder its effective remediation. In light of this, the present study re-examines the intricate interplay between teaching and learning in the context of dyslexia. Delving into the foundational principles of instruction, adaptive learning strategies, and individualized educational frameworks, this discourse aspires to bridge the chasm between theory and practice. Recognizing the inherent difficulties, embracing appropriate methodologies, and fostering success through essential pedagogical practices collectively underscore the imperative of inclusivity within academic curricula. We assert that a refined educational lens on dyslexia will pave the way for informed, transformative teaching and learning paradigms
Raymond Williams and the Politics of Culture: A Critical Analysis of Culture and Society and the Foundations of Cultural Materialism
No full textThis article critically examines Raymond Williams’s Culture and Society in light of his foundational contributions to cultural materialism and the broader field of cultural studies. Williams conceptualizes culture not as a static or elitist construct but as a dynamic, lived process embedded in the everyday practices and social relations of a community. Through his Marxist-inflected critique of culture, literature, and media, Williams challenges traditional hierarchies of aesthetic value and offers a historical materialist framework for interpreting cultural transformation. Central to his analysis is the triadic model of cultural forms—the residual, dominant, and emergent—which enables a nuanced understanding of cultural change across historical periods. The article explores how Williams uses five pivotal terms—industry, democracy, class, art, and culture—to trace semantic and ideological shifts linked to the socioeconomic upheavals of the late eighteenth century. By foregrounding culture as “a whole way of life,” Williams redefines it as both a product and a force of historical development, deeply intertwined with political struggle and social structure. This study situates Culture and Society within the ideological context of its Cold War publication, highlighting its continued relevance to contemporary debates in cultural theory.
 
Methodological Approaches to the Study of Mohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist
No full textMohsin Hamid’s The Reluctant Fundamentalist (2007) is a richly layered and intellectually provocative novel that interrogates the intersections of personal identity, global capitalism, geopolitical tension, and cultural displacement in the post-9/11 world. With its intricate narrative form and thematic resonance, the novel offers fertile ground for interdisciplinary academic exploration. Framed as a dramatic monologue delivered by the protagonist, Changez, to an unnamed American interlocutor in a Lahore café, the text blurs the boundaries between confession and confrontation, personal memory and political critique. This paper undertakes a comprehensive critical examination of The Reluctant Fundamentalist by applying multiple methodological frameworks—namely textual analysis, postcolonial theory, narrative theory, psychoanalytic criticism, and reader-response criticism. Textual analysis facilitates a close reading of Hamid’s stylistic devices and recurring motifs, particularly his use of second-person narration and reflective imagery. Postcolonial theory situates the novel within the broader discourse of neo-colonialism and cultural hybridity, while narrative theory deciphers the implications of the novel’s formal innovations and fragmented structure. Psychoanalytic criticism delves into the psychological dimensions of the characters, especially the latent anxieties, desires, and traumas that shape their worldviews. Reader-response criticism, in turn, highlights the novel’s invitation to diverse interpretive possibilities, depending on the reader’s cultural, political, and historical positioning. By synthesizing these critical methodologies, the paper demonstrates how Hamid’s novel transcends mere storytelling to emerge as a complex commentary on identity formation, transnational power dynamics, and the ethical dilemmas of global citizenship. Ultimately, this multifaceted analysis not only uncovers the nuanced layers of meaning embedded in Hamid’s narrative but also affirms the novel’s enduring cultural and literary significance in contemporary global discourse
A Pragmatic Analysis of Patriotism in American Independence Speeches
No full textThis paper conducts a pragmatic analysis of patriotic language in American Independence Day speeches to explore how presidents construct and reinforce patriotic sentiment through linguistic strategies. While these speeches have been extensively studied from historical perspectives, research on their pragmatic dimensions remains insufficient. The study investigates how patriotism is expressed through pragmatic features, contributing to constructing national identity and reflecting specific historical contexts. The research adopts a qualitative methodology to analyze two presidential Independence Day speeches delivered by George W. Bush (2001, Republican) and William J. Clinton (1993, Democrat) using Searle’s (1969) Speech Act Theory and Grice’s (1975) Conversational Implicature as analytical frameworks. Findings reveal that presidents employ sophisticated layering of speech acts and strategic manipulation of conversational maxims to evoke patriotic sentiment. Each president adapts these pragmatic strategies to address the unique challenges of their era while maintaining connections to enduring American values, balancing the celebration of national achievements with acknowledgment of ongoing challenges, and constructing a vision of inclusive and distinctive patriotism
“I am Another”: Echoes of Keatsian Negative Capability in the Poetry of Jibanananda Das
No full textThis article attempts to study the influence of the Romantic poet John Keats on the twentieth-century Vernacular poet Jibanananda Das with particular focus on the Keatsian conception of negative capability and its echoes in Jibanananda’s poetry. While the influence of Keats on Jibanananda is well-known and extends to various aspects such as the perception of Nature, historicity, and thematic resemblances in representing pain, death and Beauty, the concept of negative capability finds its own, albeit indeliberate, way with Jibanananda and lends his poetry a unique dimension which complements the modernist sensibility. Beginning with a short introduction to Jibanananda and Keats and a note on the Romantic note in the former’s poetry, the article will move on to discuss Keats’s concept of negative capability and its manifestation in his own poetic works. The last part of the article shall cover Jibanananda’s own display of negative capability in his poems and its complementation of modernism as a consequence of Jibanananda’s unique assimilation of influence
Analyzing Draupadi’s Agency and Legal Acumen in Irawati Karve’s Yuganta
No full textIrawati Karve’s Yuganta gives a new look at the Mahabharata and brings forth the human elements in its characters. This paper studies the character of Draupadi as presented by Karve, who sees in her an almost unprecedented legal mind at work in the epic behind a most assertive and powerful female figure in its events. The disrobing incident in Draupadi’s life is pivotal. Many Indian women can, and do, identify with the epic character; thus, analyzing Draupadi’s strategic responses in such an epoch-making event affords a glimpse into the agency, within the patriarchal context of the narrative, of that woman who dared to brave both palace and court in a long game of chess with her enemies. Karve compares Draupadi with Sita, thus illuminating differing paradigms of womanhood and resilience. The paper also looks at Draupadi’s complex associations with the Pandavas and how those associations affect the decisions that the Pandavas make concerning the quest for justice. The paper also considers some feminist reinterpretations of the Draupadi trope, most notably Mahasweta Devi’s reimagining of Draupadi as Dopdi, to consider how Draupadi’s effect in classical literature lastingly frames the agency of women in that same literary realm