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An “Other” Tongue: Nadsat as Anti-language in A Clockwork Orange
Full text linkIn this essay, I explore how “Nadsat” is used in Anthony Burgess’s 1962 novella A Clockwork Orange. “Nadsat” is a constructed language that suffuses English vernacular with words and phrases of Russian origin, and it can often prove a significant obstacle to reader comprehension of the overall narrative. However, apart from merely acting as a whim of experimentalism, I argue that Nadsat serves a functional purpose in the text, drawing on research from a variety of fields including literary studies, psychology, philosophy, and linguistics. I begin by showing how Nadsat excludes those who do not “speak” it or (in the case of stymied readers) attempt to learn it, drawing on M.A.K. Halliday’s study of the “anti-language” in “anti-society.” Just as anti-societies are in conflict with dominant society, anti-languages are in conflict with dominant language and repel it while simultaneously strengthening their own position through a variety of means, such as relexicalization and overlexicalization. Nadsat is an anti-language that functions in this way, and the tension between Alex and the adults he encounters in the novella sheds light on the discrimination that dialects in the real world experience from society’s “dominant” languages. Nadsat also obfuscates violence in the book by veiling it in obscure language that diminishes shock factor, and here I explore how euphemism can be used in unethical ways, drawing from real world examples like the Jerry Sandusky-Penn State child sex abuse scandal and the Nuremberg Trials. These examples show how language can be used to make actions appear murky, thus shielding both the speaker/narrator and listener/reader, as is the case with Alex in A Clockwork Orange. Finally, I look at how A Clockwork Orange, a book that is “about” brainwashing, “brainwashes” the reader. This “brainwashing” is twofold: first, Burgess makes the reader learn “minimal Russian” by reading the text and coming to understand (in a way) Nadsat. This leads into the second way ACO “brainwashes” the reader, which is by making readers see the world through Alex’s eyes and sympathize with him. Once readers see a world of “vecks” and “devotchkas,” of “millicents” and “ultra-violence,” they begin to see him not as a juvenile delinquent but as one of their “droogs” (friends), which ultimately makes them complicit in his crimes
Backspin
Full text linkBackspin is an experiment in metafiction. The piece\u27s narrative features two characters contemplating greater meaning within the story they find themselves in
Age-Related Infertility and Reproductive Tourism in Annarita Briganti’s Novel Non Chiedermi Come Sei Nata
Full text linkTraditional socio-cultural constructions of womanhood have often focused on women’s reproductive capacity, which has determined their destiny and shaped their identity over centuries. Given the long-time equation of motherhood and women’s identity, infertility is an important topic that raises question about how women experience infertility and how science, through advances in assisted reproduction, has intervened in the creation of life. In the European context, Italy has one of the lowest birth rates, a phenomenon attributable to a series of adverse structural conditions. In particular, precarious work conditions, insufficient wage levels, and a high cost of living represent significant obstacles to the materialization of maternity and paternity plans. In the absence of a holistic approach to address these problems, women continue to be held responsible for reproduction. This has created a focus on assisted reproduction treatments and “reproductive tourism,” the practice of traveling to another country for reproductive care, as the main solution to the problem of low birth rates. However, this solution poses new ethical dilemmas that can give rise to inequalities among women and can perpetuate the lack of international regulations protecting the rights of all the parties involved. These two issues of assisted reproduction treatments and reproductive tourism can be addressed by the reproductive justice framework that works to ensure social justice and reproductive rights. In recent years, reproductive justice has emerged as a prolific discipline raising awareness and condemning the structural and legislative problems faced by couples who wish to exercise their right to have a child. Considering the theoretical framework of reproductive justice, this paper will analyze the experience of infertility, the desire for motherhood, and the implications that assisted reproduction techniques have for women in the Italian novel Non Chiedermi Come Sei Nata (Don’t Ask Me How You Were Born, 2014) by Annarita Briganti
In the Aftermath of the 2015 Transnational Surrogacy Ban: Co-optation of Feminist Ideas in the Indian Surrogacy Market
Full text linkFeminist scholars have long debated the thorny question of whether or not to call for a ban on commercial surrogacy. A Marxist-feminist approach to frame commercial surrogacy as a unique form of “embodied labor” (Pande, 2014, p. 104) radically shifts this debate from a moralistic understanding of surrogacy by centralizing the role of structural inequalities that shape surrogates’ choices to do surrogacy work. This article argues, however, that the feminist call to frame surrogacy as work, along the lines of sex work and care work, is being co-opted by surrogacy stakeholders in powerful positions in India’s fertility market. I analyze the narratives of ten fertility clinics based in India, using in-depth interviews with fourteen fertility specialists, surrogacy agents, and intended parents, as well as analyzing the content of fertility clinics’ and surrogacy agencies’ websites and social media. This article shows how notions of “ethical surrogacy” and “compensatory surrogacy” have emerged as ways to prioritize the interests of fertility clinics and intended parents, rather than centralizing surrogates’ needs and concerns
Reproductive Labour: Preventing Babies, Making Babies, and Growing Babies
Full text linkDuring her reproductive years, a Canadian heterosexual cisgender woman will likely engage in the labour of preventing pregnancy, trying to achieve pregnancy, and/or being pregnant. While each stage of reproduction involves significant time and energy, the labour tied to preventing pregnancy, conceiving, and growing life is undervalued, unrecognized, and rendered invisible. Much of the work around reproduction involves not just cognitive function, but also a mental load and emotional labour. It is assumed that women need to do this labour as a pregnancy exists within her reproductive body; however, this assumption fails to acknowledge the reality of how laborious each stage of women’s reproductive lives can be. Women’s labour, while pivotal for the success of capitalism, is rendered invisible while it is simultaneously assumed to be naturally occurring and lacking economic value. This process can include the work of preventing babies, making babies, and growing babies
The Plymouth County Comfort Dogs Program: Fostering Resiliency, Academic Success, and Relationships with Law Enforcement
No full textAs most dog owners will tell you, there is something special about interacting with a dog. They seem to know when we need them, whether it’s because we’re stressed, sad, or simply need an emotional boost. The rise of private individuals and professional agencies offering canine-specific animal-assisted interventions attests to these unique dog qualities. One such provider is the Plymouth County District Attorney’s Office, which administers the Plymouth County Comfort Dogs Program (PCCDP), a network of handler-dog teams
The Happy-to-Chat Bench Project at Bridgewater State University
No full textLoneliness is a growing global concern, with nearly one in four adults reporting feeling very or somewhat lonely in 2023 (Maese, 2023). The U.S. Surgeon General equates its health risks to smoking 15 cigarettes daily, with young adults aged 18–24 reporting the highest loneliness rates (79%) in the U.S. (Morning Consult, 2021). The Healthy Minds National Report for 2023-2024 states 44% of college students feel left out some of the time and 23% feel left out often. Similarly, 40% of college students report a lack of companionship some of the time and 21% report a lack of companionship often. The Happy-to-Chat Bench initiative, a simple public bench intervention, aims to address the loneliness and isolation students may feel by encouraging small talk in low-pressure settings
The Influence of Public Policies for Gender Equality on the Construction of Women’s Autonomy in Northwestern Mexico
Full text linkThis study analyzes the influence of public policies for gender equality and how these formal support networks contribute to the construction of women’s autonomy in northwestern Mexico. It highlights the interrelation between women’s economic independence, decision-making ability, and physical autonomy. This study is also part of a broader investigation into formal support networks related to gender equality and women’s autonomy currently being conducted in the region. Adopting a qualitative methodology, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with directors of key governmental institutions in Mexico—SEMujeres in Sinaloa, INMujerBC in Baja California, and ISMujeres in Sonora—which serve as core agencies within these networks. These formal support networks, by articulating inter-institutional efforts with a gender perspective, are fundamental for transforming historical structures of inequality and ensuring women’s full and safe participation in various social spheres. Economic empowerment, political participation, and protection from violence are identified as key pillars of this transformation. The study concludes that women’s autonomy is built incrementally and requires coordinated public policies involving collaboration between the government, the private sector, and civil society. Despite progress, significant structural challenges remain. Therefore, it is recommended to deepen gender mainstreaming in public policies and to include the perspectives of women beneficiaries in future stages to strengthen these support networks.
Este estudio analiza la influencia de las estrategias derivadas de las políticas públicas para la igualdad de género que a través de la conformación de redes formales de apoyo coadyuvan en la construcción de la autonomía para las mujeres en el noroeste de México, y se destaca la interrelación entre las dimensiones de la autonomía económica, de toma de decisiones y la física. Este acercamiento es parte de una investigación más amplia de las redes formales de apoyo que en materia de igualdad de género y autonomía se realiza en esa región de México. Desde el enfoque cualitativo se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a las directivas de instituciones gubernamentales como la SEMujeres en Sinaloa, el INMujerBC en Baja California y el ISMujeres en Sonora como instancias núcleo de esas redes. Las redes formales de apoyo, articulando esfuerzos interinstitucionales con enfoque de género, resultan fundamentales para transformar estructuras históricas de desigualdad y garantizar la participación plena y segura de las mujeres en distintos ámbitos sociales. El empoderamiento económico, la participación política y la protección contra la violencia se constituyen como pilares clave para esta transformación. El estudio concluye que la autonomía femenina se construye de forma integral y requiere políticas públicas coordinadas, con colaboración entre gobierno, sector privado y sociedad civil. A pesar de avances, persisten retos estructurales significativos, por lo que se recomienda profundizar en la transversalidad de género en las políticas y considerar en futuras etapas la perspectiva de las mujeres beneficiarias para fortalecer estas redes de apoyo