Magic realism has become a significant mode of expression in Jewish cultural production. This special focus of Symbolism for the first time explores in a comparative and transnational approach the magic realist engagement of Jewish writers, artists, and filmmakers from the Diaspora and from Israel with issues of identity, oppression and persecution as well as the Holocaust.
Symbolism. AN International Annual of Critical Aesthetics is an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed annual dedicated to pursuing fundamental questions on the forms and functions of the symbolic. SYmbolism publishes high-profile research on various topics related to the use of figurative language, thought and signification in artistic expression and constructions of reality. WHile maintaining a strong literary focus, the annual also enquires into practices of the symbolic across various media.
The field of English has expanded into a global domain, raising both welcoming and critical voices in many parts of the world. In search of new perspectives on Anglophone Cultures in Southeast Asia, this collection of essays pays tribute to the development of new cultural centres beyond the inner circle of a Western Anglophone consciousness, taking the reader to other parts of the world where English has played a significant role over the last two hundred years in a political as well as in a linguistic sense. Southeast Asia is different not only because it had to live through a long history of colonising conflicts; it is also different from other colonised continents and countries by its lack of clear-cut geographical borders. This openness to so many seafaring and trading nations has made it - not always for its own benefit - one of the world's most lively thoroughfares. In view of the enormous variety of possible subjects and of contradicting forces which make this part of the world unique, Hong Kong suggested itself as an epicentre of this burgeoning multicultural exchange. The volume focus on this place demonstrates the vast variety of new developments while English still retains its position as a prominent means of local and international communication.
The early modern period in Britain played a crucial role in shaping English identities, with recent scholarship revealing the significant impact of foreign influences on this process. Initially analyzed through a Saidian post-colonial lens, early modern England was often viewed as anticipating imperial ambitions, with the English self-representing to support these aspirations. However, recent studies challenge this notion, revealing that England was not an expanding nation until the late 16th century. Nabel Matar argues that the relationship between early modern English and the Muslim other cannot be framed within a colonial context, as the Ottomans, Persians, and Moroccans of the 16th and 17th centuries were equally powerful. This necessitates a reevaluation of texts addressing these dynamics, recognizing the complex interplay of attraction and repulsion towards these 'others.' The essays in this volume explore these themes from diverse critical perspectives, primarily focusing on theatrical texts but also including narratives, historical accounts, and opera. Many contributions draw on cultural materialist and cultural semiotic criticism, while also considering alternative approaches to enrich the discussion.
This collection of essays by distinguished scholars from across the globe explores the themes of violence and transgression in colonial and post-colonial literatures through innovative theoretical frameworks. The contributors examine works from over 16 countries, including the USA, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, China, South Africa, as well as North African and European nations, highlighting the status of minorities within these contexts. The essays engage in critical dialogue about the binaries of domination and subjugation, mainstream and minority cultures. They address the crossing of geographical, cultural, textual, political, social, and linguistic borders, illustrating how minority literatures, while developing their own identities, are deeply intertwined with cultural transgressions and struggles for power. Post-modernity is examined through various cultural lenses, facilitating discussions that illuminate fundamental inequalities related to ethnicity, religion, otherness, hybridity, language, history, gender, folklore, and media. The result is a transnational forum addressing the pressing issues of violence and transgression in the contemporary world. The volume features contributions from notable authors such as Luis Leal, Ronald Hatch, and many others, offering a vibrant panorama of cultural interplays worldwide.
Die in diesem Band gesammelten Aufsätze des Würzburger Anglisten Rüdiger Ahrens bieten eine Auswahl seines wissenschaftlichen Schaffens von 1968 bis 2004 und reflektieren die Entwicklung der deutschen Anglistik und Amerikanistik, insbesondere im Bereich der Fachdidaktik des Englischen. Fünf zentrale Themen werden behandelt: Kapitel I beinhaltet umfassende Einführungen in Literaturtheorie und -analyse. Kapitel II präsentiert exemplarische Analysen bedeutender literarischer und kultureller Texte vom 18. bis zum 20. Jahrhundert. In Kapitel III werden grundlegende Überlegungen zur Fachdidaktik angestellt, wobei das Spektrum von philosophisch-pädagogischen Reflexionen über Bildungsinhalte bis hin zu neuen Tendenzen der englischen Sprache als internationaler Lingua franca reicht. Kapitel IV bietet unterrichtsrelevante methodisch-didaktische Empfehlungen und Modelle zur Interpretation literarischer Texte, insbesondere in den Gattungen Drama, Kurzgeschichte, Dichtung und Essay. Kapitel V erweitert das Themenfeld der literarischen und kulturellen Vermittlung und beleuchtet die administrativen Rahmenbedingungen universitärer Lehre und Forschung, basierend auf Ahrens' theoretischen Erkenntnissen und praktischen Erfahrungen aus internationalen Gastdozenturen und Austauschprogrammen.
William Shakespeare hat eine wahre 'Industrie' mit seinen Dramen ausgelöst, die sich weltweit auf Theaterbühnen, in Filmen sowie in zahlreichen literarischen Adaptionen und Übersetzungen zeigt. In diesem Band sind die letzten zwei Jahrzehnte des Autors zusammengefasste Aufsätze versammelt, die die Literatur der elisabethanischen Zeit, die Dramen selbst und deren vielfältige Wirkungsbereiche beleuchten und neue Einsichten bieten. Diese Analysen eröffnen theoretische Grundlagen für das Verständnis der Dramen, die aus dem Mäzenatentum und dem Wissenschaftsverständnis der Zeit hervorgehen. Bei den Werkanalysen zu Romeo and Juliet, The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, Twelfth Night u. a. führt der Autor zu einem neuen Verständnis Shakespeares und modernen Adaptionen wie West-Side Story und Kiss Me Kate. Kontrastive Vergleiche mit heutigen Theateradaptionen von Tom Stoppard, Arnold Wesker, Edward Bond, Charles Marowitz oder Barbara Garson bieten zusätzliche Einsichten. Einige Beiträge thematisieren die Aneignungsformen Shakespeares in asiatischen Ländern wie China und Japan. Zudem wird die didaktische Würdigung der Shakespeare-Lektüre im fortgeschrittenen Englischunterricht, neue Interpretationsansätze und aktuelle Übersetzungsprojekte behandelt. So entsteht ein breites Panorama moderner Ansätze und Fragestellungen, das großes Interesse wecken dürfte.
