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Showing posts from January, 2012

You Will Never Believe These Bizarre Truths Behind "Home Sweet Home": Remembering John Howard Paine’s "Home Sweet Home"

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Unveiling the Astonishing Facts about "Home Sweet Home": Commemorating John Howard Payne's Timeless Masterpiece Introduction John Howard Paine Man’s greatest longing is for home. Home is the very essential core of our family: love is its circumference and peace is its centre. These two fulfilled, life has no regret. And they are both fulfilled together, never separately. People have tried to fulfill love without freedom. Then love brings more and more misery, more and more bondage. Then love is not what one has expected it to be, it turns out just the opposite. It shatters all hopes, it destroys all expectations and life becomes a wasteland -- a groping in darkness and never finding the door. Love without freedom naturally tends to be possessive. And the moment possessiveness enters, you start creating bondage for others and bondage for yourself -- because you cannot possess somebody without being possessed by him. You cannot make somebody a slave without becoming a

Literary Criticism: Marxism in details- Althusser’s Ideology

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Althusserian Ideology: Unveiling Power Structures in Literary Criticism The Epistemological Break and Althusser's Theory of Ideology Louis Althusser (1918-1990), French philosopher, is best known for his contributions to the debate over the origins and development of the theories of German philosopher Karl Marx. Althusser viewed Marx’s writings as having two distinct stages: an early humanistic or ideological period and a later scientific phase that culminated in the publication of DasKapital (1867; Capital , 1907-1909). Between these two stages, Althusser postulated the existence of what he called an epistemological break. With this term, he intended to show that developments in science do not emerge from gradual, piecemeal change, but are instead the result of sudden dislocations in knowledge where the entire framework of a theory is replaced. Althusser's ideology, within the framework of Marxism, offers a distinct perspective on the analysis of literature and culture.

Literary Criticism: Marxism in details

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Analyzing Literature through a Marxist Lens: Unveiling Socioeconomic Dynamics Karl Marx  (1818-1883), German political philosopher and revolutionary, is the most important of all socialist thinkers and the creator of a system of thought called Marxism. Karl Marx In literature, however, Marxism is a sociological approach to literature that views works of literature or art as the products of historical forces that can be analyzed by looking at the material conditions in which they were formed. In Marxism, the base of a society, that is, the way in which its economy is organized determines its superstructure, which is everything related to culture, law, religion philosophy, art, literature etc. Marxism, as a literary criticism approach, stems from the broader Marxist ideology developed by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in the 19th century. Marxist literary criticism examines literature within the context of social and economic relations, focusing on how literature reflects

Literary Criticism: Marxism- Gramsci’s Hegemony

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Marxist Literary Criticism: Unraveling Hegemony through Gramsci's Perspective Introduction: Antonio Gramsci  (1891-1937), Italian Communist Party leader and Marxist political theorist published as a journalist for the Socialist newspaper Avanti! (Forward!).  Gramsci sought to chart a new course for the Socialists. During this period he worked closely with Palmiro Togliatti, who went on to serve as leader of the Italian Communist Party from 1926 to 1964. Togliatti and Gramsci joined forces with Umberto Terracini, who began publishing the leftist journal L’Ordine Nuovo (The New Order) in 1919. The three men tried to encourage workers to take over the factories in Turin, Italy's industrial capital. They argued that if the workers seized the factories and assumed management responsibilities, the workers could form factory councils that would help them acquire the political and technical sophistication necessary for achieving socialism. Socialist Party leaders condemned thi

Literary Criticism: Marxist Literary Studies

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  Marxist Literary Studies: Unveiling Power Dynamics in Literature Introduction: Marxist literary studies encompass a multifaceted approach to analyzing literature through the lens of Marxist theory. By examining the intricate relationship between literature and society, this critical framework delves into the power dynamics, social structures, and ideological underpinnings portrayed in literary works. In this article, we will explore the key concepts and methodologies of Marxist literary studies, highlighting their significance in uncovering the underlying socioeconomic dynamics within literature. Understanding Marxist Literary Studies: Marxist literary studies emerge from the broader Marxist ideology formulated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. At its core, this approach views literature as a product of the material conditions and class struggles within a given society. It emphasizes the role of literature in perpetuating or challenging the dominant class structure and explores

Trends in Modern English Drama

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Shaping the Stage: Evolving Trends in Modern English Drama Introduction If the twentieth century has been a period of literary revolutions, this is particularly noticeable in the realm of drama. So varied and so conflicting are the changes as and the trends, that if we search for one single epithet to apply to the modern stage, we are forced in the end to select the adjective ‘electric’. During the Elizabethan, the Restoration, and other periods there was, no doubt considerable diversity in influences from without and in the flow of native theatrical currents, but when these are compared with corresponding conditions in the period between 1990 and 1990, they will inevitably appear simple and orderly. The chief trends may however be categorized as the realistic social drama, drama employing the comic and the fantastic, poetic drama, and finally the cluster involving angry plays, absurd plays and menace plays. In modern English drama, several trends have emerged that reflect the evol

Theory and Criticism: Aristotle :Characteristics of an Aristotelian Plot

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Analyzing Aristotle's Theory: Key Elements of an Aristotelian Plot Tragedy:  Aristotle’s definition of Tragedy Aristotle’s definition of Tragedy- is an imitation of an action, serious complete and of a certain magnitude, in a language beautified in different parts with different kinds of embellishment, through action and not narration  and through scenes of pity and fear bringing about  the ‘catharsis’ of these emotions. Read More Criticism Characteristics of an Aristotelian Plot: 1)  Differentiates Between Plot and Story Tragedy is a representation of action and action consists of incidents and events. Aristotle differentiates between plot and story, and says that it is better for the poet to choose a traditional story taken from history, mythology and legends for such stories are familiar and easy to understand. After selecting the story, the artist must then go on to the process of selection and ordering, when only relevant incidents and situations are to be selected an

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