American Research Journal of English and Literature

Acheoah, John Emike (PhD), Olaleye, Joel Iyiola (PhD)

This paper examines meaning in language. It is therefore a study in semantics. Semantics is the study of meaning in terms of the linguistics. Semantics begins from the stopping point of syntax and ends from where pragmatics begins. A separate discipline in the study of language, semantics has existed for decades. The term semantics was first used by Breal in 1987 and it does not suggest that there had never been speculations about the nature of meaning (Ogbulogo (2005). Words, phrases and sentences are used to convey messages in natural languages. Semantics is the study of meaning systems in language. If meaning is a system, then language is systematic in nature. In this paper, we investigate the nature of meaning to locate the significance of semantics in contemporary linguistics. Frege, cited in Sandt (1988:1) rightly notes that “… [If] anything is asserted there is always an obvious presupposition that the simple or compound proper names used have reference.” Hinging on different submissions in the literature, we conclude that meaning is: socio-cultural, dynamic, grammar-driven, conventional, representative (referential), individualistic (non-conventional) and is not exhaustive.

Kadhim Hatem Kaibr*, Guo Jingjing

Albee was one of the first American playwrights who introduced the American audience to the theater of the absurd, which was spearheaded in Europe by Eugene Ionesco and Samuel Beckett. His literary works showed his ingenious ability to “Americanize” the theater of absurdity which was made famous by European playwrights. The aim of this paper is attempting to analyze one of Albee’s most prominent plays, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Which mainly focuses on the conflict between reality and illusion as reflected in one of its main characters, Martha. This paper also will touch upon the themes of materialist marriage, social hypocrisy complexities of motherhood, frustration, and self-delusion. These conflicts were in turn ascribed to the psychological distress and sense of loss felt by Martha. As well as, this paper will explore Albee’s message to his audience about the right foundation on which marital relations should be based

E. A. Gamini Fonseka

Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) wrote “Hills like White Elephants” in 1927. The short story showcases most of his originality as a writer in the use of imagery, symbolism, irony, rhythmic language, dialogue, implicature, etc. Considering his genius as noticed in the narrative of less than 1,500 words in length that covers a period less than forty-minutes of the association between the two central characters, an American and his girlfriend, this paper analyses the style of Hemingway along with his treatment of the burning social issue emerging from pregnancy resulted in by love-making and the ways in which the two parties concerned reflect on it from their respective domains. The conflict over the foetus the girl is carrying within herself, for which the American is partly responsible, is temporarily interrupted by the affairs of daily life but is likely to remerge whenever they are to meet in peace. The implication is that they have no peace until the foetus is aborted or the child is born. The title suggests that the American’s attempt to dissuade the girl from having a child tends to increase her determination to have it as a result of the resilience she cultivates in her attempt to resist it. The story continues with a paradox growing from the contradictory exchanges the two make from their respective domains. Yet it remains a question whether the girl’s resilience will last until she becomes a mother. Hemingway leaves it in the air for the sake of the aesthetic quality of his short story. In a ten-part analysis of the story text carried out underten sub-topics coherently knitted together, are demonstrated Hemingway’s achievements in imagery, symbolism, and rhythmic language that are crucial for him as a thought-provoking storyteller.

Md. Saiful Alam

 This paper deals with two affecting family issues: (1) “parental favoritism” and (2) “hypocrisy of family love” represented in one of Mansfield’s best-known stories i.e., “New Dresses” (1912). The analysis of the issues is based on a couple of psychological considerations; i.e., “favoritism” and “hypocrisy of love” of parents. Parent-child relationship is a paramount exhibition in New Dresses. This study encompasses two basic questions: (1) how the themes of parental favoritism and hypocrisy of love are depicted in the story, (2) what consequences of these categories of stances of parents have in the family relationships. The present analysis comes up with a finding that Helen is a much -less favored child. But, her little brother, very affectionately called ‘Boy,’ and her younger sister, Rose, are her parents’ favorites. Helen’s parents show some sort of dislike towards Helen, and they justify it by pointing to a few of her flaws. However, Helen’s parents’ justification, at any rate, does not make sense to her grandmother. With a feeling of astonishment and shock, she observes that Henry and Anne, the parents, cause Helen’s mental destruction by making unjustifiable excuses. Favoritism and hypocrisy of love of her parents result in a hostility between Helen and her parents. Consequently, this leads Helen to go to seek surrogate parents; e.g., her grandmother and Dr. Malcolm. Mansfield’s attention towards her depiction of such issues as parental favoritism and parent-child relationships may have derived from her psychological tension about the contemporary parenting model; it may also have derived from her personal experience of the treatment that she received as a child from her parents. Ergo, this paper, too, briefly focuses on Mansfield’s biographical facts, and often links them with Helen’s scenario.

Dr. Galia Hirsch

 The goal of this paper is to investigate the purposes and implications of the pragmatic choice of the plural first person for narrations, instead of the more common use of the singular. The results of this analysis indicate the use of the plural form contributes to the creativity and innovativeness of the voice of the three novels analyzed: Hayinu He’atid (Ne’eman, 2011), The Wives of Los Alamos (Nesbit, 2014) and Shotgun Lovesongs (Butler, 2014). I argue that this choice is significant for the formation and depiction of the communities in these literary works; and that the changes of footing (Goffman, 1981) – the switches at some points to the first person singular – present the individuals’ complex relationship with the community described.

Md. Nazmul Haque1, Md. Amirul Islam2, Mst. Ummay Tohfa3

This paper’s grave concern revolves around the different sorts of conflictual ideologies- conflicts between faith and doubt, moral values and materialistic views and freedoms and restrictions- of Victorian novels and poetry. This paper examines how scientific advancement, the rapid growth of industrialization, Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection and the concept of communism of Victorian age result in uncertainty, confusion, class distinction and of course dissatisfaction with life that exert a tremendous effect on Victorian people and consign lots of ideological contradictions to Victorian novels and poetry. This is because, this paper dissects Victorian conflicts of faith and doubt in consideration of Victorian people’s approaches with respect to scientific prosperity, values and materialistic attitudes in view of social norms and freedom and restrictions in the light of sex. As the esoteric philosophy to the life of Victorian literary writings divides Victorian poets and novelists into different ideological worlds, some Victorian writers’ principles center around faith, moral values, and restrictions and the other groups are in the favor of doubt, materialism and freedom and the rest are in between.

Nour Seblini

In this article, I use the insights of new historicism to comprehensively analyze Shafak’s novel Honour (2012). I focus on the male protagonist, Iskender, as I aim to gain new insights on the phenomenon of honour killings by adding the “why” and “how” the crime is viewed through the lens of the perpetrator himself. And, I argue that the idea of honour is linked to communal surveillance. By communal surveillance, I mean that traditional codes from the killer’s country of origin have been displaced into the migrant community. These displaced beliefs that do not fully fit in with the new British society nonetheless define the killer’s notion of honour. I demonstrate how internalized surveillance encourages crime rather than hindering its commission while paradoxically it preserves the main concept of discipline and punish. Accordingly, honour killings are based on what I would call Foucault’s “panopticon in reverse.”

Md. Amir Hossain

Without research writing the potentiality as well as development of Bangladesh Educational Institutions cannot be expected, especially for the Undergraduate and Graduate Level. There is no alternative way of research writing whether educational institutions want to cope with the Global Education System. To develop the essence of Education System, younger communities must be motivated in research writing. In a third world country, like Bangladesh, there are many impediments, which are significantly noticed in research writing. In this study, the current researcher would like to find out some major impediments for research writing in Bangladesh situation. Through highlighting these barriers, this study would like to create consciousness of the younger generation for the better welfare of the Current Education System. It also aims to look at the investigations of pragmatic solutions through which the prevalent obstructions of scholarly writing can be identified in a surer foundation in order that each and every teacher and researcher of the higher level can find out a free gate of research writing.