From Community to Alienation: Psychological and Social Isolation in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

Exiles, Outcasts, Strangers: Icons of Marginalization in Post World War II Narrative

Alienation is considered as a recent phenomenon in the arena of literature. The approach of alienation as central theme can be traced in early 20th century but its root is before 19th century. Alienation can be term as a form of rootlessness, loss of identity, or a state of isolation, which provides the perfect platform of literary studies. It is a major theme of human predicament in the prevailing epoch. It is a powerful force which can move either way, humans may have influenced negatively, vulnerability, and violence, on the other hand it also provides one to introspect and intellectual independency. These features make it natural to leave such an indelible impact upon the contemporary literature. The theme of alienation has a close association with existentialism or absurdity. The theme finds a prominent place in literature and is dealt with persistence in contemporary literature. Modernisation and advancement of science and technology, one can clearly see how individuals are shifting from rural community to isolated urban life. European novelists explore these relationships with each other and with social institutions, leading us to be increasingly individualistic in our thinking and thus alienated. Human finds isolated in this hostile world and fails to understand the very purpose of the life. The researcher through this study will discuss and analyse the theme of alienation in Dostoevsky’s ‘Notes from Underground’. It is a novel written by Fyodor Dostoevsky, published in 1864. It is considered one of the first existentialistic work of the fiction, exploring the themes of nature, free will and the consequences of living in a society that values rationality and progress. Throughout the novel the narrator struggles with his own sense of alienation and tries to find some kind of purpose or meaning to live the life which he fails.

The present study investigates how the theme of alienation is uniquely depicted in Bahaa Taher’s Sunset Oasis (2009), winner of the first International Prize for Arabic fiction, or the Arabic Booker in 2008. (“Arabic Booker”) In his seminal article “On the Meaning of Alienation” (1959), Melvin Seeman classified six alternative aspects or meanings of alienation: powerlessness, meaninglessness, normlessness, self-estrangement, social isolation and cultural estrangement. The aim of this paper is to apply this theoretical frame of reference to the novel under discussion. A detailed discussion of Taher’s novel shows that five (out of the six) variants of alienation manifest in his depiction of the two central characters; the Egyptian police officer, Mahmoud Abd el Zahir and his Irish wife, Catherine. The former endures powerlessness, meaninglessness, self-estrangement and social isolation and the latter experiences social isolation and cultural estrangement. Throughout the events of the novel the male protagonist and his wife are both presented as alienated individuals. The study endeavours to provide a critical analysis of the theme of alienation, its manifestations, reasons and grave consequences

Enola Holmes 2, a film set in the Victorian era, portrays these inequalities through its female characters who face an environment full of gender-based restrictions. This article focuses on three main characters—Enola Holmes, Sarah Chapman, and Mira Troy—analyzing how their experiences reflect various aspects of gender inequality that have persisted over time. This study analyzes gender inequality in Jack Thorne’s Enola Holmes 2 through the lens of Fakih’s theory, which identifies five manifestations of gender inequality: stereotypes, subordination, marginalization, violence, and double workload. The research applies feminist literary criticism, focusing on the socio-economic conditions and experiences of women, while also linking the findings to the reality of women in the Victorian era. Using a qualitative method, the study examines the dialogues and interactions of the three female characters in the film—Enola Holmes, Sarah Chapman, and Mira Troy—as representations of women who experience gender inequality. From the analysis, 16 instances of gender inequality were identified, illustrating the challenges faced by women during both the Victorian era and in the context of the film’s narrative. These findings reveal how gender inequality persists and is reflected in the experiences of the female characters, highlighting its continued relevance in both historical and modern contexts.

From the mediaeval period to the early twentieth century, fashionable European dance culture was quietly dominated by the figure of the dancing master. For several centuries, he had played a pivotal role in crossing the terrains of theatre, court and the wider social sphere, disseminating and sometimes creating new dance fashions while acting as advocate for the social, artistic and historical value of the art of dancing. His slow decline in influence was finally marked by the complete severance of the technique of social dancing from its basis in ballet during the early 1900s. Instead of the turned-out foot positions and melodic musical accompaniment of the old European style, a more democratised dancing public sought an accessible mode of dancing, enlivened by the syncopation of African-American rhythms. Although efforts were made in England, after the First World War, to infuse the new with the old, popular acceptance of the jazz age in dance and music, sounded the death knell of the Victorian dancing master. Parallel to dance as a theatre art, social dancing in the late Victorian and Edwardian era was irreversibly separated from established traditions. In the analyses of dance from this period, much of the existing scholarship has tended to focus upon innovators and their revolutionary contributions, often interpreted within the contexts of modernism and modernity. Whereas such an approach is fundamental to the understanding and appreciation of dance history and contemporary performance, there is also a twofold case to be made, I believe, for looking at continuities and traditions. Firstly, through analysis of the ‘old guard’, so to speak, greater contextual light may be shed on innovative figures in order to appraise more fully the extent and significance of their achievements. Secondly, the process may also allow some reevaluation of persons thought to be, or ignored as, irrelevant to the development of dance as understood in contemporary Europe and

This article focuses on the theme of alienation in three works by F. M. Dostoevsky, Notes from the Underground (1864), Crime and Punishment (1866), and The Dream of a Ridiculous Man (1877). This article will argue that despite the overall different set of circumstances, Dostoevsky’s literary works nevertheless provide some insight into the coping mechanisms we can utilize when dealing with loneliness and alienation-related problems during social isolation.

English literature has undergone a remarkable transformation over the centuries, reflecting the sociopolitical, cultural, and philosophical shifts of each era. This paper explores the evolution of themes and narratives in English literature, tracing their development from the Anglo-Saxon period to contemporary times. It examines how historical contexts, literary movements, and changing worldviews have influenced storytelling, character development, and thematic concerns. The study delves into the medieval period’s focus on religious allegory and chivalric ideals, the Renaissance’s emphasis on humanism and individualism, and the Enlightenment’s rationalistic approach to literature. It also highlights the Romantic era’s fascination with nature, emotion, and the sublime, as well as the Victorian period’s engagement with social realism and moral questions. Moving into the modernist and postmodernist eras, the paper discusses the fragmentation of narrative structures, experimental storytelling techniques, and the increasing focus on psychological depth and existential themes. Furthermore, the review explores the impact of globalization and technological advancements on contemporary literature, including the rise of digital narratives and multicultural voices. It also considers how recurring motifs—such as identity, power, love, and conflict—have persisted but evolved in meaning and representation. By analyzing literary works across different periods, this paper underscores the dynamic nature of English literature and its ability to adapt to societal transformations. The findings emphasize that literature not only mirrors human experiences but also shapes cultural discourse. This study provides valuable insights into the continuous evolution of themes and narratives, reinforcing literature’s role as a crucial medium for understanding the human condition across different historical contexts.

This study examines the existential themes in Ta Duy Anh’s works, highlighting the influence of Franz Kafka’s ideology. Through textual analysis and comparative literary review, it explores themes of loneliness, absurdity, and skepticism in Ta Duy Anh’s narratives and their connection to Kafka’s ideas. The research identifies specific instances where Kafka’s existential themes are reflected and reinterpreted in a Vietnamese cultural context. It emphasizes the thematic parallels and stylistic adaptations Ta Duy Anh employs to make these existential concerns relevant to Vietnamese readers. The findings reveal a deep engagement with themes of alienation, absurdity, and skepticism, showcasing Kafka’s significant influence on Ta Duy Anh and contributing to a broader understanding of cross-cultural literary influences.

THE FACT THAT ADMINISTRATIVE organizations are political systems has not been ignored by theorists.' But this commonplace insight is not exploited. Administration deals with governmental issues. It is praised or condemned for how well it handles the allocation question of who gets what, how, why, when, and where in the organizations it governs. This question has economic, sociological, and psychological dimensions. But power is also part of its content, and power must be treated in the political and governmental order, as well as in the other behavioral disciplines. As management thought is surveyed over time, we discover that the major ideologies of administration have reflected obliquely the governmental character of organizational relationships. I say obliquely because the creeds of management have roots elsewhere than in political science. This creates inconsistencies both in theory and application. Administrators are told for example to expect satisfactory outcomes from democratic (participative) management. However, democratic management is currently treated as a psychotherapeutic technique. But if democratic management is anything, it is first a governmental phenomenon. Yet, this obvious notion receives little systematic attention in the literature. I say something about the pitfalls of managerial ideologies in this paper, in keeping, I hope, with the theme of alienation, decentralization, and participation, to which this symposium is devoted. My main objective, however, is to estimate the probability for a system of government in formal organizations which is consistent with democratic values and which

IntroductionMelancholia is a concept deeply intertwined with the history of mood disorders in psychiatry. Isháq Ibn Imrân, a prominent Arab-Muslim physician of the 12th century, contributed significantly to the understanding of melancholia in his era, its. His treatise is the oldest surviving work entirely dedicated to melancholia, making it a pivotal milestone in the history of psychiatry. It is noteworthy that Ibn Imrân’s work has often been overlooked in Western psychiatry. This oversight highlights the enduring relevance of his insights within the context of modern psychiatry.ObjectivesThe objective of this study is to assess the clinical and therapeutic aspects delineated by Ibn Imrân in his treatise on melancholia for their contemporary accuracy and relevance within the field of modern psychiatry.MethodsThe review method for the Isháq Ibn Imrân treatise involves a detailed analysis of the original Arabic text and its French translation by Adel Omrani and Radhi Jazi from the Tunisian Academy of Sciences, Letters, and Arts Beit el Hekma. This includes studying the content, structure, and historical context, as well as comparing the Arabic and French versions for accuracy.ResultsThe treatise is divided into two parts to clinical examination and treatment. While some of the terminology may differ from contemporary classifications, the core observations resonate with modern psychiatric knowledge. The clinical form is described as sadness, loss of pleasure, social withdrawal, dark thoughts, and loss of interest, along with somatic manifestations: sleep disturbances such as onset insomnia or hypersomnia, as well as weight loss. Additionally, perceptual disturbances, including elementary visual hallucinations (black silhouettes), are mentioned. Regarding etiologies, perinatal factors are mentioned in the treatise (“mood of the uterus”), along with six postnatal acquired causes that must be balanced in an individual: movement and rest, sleep and wakefulness, food and drink, depletion and retention, ambient air and location and psychological torment. A seasonal pattern is described, with an association between melancholia and autumn. Several clinical forms are described, with the most prominent being catatonia compared to epilepsy, in its two agitated and inhibited forms. The second part of his treatise is dedicated to treatment, focusing on individualized approaches such as talk therapy, music therapy, and dietary interventions. Ibn Imrân also describes mental strategies to correct false beliefs. For the pharmacological treatment, specific herbs has been used via oral, nasal, or intra-rectal.ConclusionsIn conclusion, Isháq Ibn Imrân’s treatise on melancholia represents a timeless cornerstone in the history of psychiatry. This historical treasure serves as a reminder of the enduring quest to understand and alleviate the complexities of mental health.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Food insecurity is increasingly recognized as a public health issue with social and psychological dimensions. However, evidence on its association with mental health and social isolation in regional Australia remains limited. A cross-sectional online survey among adults (≥18 years) living in the Illawarra and Shoalhaven regions of Australia assessed food insecurity using the 18-item USDA Household Food Security Survey Module, categorized into ‘food secure’ (score = 0) or ‘food insecure’ (score = 1+). Self-rated mental health and physical health (excellent/good vs. fair/poor) and reported diagnosis of a mental health condition was determined. Social isolation was assessed using six individual indicators and a composite social isolation score dichotomized participants into high versus low isolation. Multivariate logistic regression models examined associations between mental health, social isolation, and food insecurity, adjusting for relevant sociodemographic characteristics. Of participants (n = 666; 80% female; 57.1% university education), 38.3% experienced food insecurity. Poor self-rated mental health (22%) was associated with increased odds of food insecurity (AOR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.47–3.96), as was diagnosed mental illness (AOR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.46–3.71) and poor self-rated physical health (AOR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.23–3.44). Participants with high social isolation on the composite score (15.5%) had two times higher odds of food insecurity compared with those with low isolation (AOR = 2.16, 95% CI: 1.09–4.26). Strong associations were also observed for individual indicators. Findings demonstrate strong links between food insecurity, mental health, and social isolation in regional Australia. Addressing food insecurity requires integrated strategies that combine material assistance with initiatives to strengthen social connectedness.

In early Victorian England, there was an intense debate about whether government involvement in the provision of popular elementary education was appropriate. Government did in the end become actively involved, first in the administration of schools and in the supervision of instruction, then in establishing and administering compulsory schooling laws. After a century of stagnation, literacy rates rose markedly. While increasing government involvement would seem to provide the most obvious explanation for this rise, David F. Mitch seeks to demonstrate that, in fact, popular demand was also an important force behind the growth in literacy. Although previous studies have looked at public policy in detail, and although a few have considered popular demand. The Rise of Popular Literacy in Victorian England is the first book to bring together a detailed examination of the two sets of factors. Mitch compares the relative importance of the rise of popular demand for literacy and the development of educational policy measures by the church and state as contributing factors that led to the rise of working class literacy during the Victorian period. He uses an economic-historical approach based on an examination of changes in the costs and benefits of acquiring literacy. Mitch considers the initial demand of the working classes for literacy and how much that demand grew. He also examines how literacy rates were influenced by the development of a national system of elementary school provision and by the establishment of compulsory schooling laws. Mitch uses quantitative methods and evidence as well as more traditional historical sources such as government reports, employment ads, and contemporary literature. An important reference is a national sample of over 8,000 marriage certificates from the mid-Victorian period that provides information on the ability of brides and grooms to sign their names. The Rise of Popular Literacy in Victorian England is a valuable text for students and scholars of British, economic, and labor history, history of literacy and education, and popular culture.

Summary Guweishu as China’s first Chenwei specialty collection is considerably influential to the later School of Chenwei collection. So far there have been few research results related to the study of Guweishu, hence Guweishu needs urgently to be investigated by scholars. This topic belongs to the interdisciplinary research, which contains throughout the study of Confucian classics, Chenwei, philology, text communication, text analysis, and the ancient Chinese astronomy and calendar, and has the development value. Therefore, the author selects Guweishu as the research objects, and applies the methods of literature review, textual research and analysis, book-writing style investigation, and textual acceptance criticism to carry out the discussion, in the hope of doing their part and contributing to the Chinese academic thinking through combining the interpretation of the teaching of justice and Chenwei, so as to fit it to the direction of future development of academic research. Keywords: Guweishu, Sun Jue, Chenwei, Views on Chenwei Introduction Guweishu is China’s first written work that focuses on Chenwei literature and carries out a comprehensive compilation and annotation. It holds a very special position in the history of the study of Chenwei and Chenwei development. Because the book does not cite the place of references from the original text of Chenwei, later scholars find it very inconvenient to cite hence all turn to compile Chenwei themselves and criticize the lack of Guweishu, thus even though the book is the origin of Chenwei compilation specialty but it is unable to get the equivalent historical evaluation. Via the author’s summaries of the views from the Chin Dynasty, it is discovered that Guweishu’s controversies are mainly problems such as “cited annotation but no citation from the original text of Chenwei”, “disorderly editing styles”, “more description but little original points, objectives unclear”, “ordering of Chenwei different from others”. To focus on the above described problems and to carryout in depth research is the issue this thesis wants to solve. Materials and Methods After reviewing the current Guweishu and Chenwei research results and considered the direction this thesis can take, focusing on Guweishu’s research, the author first selects His- Tso Chien’s Shoushange Books in Series which mainly focuses on Guweishu and uses the various Chenwei compilations written works from Chin Dynasty as complements. This thesis aims to adapt the “literature compilation textual analysis method” to review the actual citations of Guweishu from the original text of Chenwei, and further adapts the “book editing style inquiry method” to analyze the reasons why Guweishu does not cite the references from the original text of Chenwei and other phenomena such as disorder editing styles. Secondly, adapting the “text analysis method” to review Guweishu’s compilation objectives and its themes of discussion, this is the main content for Guweishu text analysis. Finally, adapting “text acceptance research method” to explore Guweishu’s dissemination and accepted appearance in Chin Dynasty, and to restore the deserved value of Guweishu, such are the research method for this thesis. Result and Discussion Via the author’s research steps by “themes” to carry out discussions in different chapters, the several incomprehensible phenomena about Guweishu are now known, namely “unknown biography and works by Sun Jue”, “cited annotation but no citation from the original text of Chenwei”, “disorderly editing styles”, “inclusion of many non Chenwei texts”, “large reference of ancient text as annotation without explanation”, “ordering of Chenwei different from prior scholars”, “ordering of Chenwei different from other schools of studies”, “only listed the annotation but lacking an explanatory system” such issues, through this thesis’ chapters of discussion , various incomprehensive phenomena are discovered and all involve Sun Jue’s viewpoint on the meaning of Chenwei. Because of Sun Jue’s expectation on Chenwei compilation and interpretation many “Contigent” were produced in the compilation styles and interpretation content. Through the research of this thesis, five specific results are obtained, firstly “clarifying Guweishu’s sources of references from the Chenwei orginal, emphasizing the results of Chenwei compilation results in Ming Dynasty”, secondly, “ revealing Guweishu’s editing styles, clarifying the reasons for not citing Chenwei original”, thirdly “ comprehensive exploration of Guweishu’s content, elucidating Guweishu’s objectives”, fourthly “listing the acceptance condition by the Ching Dynasty, commenting on Guweishu’s influences in Ching Dynasty”. Conclusion This paper is the first attempt on conducting the comprehensive study aimed at the appearance of citation, compilation content, editing styles and dissemination acceptance such facets of Guweishu at home and abroad. With the aim to clear former negative and bias criticism about the book, hence via the discussion of this thesis in hope to carry out comprehensive review on Guweishu, enabling Guweishu to obtain its deserved objective evaluation in history of Chenwei development, so as to highlight (manifest) the value of Guweishu

Reviewed by: From Spinster to Career Woman: Middle-Class Women and Work in Victorian England by Arlene Young Helen McKenzie (bio) Arlene Young, From Spinster to Career Woman: Middle-Class Women and Work in Victorian England (Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2019), pp. xii + 220, $29.95 paperback, $110.00 cloth. From Spinster to Career Woman: Middle-Class Women and Work in Victorian England opens with talk of revolution. Rather than the industrial revolution, Arlene Young charts a transformation for young women, one which slowly granted them a doorway into the professional world. Young [End Page 167] argues that the need for employment and reconceptualisations of professionalism, the middle-class woman, and femininity worked in dialogue through the second half of the nineteenth century. Focusing on nurses and typewriters, the book demonstrates how demographic determinates, social constructions, and literary representations influenced Victorian middle-class women who worked. Young sheds light on how the rise of the professional nurse and typewriter coincided with and manipulated Victorian "fixations" such as "the Woman Question, the Strong-Minded Woman, the Glorified Spinster, and the New Woman" (13). Young challenges scholarship by Christopher Keep and Katherine Mullin that predominantly focuses on the historical context and wider conceptions of work in the nineteenth century. Instead, she offers a fresh perspective by bringing literary representations into conversation with social and historical material. She warns that imposing modern views hampers understanding of the radical nature of nursing and typewriting in Victorian England. Moreover, Young argues that the demographic imbalance—the higher proportion of women to men through the nineteenth century—is essential to understanding social debates about women striving to work, challenging critics such as Ellen Jordan who downplay its role. Through her analysis of cultural and literary history, Young convincingly demonstrates how this imbalance shaped Victorian society. Young quotes from an 1892 issue of the Woman's Herald to establish the methodology integral to the book: "Ideals of womanhood are largely originated by heroines in real life, and by heroines in fiction, as well as by the unconscious but powerful interaction of these two factors" (4). Real and fictional heroines embody Young's premise that the periodical press and fiction contributed to social change and that the powerful interaction between cultural and literary constructions is integral to book history research. The texts under discussion include prose and fiction by well-known midcentury authors and prominent New Woman writers, as well as vignettes from the Idler, but the study also encompasses writers and periodicals on which there is little scholarship, offering a welcome addition to Victorian literary and social history. The book is effectively structured by pairing historical chapters on the rise of each profession with chapters analysing fiction. Each chapter (re)traces the developments of the nineteenth century, allowing Young to add new dimensions to the revolution rather than simply moving sequentially through the time period. However, as the profession of typewriting did not emerge until much later in the century, there is a slight imbalance of focus between nursing and typewriting, particularly in the number of fictional typewriters. The trope of marriage pervades the book, facilitating effective discussion of the incompatible Victorian constructions of femininity [End Page 168] and professionalism that meet in the figure of the middle-class working woman. In the first chapter, Young scrutinises shifting conceptions of employment, professionalism, and femininity in the context of the Woman Question. Focusing on the midcentury, she argues for the impact of the demographic gender imbalance and explores the burgeoning opportunities for middle-class women's remunerated employment. Further, Young contends that support or criticism for women's employment in the periodical press was not dictated by simple divisions between genres, readerships, and popularity, highlighting the plethora of voices in these debates. The second and third chapters offer valuable insights into middle-class women's path to professional nursing. As Young states, "The transition of the lady nurse from selfless volunteer to trained and efficient professional was anything but smooth" (39). Chapter two charts the historical events and debates integral to the professionalisation of nursing, including the Crimean War and the Guy's Hospital crisis in 1880. The Crimean War was influential in cementing associations...

Reviewed by: Qu’est-il arrivé aux écrivains français? d’Alain Robbe-Grillet à Jonathan Littell Lisa R. Van Zwoll Jean Bessière, Qu’est-il arrivé aux écrivains français? d’Alain Robbe-Grillet à Jonathan Littell Loverval, Belgium: Editions Labor, 2006, 90 pp. In a concise discussion of contemporary French literature, its authors, critics, and very existence, Jean Bessière asks, “What has become of French writers?” in his 2006 publication, Qu’est-il arrivé aux écrivains français? d’Alain Robbe-Grillet à Jonathan Littell. He proposes that contemporary French literature is in a constant state of contradiction and paradox involving blindness, addiction, and an obsessive affirmation of the present. In an effort to resolve these issues he searches for a foundational literature that can be liberated from the past and can become a valid part of the current approach to French literature. The rich past of French literature is a force to be reckoned with for authors and critics alike who find themselves in competition with a canon that one dares not match and includes such extraordinary writers as Hugo, Proust, Saint-Beuve, and Sartre. Bessière explores the difficulty in defining oneself as an author, and further, in defining literature itself. He suggests that literature becomes all-powerful, and manifests in the contemporary context itself with difficulty. As such, literature becomes “everything” that occurs, and contemporary literature waits its turn to be identified by authors and critics alike. Ultimately these endless discussions of what may or may not be literary enough demonstrate a theatrical quality in literature reflective of the paradoxical quality of the domain. Bessière further complicates the state of French literature in an examination of the tendency toward an obsession with modernity and refusal of the present. He suggests that modernity is not conceived of as it should be, as a human project and social infinity based on historical conditions. Rather, the obsessive see it as that which permits the allegory of the writer, of literature. Further, the question of the constancy of literature and its ability, as a constant presence, to complicate the relationship between the past and present is central to Bessière’s presentation of modernity’s continued influence on the state of literature. Bessière does see a move away from the distractions of the canonical past and the all-powerful literature that remain contradictory and paradoxical. In the concluding [End Page 187] sections of his work, Bessière narrows his definition of contemporary literature and provides examples of his vision in the work of Michel Houellebecq and Jonathan Littell. Unlike the canonical literature of the past, contemporary literature includes works of detective and science fiction as well as Holocaust and postcolonial writing. These works, for Bessière, play with the traditional notions of reality, time, and the subject and address the realm of the possible. Science fiction, for example, exists outside of the time and the society that we as readers consider to be “real”; however, those fantastic visions are created by a member of that “real” society, thus complicating the concept of reality as such. Holocaust writing also operates similarly for Bessière in that it offers a view to the past with modern eyes: readers are given a look at what could have been, but was not. In his conclusion, Bessière discusses what he has called “the new literature” as autopoiesis. His goal of finding a new foundation for literature is achieved in Jonathan Littell and his work Les Bienveillantes (2006). Littell’s creation of a homosexual Nazi officer does not seek to reveal unknown details about the Holocaust, rather, as Bessière suggests, he repeats the historical context and connects it to contemporary society. This new approach to creating and defining literature frees us from the blindness and the obsession with the past that Bessière thought provokingly examines. Bessière contributes to the ongoing discussion of literature that continuously evolves in demonstrating that literature itself becomes a part of its own creation. Lisa R. Van Zwoll United States Air Force Academy, Colorado Copyright © 2009 Southern Comparative Literature Association