The Deaf Sentence in “The Last Laugh”

Representations of Deafness and Deaf People in Young Adult Fiction

In late 1979 and early 1980, the late Seamus Heaney was in a flurry of activity. Employed from 1976 to 1981 as head of the English Department at Carysfort, a teachers' training college in Dublin, in 1979 he spent a semester teaching a poetry workshop at Harvard University where in January 1982 he began a five-year contract teaching one semester a year. Field Work, published by Faber and Faber, was issued on 15 October 1979, and in November, Charlotte Press Publications, based in Newcastle upon Tyne, published Gravities: A Collection of Poems with drawings by Noel Connor. Also in a limited edition in December 1979, the Byron Press produced Heaney's A Family Album.On 5 February 1980, Heaney found time to visit, read his poems, and speak at St. Mary's Catholic teachers' training college, Strawberry Hill, Twickenham, Middlesex. He was interviewed after his reading by a student named Georginia Mills. This subsequently was published in the literary magazine Strawberry Fare produced by the English Department at St. Mary's College. During its short run the magazine published fascinating interviews with leading literary figures, apart from Heaney these included Peter Porter, David Lodge, Beryl Bainbridge, D. J. Enright, Michael Holroyd, Richard Ellmann, Tom Stoppard, and others. Today, copies of the journal are extremely scarce; it ran from the mid-1970s to Autumn 1989. An incomplete run is in the British Library, call mark ZK.9. a. 41. A complete run is held in the archives of the college, which generously sent most of its duplicate copies to the present writer.John Iddon, who lectured at St Mary's College from 1970 to 2000 and edited the Strawberry Fare issue of Autumn 1980 in which Heaney's interview appeared (pp. 14–18), has generously given permission for it to be reprinted as has Faber and Faber permissions department responsible for the publication of Seamus Heaney's writings. The interview is recorded in Rand Brandes and the late Michael J. Durkan's magnificent Seamus Heaney: A Bibliography 1959–2003 as item F 17 (p. 426). It is followed in Strawberry Fare by Heaney's: “Hercules and Antaeus” (Brandes and Durkan: C326). The interview contains some references that need brief explication. “Summer 1969” refers to a poem in the second part of Heaney's collection North, published by Faber and Faber in 1975. Other Heaney poems referred to are “A Constable Calls,” “The Ministry of Fear,” and “Fosterage” found in North, and “Kinship,” appearing in Bog poems, also published in 1975. Georgina Mills [GM] refers to Heaney's experiences at “St Columbus” echoing St Columb's College, in Derry City where Heaney was a boarder from 1951 to 1957. Heaney's close friend Seamus Deane (b. 1940) the novelist, poet, and critic also attended St Columb's at the same time as Seamus Heaney. Ian Crichton Smith (1928–1998) was a prolific Scottish author from a strict Presbyterian background who wrote in English and Scottish Gaelic. Michael McClaverty (1904–1992), “a short story writer” and Heaney's “first headmaster” when he taught in 1962–1963 at St Thomas' Secondary School along the Whiterock Road in the upper Falls Road area of West Belfast, wrote novels and short stories. In this interview there are also references to Joyce, to Tacitus, to W. B. Yeats's poetry, the significance of Antaeus, and Philip Larkin's “Toads.”

Literature in the form of short stories captures the social issues and events of the day. Tamil short story writers use their writing to reflect on the Tamil culture and way of life. Feminist author Ambai has demonstrated how female characters can successfully handle issues in their lives. In Ambai's short stories, a girl who has been terrified for a very long time and unable to run by herself can be seen strolling as an innovator. Her short story, "A Green Bird with a Red Neck," explores a woman's life struggles and her love for her father. The collection of short stories "Payanam 21" demonstrates how determined women who wish to be married again must be to overcome obstacles at home and in society. The short story "The City that Rises from the Ashes" helps the reader to understand the sorrow of women who work despite age and retirement restrictions. Next, in the short story 'A Green Bird with a Red Neck', the author reveals that women abandoned by their husbands are determined to raise their children on their own. The short story "Veethal" depicts the suffering endured by mothers whose children live abroad. Another short story, 'Poikai' reveals that men cannot live a woman's life, even for a single day. Apart from these, the lives of economically backward women and the hardships faced by women in other countries can be seen in the short stories. Ambai's collection of short stories, "A Green Bird with a Red Neck," demonstrates how female characters bravely handle a variety of life issues. It has received the Best Book Award in Tamil for 2021. The purpose of this article is to explore the lives and problems of diverse women that are told in the thirteen short stories in this book.

Female writer Nguyen Huong Duyen is a member of the Vietnam Writers Association. As a writer who has appeared on the lute for about 15 years, her work has given off new and different vitality in the way she looks at life and people, especially in women. Therefore, changing the taste is something people are still interested in in a fairly familiar menu. Her works have been received by the public and literary critics in many different ways. The scope of this study includes three collections of short stories by Nguyen Huong Duyen: “The arduous waiting wharf” (2006), “Among men” (2015) and “Writing to you from this kitchen” (2020). The theoretical research of the thesis is the theoretical issues of short stories, generalization of short stories by Nguyen Huong Duyen in the flow of contemporary short stories and regional prose of Central Province of Quang Binh, Vietnam; salient features of the character's world, and modes of expression. From there, readers can see the contributions of writer Nguyen Huong Duyen to the development of female short stories in particular and contemporary Vietnamese prose in general. The study explores and clarifies the characteristics of female characters in both aspects of content and art of characters portrayed in the short stories by Nguyen Huong Duyen. On that basis, it shows the writer's creative characteristics and places her short stories in the flow of contemporary female short stories. It can be said that the female character in Nguyen Huong Duyen's short stories has left a deep impression on readers. Each female character appears with different life paths and identities, but they are similar in one point: they all have an insatiable desire to find self. Approaching Nguyen Huong Duyen's short stories, the researchers hope to contribute to understanding and identifying the characteristics of the female character, the research object that creates the appearance of Nguyen Huong Duyen's short stories while also recognizing the writer's contribution. This is in the context of contemporary female short stories in particular and prose in general.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0019/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Edith Wharton Society Panels at the American Literature Association Conference, Chicago, 2022

As a form of concern for women, especially in the literary field, researchers are interested in analyzing the short story entitled One Day in December 2002 by Sapardi Djoko Damono and the short story Fairy Tale Before Sleeping by Eka Kurniawan. This study aims to reveal the image of women in the short story One Day in December 2002 by Sapardi Djoko Damono and the short story Fairy Tale Before Sleeping by Eka Kurniawan. To support this research, the researcher conducted a structural analysis to find supporting data in revealing the image of women in the short story. The approach in this research is a liberal feminist approach. The results of this study are, 1) The short stories One Day in December 2002 and the Fairy Tale Before Bercita have the theme of problems that occur in domestic life, but there are differences in the two short stories which are the source of the problem. 2) The setting in both short stories takes the background of a husband and wife's life, the difference between the two short stories is the age of their marriage. 3) The characters and characterizations in the two short stories are divided into two, namely the main character and the supporting character. The main character in the short story One Day in December 2002 is Marsiyam and the main character in the short story Fairy Tale Before Making Love is Alamanda. 4) the image of women who dominate men is depicted through the activities or treatment carried out by the female characters. 5) the image of a woman who is smart and clever is depicted through the mindset of the female character. In the builders of the two short stories, One Day in December 2002 and the Fairy Tale Before Making Love, they are the theme, setting, and characterizations. Furthermore, the image of women that breaks the objectivity of women in the poems One Day in December 2002 and the Fairy Tale Before Making Love, namely, the image of women who dominate men and the image of women who are smart and intelligent. Keywords : image, women, feminism

Reviewed by: Unsent Letters: Irreverent Notes From a Literary Life Ellen Carol Jones Malcolm Bradbury . Unsent Letters: Irreverent Notes From a Literary Life. New York: Viking, 1988. 221 pp. $16.95. Unsent Letters is Malcolm Bradbury's letter to the world that never wrote to him: a collection of letters of the Moses Herzog "Dear Nietzsche" type, written not to the famous dead but to the famous never alive—Nabokov's Charles Kinbote, Bradbury's own Nathalie Pelham Barker, for example—and the famous still alive—Rushdie. The collection is collective, representative, all-purpose, intended to post(pone) any and all issues that Bradbury or his correspondents may address. It is itself one large "Wissenschaft" letter, that representative missile from abroad that the desperate scholar sends: "If your books are funny, please tell me where, and send me your ontology of the comedic and your theoretiks of the humoristic, and how you like to compare yourself with Aristotle, Nietzsche, Bergson and Freud." [End Page 385] Bradbury founds his ontology of the comedic and theoretiks of the humoristic in irreverence, particularly toward the pretensions of academia, as his epistolary lay-person's guide to conferences, complete with a sample multipurpose conference paper, and his university novels, Small World and Changing Places ("My professor hints me that you and David Lodge are the same person"), bear witness. If Malcolm Bradbury did indeed write the texts that claim him—and not David Lodge—as author, his writing includes short stories, verse, plays, criticism, and novels; his novels are Eating People Is Wrong, Stepping Westward, The History Man, Rates of Exchange, My Strange Quest for Mensonge, and Cuts. One of the unsent letters, "Inspeak: Your Streetwise Guide to Linguistics and Structuralism," written to a Semiotic Enquirer, purports to answer those questions raised by his most wicked satire yet of the postmodern condition of the university, the fin de siècle philosophies of posthumanist scepticism, in My Strange Quest for Mensonge. But the very presence of the new philosopher who calls all in doubt, Henri Mensonge—indeed, the very representation of his voice in the text of the letter or the letter of the text—give the lie to the ontological necessity (or anti-ontological necessity) of his absence in the novel itself. By his absence Mensonge remains the purest instance of the death of the author, living proof of Roland Barthes's famous comment that "linguistically the Author is never more than the instance writing." Barthes, who apparently meant by his phrase "the death of the author" something not quite identical to the Ayatollah Khomeini's literal reading of the term, claims that the literary author—the kind of author who goes around signing copies, claiming authority and wisdom for the books he or she likes to think she or he wrote, and suggesting indeed that the text has accurately presented "reality"—is an invention of bourgeois mercantile capitalism. Given the politics of the time this review is being written, the opening remarks of Bradbury's "The Man with the Grey Flannel Head," a letter addressed to "Mr. Rushdie" about refusing to prostitute art to commercial and political pressures, seem uncannily prescient: In the literary circles in which I twist and turn, there is . . . a good deal of anxiety expressed about how a writer can make a reasonable living these days. . . . One [solution] is that any sensible government should realize that great art is a great national investment . . . . Suggestions to this effect have been made to Mrs. Thatcher, President Reagan and indeed all the major world leaders, but so far none of them has got round to sending an answer. Other people, more philistine in disposition, take the view that authors themselves should take responsibility for ensuring their own survival . . . . Would that we appreciate the function of criticism at the present time and our letters to the world—unlike the politicians' answers—not remain unsent. [End Page 386] Copyright © 1989 Purdue Research Foundation

This research aims to describe gender relations towards female characters in short stories Jemani Kini by Djenar Maesa Ayu and Sepasang Mata Dinaya yang Terpenjara by Ni Komang Ariani. This research was conducted by applying descriptive qualitative method. The object of this research is short story Sepasang Mata Dinaya yang Terpenjara Karya Ni Komang Ariani and short story Jemari Kini Karya Djenar Maaesa Ayu. Data collection was done by reading and listening to both short stories. This research focuses on gender relations towards female characters. The results of this study found the existence of gender relations towards female characters in these two short stories, namely women are still placed in the position of housewives, women who try to overcome the thoughts that exist in the society. In this short story there is also a woman's lack of freedom after she gets married. Basically, women can get their rights in social interaction. There are still thoughts that influence traditions and ways of thinking that say that women are better off carrying out their obligations in household affairs.

Abstract: Short story as one of literary works can be the reflection of human life and also historical background in which human live in certain time and period. The portrayal of the characters in the short story can describe vividly the life of people in the real life in certain period. This article tries to portray how women in America living under the pressure of patriarchy during 1920s and it is described though female character in Mary E Wilkins’s The Revolt of Mother. The struggle of female character in this short story to survive upon the oppression of patriarchy is so touching and inspiring. The author creates such a delicate but tough female character who finally can conquer her husband’s absolute privilege which made her to live with suffering for forty years. The female character’s suffering in this short story is hoped to be our inspiration to give more appreciation for women, and giving them protection from the violence comes from patriarchy. 
 
 Key words: female character, short story, patriarchy

Purpose: Emaswati literature texts, like other written works of art are cyclical, they resemble each other in different ways. This study is a qualitative analysis of the intertextuality of Emaswati literature texts, it analyses how Emaswati texts permeate each other. The main aim of this study was to analyse the interrelatedness of the portrayal of women in two short stories from Khulumani Sive by Zodwa Motsa, a collection of stories depicting Emaswati cultural values. It synthesizes mainly the social, cultural and political issues depicted in the short stories. Methodology: It is a qualitative analysis of the interrelatedness of Emaswati literature texts. Document analysis was used as a data collection tool. The inclusion criteria were stories prescribed to be taught in the senior secondary school in Eswatini during the period 2021-2024. Purposive sampling was used to select prose fiction; the short story genre, a sample of two stories for the study. These were “Phumani Nelikhambi” and “Sewesitsatfu Lomnyaka” both authored by Thembekile Msibi. Content analysis was used to analyse data. The analysis of the content for the two stories was based on the ideas of the new historicism literary theory which regards that ideologies depicted in literature texts are situated within the surrounding context. Findings: The findings revealed that the two short stories share the same social, cultural and political issues. Amongst others were that most of the responsibility in the home is assigned or expected to be done by women. Also, all the female characters in the stories are expected to adhere to societal conventions that they are to work harder above their husbands and see to it that things are in order. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy, and Practice: The conclusions drawn from the synthesis of the ideas portrayed in the two short stories were that the two women portrayed as protagonists shared the same fate. They were overburdened with family responsibilities while men were relaxed. Also, their progress and development were confined by societal conventions. The two stories are therefore intertextual. Another conclusion was that Emaswati culture, socialization and political environment greatly influenced the expectations from the two women in the stories. Therefore, the synthesis of the two short stories showed that siSwati literature texts are not only products but producers of culture as well. The pedagogical recommendations are that during the analysis of literature texts, the ideas depicted should be taught and synthesized alongside other works of art available in the society in different forms. Lastly, learners should be taught how to evaluate the ideas depicted in siSwati literature texts as opposed to mastering them.

Eudora Welty was a product of the South America’s rich oral tradition. She was a brilliant and gifted story teller. Her most celebrated medium was the short story, and her main subject was the family, though she personally never married. The present paper presents Welty’s association with her native state in South America, which reflected in her all writings – a brief summary of the short story “A Curtain of Green” - concept of ‘isolation’ in “A Curtain of Green”- Welty’s points of view in projecting the concept ‘isolation’ in the short story. Mrs. Larkin is seen living in isolation since the death of her husband. She spent most of the day in her garden to get rid of the memories of the sudden and tragic death of her husband. Her human relations, love and affection with her husband are pointed out. The role of Jamey, a black coloured boy in Mrs. Larkin’s isolated life is discussed. Key words: Eudora Welty, short stories, a curtain of green, isolation, point of view, human relations.

Culture is an identity formed by members of a society as a reference for intellectual development and is expressed in various forms, including the literature of that society. Accordingly, this study aims to discuss the role of culture in influencing character formation portrayed in Malay literary works. Focusing on female characters, this paper explores Mawar Safei’s tendency to elevate the image of the Malay Muslim woman in her works. This inclination provides justification for the capability of female authors to portray the ideal female Malay character from their own perspective. This is an important topic to address, given previous research findings that tend to align the depiction of female Malay Muslim characters with Western thought models. These findings have sparked a paradigm of reductionism or the neglect of Malay-Islamic philosophical aspects and worldview in discussions of female characters in literary works. Thus, the current study examines the role of culture in shaping female Muslim characters using an analysis framework based on the Islamic concept of Mahabbah (divine love for Allah) to emphasise the author’s commitment to this aspect. The discussion on Malay culture based on the concept of Mahabbah is subsequently focused on three of Mawar Safei’s short stories—Gempa Pulau Perca, Antara Dua Rumah di Lereng Bukit, and Tangan Umi dan Takwil Mimpi—in the short story collection Narasi Tanah Selandia Baru dan Kisah Lainnya (2021). The analysis and findings conclude that the cultural elements used in shaping the female Muslim characters in Mawar Safei’s works reflect the intellectual depth of a female author in guiding the intellectual development of her readers.

In the practices of social life in various regions and tribes, there are still many gender injustices. Placing women as weak and do not have the same rights as men. This gender injustice is reflected in literary works, one of which is the short story A Pair of Imprisoned Dinaya Eyes by Ni Komang Ariani. This research aims to describe and explain the form of gender injustice contained in the short story A Pair of Imprisoned Dinaya Eyes by Ni Komang Ariani. The research method used in this study is a qualitative descriptive method using a feminist literary criticism approach. The data source is the short story A Pair of Imprisoned Dinaya Eyes by Ni Komang Ariani. In contrast, the data in this study are quotations from short stories, which are the problem and the purpose study. The results of the study show that there is gender inequality in the short story A Pair of Imprisoned Dinaya Eyes by Ni Komang Ariani, namely that women only take care of the household with domestic tasks, accept arranged marriages, are not allowed to work outside, and only serve their husbands, and female characters only do silent fight.

This research aims to examine the discourse on Balinese women's resistance against patriarchal culture as reflected in short stories by three Balinese women writers. Short stories by Oka Rusmini, Kadek Sonia Piscayanti, and Devy Gita were analyzed using Sara Mills' theory of feminist critical discourse analysis and Hélène Cixous' feminine writing. This research uses qualitative methods with data collection techniques in the form of literature study. The female characters in these short stories are both positioned as objects and subjects who fight against sexual harassment, domestic burdens, and pseudo identity. However, the writer's position expresses women's rebellion who cut off her legs, decided to become a prostitute, and planned her death. The reader's position then has implications for women's independence as outlined in the short story as women who are independent in the domestic, economic and traditional fields; support the family; and take care of herself and her children after divorce. The objective of this research is to provide inspiring ideas to voice and fight for injustice due to patriarchal culture experienced by Balinese women in particular and Indonesia in general. In addition, this research is also hoped to be a comparison in depicting the insights of women writers' struggles in various different cultural narratives, especially from the perspective of the global south.

Tamil society is considered to be one of the oldest societies. Various problems like caste and economic inequalities along with gender differences exist in this society. Among these, gender inequality serves as a subject of debate till date. In society, women are not treated equally. In areas such as education, employment and marriage, women are treated poorly as compared to men. This inequality appears in different manners at different stages in time. Contemporary literature is written to show antagonism to this inequality. Particularly, short stories play a vital role in delineating these differences. Short story writer S. Ramakrishnan has given centre stage to the day-to-day problems faced by women in his short stories. The female characters portrayed in his stories struggle to establish their equality in spite of the troubles life throws at them. From his collection of short stories named Avalathu Veedu, two stories Avalathu Veedu and Embaavai are taken as primary sources for this research article. This article analyses the psychology of two female characters, Agalya and Nanmathi, who represent the main characters of the selected short stories. The social change represented from their psychological characteristics is also discussed. The principles of psychological defence mechanism is used to analyse the characteristics of these female characters.