The Life and Legacy of Count Leon: The Man Who Cleft the Harmonie

The world of laughter is often deemed frivolous. Clowns have taught us otherwise. This paper investigates the convoluted politics of laughter in relation to clowning, arguing that clowns (and the laughter they elicit) blur humour and horror and, in doing so, offer a corrective to officialdom. I analyse laughter as a social phenomenon (following Bergson, Benjamin, and Bakhtin) and as a mediating form, bound up in power structures and political concerns that are both local and transhistorical. To contextualise the (d)evolution of the clown, I first discuss ambiguity, misfitness, and failure, and then consider the English Clown Joseph Grimaldi and the French Pierrot Jean-Gaspard Deburau. These performers, I suggest, represent the two main strands of clowns in popular culture: the melancholy outcast and the murderous deviant. I explore each strand via 1920s silent films, including Sjöström’s He Who Gets Slapped (1924), Chaplin’s The Circus (1928), Leni’s The Man Who Laughs (1928), and Brenon’s Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928). These are works of social indictment that debunk monolithic depictions of clowns and laughter, critiquing conformity, social asymmetries, vices, and industrial growth. Clowning is more than playing an artistic, sociocultural role: it hinges on radical resistance and carries a political valence.

Man Who Has It All is the online persona behind a satirical Facebook page that offers a look into a world where gender roles have been reversed and men are constantly bombarded with the same kinds of condescending and sexist ideas women face in real life. This presentation describes and analyzes the strategies utilized by Man Who Has It All (and the community in his Facebook comments) to satirize patriarchal and misogynistic gender ideologies, identified in general as allusion, reversal, distillation, and collaboration. These strategies, taking advantage of the multimodal affordances of social media, operate on both a linguistic and paralinguistic level. My analysis focuses especially on the use of strategic reversal to bring the absurdity of deeply entrenched sexist attitudes to the level of conscious awareness, and on the role of language in reproducing gender ideologies.

The Joker has risen from a mere episodic appearance as a negative character in the early 1940s to the fans’ centre of interest either as Batman’s utter foil or the vigilante’s faithful self-reflection. At the same time, the character’s appeal also lies in its permanent transformation and transgression from Victor Hugo’s novel in the second half of the 19th century, to the comic books in the mid and late 20th century, and the films at the beginning of the new millennium. This article aims to offer an overview of the Joker’s features as they appear in three forms of artistic expression – literature, comic books, and film – examining them as embodiments of the Jungian trickster archetype, found in other literary works as well. For this purpose, in addition to the comic books and films where the Joker appears as the insidious antagonist, we have selected three writers who have created Joker-like characters or worlds in their literary productions, namely Victor Hugo with his The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831) and The Man Who Laughs (1869), le Marquis de Sade with The 120 Days of Sodom (1785), and F.M. Dostoevsky with the novel The Possessed (1872). The rationale behind extending our analysis to several works is that, in order to ascertain the character’s function as an archetype, it must appear as an explicit figure in as many works as possible, or at least emerge as a mental projection. Such an approach would qualify, in our opinion, for an assessment of Carl G. Jung’s theory of the archetypes rooted in the collective unconscious (Jung 1959/1969), since the term “collective” implies a large number. The criteria considered in opting for these particular writers and novels took into account defining themes in the profile of the Joker that were identified in the above-mentioned works, in addition to the portrayal of the character in comic books and films. These overarching ideas included: the masks of insanity, the appearance of monstrosity, perspectives on the essence of human nature, evil and psychopathy, chaos and nihilism, the relation between madness and power, the radicalization of the philosophy of protest and subversion, the fabrication of morality, good versus evil, dominance and control, psychopathology and deviance, the providential leader, freedom and choice. At the same time, the order for introducing these writers’ works into our analytical interpretation will be based on preference for the chronology of their respective contents, and not the succession of the writers’ lives. In other words, we will start with Victor Hugo because not only did he inspire the creation of the Joker, but he also introduced the image of the disfigured fool as alterity and alienation in the medieval world, as represented by the characters of Quasimodo and Gwynplaine. Then, we will delve into the 18th-century libertinage and moeurs with Sade’s amoralists from the citadel of The 120 Days of Sodom. And, lastly, we will probe into the analogy between the Joker and Verhovensky from Dostoevsky’s novel The Possessed, as elements of evil and radicalization of nihilism in the 19th century. Together with the comic and cinematographic adaptations of the Batman stories (featuring the Joker) set in the 20th and 21st centuries, the profile of the Joker as an archetypal character will demonstrate its validity. With the exception of Victor Hugo’s character, Gwynplaine, from the novel The Man Who Laughs, whose serving as the original source of inspiration for the Joker in Batman was attested by the creator of Batman, Bob Kane himself (Kane, 1989), the interpretation of the characters, themes, and other particularities from the literary works approached in this article as part of the Trickster archetype manifested by the Joker, is entirely original. To our knowledge, there is no previous academic study that has examined these works through a Joker-focused perspective.

The article is devoted to the critical reception of Dostoevsky’s work in Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century. Critics regarded this period as the time of the “cult of Dostoevsky”. The novelty of the article is related to the fact that previously only Dostoevsky’s influence on the fiction of this period had been studied. The author of the article turns to the translation and publishing practices, the socio-political background of the reception of Dostoevsky, and the reasons for the renewed interest in Russian literature. The author highlights the most characteristic examples of critical articles about Dostoevsky, and draws a conclusion about a change in the perception of Dostoevsky relative to the previous wave of interest in him. Thus, now Dostoevsky’s “morbidity” is perceived not as a shortcoming, but as a feature of genius. The view of Dostoevsky as a nihilist that was characteristic for the 1880s is debunked, giving way to attempts to designate him either as an anarchist or a socialist, or as an individualist, or as a nationalist. Two ways of actualizing Dostoevsky’s work in the context of Russian literature of the beginning of the 20th century are distinguished, when he is considered, on the one hand, as a predecessor of M. Gorky, and on the other, of L. Andreev.

This paper explores contemporary Pakistani artist Bani Abidi’s work that interrogates the intertwined histories of archival power and national narratives in Pakistan’s socio-political life. Her work at times strains against the archive and at other times works alongside it, always acknowledging the construction of historical narratives and the political power that underlies them. Abidi is, therefore, among a group of contemporary artists and scholars who wrestles with how to address the silences and disparities of national and historical narratives. A careful analysis of three works informs this paper. In The Man Who Talked Until He Disappeared, Abidi creates an archive of individuals who have been disappeared by the state. The three-part series The Boy Who Got Tired of Posing might be said to act as a counter-archive that examines the power of historical narratives, demonstrating the way archives are as much about erasure as they are about preservation. Finally, Memorial to Lost Words directly confronts the archive by locating histories purposely excluded from narratives of World War I. Altogether, we might consider these works not just archival resistance, but also as a memorial—to the dispossessed and the disappeared. Throughout these works, Abidi urges viewers to consider what gets remembered? Who is allowed to figure in our histories? And how are histories documented and disseminated? This paper considers the myriad ways Abidi’s practice draws our attention to the entangled histories of power and violence that continue to inform archival histories.

For the first time in both domestic and international literary studies, the motif of the lost paradise becomes the subject of an independent investigation within the context of G. K. Chesterton's works. In existing scholarly publications, this motif is mentioned only within the analysis of the garden imagery in the novel The Man Who Was Thursday, completed by E.V. Vasilyeva. Traditionally, researchers have focused not on the author's poetics but on the ideological aspects of his work. The motif of the lost paradise holds a significant place in Chesterton's oeuvre. The specific nature of its function in the English writer's works lies in the fact that the lost paradise is not irrevocably lost. Thus, the tragedy inherent in this motif within European literature is overcome by Chesterton, which emphasizes the uniqueness of his artistic world. The study employs the comparative method. It examines Chesterton's works pertaining to different genres and periods of the author's career. This article analyses the motif of the lost paradise in the works of G. K. Chesterton, one of the leading English writers of the twentieth century. The research encompasses a wide range of genres, including short stories, novels, treatises, and essays, and reveals the significance of this motif in the author's creative output. Particular attention is paid to the influence of Milton's poem Paradise Lost on Chesterton. The paper examines the specific features of the lost paradise motif's function in Chesterton's texts, as well as its interrelation with other motifs, such as miracle, freedom, love, the regained paradise, and idyllic and apocalyptic motifs. This research allows for a clarification of the specific features of Chesterton's poetics, particularly the motif structure of his novels and short stories, and serves to define the place of his work within the context of twentieth-century English literature.

This study examines The Man who sold his skin (L’Homme qui a vendu sa peau) by Kaouther Ben Hnia, focusing on how the film employs contemporary art as a lens to address social, political and ethical issues. The central problem revolves around the commodification of human existence and the intersection of freedom and exploitation in a globalized world. The methodology involves a critical analysis of the film's narrative, symbolism, and visual elements to uncover its critique of systemic inequalities, the art market's role in perpetuating exploitation, and the moral dilemmas surrounding migration and consent. The findings reveal the film's capacity to challenge capitalist values and provoke discourse on humanity's boundaries, positioning it as a significant piece of socially engaged cinema.

Commemorating Roberto M Lang: The Man Who Knew How to Capture the Depth, Surface Texture, and Spirit of the Heart

This article examines the oxymoron as an expressive device actively employed by Victor Hugo in the novel «The Man Who Laughs». The study aims to identify the structural, semantic, and functional features of oxymoronic constructions found in the literary text. Special attention is paid to how semantically opposite elements are combined within a single utterance, forming a poetics of paradox typical of Romanticism. Based on analysis of specific passages from the novel, the research identifies lexical-morphological models of oxymorons and their role in creating emotional tension, vivid imagery, and philosophical depth. Oxymoron is considered not only as a stylistic figure, but also as a key component of the author's worldview, conveying the idea of the fusion of opposites in human fate. The material of the study is the Russian translation of the novel, compared with the original French text. The article applies methods of contextual and lingo-stylistic analysis, whose results confirm the significance of oxymorons in the compositional structure and ideological content of the work.

In the beginning was Buckland . . . William Buckland . . . famed theologian, dinosaur hunter and experimental gourmet, but most importantly father of fellow Victorian eccentric, Frank, after whom The Buckland Club was named. Both men actively set out to consume the weird and wonderful. Indeed, a recent BBC piece on Radio 4 about William was called ‘The Man Who Tried to Eat Every Animal on Earth’, while Richard Girling’s excellent book about naturalist Frank was titled The Man Who Ate the Zoo. In 1952, with a country still enwrapped by the gastronomic stranglehold of rationing, the Club was formed. It attracted ‘fishermen, doctors and clubbable MEN of a literary bent’, however they also needed to be living or working in close proximity to Birmingham. Seventy plus years later and the Club still thrives with upwards of fifty members and guests meeting twice annually.

Despite the many advancements in the field of medicine, the delivery of quality, personalized care for patients is seldom consistently achieved. In a field where excellence of patient care is a focal point, patient dissatisfaction continues to be a paramount symptom of a poor, fragmented patient-physician relationship. What can physicians do to achieve a stronger, balanced relationship with their patients and improve the quality of care they provide? Through a critical examination of the perspectives of physician authors of several texts, including Dr. Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air, Dr. Danielle Ofri’s What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear, Dr. Oliver Sacks’ The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hate and Other Clinical Tales, Dr. Damon Tweedy’s Black Man in a White Coat, and Dr. Ian Williams et al.’s Graphic Medicine Manifesto, this paper discusses, synthesizes, and evaluates such current published insight in order to achieve a balanced, patient-physician relationship. By exploring and critiquing these viewpoints, an overall plan for patient care is proposed; the resulting need for communication and restrained empathy serves as a takeaway in patient care for both current and aspiring healthcare professionals.

Background: Gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) is a frequent emergency department (ED) presentation with rare but life-threatening causes, including arterio-enteric fistulas (AEF), which account for less than 1% of GIB cases. Ilio-enteric fistulas are even more rare but have similar morbidity and mortality. Methods: This case report describes a 51-year-old male with a history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, diabetic retinopathy, and pancreas–kidney transplantation who presented to the ED with a massive hemorrhage from an ilio-enteric fistula. Despite initial stability, the patient became hypotensive and deteriorated to pulseless electrical activity (PEA) arrest. Despite multiple arrests, he survived and was discharged to a rehabilitation facility. Results: AEFs, particularly iliac-enteric fistulas, are diagnostically challenging and often present with nonspecific symptoms. Diagnostic imaging, especially CT angiography, is crucial, although initial non-contrast CT may miss the diagnosis. Early consultation with vascular surgery is essential for managing these patients. Conclusions: This case underscores the need to consider AEF in the differential diagnosis of GIB, particularly in post-transplant patients, and highlights the importance of prompt intervention.

Throughout the twentieth century, there was a growing resistance against medical authorities’ control of illness stories so they could claim power to shape their illness accounts through personal writings. This paper examines David Adam’s The Man Who Couldn’t Stop through which the medical field’s traditional system of knowledge comes under scrutiny because it focuses on the personal experience of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Through power-knowledge theory Foucault reveals how medical institutions have dominated clinical speech over patient accounts. David Adam uses his memoir to provide deep insights into OCD while criticising the clinical community’s usual treatment approach to the condition. Doctors maintain an unbalanced power dynamics with their patients that promotes a treatment system which keeps patients unaware about realfacts. Adam develops an opposing perspective which eliminates medical control over the patient story through his courageous recovery of personal voice. Through Foucault’s theoretical framework this study demonstrates that his memoir transform mental illness knowledge boundaries as well as reveal medical knowledge constraints. It fights metaphorically to establish a revolutionary change which establishes balanced empathetic and fair partnerships between medical staff and patients in mental health care systems.

The prevalence of inadequacy in the levels of comprehension, when it comes to an individual undergoing health imbalance is still a repressed concern. With comparatively minimal exposure on Language disorders3 in the Indian context, the construction and provision of an appropriate milieu that suffices the psycho-social4 needs of the individuals is a pressing priority. “Inclusivity” as a terminology has been gaining momentum in a multitude of spaces and yet the convalescing journeys of the individuals whose disruption of their ability to language1, prevails as an under-represented and undocumented arena of research and representation. This study is an attempt towards mainstreaming the media and literary documentation of pathographic narratives (especially language and communication disorders, i.e. Aphasia2) that aim at transforming the obscure knowledge of language disorders among the population into an agreeable scholarship creating a platform for a better psycho-social environment. This study is a representation of the muted outcry of those experiencing language disorders and in addition an attempt in channelizing the need for a global digital space that merges literature and media representations of the same. This study highlights the convergence of literature (The Man Who Lost his Language), media (My Beautiful Broken Brain) and sociology in thriving towards a socio-centered environment in India.

This paper brings to light a forgotten Latin poem, ‘In quendam qui ebrius in vrbe Moscua periculū fecerit fortitudinis in imagines camini’/ ‘On a Certain Man Who, While Being Drunk in the City of Moscow, Tested His Mettle Against Some Images on a Stove’ by Richard James (1592–1638), a Jacobean traveller, diplomat and polymath. Between 1618 and 1620 James participated in an English legation to Muscovy. The main product of his extensive stay was his diary, containing the first Russian–English dictionary, remarks about Russian culture and six Russian folk songs. However, James’ contribution to Russian–English literary relations – which was greater than is usually cited – includes a connection to Spain. His notebook also contained English and Latin poems, some dealing with Russia and Russian affairs, among them the epigram cited above, a facetious, mock-epic description of the wanton acts of some Russian drunkard, who attacked an image with a sword. The poet likens him to ‘pistilli equitem’ (the Knight of the Burning Pestle) and ‘Iberum Kishotum’ (Don Quixote) an allusion that can be safely placed among the top 40 earliest literary references to Don Quixote in England, and is definitely the earliest reference to Cervantes’ character on Russian soil.

By focusing on Peter Brook and Marie Hélène Estienne’s The Man Who, Je suis un phénomène [ I Am a Phenomenon], and The Valley of Astonishment alongside Théâtre de Complicité’s (now Complicité) Mnemonic, this article analyses how several major postdramatic plays of the late 1980s and 1990s reclaimed a cultural concept of memory that questioned the neoliberal regime of the real. In the struggle to expose neoliberalism’s agenda, Brook and Estienne and Théâtre de Complicité present the fragmentation and imperfection of memory as a conscious attempt to recover the actual nature of human experience against nostalgic images of a better past and triumphalist accounts of a utopian accomplished present.

This research aims to describe the use of conversational implicatures in the novel "A Man Who Leaves the House" by Phutut EA. Type of descriptive qualitative research. The data source is the speech of the characters in the novel. Data collection techniques in this research are reading techniques and note-taking techniques. The research results revealed that there were 5 general conversational implicatures, 5 specific conversational implicatures, and 10 themed conversational implicatures in the novel "Seorang Laki-laki yang Keluar dari Rumah" by Phutut EA.

The Man Who Understood Democracy: The Life of Alexis de Tocqueville, by Olivier Zunz

The Man Who Organized Nature: The Life of Linnaeus, by Gunnar Broberg