Present-day Readers Research Articles

Análise do gênero epístola bíblica à luz dos estudos linguísticos contemporâneos

ABSTRACT The article aims to examine the behavior of contemporary speech genre theory in the analysis of Pauline epistles. The genre of letters is conceived within its original communicative purpose, limited to sender and receivers, whereas the epistle refers to the letter read outside of its original context, considered as literature. The research corpus is composed of the Corinthian epistles of the New Testament, which are accepted as authored by the Apostle Paul. They are selected due to their shared audience, enabling a comparison of production context aspects in the apostle’s writings over time. Research findings include: letters that acquire new meanings, when transformed into epistles with a broader readership; the epistle genre, despite undergoing significant modifications, remains recognizable to present-day readers due to its macrostructure; the social role and communicative intent of the sender that result in alternating usage of formal and informal language, as well as variations in discourse person.

On Transliterating the Book of Odes

The Chinese Book of Odes (詩經), a poetry anthology that is possibly the earliest literary monument in any still-living language, used phonetic effects such as rhyme, metre, and alliteration to achieve its poetic artistry. However, these effects have been largely obliterated by changes in the sounds of Chinese over almost three millennia, and the non-alphabetic nature of Chinese script has concealed the fact that the effects once existed. The author discusses some of the issues that arise in compiling an edition of the Odes that uses transliteration of the original pronunciation, as reconstructed by recent historical linguistics, to restore their “speech music”, as well as issues in producing new English versions of the poetry which come as close as possible to show present-day readers what the poems were for their first readers.

‘Many a story is but a crooked way to the truth’?

The myth of King Arthur has been used for many purposes. In post-disaster fiction for young adults, the Arthurian myth has been drawn upon by a number of authors to advocate unity and equality as major factors in creating a just and peaceful world. This article focuses on seven texts set after major global disaster caused by human action has devastated, or is threatening to devastate, the world of the implied present-day reader. The texts for discussion are Ron Langenus’ Merlin’s Return; Janice Elliott’s The King Awakes and The Empty Throne; and Pamela Service’s Winter of Magic’s Return, Tomorrow’s Magic, Yesterday’s Magic, and Earth’s Magic. Although King Arthur is portrayed differently by the three authors, he is presented as a figurehead of unity and peace in all of the texts, and the texts all transpose contemporary values held by the implied author and the implied reader onto what the texts present as ‘King Arthur’s time’, in order to suggest that greed, selfishness, and lust for power contributed to the destruction of King Arthur’s society, and are also threatening to destroy the world of the implied reader. Drawing upon Foucault’s concept of the regime of truth, this article demonstrates that the forms of the Arthurian myth used in the texts for discussion are, however, inherently gendered and nationalistic, and thus subvert the ideas of equality and unity that the texts seek to present.

Beletristická rekonštrukcia portrétu Štefana Krčméryho z posledných rokov života (Anton Baláž, Povedz slovo čisté, 2017)

The novel’s portrayal of an unknown part of the life of Štefan Krčméry (1892 – 1955), his stay in a psychiatric asylum (1949–1955), belongs to the category of rare topics in contemporary Slovak fiction. In the novel Povedz slovo čisté, Anton Baláž gradually uncovers Krčméry’s complex, dramatic internal life through depictions of the onset and overcoming of apathetic states in the narrative, which also contains a series of diary entries by Júlia Orlovská, Krčméry’s attending physician. These entries record his lasting commitment to such values as the nation, religious faith, creative freedom, and the liberating space of literature. Carefully revealing his thoughts, attitudes and desires, Baláž completes the image of Krčméry as that of an artist, scientist, and preacher, who tries to hold on to these values even at the end of his life journey. Karol Matulay, the director of the treatment center in Pezinok, who is closely monitored by the new totalitarian regime, perceives him as a person with a „liberated imagination” or creative freedom, which can serve as a model for the „crouched imagination of Bratislava’s literati”. While the image of the final stage of Krčméry’s life seems more static, the fictitious character of Jakub Daňo, an ambitious student interested the world of literature, appears as a more dynamic and emotionally active character. According to the author, Krčméry confronts himself with the emotional experience of situations in time and space contained in his memory, with the time against which he is powerless and deprived of human dignity, due to his illness, but free. As a historical and sociological document, Baláž’s novel Povedz slovo čisté (2017) did not generate the „hero/heroes” of the current chaotic digital age; instead, the motivation behind his characters’ actions and behavior is timeless, while its empirical and epistemological value for the present-day reader is indisputable.

E. N. Tsimbaeva. Women and men in the history and literature of the mid-18th — early 20th centuries: Behind the stage of a literary text

E. Tsimbaeva’s monograph analyzes the literature of the mid-18th — early 20th cc. in comparison with the realia of the everyday that were omitted from books by contemporary writers as too obvious and have become obscure and unknown to present-day readers. Notably, the book suggests that the commonly accepted rules and conventions of a period would often determine the plots of contemporary works of literature and shape the images and psychology of their characters, whereas new generations of readers may have trouble understanding their seemingly random and strange behaviour. The scholar argues that the bygone realia of the everyday and customs left behind the scenes of a literary text may not be deduced by the modern reader and therefore provide material for studies by present-day historians. Tsimbaeva’s study focuses on this missing knowledge and its cultural and literary significance.

Review: The Responsive Environment: Design, Aesthetics, and the Human in the 1970s

Review: <i>The Responsive Environment: Design, Aesthetics, and the Human in the 1970s</i>

OTHERNESS OF TREES: FACTNESS AND FICTION IN RECENT NARRATIVES OF ARBOREAL SURVIVAL

The primary intention of this article is to explore some of the ways in which present-day readers, living in an age of increasing awareness of ecological change, interact with the concept of the “tree” as it appears in a variety of discourses: children’s fiction, TV documentary, scholarly writing, popularising ecological discourse, and recent mainstream Anglophone fiction, most notably that of the Turkish-British novelist Elif Shafak, whose The Island of Missing Trees (2021) features a sentient tree as a prominent narrator. The primary concern of this article is then to discuss some of the ways in which fictional texts have been augmented by popularising, fact-based discourses, most notably by the use of anthropomorphism, which supposedly permits the reader to “imagine” the existence of the arboreal Other. Inevitably, given the range of discursive sources, the findings are in part conflictual, although all can be seen to contribute in different ways to the current human-centred re-imagination of the perceived fraught relationship that exists between the natural world and the human being.

Bernard Shaw as Political Writer

Bernard Shaw as Political Writer

A Quest for Remembrance: The Underworld in Classical and Modern Literature

A Quest for Remembrance: The Underworld in Classical and Modern Literature

Introduction

Introduction Ryan Thomas Skinner (bio) Djibril Tamsir Niane’s Soundjata ou l’épopée mandingue (1960) is, without a doubt, one of the most important texts published in African studies in the twentieth century. To the readers of this journal, the book is also arguably one of the most important modern publications of any kind. The breadth and depth of Soundjata’s influence—on Mande studies, African studies, and the human-istic enterprise more generally—cannot be overstated. In the wake of Niane’s recent passing (1932–2021), and in light of Soundjata’s long published lifespan, now entering its seventh decade, it is an opportune time to pay homage to and reflect on the significance and substance of Niane’s seminal work and influential life. Published on the cusp of African independence from European colonial rule, Soundjata is profoundly, indeed foundationally, postcolonial. The text presents an archetypal story of triumph over adversity in terms of both the character arc of its main protagonist, Sunjata Keita—from outcast to emperor—and the society that this singular Mande Mansa is destined to establish, turning a modest kingdom into a mighty empire. To Pan-Africanists and anticolonial activists alike, then as now, Niane’s text is equal parts revelatory and revolutionary, revealing a historic precedent for modern aspirations for African renaissance and unity. Soundjata also makes a full-throated case for the historical and cultural value of oral traditions, and the art of the griot (jeliya) in particular. In the face of obscurantist and injurious colonial “myths,” to paraphrase Herskovits, “of the African past,” Soundjata makes a rich and uplifting case for the status, identity, and importance of griots (jeliw) and their societal role as the guardians and purveyors of Mande society’s collective memory. African history prior to [End Page 7] colonial rule is not, in other words, a shameful blank slate to be filled in by “civilization,” but a vivid tapestry born of cultures that run deep and live on. In the hands of present-day readers, and in university and college classrooms the world over, Soundjata may be further understood as emphatically decolonial. Racist and dehumanizing “ideas of Africa,” anchored in age-old stereotypes and prejudices, give way to the existential drama of the Mande epic with its myriad lessons for human being, belonging, and becoming, from intercultural communication and community formation to confronting and overcoming hardship, loss, and injustice. Eurocentric epistemologies, insisting on the sanctity of the written word and positivist inquiry, are reminded in no uncertain terms (Mamadou Kouyaté, whose spoken words the book translates, interprets, and narrativizes, pulls no punches) that other domains of knowledge, rooted in the verbal art and expressive culture of the Belen Tigi (Master of the Word), are possible. In short, when meditating on the legacy and importance of Soundjata at sixty (1960–2020) and beyond, there is much—in the panegyric spirt of jeliya—to praise. As postcolonial as it is decolonial, as rooted in tradition as it is modern in outlook, Soundjata has stood the test of time to become a contemporary classic. However, this is hardly the end of the story, as this collection of essays attests. Niane’s work continues to inspire interest and invite inquiry. Read together, the authors of the following papers ask: • What kind of “classic” is Soundiata? Is it literature, orature, scholarship, or some combination of these? • How did the text come about? What regional and historical precedents are there for such work? Who were the chief informants and intellectual peers that made Niane’s research and writing possible? • What critical lenses might we apply to the contemporary study of Soundiata? What are the epistemological pitfalls and challenges of presenting “legend” or “myth” as “history,” using a texted language with essential ties to verbal art? • How might the postcolonial drama of D.T. Niane’s own personal and professional life inform our understanding of his scholarship and legacy? In other words, having noted the enduring significance of Niane’s Soundiata, the following essays invite us to pan out and zoom in, assessing the context of the book’s provenance, its intertextuality and interdisciplinarity, the complex field of its analysis and interpretation, and the...

Reflecting on archaeology and the understanding of Song of Songs

The question of archaeology corroborating any ‘historical information’ is excluded from the outset by the poetic genre of Song of Songs. This contribution therefore focusses on archaeology’s more modest purpose as far as its relationship with texts is concerned, namely whether it can facilitate the understanding of the text by investigating the material culture that features in Song of Songs. Archaeology is therefore understood in terms of its more extended definition, including artefacts, (cultural) objects functioning as metaphors, and historical geography. Attention amongst others will be paid to cities mentioned (Heshbon, Jerusalem, Tirzah), the (not founded) David’s Tower, Pharaoh’s palanquin, fauna and flora, as well as pottery.Contribution: Although archaeology cannot inform everything in the text, the continuous archaeological endeavour has the hermeneutical function to transpose the reader into the ancient life (love) world (pun intended), preventing him or her of anachronistic projection of the present-day readers own world into the text, but also appreciating the (possible) common human condition which the present-day reader shares with the world of the text.

Reflecting on archaeology and the understanding of Song of Songs

The question of archaeology corroborating any ‘historical information’ is excluded from the outset by the poetic genre of Song of Songs. This contribution therefore focusses on archaeology’s more modest purpose as far as its relationship with texts is concerned, namely whether it can facilitate the understanding of the text by investigating the material culture that features in Song of Songs. Archaeology is therefore understood in terms of its more extended definition, including artefacts, (cultural) objects functioning as metaphors, and historical geography. Attention amongst others will be paid to cities mentioned (Heshbon, Jerusalem, Tirzah), the (not founded) David’s Tower, Pharaoh’s palanquin, fauna and flora, as well as pottery. Contribution: Although archaeology cannot inform everything in the text, the continuous archaeological endeavour has the hermeneutical function to transpose the reader into the ancient life (love) world (pun intended), preventing him or her of anachronistic projection of the present-day readers own world into the text, but also appreciating the (possible) common human condition which the present-day reader shares with the world of the text.

The Plays and Poems of Nicholas Rowe. 5 vols. Stephen Bernard, General Editor. Vol. 1: The Early Plays, ed. Rebecca Bullard and John McTague; Vol. 2: The Middle Period Plays, ed. Michael Caines; Vol. 3: The Late Plays, ed. Claudine van Hensbergen; Vol. 4: Poems, ed. Stephen Bernard, and Lucan’s Pharsalia (I–III), ed. Robin Sowerby; Vol. 5: Lucan’s Pharsalia (IV–X)

<i>The Plays and Poems of Nicholas Rowe</i>. 5 vols. Stephen Bernard, General Editor. Vol. 1: <i>The Early Plays</i>, ed. Rebecca Bullard and John McTague; Vol. 2: <i>The Middle Period Plays</i>, ed. Michael Caines; Vol. 3: <i>The Late Plays</i>, ed. Claudine van Hensbergen; Vol. 4: <i>Poems</i>, ed. Stephen Bernard, and <i>Lucan’s Pharsalia</i> (I–III), ed. Robin Sowerby; Vol. 5: <i>Lucan’s Pharsalia</i> (IV–X)

Parent-Child Resemblance in Literature Before the Age of Genetics: A Physiognomic Interpretation of the Novels of Zsigmond Kemény and Miklós Jósika

Although Zsigmond Kemény (1814-1875) and Miklós Jósika (1794-1865) inevitably figure among the most significant writers of nineteenth-century Hungarian literature, the interpretation of their novels is embedded within international historical contexts that are often inaccessible to the present-day reader. This study examines the physiognomic meanings of parent-child similarity in nineteenth-century novels and thus situates the examined works within the context of European literary and intellectual history. Such an interpretation of the novels reveals the diverse and strong current in the history of European ideas with which the analyzed texts engage in a lively dialogue.

Portrayal of Nurses in the Lyrics of the Music During World War I

Purpose: The study explores the description of nurses serving with the US Army and the American Red Cross during World War I as described in a collection of sheet music. The purpose was to identify themes within the lyrics which describe how the nurse was viewed at the time.Background: Analyzing the description of nurses who served during World War I allows the present-day reader insight into how they were perceived by the soldiers they cared for and the public. The contrast between the two types of songs; those written from the point of view of the soldiers and songs written from the point of view of the public, provides an insight into the depiction of the nurses.Method: Thematic analysis was used to review a collection of songs (N=29) for themes and examples of how nurses were described in the music lyrics of World War I music. Library of Congress music archives is the repository of the music reviewed.Findings and conclusions: The song lyrics from the soldiers' point of view describe these women as beautiful, selfless angels, and much like their mothers back home. The lyrics from the public's point of view describe the nurses as one who does her part for the war effort, one who doesn't get enough praise, and a woman of courage. Many songs ask God to save the nurse. Looking back 100 years later, it is interesting to see how the nurse was a revered member of the US war effort during World War I.

Unhappily Married in Valencia

Unhappily Married in Valencia

On Shakespeare and cutaneous diseases

Disorders with dermatologic features are intractable and rife in Shakespeare's world. For this reason, they occupy an unusual position in culture. “The plague” and “leprosy” are popular insults and epithets—indictments of not external pathogens but of moral failure. It may be no surprise to identify, as a present-day reader, syphilis and the plague in early modern England, but what about other dermatologic conditions at the time? “The plague,” “leprosy,” “the pox,” and “measles” are commonly used terms, although ultimately interchangeable in Shakespeare's plays. Rosacea and scurvy, however, are described by Shakespeare before they become named entities. Bardolph's skin characterizes his alcohol addiction and thievery, and Caliban's “monstrous” form mirrors his state as an untouchable in society. Shakespeare also documents the “royal touch” in Macbeth, which links the ability of a monarch to heal the skin lesions of extrapulmonary tuberculosisto political legitimacy. Shakespeare does little more than document this historic ritual around the skin, but he does catalogue the ways these acquired diseases of the skin are used in daily speech and character writing. At the end of Macbeth, the “royal touch” gives Prince Malcolm the backstory and political precedent to march on Dunsinane Hill to reclaim the Scottish throne.

The Challenge of Hebrew Bible Love Poetry: A Pleonastic Approach to the Translation of Metaphor—Part 2

Part 1 of this article made a case for “pleonastic” translation, i.e., adding pleonasms (synonymous adjectives) to metaphorical nouns to bridge the cultural distance between the ancient Israelite text and the present-day reader. Part 2 exemplifies this approach with a translation of some of the body-description verses from the Song of Songs (esp. 7.2-6 [English 7.1-5]). Introductory considerations concerning this biblical book are offered, addressing, e.g., life-setting, register, and hermeneutical key. Rooted in translation theory and metaphor theory, this article draws attention to the various aspects of the Song of Songs and proposes a “dynamic equivalent” way (following Nida and Taber’s call for clarity) to provide present-day readers with a comprehensible translation of its ancient metaphors. This results in a respectful translation with additional pleonasms and other types of elucidations.

Reading Hebrews in a Time of Pandemic: Heroism and Hope in the Face of Fear

Despite its well-known difficulties, the epistle to the Hebrews offers resources for reflection in a time of pandemic. Covid-19 has, in its own way, exposed how the existential fear of death can be crippling in its dominance and yet also provoke heroic actions. In the midst of its catastrophic effects for individuals and societies there has also been a demand for some signs of hope that might sustain efforts to find a better future. To read Hebrews in this setting is to be reminded that some of its major themes resonate with the experience of the pandemic’s broad characteristics. It deals with its recipients’ perceived bondage to the fear of death. It claims that this fear has been overcome through the heroic death of Christ, whose pattern of life is to be emulated in the heroism of his followers. It sets these topics within an overall message of hope, in which God’s action in the exalted Christ is seen as both a ‘word against death’ and the promise of a better world. The article explores further the potential appropriation for present-day readers of Hebrews’ treatment of each of these topics—fear of death, heroism and hope.

The Historically Changing Notion of (Female Bodily) Proportion and Its Relevance to Literature

Abstract Futabatei Shimei (1864-1909) was an early modern Japanese novelist, translator, and critic. He wrote what is now generally conceived of as the first Japanese ‘modern’ novel, Drifting Clouds (1887-89). He translated works by Turgenev, Leo Tolstoy, Garshin, Gorky, and others. He also published a number of critical essays, treatises on literary theory, political papers, and so forth. His early translation of Turgenev’s short stories: Aibiki (Rendevous, 1888) and Meguriai (Three Trysts, 1889) were extremely influential on the contemporary literati, who were amazed at the fresh, poetic prose used in stark contrast to the traditional Japanese fiction in the pre-Reformation period. These translations, seen in the light of the present-day readers, were unique in what we might term today ‘foreignizing translation’. Lawrence Venuti in Invisibility of the Translator argues that the ideal of (English) translation has been to conceal itself as a translation, i.e. to present itself as an original text (chap I and passim). In that sense, Futabatei’s translations, scandalously presenting itself as a translation, that is to say, as an alien text, is extremely ‘foreignizing’.