Binary opposition

The postcolonial period incorporates such unsettled issues as formation of cultures and identities and to what extent entire decolonization can be achieved not only in the political area but also in the cultural and psychological aspects of the colonized societies. Since the beginning of the second half of the twentieth century, discussions on whether identities and cultural properties are fixed and stable or protean and unsettled have been in progress ardently without any unanimity. One of the…

political, social and psychological oppression of women. Also, male experience is seen as the universal experience because of stereotypical gender roles. Then, Deconstructive Criticism is also how we view language systematically, such as through binary oppositions (you need “light” to understand “dark”) and through internal contradictions. Not every word is concrete or has a definite meaning,…

Myth and Its Revision. Myths gain a literary autonomy as they evolve through time into sovereign narratives used as socio-cultural foundational texts. Mythic sources may originate or accrue from religious, historical, political, or cultural references, but each of these sources holds: “ a double power. It [the myth] exists or appears to exist objectively, in the public sphere, and consequently confers on the writer the sort of authority unavailable to someone who writes "merely" of the private…

Summary of structure and content within Kathryn Woodward’s ‘Identity and Difference’ introduction 1997. Kathryn Woodward’s introduction to ‘Identity and difference’ is a running prose establishing the concept of Identity and difference within universal, regional and private levels. Equipping the reader with the necessary means to understand and contextualise the principal theory, when referenced in the text. The content of the introduction is largely a brief summation of the later chapters and…

societal norm. In a nation that is characterized by such notion, majority of its residents, for example Muslims in Muslim nations, tend to have views against homosexuality. Homosexuality is not viewed as a societal norm and not falling into the gender binary views. It’s the religious leaders from these nations that are more likely to oppose homosexuality, thus, influencing the rest of the community creating such an ideal of all Muslims all over the world. Survivalist countries are still at the…

Where exactly is the line between what is normal and human and what is considered monstrous? In Jeffrey Jerome Cohen’s Monster Culture, he explores what it means to be a monster and concludes that a monstrous body is pure culture. He argues that a monster’s purpose is to be read so that the monster can reveal and warn society about something (Cohen 4). Many of his theses focus on the idea of an “us” versus “them” mentality. For instance, he writes that monsters are hybrids who don’t fit in any…

Understanding the Implications of Ethnicity and Cultural Identity It was actually at my grandmother’s funeral when I first noticed the strange, almost distrustful looks that would be thrown my Uncle Ted’s way. I was sitting alone in the back of the room while my father was making his rounds- everyone thanking him for the beautiful eulogy he gave. My Uncle Ted walked over and gave me a hug. My Uncle Ted is black, from a little island in the Caribbean. As soon as he speaks and his thick…

Moreover, the Crown successfully dismissed Defense expert witness Dr. Boettcher and his conclusions through a manoeuvre which created a significant binary opposition between forensic and academic science. These elements, ensured the Crown’s expert witnesses and the evidence they provided to be founded superior by the jury. In the Ancient World, there are few myths that encounter formal legal trials, and while…

The theme of power is explored in various ways throughout ‘Othello’, Shakespeare uses his characters’ flaws to denote power, often through the art of manipulation. The value consensus of the Elizabethan era also highlights the difference in gender roles, and the social expectations that were forced upon them, largely defined by the divine order. The power and influence of social mobility also creates a strong platform for the theme of power to be embedded upon, as characters such as Desdemona…

Orientalism is a term which indicates how the West perceives the East as the ‘other’. Edward Said published his controversial book Orientalism in 1978, which talks about how Orientalism forms an inferior Orient, in terms of knowledge and domination. Edward Said opens his introduction by mentioning the Western’s misconception about the East arguing that “The Orient was almost a European invention” (Said 1). The Orient played a significant role in the creation of the European culture and it…