This study examines a small body of 19th-century American literature about the Antarctic: Adam Seaborn's (pseud.) Symzonia (1820), Edgar Allan Poe's "MS. Found in a Bottle" (1833) and The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (1838), Peter Prospero's (pseud.) "The Atlantis" (1838-39), and James Fenimore Cooper's The Monikins (1835) and The Sea Lions (1849). These were written in a transitional phase in the history of the Antarctic. At the start of the period, the region was almost completely unknown. Towards the end of the period, however, the region had been mapped in its essence, and the existence of an Antarctic continent had been verified. For complex reasons, the region came into cultural focus in the U.S. during the 1820s to 40s, culminating in the first major American scientific expedition in 1838-42 to explore the South Seas and the Antarctic. The study is primarily historical, tracing ideas to their historical contexts in order to determine what these authors used the unknown space of the Antarctic for. These texts were written in imaginative response to contemporary notions of the Antarctic, which is reflected in the mode of representation. The literature is in the mode of speculative fiction-most of texts imagining a tropical, inhabited Antarctic-up until the region is explored, at which point it turns to realism. The texts fall into three categories: the utopian, liminal, and realistic. The utopian texts-Symzonia, The Monikins, and "The Atlantis"-are works of social criticism, using the blank space of the Antarctic to treat a diverse range of issues, including politics, evolutionary theories, race, and gender. Poe's "MS" and Pym represent the liminal category; they dramatize the anticipation of an imminent Antarctic discovery, narrating up to a point of revelation, only to stop short. The Sea Lions is the only realistic text, coming after the Antarctic is explored. Here the knowledge of the Antarctic has solidified into the environment we know today, but with religiously symbolical overtones.

This thesis analyzes three of the plays inspired by the Haitian Revolution and written by black playwrights. The first chapter covers William Edgar Easton’s Dessalines, a Dramatic Tale: A Single Chapter from Haiti’s History. It discusses Easton’s decision to depict Dessalines as a man of faith, a believer, a Christian. The second chapter employs Langston Hughes’ play, Troubled Island, to argue Dessalines’ modernity. The third play, by Saint Lucian playwright Derek Walcott, is The Haitian Earth. The thesis concludes with a brief discussion of his play and its contribution to black consciousness. I propose that the revolution plays a major role in World History, and argue that the Haitian Revolution served as a looking glass to many African Americans in search of a black identity. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T19:58:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao protegida.pdf: 485470 bytes, checksum: 735f19742a5105b8edf06e0232846991 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-06-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The objective of this work is to study the myth of the double as character in the novel The Double, of Jose Saramago, published in 2002. To explain the form of this myth in the Contemporarity we cover the trajectory of the myth since the sprouting of the reason and the conscience of itself in the beginning of the man. As hypothesis, we understand the myth of the double as non-separable part of the nature human being who will follow the evolution of the artistic phenomena, since the first representations in the walls of the caves until the fragmentary art contemporary, being its literary construction impregnated by the historical and social-cultural modifications, transforming the literary language into instrument of critical and metalanguage. To justify the study of the myth to be the primordial form of narration, oral in principle, suffering to a mutation to be registered for the writing, losing the sacred character and acquiring literary contours. It is in this aspect that we observe the transformation of the myth, more specifically, from the work of Edgar Allan Poe, the short story William Wilson, chosen for its importance in the formatting of a double modern, fruit of a society that entries for the Modern Age for the Industrial Revolution and its consequences, such as the growth of the cities and the massification of the population; until the romance The Double, presenting a double in search of an identity that if presents unstable. Analyzing the double while character, we verify the influences of the historical and social-cultural factors in its composition, beyond its relation with the author and the narrator of the literary text, the some voices that if face in the narrative and propitiate to look at intent disclosing the double that if it projects in these relations and it constructs a multifaceted text / O objetivo desse trabalho é estudar o mito do duplo como personagem na obra O homem duplicado, de José Saramago, publicada em 2002. Para entender a forma desse mito na contemporaneidade percorremos sua trajetória desde o surgimento da razão e da consciência de si nos primórdios do homem. Como hipótese, entendemos o mito do duplo como parte inseparável da natureza humana que acompanhará a evolução dos fenômenos artísticos, desde as primeiras representações nas paredes das cavernas até a fragmentária arte contemporânea, sendo sua construção literária impregnada pelas modificações históricas e sócio-culturais, transformando a linguagem literária em instrumento de crítica e de metalinguagem. Justifica-se o estudo do mito por ser essa a forma primordial de narração, a princípio oral, sofrendo uma mutação ao ser registrado pela escrita, perdendo o caráter sagrado e adquirindo contornos literários. É nesse aspecto que observamos a transformação do mito do duplo, mais especificamente a partir da obra de Edgar Allan Poe, o conto William Wilson, escolhido pela sua importância na formatação de um duplo moderno, fruto de uma sociedade que adentra a Era Moderna pela Revolução Industrial e suas conseqüências, tais como o crescimento das cidades e a massificação da população; até o romance O homem duplicado, apresentando um duplo em busca de uma identidade que se apresenta instável. Analisando o duplo enquanto personagem, verificamos as influências dos fatores históricos e sócio-culturais na sua composição, além de sua relação com o autor e o narrador do texto literário, as várias vozes que se enfrentam na narrativa e propiciam um olhar atento revelando o duplo que se projeta nessas relações e constrói um texto multifacetado

This thesis reviews the circumstances that led to what Paul Renner called “the inflation of historicism,” places his response to that problem in the context of the Weimar Republic, details how the German attributes with which he began the project were displaced from the typeface that emerged in 1927, demonstrates that Futura belongs to a new category of serif-less roman fonts rooted in Arts and Crafts lettering, and considers why the specifically German aspects of the project have gone unrecognized for over seventy years. Renner’s writing is compared to ideas prevalent in early twentieth-century German cultural discourse, and Futura’s design process is placed in the context of Renner’s personal experience of Weimar’s social and economic crises. Objective measurements are employed to establish the relationship between drawings attributed to Renner and are used to compare features of Futura with other fonts of the period.

This thesis reviews the circumstances that led to what Paul Renner called “the inflation of historicism,” places his response to that problem in the context of the Weimar Republic, details how the German attributes with which he began the project were displaced from the typeface that emerged in 1927, demonstrates that Futura belongs to a new category of serif-less roman fonts rooted in Arts and Crafts lettering, and considers why the specifically German aspects of the project have gone unrecognized for over seventy years. Renner’s writing is compared to ideas prevalent in early twentieth-century German cultural discourse, and Futura’s design process is placed in the context of Renner’s personal experience of Weimar’s social and economic crises. Objective measurements are employed to establish the relationship between drawings attributed to Renner and are used to compare features of Futura with other fonts of the period.

This paper aims to describe and elaborate on a recent discursive change within the new-age movement. Since the seventies and the publishing of speculative popular science books like The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra and The self-aware Universe by Amit Goswami, the idea that quantum physics resonates with spirituality has become the topic of hundreds of books and movies. The quantum-spiritual discourse has three distinct ways to approach quantum physics in its discussion on spirituality: The parallelistic approach which emphasizes the similarities between eastern philosophies and modern physics, the monistic-idealistic approach which tells us that mind is the foundation of matter and the scientific spiritual approach which tries to explain spiritual claims scientifically. In the quantum-spiritual discourse, quantum physical phenomena (e.g. non-locality and entanglement) are being called upon to validate metaphysical statements. The primary assumption of the discourse is that the shift of paradigm due to the establishment of modern physics also is a shift of paradigm of spirituality. With the object to examine the common claims made in the discourse, cross-references between spiritual arguments and facts of quantum physics are being made. A discussion is held about the probable influence of the historical context, with particular focus on the monistic evolvement during the late nineteenth century.

While the gothic in its various interpretations is well established in contemporary culture, the traditional form, rooted in its late eighteenth century literary conventions, would seem to have little relevance for theatre audiences today. A reappraisal of the convention's foundations, however, offers the playwright opportunities to explore new narratives in which the tradition can be re-inflected in the present. An analysis of the writing of my play Burn, which presents as a contemporary family drama, will demonstrate how the narrative can be structured with deliberate reference to the established tropes of the classic gothic mode. It will be shown that a re-engagement with the tradition in concert with new interpretations of the gothic can reinvigorate the form as a mode of playwriting practice.

Based on the author's dissertation (doctoral)--Universität Hamburg, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 237-252).

O trabalho tem por objetivo verificar de que forma os avanços científicos e tecnológicos da humanidade influenciaram a obra de Edgar Allan Poe e de Machado de Assis. A análise propõe revelar o olhar desses escritores acerca das novas possibilidades que eram oferecidas à sociedade com o intuito maior de evidenciar o papel da literatura nesse processo, uma vez que o homem é capaz de enxergar todo o comportamento de uma época e, conseqüentemente, a si mesmo, através da obra literária. Essa atitude de “olhar para trás” e para “dentro de si mesmo”, acredita-se, permite que o homem avance ainda mais. Para realizar a análise proposta, a pesquisa utiliza-se de conceitos como o de intertextualidade e interdisciplinaridade, muito caros à Literatura Comparada, com o fim de promover relações entre as diferentes áreas do saber – Literatura e Ciência –, entre os diferentes escritores e, por fim, entre os diversos gêneros literários que constituem o corpus do presente estudo. Após um breve panorama da história do desenvolvimento dos avanços científicos e tecnológicos da humanidade, procede-se às análises dos textos selecionados, procurando apontar e relacionar o pensamento dos escritores, provando que idéias sobre os avanços científicos e tecnológicos estão presentes na produção literária de cada um. Por fim, após o confronto estabelecido durante todo o trabalho entre o pensamento e o posicionamento dos escritores, discutese o papel da literatura no desenvolvimento e avanço da humanidade. / The paper aims to verify how the writings of Edgar Allan Poe and Machado de Assis had been influenced by the humanity' scientific and technological advances. The analysis proposes to reveal the sight of these two writers over the new possibilities that had been offered to the society, with the main objective of emphasizing the literature role in this process, considering that the human being is able to see the behavior of an entire period of time and consequently to himself through the literary work. This action of “looking back” and of “looking inside”, believes this research, allows him advance still more. In order to do that, the research takes some concepts as intertextuality and interdisciplinarity, extremely valued to the Comparative Literature, with the main objective of promoting relations between the different areas of knowledge – Literature and Science –, between the two different writers and, in the end, among the various literary genres that take part of the corpus of this study. After a brief view of the humanity history of scientific and technological advances development, the analysis of the selected texts is performed, endeavoring to emphasize and make the relation between the ways of thinking of these writers, proving that specific ideas about science and its advances really are in the literary production of each other. In the end, after the confrontation established during all over the research between the thinking and the position of the writers, the literature role in the humanity’s development and advance is discussed.

A Tese problematiza o aspecto estético, ético e pedagógico do Ilê axé Oya Gbembale em Goiânia. Propõe-se compreender o Terreiro de Candomblé como espaço de aprendizagem, onde o trágico ganha um contorno pela sua plasticidade, movimento e complexidade que povoa o Cotidiano e a vida do Povo do Santo. Assim, a Educação no Axé ganha uma dimensão política e epistemológica na medida em que as vozes do Terreiro se revelam formando uma ética e uma estética do estar – junto, edificando uma Pedagogia que se constrói na experiência vivida e partilhada com a tribo do Candomblé. Intensifica-se assim, os laços existentes entre os vários aspectos da iniciação pedagógica e do mimetismo, dando um contorno a essa tragédia que faz do Candomblé um espaço vital, alegre e festivo, instaurando aí uma viscosidade nas relações humanas fruto das relações pedagógicas, ontológicas e existenciais entre os Pais e Filhos de Santo. No entanto, a Tese versa-se em torno de um relato que testemunha a gestão de uma vida e das relações dionisíacas que estabeleci com o Povo do Santo, a partir das jornadas que percorri desde o meu processo- de- iniciaçãopedag ógica, entregando-me a essa sensibilidade diante dos signos do Candomblé. Assim, tento decifrar o espaço sagrado e mitológico dos Orixás. Proponho, em outras palavras, mostrar a voz do Terreiro, dentro de uma magia fruto da conjunção humana que é tecida no interior do Terreiro e que faz dessa religião uma verdadeira obra de arte. Estabeleço um entrelaçamento entre a Antropologia Filosófica e a Educação, penetrando nas encruzilhadas teóricas de Michel Maffesoli, Martin Heidegger, Edgar Morin, Georges Balandier, Nietzsche, Deleuze, Gilbert Durand e René Girard. / The Thesis discusses about the esthetical, ethical and pedagogical aspect of Ilê axé Oyá Gbembale in Goiânia. It purposes to comprehend the "Yard of Ritual" of Candomblé as a space for learning, where the tragic gets an outline by its plasticity, movement and complexity which fills up the Holy People everyday and life. Thus, education according to Axé gets a political and epistemological dimension while the voices of the "Yard of ritual" reveal themselves forming ethics and esthetics of being - together, building the pedagogy that is constituted through the living and sharing experience with the tribe of Candomblé. It intensifies like this, the links among the several aspects of the pedagogical initiation, of mimetiza, giving appearance to this tragedy that turns Candomblé a vital space, happy and festive, establishing then a viscosity in the human relationship as a product of the pedagogical, ontological and existential relationship between "Parents and Children from Saints". However, the Thesis studies about a description which testifies a gestion of a life and of the dionysical relationship that I established with the Holy People, it starts from the journey that I went through since my pedagogical-process-of-initiation, handing me over this sensibility before the signs of Candomblé. Thus, I try to decipher the mythological and sacred space of the Orixás. I purpose, in other words, to show the voice of the "Yard of ritual", into a magic as a result of the human conjunction that is formed inside the "Yard of ritual" and that turns this religion a true art work. I establish a mixing up among the Philosophical Anthropology and the Education, going into the theorical cross-roads of Michel Maffesoli, Martin Heidegger, Edgar Morin, Georges Balandier, Nietzsche, Deleuze, Gilbert Durand e René Girard.