The miracle-workers and magicians we meet in the Greco-Roman world and on the pages of Greco-Roman narratives are among the most difficult characters for modem scholars to understand. While Greco-Roman writers presume their readers will share their socio-cultural script and understand how one distinguishes between a legitimate miracle-worker and an illegitimate magician, this script is lost on modem scholars. Hindered first by absolute definitions for miracle and magic from social anthropology and then by relative definitions from the sociology of knowledge, this thesis calls for a re-engagement of the "historic imagination" with respect to these sorts of characters. In particular, this thesis suggests that a detailed investigation into the operation of characters labelled as performers of miracles or magic can reveal the criteria which distinguished the two in the minds of Greco-Roman Mediterraneans as well as revealing the practical outworking of the criteria themselves. Two narratives are chosen for this task-the canonical Acts of the Apostles, representing a Jewish- Christian angle, and Philostratus' Life of Apollonius of Tyana, representing a pagan angle. Methodologically the study proceeds by converting these narratives into "narrative worlds" and then subjecting the narrative worlds to a social investigation using models suggested by the work of Mary Douglas and Peter Brown. Under the rubric of "gaining power, " "intersecting power, " and "defending power" the two narrative worlds projected by these texts are compared and contrasted with respect to the criteria being used to distinguish miracle-worker from magician. The conclusion reached is that in both texts legitimacy for a mediator of divine power is found especially in demonstrating power without appearing desirous of personal gains. A miracle-worker is successful in this regard; a magician is one who fails in this regard.

This work from the field of pragmatics introduces the application of the concept of speech acts (see J. L. Austin, J. Searle) to the literary sample of 15 chosen dialogues i.e. 1122 sentences from the novel Pride and Prejudice by the classical English author Jane Austen. It introduces an eight-member modified classification of speech acts: representatives, assertives, directives, connissives, expressives, interrogatives, requestives and daclarations. There are eight literary characters included in the research together with marginally Charlotte Lucas, who use speech acts to express their communicative intentions. The main heroine Elizabeth occurring in 12 dialogues uses mostly representatives, assertives and expressives. The remaining three dialogues involve Mrs Bennet and her husband Mr Bennet. Jane Austen's language is very rich and complex, with frequent occurrence of politeness turns of phrase. Some mixed and multiple categories also add to this complexity (there are 55.8% of simple ones; 39.1% of double, 4.6% of triple, quadruple only 0.5 % of the 969 sentences counted). This work also contains some comments on stylistic analysis featuring selected interesting literary and pragmatic aspects of the dialogical samples.

This doctoral study examines the evolving role of the dramaturg in the British contemporary performance scene from 2000-2015. In 1999, the role was seen in the UK as a luxury, not an essential; now the same companies are working with dramaturgs, often within an academic context, as the funding culture has shifted from Arts Council England to the Academy. This study proceeds through a combination of practice as research and a contextual survey of the role s recent history taken from readings, interviews and a narrative of personal experience. As John Freeman writes, Research is also always re-search: a drawing on one s previous experience and developing this into knowledge . I arrive at new knowledge about the dramaturg s current position in a shifting landscape by inhabiting both the role and the landscape. John Berger suggests that to understand a landscape we have to situate ourselves in it. The doctoral study seeks to do this through practice, research and practice as research. I devised three performances - The Trilogy (2014). Their non-linearity is relevant to the line of investigation I took into the role of the dramaturg today, both inviting and playing the role. The practice as research applies different theoretical models of how a dramaturg operates to a body of theatre work that interrogates the role from different perspectives. The practice asks how dramaturgy might function with or without a dramaturg as an agent for critical feedback or meaning-making by exploring other models such as embedded criticism, work-in-progresses and post-show discussions. The performance work attempts to put the dramaturg onstage and in so doing explores what he / she does as part of the theatre event to make it happen. The project is concerned with making visible the textual trace of dramaturgy within the work. As such, I have written a thesis on the dramaturgy of my practice that questions notions of proximity and distance, objectivity and subjectivity, self and other. The thesis documents how the role has evolved over the last 15 years and argues that it has had a significant, tangible impact on the British contemporary performance scene. Through an understanding of the role, the dramaturg, outside of a traditional writer-director paradigm, becomes an application with which to deconstruct and decode the tropes and contradictions of contemporary performance. I posit that dramaturgs and outside eyes operate in fluid and often undefined spatial territory between writer, deviser, director and dramatist as well as any hyphenated combination thereof - and the doctoral study reflects this fluidity in its style.

This research comprises a comparative examination of the transformation of Afrikaans and Dutch youth narratives into drama texts. Attention has been paid to the story elements embodied in various narratives and dramas, and, in addition, to aspects related to narrative and drama. By means of the comparison of the constants and variants with regard to the four texts, the possibility of creating a transformation model has been examined. The transformation model derived from the research, is applicable, firstly, to the narratives and drama texts upon which this study has been based. It is therefore presented as a conception for the conversion of a narrative text into a drama text, but the uniqueness of each separate narrative is taken into consideration; hence the model is not prescriptive, and it is assumed that the model may be adjusted in line with each adaptation. The comparison is effected between Afrikaans and Dutch texts, in view of the existence in the Low Countries of an established culture of bookshops, publishers and theatrical companies, focused on youth literature and theatre. Some publishers and bookshops, moreover, exclusively publish and sell youth narratives and dramas. Theatre productions aimed at children and young adults are plentiful, and attract a large percentage of young people. Should the fact that some theatres specialise in youth theatre productions be taken into account, also, the contrast and the gaps pertaining to the Afrikaans literary system are marked. The research in respect of the transformation of prose texts into drama texts has identified those procedures employed to adapt the narrative aspects (narrator, focalization, character, event, time and space) in such a way that it is reconcilable with the unique nature of the dramatic aspects (didascalia, dialogue, character, action, time and space). By virtue of the transformation of youth narratives into drama texts (with the purpose of the eventual performance thereof), the adolescent reader is made aware in a different manner of the value of narrative. / Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003

This research comprises a comparative examination of the transformation of Afrikaans and Dutch youth narratives into drama texts. Attention has been paid to the story elements embodied in various narratives and dramas, and, in addition, to aspects related to narrative and drama. By means of the comparison of the constants and variants with regard to the four texts, the possibility of creating a transformation model has been examined. The transformation model derived from the research, is applicable, firstly, to the narratives and drama texts upon which this study has been based. It is therefore presented as a conception for the conversion of a narrative text into a drama text, but the uniqueness of each separate narrative is taken into consideration; hence the model is not prescriptive, and it is assumed that the model may be adjusted in line with each adaptation. The comparison is effected between Afrikaans and Dutch texts, in view of the existence in the Low Countries of an established culture of bookshops, publishers and theatrical companies, focused on youth literature and theatre. Some publishers and bookshops, moreover, exclusively publish and sell youth narratives and dramas. Theatre productions aimed at children and young adults are plentiful, and attract a large percentage of young people. Should the fact that some theatres specialise in youth theatre productions be taken into account, also, the contrast and the gaps pertaining to the Afrikaans literary system are marked. The research in respect of the transformation of prose texts into drama texts has identified those procedures employed to adapt the narrative aspects (narrator, focalization, character, event, time and space) in such a way that it is reconcilable with the unique nature of the dramatic aspects (didascalia, dialogue, character, action, time and space). By virtue of the transformation of youth narratives into drama texts (with the purpose of the eventual performance thereof), the adolescent reader is made aware in a different manner of the value of narrative. / Thesis (M.A. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2003

The present diploma work describes the early development of digital narrative on the territory of the former Czechoslovakia in the 80's and at the beginning of the 90's of the 20th century. In that period, the text adventure game production and use were influenced by the socio-cultural and economic environment in the east-European Communist bloc, and by its following transformation into a democratic system with market economy. That brought about unique approaches to the computer game development and playing, and it also led to a formation of a cultural phenomenon of digital text games connected with the context of that time. The text deals with a brief historic development of digital game playing in the world, and a general situation in the information technologies on the territory of the former Czechoslovakia including direct participants' selected opinions. Within the framework of the present work, basic theoretical approaches have been presented, examining the adventure games genre, and especially their narrative part and the principles of intertextuality. The latter have been described using the examples of the respective Czechoslovak game production.

A metacognição diz respeito ao conhecimento que se adquire sobre o próprio pensamento e à possibilidade de utilizar esse conhecimento, monitorando, o próprio indivíduo, o seu desempenho, favorecendo, dessa forma, o alcance de melhores resultados na realização de diversas tarefas. As habilidades metalinguísticas podem ser entendidas como um aspecto da metacognição; nesse caso, o aprendiz desenvolve conhecimentos que lhe permitem realizar um controle consciente e intencional sobre diferentes aspectos da linguagem, contribuindo para a aprendizagem da leitura e escrita. Dentre essas habilidades, destaca-se a consciência textual, também denominada habilidade (s) metatextual (is), na qual a unidade de análise e reflexão é o texto, o foco está em sua estrutura, partes constituintes, convenções e marcadores, sendo o objeto da presente pesquisa. Dessa forma, o objetivo geral deste estudo foi verificar a eficácia de sessões de intervenção visando ao desenvolvimento da habilidade metatextual sobre a escrita de histórias em duas situações de produção textual: livre e reprodução escrita. Objetivou-se também analisar os efeitos da intervenção sobre as habilidades metatextuais referentes ao conhecimento explícito da estrutura do texto narrativo, bem como verificar a estabilidade dos possíveis efeitos dessa intervenção ao longo do tempo. Participaram do estudo 97 alunos cursando o 4º e 5º ano do ensino fundamental de uma escola pública na cidade de Ribeirão Preto SP. Após todos os alunos realizarem o pré-teste, constituído por uma produção de texto sobre tema livre, uma produção de texto baseada na reprodução escrita de uma história ouvida (reescrita) e a aplicação de um questionário para avaliar o nível da habilidade metatextual, os mesmos foram divididos aleatoriamente em grupo controle (GC) e grupo experimental (GE). Enquanto o GE passou por quatro sessões com o intuito de desenvolver conhecimentos explícitos sobre a estrutura narrativa de histórias, o GC continuou em sala de aula, realizando suas atividades curriculares normais. Após a intervenção, foram aplicadas tarefas equivalentes ao pré-teste (pós-teste 1) nos dois grupos e, posteriormente o GC passou pela mesma intervenção do GE, realizando-se o segundo pós-teste. Nas análises das produções textuais, foram adotados níveis de pontuações, para avaliação da elaboração da estrutura narrativa. Os questionários foram pontuados em função do conhecimento explícito da estrutura narrativa de histórias. Os dados foram analisados quantitativamente, por meio da aplicação de testes estatísticos, análises descritivas e inferenciais. Os resultados indicaram um efeito favorável à intervenção referente às habilidades metatextuais, avaliadas pelo questionário, porém essa melhora não se refletiu de modo significativo nas produções de texto, sobretudo nas reescritas. Referente às produções livres, observou-se melhoras significativas apenas nos alunos do GC, após a intervenção postergada. Discutem-se possíveis razões que podem ter contribuído para minimizar os efeitos esperados com a intervenção, entre elas o pequeno número de sessões de intervenção e a diferença entre conhecimento e controle metacognitivo, no que se refere às habilidades metatextuais. / Metacognition refers to the knowledge acquired about one\'s own thinking and the possibility of using this knowledge, monitoring the individual yours own performance, thus favoring the achievement of better results in performing various tasks. Metalinguistic skills can be understood as an aspect of metacognition; in this case, the learner develops knowledge that allows him to perform a conscious and intentional control over different aspects of the language, contributing to the learning of reading and writing. These skills include textual awareness, also called metatextual ability (ies), in which the unit of analysis and reflection is the text, the focus is on its structure, constituent parts, conventions and markers, the object of this research. Thus, the general objective of this study was to verify the effectiveness of intervention sessions aiming at the development of metatextual ability on the writing of stories in two situations of textual production: free theme and written reproduction. Another objective of this study was to analyze the effects of the intervention on the metatextual abilities related to the explicit knowledge of the structure of the narrative text, as well as to verify the stability of the possible effects of this intervention over time. The sample was composed by 97 students enrolled in the 4th and 5th degree of an elementary public school in a public school in the city of Ribeirão Preto - SP. After all the students perform the pretest, consisting of a text production on a free theme, a text production based on the written reproduction of a heard story (rewritten) and the application of a questionnaire to evaluate the level of metatextual ability, the same ones were randomly separated into control (CG) and experimental (GE) groups. While the GE took part in four sessions with the purpose of developing explicit knowledge about the narrative structure of stories, the GC continued in the classroom, performing its normal curricular activities. After the intervention, tasks equivalent to the pretest (post-test 1) were applied in both groups and, afterwards, the GC underwent the same intervention of the GE, and the second post-test was performed. The analyzes of the textual productions was made adopting, levels of scores to evaluate the elaboration of the narrative structure of the texts. The questionnaires were punctuated by the explicit knowledge of the narrative structure of stories. The data were analyzed quantitatively, through the application of statistical tests, descriptive and inferential analyzes. The results indicated a favorable effect to the intervention regarding the metatextual abilities, evaluated by the questionnaire, but this improvement was not reflected in a significant way in the text productions, especially in the rewriting. Regarding the free texts, significant improvements were observed only in the GC students, after the delayed intervention. Possible reasons are discussed that may have contributed to minimize the expected effects with the intervention, among them the small number of intervention sessions and the difference between knowledge and metacognitive control, as far as metatextual skills are concerned.

The central focus of this study is to look at the legitimacy of using computer games for textual study in subject English and to understand the value that non-traditional forms of narrative text can have in enhancing student learning and enjoyment. This thesis argues that when students are engaged in textual study that is pleasurable, learning outcomes can be enhanced. Narrative computer games are appropriately placed within the realm of popular cultural texts, therefore, this study is also located within a cultural studies field of inquiry. A range of theoretical lenses which are appropriate to this field, such as critical theory, poststructuralism, reader response theories and narratology, are drawn upon in order to provide different perspectives on knowledge, relationships of power, and elements of story. These multiple perspectives are combined to construct a methodological framework for my research that brings a richness to data analysis. In locating my study within this multi-dimensional methodological framework, it is possible to achieve a layering and interpretation of the many different responses to the binaries of “work” versus “play” inherent in my title. The study focuses on a junior secondary English class at a school in South-east Queensland. The students undertook a curriculum unit which used a critical literacy framework to study the narratives and cultural identifications inherent in a number of computer games. The participants’ responses to “play” within the classroom forms one facet of the study; the depth of narrative experience enabled by computer games forms another facet; and the final facet examines the cultural responses to newer forms of literacies. The study concludes that using narrative computer games as a form of text for study in subject English allows for an examination of new forms of literacies that are student-friendly. A hybridised form of communication and pedagogy is also suggested. Narrative computer games allow for pleasure and play in the classroom, albeit in a less traditional way, and a hybridised communication can allow students and teachers access to a dialogue that values the learning experiences associated with this textual medium.

A metacognição diz respeito ao conhecimento que se adquire sobre o próprio pensamento e à possibilidade de utilizar esse conhecimento, monitorando, o próprio indivíduo, o seu desempenho, favorecendo, dessa forma, o alcance de melhores resultados na realização de diversas tarefas. As habilidades metalinguísticas podem ser entendidas como um aspecto da metacognição; nesse caso, o aprendiz desenvolve conhecimentos que lhe permitem realizar um controle consciente e intencional sobre diferentes aspectos da linguagem, contribuindo para a aprendizagem da leitura e escrita. Dentre essas habilidades, destaca-se a consciência textual, também denominada habilidade (s) metatextual (is), na qual a unidade de análise e reflexão é o texto, o foco está em sua estrutura, partes constituintes, convenções e marcadores, sendo o objeto da presente pesquisa. Dessa forma, o objetivo geral deste estudo foi verificar a eficácia de sessões de intervenção visando ao desenvolvimento da habilidade metatextual sobre a escrita de histórias em duas situações de produção textual: livre e reprodução escrita. Objetivou-se também analisar os efeitos da intervenção sobre as habilidades metatextuais referentes ao conhecimento explícito da estrutura do texto narrativo, bem como verificar a estabilidade dos possíveis efeitos dessa intervenção ao longo do tempo. Participaram do estudo 97 alunos cursando o 4º e 5º ano do ensino fundamental de uma escola pública na cidade de Ribeirão Preto SP. Após todos os alunos realizarem o pré-teste, constituído por uma produção de texto sobre tema livre, uma produção de texto baseada na reprodução escrita de uma história ouvida (reescrita) e a aplicação de um questionário para avaliar o nível da habilidade metatextual, os mesmos foram divididos aleatoriamente em grupo controle (GC) e grupo experimental (GE). Enquanto o GE passou por quatro sessões com o intuito de desenvolver conhecimentos explícitos sobre a estrutura narrativa de histórias, o GC continuou em sala de aula, realizando suas atividades curriculares normais. Após a intervenção, foram aplicadas tarefas equivalentes ao pré-teste (pós-teste 1) nos dois grupos e, posteriormente o GC passou pela mesma intervenção do GE, realizando-se o segundo pós-teste. Nas análises das produções textuais, foram adotados níveis de pontuações, para avaliação da elaboração da estrutura narrativa. Os questionários foram pontuados em função do conhecimento explícito da estrutura narrativa de histórias. Os dados foram analisados quantitativamente, por meio da aplicação de testes estatísticos, análises descritivas e inferenciais. Os resultados indicaram um efeito favorável à intervenção referente às habilidades metatextuais, avaliadas pelo questionário, porém essa melhora não se refletiu de modo significativo nas produções de texto, sobretudo nas reescritas. Referente às produções livres, observou-se melhoras significativas apenas nos alunos do GC, após a intervenção postergada. Discutem-se possíveis razões que podem ter contribuído para minimizar os efeitos esperados com a intervenção, entre elas o pequeno número de sessões de intervenção e a diferença entre conhecimento e controle metacognitivo, no que se refere às habilidades metatextuais. / Metacognition refers to the knowledge acquired about one\'s own thinking and the possibility of using this knowledge, monitoring the individual yours own performance, thus favoring the achievement of better results in performing various tasks. Metalinguistic skills can be understood as an aspect of metacognition; in this case, the learner develops knowledge that allows him to perform a conscious and intentional control over different aspects of the language, contributing to the learning of reading and writing. These skills include textual awareness, also called metatextual ability (ies), in which the unit of analysis and reflection is the text, the focus is on its structure, constituent parts, conventions and markers, the object of this research. Thus, the general objective of this study was to verify the effectiveness of intervention sessions aiming at the development of metatextual ability on the writing of stories in two situations of textual production: free theme and written reproduction. Another objective of this study was to analyze the effects of the intervention on the metatextual abilities related to the explicit knowledge of the structure of the narrative text, as well as to verify the stability of the possible effects of this intervention over time. The sample was composed by 97 students enrolled in the 4th and 5th degree of an elementary public school in a public school in the city of Ribeirão Preto - SP. After all the students perform the pretest, consisting of a text production on a free theme, a text production based on the written reproduction of a heard story (rewritten) and the application of a questionnaire to evaluate the level of metatextual ability, the same ones were randomly separated into control (CG) and experimental (GE) groups. While the GE took part in four sessions with the purpose of developing explicit knowledge about the narrative structure of stories, the GC continued in the classroom, performing its normal curricular activities. After the intervention, tasks equivalent to the pretest (post-test 1) were applied in both groups and, afterwards, the GC underwent the same intervention of the GE, and the second post-test was performed. The analyzes of the textual productions was made adopting, levels of scores to evaluate the elaboration of the narrative structure of the texts. The questionnaires were punctuated by the explicit knowledge of the narrative structure of stories. The data were analyzed quantitatively, through the application of statistical tests, descriptive and inferential analyzes. The results indicated a favorable effect to the intervention regarding the metatextual abilities, evaluated by the questionnaire, but this improvement was not reflected in a significant way in the text productions, especially in the rewriting. Regarding the free texts, significant improvements were observed only in the GC students, after the delayed intervention. Possible reasons are discussed that may have contributed to minimize the expected effects with the intervention, among them the small number of intervention sessions and the difference between knowledge and metacognitive control, as far as metatextual skills are concerned.

Orientador: João Batista Ernest de Moraes / Banca: Sidney Barbosa / Banca: Maria Cristiane Galvão / Resumo: Em Organização da Informação, no aspecto do tratamento da informação, há uma carência de subsídios teóricos referente à análise de documentos fictícios. Na intenção de contribuir teoricamente com o desenvolvimento de um método que facilite a tarefa de análise de assunto em texto narrativo, nos seus aspectos de identificação e seleção de conceitos, buscou-se subsídios teóricos em áreas de interface com a Ciência da Informação, mais especificamente a Lingüística. Esta última proporcionou o conhecimento da estrutura textual do texto narrativo, e a Semântica Discursiva contribuiu com o percurso temático e o percurso figurativo utilizados como ferramentas para análise de assunto de textos narrativos. Objetivou-se, desta forma, a elaboração de um método que facilite a tarefa de análise de assunto, nos aspectos de identificação e seleção de conceitos, para promover a acessibilidade do conteúdo do documento. Para tanto, optou-se pela análise de três contos espíritas, nos quais foi inicialmente identificada, em suas estruturas, a seqüência canônica e, a partir dela, realizou-se a análise do percurso temático e do percurso figurativo, para a identificação de conceitos. Obteve-se como resultados a identificação de temas principais e secundários nos textos narrativos analisados. Com isso, concluiu-se que, o método experimental de análise proposto mostrou-se eficiente para o corpus desta pesquisa, pois possibilitou a identificação de conceitos relevantes que caracterizam os assuntos abordados nos contos, os quais poderão posteriormente ser traduzidos para a linguagem de um sistema de informação. Sugere-se, ainda, o desenvolvimento de um estudo para verificar e confirmar a hipótese surgida durante a realização da presente pesquisa, de que nas fases de Manipulação e Sanção, componentes da seqüência canônica... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: In the field of Knowledge Organization, more specifically in the approach of information usage, there is a lack of theorical assistance concerning to the analysis of fictitious documents. Trying to theorically contribute with the development of a method that makes easier the analysis of subjects in a narrative text, on its aspects of identification and selection of concepts, we researched theorical assistance in interface fields linked to the Science of Knowledge, more specifically Linguistics. This last one provided the Knowledge about the textual structure into the narrative text and the Discursive Semantics contributed with the thematic and figurative courses, used as tools on the analysis of questions form narrative texts. We aimed, therefore, the formulation of a method that could make easier the task of analyzing the subject, its aspects of identification and selection of concepts, in order to foment the accessibility of the content into the document. To achieve it, we opted by the analysis of there spiritualistic tales, in which was initially identified, on its structures, the canonic sequence and, through it, we did the analysis of the thematic and figurative paths, due to the identification of the concepts. The results were the identification of primary and secondary themes in the narrative texts that were analyzed. From it, we concluded that the experimental method of analysis proposed was efficient into the corpus of this research, because allowed us the identification of relevant concepts that characterize the issues approached in the tales, which will, in the future, be translated into a language from the system of information. We still suggest the development of a review to verify and hold true the hypothesis that appeared during this paper, and it states that in levels of Manipulation and Sanction, elements to the canonic sequence... (Complete abstract, click electronic address below) / Mestre