Epic, among the earliest and most universal of genres, is found in a developed form among the most ancient written records of cultures from China to Greece, and has been recorded as oral narrative on every inhabited continent. From these roots in Western culture a varied yet unbroken tradition of heroic narrative has grown. Epic’s form has changed with human society, reflecting our literary, social and psychological development. This study aims to explore the effects in epic literature in English of one such development, namely the internalisation of writing, at two stages of this process as they are manifest in Beowulf and Malory’s Morte Darthur. Every culture has particular noetic processes, that is, methods of structuring and storing knowledge. Writing has profoundly influenced noetic development, so that primary oral cultures (without writing), chirographic culture (with writing) and typographic cultures (with printing) are profoundly different. Parry and Lord’s oral formulaic theory, and Havelock and Ong’s noetic theory describe the characteristics of primary oral thought and poetic discourse. Beowulf’s noetic paradigm is vocality; it is written, yet still largely rooted in the oral tradition and meant to be heard. The Morte shows loosening ties between poetic creation and extra-linguistic tradition in a mix of oral and literate traits. This study traces in Beowulf and the Morte seven characteristics of orality, namely stereotypical/formulaic expression, ceremonial appropriation of history, standardisation of themes, epithetic identification, heavy/ceremonial characters, agonistic style and copiousness. In all seven characteristics, the early signs of literate noetics just discernable in Beowulf are more developed in the Morte, as would be expected. Between Beowulf and the Morte, the form and the function of poetic discourse change. In primary oral epic, words make things real and function as communal memory. Epic discourse forms individuals as communal, ethical, technological beings, and enables human society to give expression to things unknown. Primary epic is in some ways one of the fullest expressions of language’s nature and possibilities. Writing, which relieves the burden of memorisation, frees energy for the development of certain of these functions. The development, made possible by writing, of abstract conceptualisation and then analytical logic is seen in Beowulf’s deathbed musings on heroic worth, which broaden into Malory’s extended critique of chivalry. The opposition of concepts becomes more important than the opposition of persons, and so from agonistic rhetoric grows scientific logic. This development spelled the end of primary epic, and other genres based on logic and analytical syntax developed to fulfil its didactic and prescriptive roles, from charters to essays. The evolutionary role of oral epic, which enabled communal desires to be expressed, passed to romance, but this genre too died with the advent of Enlightenment rationality and modern depth psychology. Fantasy, perhaps, succeeds romance in this function. The study ends with concluding remarks about the future of epic; with the shift from typographic literacy to secondary orality, epic is showing a rebirth in film and literature, notably in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. / Dissertation (Magister Artium (English))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / English / unrestricted

No description available.

When Thomas Edison applied for a patent for his phonograph, he listed the talking books for the blind as one of the benefits of his invention. Edison was correct in his claim about talking books or audio books. Audio books have immensely helped the blind to achieve their academic and professional goals. Blind and visually impaired people have also been using audio books for pleasure reading. But several studies have demonstrated the benefits of audio books for people who are not defined as disabled. Many nondisabled people listen to audio books and take advantage of speech based technology, such as text-to-speech programs, in their daily activities. Speech-based technology, however, has remained on the margins of the academic environments, where hegemony of the sense of vision is palpable. Dominance of the sense of sight can be seen in school curricula, class rooms, libraries, academic conferences, books and journals, and virtually everywhere else. This dissertation analyzes the reason behind such an apathy towards technology based on speech. Jacques Derrida's concept of 'metaphysics of presence' helps us understand the arbitrary privileging of one side of a binary at the expense of the other side. I demonstrate in this dissertation that both, the 'disabled' and technology used by them, are on the less privileged side of the binary formation they are part of. I use Derrida's method of 'deconstruction' to deconstruct the binaries of 'assistive' and 'main stream technology' on one hand, and that of the 'disabled' and 'nondisabled' on the other. Donna Haraway and Katherine Hayles present an alternative reading of body to conceive of a post-gendered posthuman identity, I borrow from their work on cyborgism and iii posthumanism to conceive of a technology driven post-disabled world. Cyberspace is a good and tested example of an identity without body and a space without disability. The opposition between mainstream and speech-based assistive technology can be deconstructed with the example of what Walter Ong calls 'secondary orality.' Both disabled and non-disabled use the speech-based technology in their daily activities. Sighted people are increasingly listening to audio books and podcasts. Secondary Orality is also manifest on their GPS devices. Thus, Secondary Orality is a common element in assistive and mainstream technologies, hitherto segregated by designers. The way Derrida uses the concept of 'incest' to deconstruct binary opposition between Nature and Culture, I employ 'secondary orality' as a deconstructing tool in the context of mainstream and assistive technology. Mainstream electronic devices, smart phones, mp3 players, computers, for instance, can now be controlled with speech and they also can read the screen aloud. With Siri assistant, the new application on iPhone that allows the device to be controlled with speech, we seem to be very close to "the age of talking computers" that William Crossman foretells. As a result of such a progress in speech technology, I argue, we don't need the concept of speech based assistive technology any more.

No description available.

“Human Principles” examines the scholarship of James Moffett and Walter Ong. The dissertation analyzes and compares their definitions for writing: revised inner speech (Moffett) and speech fixed in space (Ong). The project recovers Walter Ong’s scholarly contributions around shifts in technology (handwriting, print, and digitization as well as the secondary orality) and their effects on human communication for the field of English Education. The project also clarifies what Moffett means when he uses the terms “inner speech” and “revision,” and it marks a contemporary contribution to scholarship in the teaching of writing. Finally, the project addresses teachers of writing across the curriculum, and it presents humane principles developed from Moffett and Ong’s ideas of interiority, secondary orality, drama, monologue, and voice.

[pt] Esta dissertação se propõe criar uma estrutura capaz de responder às exigências teórico-críticas levantadas ao longo da pesquisa sobre Folias de Reis - manifestação popular inserida no campo das tradições orais, em constante movimento de integração às circunstâncias da cultura contemporânea. Com o objetivo de evidenciar cada uma de suas dimensões - verbal, performática, histórico-mítica e sócio-política - e explorar a riqueza interdisciplinar do objeto, experimentou-se a estrutura de uma tese-roteiro, com uma redação centrada em roteiro cinematográfico e desenvolvida a partir dos pontos de tensão entre criação artística e produção crítico-conceitual. / [en] This dissertation tries to build up a suitable structure so as to answer to the questions brought up during the research on the Feast of the Magi - oral tradition related to Christmas celebrations and maintained as a folk entertainment until today thanks to its interrelation with contemporary culture. The hybrid form of thesis-screen-play has been chosen in order not only to clarify adequately each of its dimensions - verbal, performatic, mythic, historical, social and political - but also to appreciate / explore the interdisciplinary wealth of this subject. The model of the screen-play has provided a basis for writing the argumentative text developing the conflict between artistic invention and conceptual-critic thinking.

Cette thèse porte sur l’oralité orungu et notamment sur le conte. Elle est axée sur les performances d’un conteur, Brice Senah Ambenga, dans deux situations de communication différentes. En prenant comme point de départ la performance comme critère définitoire, elle analyse les contes en oralité première, en l’occurrence dans la veillée, la palabre de mariage et de deuil, l’initiation au Bwiti, mais également en néo-oralité, à savoir à la radio et lors de sa mise en spectacle. L’observation du même énonciateur aboutit au questionnement novateur suivant : la situation de communication a-t-elle des incidences sur la performance, la langue et les textes ? Cette problématique est analysée en neuf chapitres.Le premier présente la société à laquelle le conteur appartient et comprend un aperçu de son histoire et de son organisation sociopolitique.Dans le second chapitre, il est question du cadre théorique dans lequel se situe l’analyse, appuyée sur les notions d’oralité, de littérature orale et de performance. Par ailleurs, une interrogation sur la notion de "parole" et de "genres littéraires orungu" est proposée.Le troisième chapitre présente le conteur, son répertoire et les situations de communication déclinées en plusieurs circonstances.Les chapitres quatre à huit analysent les performances de ce conteur. Il s’agit de contextualiser et de décrire chaque performance i.e. situation d’énonciation, ainsi que les contes qui y sont énoncés, de manière à isoler leurs caractéristiques.Enfin, le dernier chapitre compare les caractéristiques des performances en oralité première et en néo-oralité.L’analyse s’appuie sur le corpus des contes transcrits et traduits dans le volume 2. / This thesis focuses on the orungu orality, in particular the orungu tale. It is centred on the performance of a storyteller, Brice Senah Ambenga, in two different communication situations. Taking performance as a defining criterion for a starting point, the study analyses tales in the traditional orality, in this case, during the wake, the marriage and mourning palaver, the initiation into Bwiti, but also in neo-orality, on the radio and when being staged. The observation of the same enunciator leads to the following innovative question: Does communication situation have any effect on the performance, the language and the texts? The question is analysed in nine chapters.The first chapter presents the storyteller’s society and that includes an overview of his story and the sociopolitical organization of his society.The second chapter is about the theoretical framework in which the analysis is based, supported by the notions of orality, oral literature and performance. Furthermore, a question on the notion of "speech" and "orungu literary genre" is proposed.The third chapter presents the storyteller, his repertoire and communication situations construed in many different circumstances.Chapters four to eight analyse the performances of this storyteller. It is about contextualizing and describing each performance, i.e., the enunciation situation, as well as the tales enunciated therein, so as to isolate their characteristics.Lastly, the last chapter compares performance characteristics of traditional orality and neo-orality.The analysis is based on the corpus of tales transcribed and translated in Volume 2.

Daar is baie onbeskryfde ruimtes en identiteite in Suid–Afrika; gemeenskappe waarvan die woordkunspotensiaal van die vertellers en skrywers nie ontgin is nie. Die kompleksiteit van die Suid–Afrikaanse samelewing, veral met betrekking tot taal en die geletterdheidskontinuum, veroorsaak dat gemeenskapseie woordkunsprojekte nie op n eendimensionele vlak beskou kan word nie. In een gemeenskap is daar byvoorbeeld lede wat steeds in die mondelinge tradisie funksioneer, maar ook ander vir wie die skriftelike tradisie toeganklik is. n Nuwe, sogenaamde “sekondêre mondelinge tradisie” speel ook n rol, en daar is komplekse intervlakke tussen hierdie tradisies. In elke gemeenskap deel mense mini–narratiewe met mekaar, maar is daar ook meesternarratiewe waardeur die betrokke gemeenskap, en die samelewing as geheel, beïnvloed word. Die oorkoepelende doel van die studie is om vas te stel watter rol oraliteit en identiteit speel in die bevordering van gemeenskapseie woordkuns in Suid–Afrika. As navorsingsmetode word daar vanuit n heuristiese en interpretatiewe benadering afleidings uit bestaande literatuur en gevallestudies gemaak. Die studie bestaan uit n teoretiese en praktiese deel. Die teoretiese deel behels n metateoretiese raamwerk wat uit die literatuurstudie gevorm word. Dit vorm as't ware die “bril” waardeur die res van die studie beskou word. Drie teoretiese sfere word betrek, naamlik (1) identiteit en ruimte, (2) die woordkuns en (3) gemeenskapsontwikkeling. Tydens die praktiese deel word daar veral van die praktykgebaseerde navorsingsmetode gebruik gemaak, asook op deelnemende waarneming en outo–etnografie gesteun. Insigte word uit twee gevallestudies oor gemeenskapseie woordkunsprojekte en die bespreking van n aantal eenmalige woordkuns–projekte verkry. Uit beide die teoretiese en praktiese dele van die navorsing word sekere merkers afgelei wat vir die skep van n model ter bevordering van die woordkuns in Suid–Afrika gebruik word. Die model is nie algemeen geldend nie; dit bied slegs beginsels wat as riglyne in die bevordering van gemeenskapseie woordkuns kan dien. Na afloop van die navorsing word tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat beide oraliteit en identiteit n sentrale rol in die woordkuns van gemeenskappe speel. Daar word gevind dat daar verskeie verbande bestaan tussen die identiteit en ruimte van n gemeenskap en die manier waarop hulle hulself in woordkuns uitdruk. Verder word vasgestel dat n deelnemende benadering tot gemeenskapsontwikkeling as n toepaslike filosofiese raamwerk vir gemeenskapseie woordkunsprojekte kan dien. Die benadering word ook (met inagneming van die konsepte ruimte en identiteit) as raamwerk vir die ontwikkeling van die model ter bevordering van gemeenskapseie woordkuns gebruik. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Daar is baie onbeskryfde ruimtes en identiteite in Suid–Afrika; gemeenskappe waarvan die woordkunspotensiaal van die vertellers en skrywers nie ontgin is nie. Die kompleksiteit van die Suid–Afrikaanse samelewing, veral met betrekking tot taal en die geletterdheidskontinuum, veroorsaak dat gemeenskapseie woordkunsprojekte nie op n eendimensionele vlak beskou kan word nie. In een gemeenskap is daar byvoorbeeld lede wat steeds in die mondelinge tradisie funksioneer, maar ook ander vir wie die skriftelike tradisie toeganklik is. n Nuwe, sogenaamde “sekondêre mondelinge tradisie” speel ook n rol, en daar is komplekse intervlakke tussen hierdie tradisies. In elke gemeenskap deel mense mini–narratiewe met mekaar, maar is daar ook meesternarratiewe waardeur die betrokke gemeenskap, en die samelewing as geheel, beïnvloed word. Die oorkoepelende doel van die studie is om vas te stel watter rol oraliteit en identiteit speel in die bevordering van gemeenskapseie woordkuns in Suid–Afrika. As navorsingsmetode word daar vanuit n heuristiese en interpretatiewe benadering afleidings uit bestaande literatuur en gevallestudies gemaak. Die studie bestaan uit n teoretiese en praktiese deel. Die teoretiese deel behels n metateoretiese raamwerk wat uit die literatuurstudie gevorm word. Dit vorm as't ware die “bril” waardeur die res van die studie beskou word. Drie teoretiese sfere word betrek, naamlik (1) identiteit en ruimte, (2) die woordkuns en (3) gemeenskapsontwikkeling. Tydens die praktiese deel word daar veral van die praktykgebaseerde navorsingsmetode gebruik gemaak, asook op deelnemende waarneming en outo–etnografie gesteun. Insigte word uit twee gevallestudies oor gemeenskapseie woordkunsprojekte en die bespreking van n aantal eenmalige woordkuns–projekte verkry. Uit beide die teoretiese en praktiese dele van die navorsing word sekere merkers afgelei wat vir die skep van n model ter bevordering van die woordkuns in Suid–Afrika gebruik word. Die model is nie algemeen geldend nie; dit bied slegs beginsels wat as riglyne in die bevordering van gemeenskapseie woordkuns kan dien. Na afloop van die navorsing word tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat beide oraliteit en identiteit n sentrale rol in die woordkuns van gemeenskappe speel. Daar word gevind dat daar verskeie verbande bestaan tussen die identiteit en ruimte van n gemeenskap en die manier waarop hulle hulself in woordkuns uitdruk. Verder word vasgestel dat n deelnemende benadering tot gemeenskapsontwikkeling as n toepaslike filosofiese raamwerk vir gemeenskapseie woordkunsprojekte kan dien. Die benadering word ook (met inagneming van die konsepte ruimte en identiteit) as raamwerk vir die ontwikkeling van die model ter bevordering van gemeenskapseie woordkuns gebruik. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Afrikaans and Dutch))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

Research problem - This research revolves around the problem: Which characteristic/repetitive pattern formations can be identified in the structure and general content of selected Afrikaans Jakkals en Wolf (Jackal and Wolf) trickster stories. Research aims - Originating from the problem, the primary aim of this research is to identify the structural and content related patterning in the telling of Afrikaans Jackal and Wolf stories in general as well of those particular to the trickster tale/story. The secondary aim of the research is to identify the localisation relating to general content and structure within stories. Research methodology - The structural elements, structural patterns, variation patterns and content were investigated. In order to theorise these patterns, it was necessary to analyse the stories syntagmatically and paradigmatically. For the former, particularly Bremond‟s (1977) action logic was utilised to analyse the action in the stories. The actantial model of Greimas (1966) was used for the paradigmatic analysis of stories and methods of story telling. Existing structural models of the folk tale, oral story, trickster tales and Jakkals en Wolf were also used in the analysis. Examples from the corpus of stories were used to illustrate and substantiate findings. The corpus consists in short out of sound recordings recorded by a project team lead by Du Plessis (1987:8-14), recordings which was done by the researcher in the Murraysburg district in June 2010; Jakkals-en-Wolfstories, told by Dana Niehaus (Niehaus, 2011) as well as stories out of the volumes Die Kaskenades van Jakkals en Wolf (Rousseau, 2011), Die mooiste Afrikaanse sprokies (Grobbelaar en Verster, 2007) and Jakkals en Wolf (Grobbelaar en Verster, 2011). Findings - It was found that unique patterning formations could be identified by the analysis of the corpus Afrikaans oral Jakkals en Wolf trickster tales represent in this study, and that both Bremond‟s action logic and Greimas‟s actantial model add value to describing structure in stories. A consequence of this is that greater appreciation is created in the analyses of stories. / MA (Afrikaans and Dutch), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014