Whether in the guise of the novel or non-print media such as film and television, fin-de-millennium science fiction has provided opportunities to envisage a posthuman stage of evolution. The academic response to this has been polarized. Certain elements have embraced the genre as integral to the sociocultural relationship between unfettered biotechnological advance and the limitation of the human flesh. Others have treated the topic as fanciful entertainment, leading them to ignore and sometimes ridicule research on the posthuman. The thesis seeks to utilise the contemporary science fiction allegory as an aid in developing a critique of the emerging posthuman discourse, facilitating the analysis of its socio-political dynamic, and questioning whether discourse advancement necessitates the rejection of the humanist metanarrative. The thesis is divided into six chapters. The first chapter differentiates the posthuman from established biotechnological discourses, e mg the discontinuities in global location, temporal engagement, and participant ideology. The second reflects on the contemporary human condition associated with man's technological ingenuity being a credible threat to his own existence. It then outlines the epochal technoscience of the posthuman and introduces the diametrically opposed standpoints of the posthuman as amelioration, or autoextinction. The third chapter draws upon utopian visions of the future to contextualise and assist in the critical analysis of narratives advocating posthuman technoscience. The fourth chapter reverses this, by utilising dystopian imagery as an entree into the rationale of those opposing human alteration, facilitating its critique. The fifth chapter sees the science fiction allegory as a postfoundationalist narrative, offering up a discursive mirror to the influences of providence and progress on the posthuman debate. The final chapter examines whether an a-humanist account of man's relationship with technology might help to advance the posthuman debate.

This thesis argues that fanfic operates through a paradox of legitimation. Using the current cult text Supernatural (CW, 2006-) as a case study, discourse theory adapted from Foucault is utilized to establish that discursive formations from the source text can be de- and re-constructed, sometimes consolidating canon’s constructions, but at other times, altering Othered characterizations and criticising statements from canon. Paradoxically, however, this process utilizes and functions through the capital of the already-empowered: the White male Author (Jenkins 1995; Hills 2002; 2010a; Wexelblat 2002; Gray 2010; Kompare 2011; Scott 2011), and/or the White male protagonists of the series (c.f. Dyer 1992). The discursive formations studied are identified from the researcher’s situated position as fan- insider and academic (c.f. Hills 2002; Hodkinson 2005). They are judged to be of significance in the canon and fandom, and pertinent to the questions of power and Authority this study addresses. The methodology utilizes some techniques from network analysis (Park and Thelwall 2003) to chart the impact of fan-statements in an innovative fashion, using both quantitative and qualitative measures, whilst retaining insights from discourse theory to account for the specificity of fiction as a particular form of writing. In this way, the strength of statements, discursive boundaries, and techniques for alteration can be observed. The study concludes that, though the legitimation paradox cannot be unproblematically escaped or overcome, fanfic has begun to compromise it via deconstruction of the concepts of originality and authorship; and thus, from a postmodern perspective, the terms of the legitimation paradox can begin to be questioned.

The thesis aims to provide a comprehensive overview of Robin Jenkins's literary achievement, with specific focus on the issues of self-discovery and morality as presented in his work. It is divided into five main parts, which include an introduction and conclusion. Parts II, III and IV are each subdivided into chapters that deal with individual novels and short stories by Jenkins. Whilst explaining the aims and structure of the thesis, the introduction also provides some background information on Jenkins's life, character, and views, discusses possible influences on his work, and comments on Jenkins's place in Scottish and European literary and intellectual thought. Part II deals with Jenkins's early Scottish novels (1950-1963). It aims to establish the emergence and growth of different types of the pilgrim figure in Jenkins's fiction, as well as to introduce other issues that are central to Jenkins's overall analysis of human morality. Part III discusses Jenkins's foreign fiction (1960-1974). It examines Jenkins's treatment of the imperial theme in a historical and literary context, and discusses some aspects of postcolonial theory in relation to Jenkins's analysis of cultural and racial tensions between Empire and colony. It further establishes Jenkins's interest in the limits of human moral capacity, highlights the importance of individual self-discovery in his character portrayals, and suggests that the universality of human moral perception and experience is central to his work. Part IV deals with Jenkins's later Scottish fiction (1968-2000). It suggests that Jenkins's later fiction both repeats and diverges from his earlier work, and that the later narratives are marked by greater authorial detachment and narrative ambivalence than the earlier work. It then discusses how Jenkins continues to address issues of self-discovery and morality, as well as comments on the increasingly self-reflective nature of his most recent fiction.

This thesis sets out to establish the fact that Frederic Manning is a writer whose work, hitherto regarded as too limited in its scope, its quantity and its quality to be exceptional, is actually diverse, productive and highly articulate, therefore justifying him a notable places in literature. The reasons given for that previous estimate are considered, and countered. The study commences with an introductory chapter briefly covering the main events in his life, particularly in relation to his literary development. Then follow three chapters which discuss his writing, genre by genre - his poetry, minor prose works, and major prose works. In particular the chapter on his minor prose works covers ground not previusly examined in such detail, being devoted to his reviews and his other critical writing, ranging through classical literature, and all eras of English literature, as well as through his critiques of noteworthy writers in French and Italian literature. In this genre Manning applies his knowledge, drawn from his outstanding breadth and depth of reading, to his theoretical appreciation of literature, while generally applying its practical value throughout his own creative writing. Previous analysts have been satisfied to deposit Manning among late Victorian adherents to Arnoldian standards, who yet somehow managed to write The Middle Parts of Fortune, seen by them as an aberration from the norm. This study makes the case for his progression from the Pre-Raphaelites and the Aesthetes/Decadents of the nineteenth century, to a Modernist trend in him, traced from the originality he perceived in William Morris, Thomas Hardy, J.M. Synge, Henri Bergson’s philosophy, and in his fascination with twentieth century developments in dramatic construction. The conclusion reached is that, based on the diversity of material and consistent quality of Frederic Manning’s canon, his reputation as a writer will increase as further research comes to be devoted to his many-faceted life and works.

The aim of the present thesis is to make a longitudinal study of changes affecting sentence-initial elements in articles published over time by a sample of researchers in international journals of physics. The linguistic framework adopted for such a study is a systematic-functional one. The general research methodology is established around two main axes, one linguistic, and the other statistical. To conduct a longitudinal survey focusing on thematic changes, it was necessary on the one hand to set up clear and unambiguous linguistic categories to capture these changes and, on the other, to present and interpret the findings in manageable and reliable ways with the assistance of statistics. A pilot study was initially set up to explore possible changes in two articles published within a two year interval by the American Physical Society. The articles were the first and the last of a series of five articles written by the same researcher on the same problem in physics. The method of analysis of the texts used a formulation of Theme that included Subject as an obligatory component, and Contextual Frame - i.e. pre-Subject elements - as an optional one. The analysis, using taxonomies proposed by Davies (1988, 1997) and Gosden (1993, 1996), suggested differences in thematic elements, especially regarding a certain type of complex Subject. On the basis of coding difficulties and the findings of the pilot study, taxonomies were modified to include in particular new Conventional and Instantial classes for Subject and Contextual Frame. Conventional wordings, both in Subject and in Contextual Frame position, are identified as being expressions which are readily available to novice writers of articles, because they are commonly used terms in the fields of research concerned. In contrast Instantial wordings are identified as being expressions which have been especially contrived by the writer to fit a given stretch of discourse. As writers develop and make their own the matter with which they are working; they become increasingly capable of crafting these more complex workings which involve multiple strands of meaning. In the case of this latter class, particular reference is made to post-modification and clause-type elements which allow meanings to be combined in specific ways.

The vital role which English continues to play in international communications and the growing impact of the Arab Nation on world affairs have created a demand for English-Arabic/Arabic-English translators and interpreters. Consequently, this has prompted educational authorities in Arab Countries to set up translation and interpreting courses. For the same purposes, translation and interpreting courses have been set up in Europe and the U.S.A. the aim of which is to provide the market with translators able to deal with a variety of fields and interpreters able to operate at international conferences and international business negotiations. The discipline of TT is still in its infancy. It is faced with practical and theoretical difficulties. The practicality of translation theory in TT has yet to be ascertained and its usefulness in providing insights towards solving translation problems has yet to be fully investigated. In the Arab World, the problem of designing adequate translation courses remains. There have been a few attempts at designing undergraduate translation syllabuses at Arab universities, the prevailing characteristic of which is subjectivity. At the postgraduate level, the few courses available are of the `do-it-yourself' type. What is lacking is a translation course with a clear linguistic approach that combines translation theory and practice. This course must train students efficiently and must arm them with a good array of translation techniques and problem-solving strategies, as we badly need a systematisation of TT at our universities. Reiss's (1978) model of TT and Wilss's approach (1977) to curricular planning of translation courses are inspiring. Text linguistically-oriented translation syllabuses are also interesting, as they present an objective, scientific approach to TT.

For a literary critic preparing a scholarly edition of a text like this within an epistème that disparages the theory underpinning it for being tainted with the gestural idealism of 1968 and the neon-glare of 1980s high postmodernism, the crucial question is how to reconcile the commitment to authenticity ingrained in historicist textual studies (perhaps the critic’s only viable disciplinary inheritance) with the author’s implicit antagonism to any such quietist approach. The encounter inevitably becomes a battle of wills. In the course of the current project, this theoretical struggle escalates exponentially as doubts concerning the authenticity (and indeed the existence) of both writer and manuscript are multiplied. If a thesis can be retrospectively extrapolated from this project, it is the argument that fiction is demonstrably a tractable forum for research in the Arts and Social Sciences: all the more tractable for its anti-authenticity. The critic’s loss is the novelist’s gain. Specifically, in this case, the faithful historian of late twentieth century literatures, languages and cultures can solve the key dilemma of the subject by working under the auspices of Creative Writing. Only in this way can justice be done to the most cogent intellectual trend of the posmodern period (perhaps its defining feature): one that revelled in its own pluralities, ambiguities and contradictions, and resisted all the unifying, teleological models of ‘history’ that had been implicated in the century’s terrible ‘final solutions’. In other words, only fiction can tell the history of a culture that rejects that history. If this means condoning forgery… so be it.

Francophone Native literature from Quebec is a relatively recent phenomenon. Although Native writing started as early as the 18th century with the teaching of missionaries, it is only since the 1970s that Native authors from Quebec began to write fictional works increasingly. Due to their historical past, social and economic situation, Native authors have only recently slightly moved away from political issues. This thesis aims at highlighting the core elements of this literature and at demonstrating its specificities. The main corpus for this research is composed of seventeen works written by nine authors. Poetry and plays tend to be favoured by Native authors over novels and short stories; their closeness to oral tradition can be seen as one of the main reasons for such choices. By way of introduction, I summarise the historical, social and literary evolution of Native people in Quebec. I problematize my research with references to postcolonial theories as the authors’ situation as ex-colonised people echoes the issues raised in this particular field. However, I also refer to other theorists like Doreen Massey or Anthony Giddens when necessary. The focus of the next chapters derives from these considerations. The second chapter examines how they represent themselves and others. The third chapter highlights how their recurrent representations of past events serve to the construction of a Native discourse. The fourth chapter is concerned with their representations of their own environment and demonstrates how they tie in past conceptions of nature with modern needs. The final chapter shows how using the French language can contribute to their repossession of a cultural space within Quebec society.

No description available.

Part 1 of the thesis comprises critical study of Scottish Gaelic literature in the twentieth century. The first chapter outlines the sociological, educational, institutional and biographical background, and the history of Gaelic publishing and of periodical literature (including important Gaelic columns in newspapers and Gaelic broadcasting by the B.B.C. In the second chapter, prose--informative and creative--is divided, into 3 sections: 1825- 45[resume], 1880-1925, 1950--. The influence on the, early stories and novels of the native sgeulachd and historical and exiles' tales is documented, as is exotic influence. The short stories of the most recent period are discussed in more detail-than the rest. Writing styles and the teaching of Gaelic prose in schools are discussed. The third chapter concerns drama. The late appearance of the genre in Gaelic is discussed: early embryonic dramatic forms are examined and there is a section devoted to the cömhradh, an essay-device which came to be dramatically performed. The discussion of play scripts is divided into 2 sections: 1900-45, 1945--. In the first section, the development of popular comedy from Lowland community drama, revivalist dramatisations of customs and the cömhradh is traced; plot types are delineated; also, serious drama is evaluated. In the latter-period, experimental drama is discussed in detail. There follows a section on performances which gives details of the types of drama performed and discussion of drama teams, festivals, societies and audiences. The final section describes the development of critical-taste. The fourth chapter- devoted to poetry, is considerably the longest. It is divided into sections on a stylistic basis. Traditional bardic poetry--i.e., that with an Expressionistic tendency-- is dealt with first: the role and repertoire of the bard (and the conflation of the former with the comedian's role) and the achievement of individual bards is discussed. This is followed by a section on "the bard in exile", which is specifically concerned with the rise of Romanticism. The next section describes the survival of the bardic tradition and evaluates it. Traditional lyric poetry--that with an Impressionistic tendency--is then discussed. The next section deals with religious poetry, which is mainly bardic. The largest section describes, in close detail, experiments in poetry: both the larger and more important body of poetry rooted in the native lyric tradition and also experimental bardic poetry. The final chapter is a summary of the conclusions of the previous four. General trends and the development of surrealism, symbolism and of a general sophistication and cosmopolitanism are coded. Briefly, the pattern of development outlined in this thesis is as follows. New requirements and contacts were created by the synthetic recreation of ceilidh-culture in Lowland cities. Popular drama and short stories were a consequence, these fashions spreading to the Gaidhealtachd through the branches of An Comunn Gaidhealach. A nationalistically-motivated 'high-brow' extension of this new literature produced more ambitious short stories and plays as well as three novels. Conscious experiments in poetry were also conducted at the beginning of the century, but are of much significance only from the 1930's on, this development being a facet of the Scottish Literary Renaissance. In the 1950's and thereafter, a considerable sophistication has been achieved in all genres. Part 2 of the thesis is a descriptive bibliography of Gaelic publications in this century, including monographs and serials with ca. 3% or over of Gaelic material but excepting sheet music. The bibliography, being conceived as an extension of Donald MacLean's 'Typographia Scoto-Gadelica'(1915), gives Full Standard Description, deviations from this style being in accordance with Library of Congress procedure. Arrangement of entries is alphabetical, according to author's surname. Locations, cross references and informative footnotes are given. An introduction gives details of the style adopted.