This thesis is a study of social criticism in the works of Leopoldo Alas ("Clarín"), a nineteenth century Spanish novelist, literary critic and short story writer. In Clarín's two major novels, "La Regenta" and "Su único hijo," and in his numerous short stories there is frequent criticism of the abuses of the clergy, the state of Spanish morality, the misunderstanding and misapplication of religion by the laity, the quality of education, literature, theater and medicine, the corruption of law and government and the treatment to which the poor and uneducated were subjected. Because of Clarín's techniques it can be said that he was the leader of the naturalistic movement in Spain. It can also be said that Clarín as a naturalist did not follow the tenets of the French school.

Much of what has been researched on Shona fiction has been limited to literature published before independence. The current research endeavours to assess the treatment of socio-economic issues as conveyed through fiction published since 1990. This fiction focuses on socio-economic issues in both pre-colonial and independent Zimbabwe. The study endeavours to establish if writers who focus on these issues in the pre-colonial era have been able to reclaim a complicated picture of the African pasts. It also discusses fiction that focuses on post-independence experiences; such as extent of the impact of empowerment brought about by independence, continued poverty among Africans, emancipation of the female being and the HIV and AIDS pandemic. Here, it strives to ascertain if the writers have identified the causes and offer meaningful solutions to these. The study observes that contemporary novelists on the Shona pasts have reclaimed more realistic ‘worlds’ when compared to their predecessors who have largely presented distorted images of these pasts. On the outcome of independence, two groups portray it as a total success and a total failure respectively, whilst the third and more successful group gives a balanced exposition. Fiction on poverty among contemporary Africans falls into two classes, namely rural and urban. The former still suffers from the heavy influence of colonial myths as it only highlights the effects of poverty without situating them in their tension-ridden historical context. The latter provides important sociological information on the plight of the characters but is lacking when it comes to suggesting ways of alleviating such poverty. On female empowerment, it emerges that while some writers are for women empowerment, others are against it. Women writers are better at explaining problems of women. However, both groups are still unable to identify the root cause of the incapacitation of women. On HIV and AIDS, whilst male writers demonstrate a wider social vision on the factors that disempower society against the spread and curbing of the virus, female authors still fall in the trap of blaming both men and Shona traditional customs. Overall, it emerges that contemporary Shona writers reveal contradictory modes in articulating these issues. / African Languages / Thesis (D. Litt et Phil. (African Languages))

In this thesis I present prose works of contemporary Japanese women writers, who made their debut at the beginning of the 21st century. For a better understanding of the transition that a position of Japanese women and women authors has gone through - and how it prepared the way for their successors, I provide a summary of women's literature of the last two decades. To make the context clear, I also included an outline of significant changes within the realm of women's rights and the image of the role of women in society. Presentation of themes, that contemporary women writers focus on in their works and that reflect recent trends in modern Japanese society, follows. I also analyze aspects of language that are shared in works of young women writers. Lastly, considering the diverse range of critical reception of contemporary Japanese women writers, I would like to think about the future of Japanese modern literature. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

This thesis explores the ways selected American women writers utilize spatial imagery to convey their female characters' internal and external situation. In the introductory, theoretical chapter, attention is at first paid to the representation of space in literature. Drawing upon Gaston Bachelard's Poetics of Space and Marilyn R. Chandler's Dwelling in the Text: Houses in American Fiction, space is presented as playing a role equal to that of characters and plot since it is perceived as both a production shaped by its inhabitants and a force that is, in turn, shaping them. Furthermore, the difference between female and male spatial awareness as depicted in American fiction written both by men and women is scrutinized with the result that, arguably, male characters have a tendency to regard their houses as mere tokens of their social status, whereas female characters tend to have a more intimate and emotional relationship to their living space. This passage is inspired by Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. Finally, it is argued that women characters tend to develop their personalities in respect to the space they inhabit, and that domestic space can be for them either a space of confinement (the section dealing with this phenomenon is based on Sandra M. Gilbert and Susan Gubar's The Madwoman in...

Healing the Wounds of the Colonised Body: Writing Back in Twenty-first-century Works by British Caribbean Women Writers Thesis abstract Veronika Vítková Black women`s position within the world of male superiority and white supremacy came to be characterised by the term "double colonisation". Both patriarchal and imperial social order focused on their corporeality to justify their subjugation. Accordingly, black women writers came to conceptualise their experience of colonisation and slavery as wounds suffered by the black female body. They thereby use the master`s tools to dismantle the master`s house. Their "writing back" - a means of healing the body - constitutes a multi-level response to both sets of mythologies as well as other types of marginalisation and othering, which the two involved, such as sexual, territorial or discursive. It results in the construction of a complex space - a healing vision - which is not dissimilar to Homi Bhabha`s empowering theoretical concepts. However, while providing such progressive literary vision, black women writers also maintain connection with reality, where, as Gayatri Spivak argued, there is no space from where the subaltern sexed subject can speak. Their broad historical and geographical perspective, which is a product of the multi-levelness of their oppression,...

This study examines how two writers deal with demonic possession and exorcism in their written works that both have a common theme, the same alleged case of possession and exorcism. By comparing these written works I explore if the authors share any common or varying theories on possession and exorcism and investigate if the common theme of the two books has contributed to the authors writing similar books.My results show that the two authors deal with demonic possession and exorcism differently, one has theological views of the phenomena but is sceptical of their role in the alleged case, whilst the other believes that demonic possession and exorcism can be explained using scientific theories and that they are phenomena that played a part in the alleged case. The two books are quite different. I conclude that both writers’ theories of the phenomena are dependent on the existence of the phenomenon of religion.

Thesis advisor: Robert J. Starratt / This thesis is a descriptive and analytical study of the complete works of Michael Fullan as a scholar of educational change. Fullan is one of the foremost individuals who have helped established the field of educational change and who continues to push the field forward. This dissertation investigates, articulates and interrogates the intellectual and strategic contributions of Fullan in the scholarly field of educational change. This is a critical description and examination of the historical events and trends that influenced his research and to which he was responding. It provides insight into a significant area of practice and research in educational administration by looking at the development of a field through the intellectual contributions of one of its most important authorities. The main purpose is to highlight the development and cogency of Fullan's ideas in the field of educational change through an examination and exploration of his intellectual underpinnings. This study was grounded in the qualitative research tradition, particularly rooted in a conceptual framework of hermeneutics. The task was to search for an understanding rather than explanation and for interpretation rather than prediction. Thus, in this study the researcher was the primary instrument for data collection and analysis. Data was using collected various artifacts, namely: books, journal articles, scholarly papers, technical reports, conference papers, dissertations about Fullan, web-site reports and/or papers, newspaper articles and publicity material. More specifically, Fullan's writings were primarily accessed through various venues: the internet (especially his website: http://www.michaelfullan.ca/), college libraries and professors who use his books. One person-to-person interview was conducted to clarify. Data was critically analyzed and reported thematically and chronologically in order to position Fullan's works within those historical periods and to identify the development and evolution of his theory of change. Findings indicate several periods of education reform: innovation and diffusion, school effectiveness and school improvement, restructuring and reculturing, large-scale reform and post-standardization. Fullan's assessments of each period revealed that he has been more influential in the large-scale reform period than the others. Themes unfolding highlighted the importance of stakeholders (students, teachers, principals, parents and community, district administrators, consultants) and concepts (process, objective and subjective assumptions, moral purpose, relationships, knowledge, sustainability, complexity/chaos & evolutionary theories, systems, paradoxes, coherence and theory of action. Connections to key thinkers in sociology, educational change and mentors as well as Fullan' unique approach to the change process among various other change process models, definitions and perspectives were highlighted. Development and evolution of Fullan's theory of education is underscored by the influence of early mentors in sociology as well as decades of emphasis on certain critical issues within the literature: namely, the absence of the implementation perspective (1970s), meaning-making (1980s), capacity-building (1990s), systems-leading (2000s) and a more recent post-standardization era. Critical and positive commentaries on particular Fullan's works reveal multiple and often opposing values, assumptions and purposes of education that characterize scholar's experiences and advocacy. The paper concludes with a brief personal and critical reflection on Fullan's educational change literature highlighting strengths, weaknesses and the future challenges for scholars in the field. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2009. / Submitted to: Boston College. Lynch School of Education. / Discipline: Educational Administration.

Nesta tese de doutorado, apresentamos e examinamos memórias de escritoras negras brasileiras e moçambicanas. Além disso, fazemos uma aproximação entre temas enfrentados por depoimentos e por textos literários das escritoras. As entrevistadas, a pesquisadora e os autores eleitos para a pesquisa emergem ali como diferentes vozes, mas de mesma dignidade comunicativa, todas participando do diálogo estabelecido na tese. Foram, portanto, duas nossas fontes de dados. De um lado, a pesquisa organizou-se pela análise conteudista de obras literárias, quatro livros de contos As andorinhas (Paulina Chiziane), Insubmissas lágrimas de mulheres (Conceição Evaristo), Malungos e milongas (Esmeralda Ribeiro) e Ninguém matou Suhura (Lilia Momplé) , aí privilegiando a atenção ao quadro social dos textos tal como se deixou apanhar no interior de cada obra (o contexto político, cultural e histórico das tramas) e aos seguintes temas: a pobreza, a condição dos negros, a subordinação da mulher, as respostas de mulheres a eventos ou circunstâncias de racismo e sexismo (respostas ao rebaixamento econômico-político longamente formado contra mulheres negras, o que necessariamente incluiu respostas à opressão e reificação da mulher negra, respostas à subordinação e aos atributos de coisa que lhe foram historicamente impingidos). Por outro lado, a pesquisa recorreu a entrevistas semidirigidas e ao exame de depoimentos: os mesmos temas, primeiro tirados da literatura, foram retomados em conversas diretas com cada uma das quatro escritoras / In this Doctorate thesis, we present and examine memories of Brazilian and Mozambican black female writers. Furthermore, we make an association between themes faced by the authors testimonies and literary pieces. The interviewees, the researcher and the authors chosen for the research emerge as distinct voices, but of equal communicative dignity, all of whom taking part in the dialogue established in the thesis. Therefore, there were two data sources. On one hand, the research was organized by content analysis of literary works, four short-story books As andorinhas (Paulina Chiziane), Insubmissas lágrimas de mulheres (Conceição Evaristo), Malungos e milongas (Esmeralda Ribeiro) and Ninguém matou Suhura (Lilia Momplé) , favoring attention to the texts social picture as apprehended from within each work (the political, cultural, and historical context of the plots) and to the following themes: poverty, the condition of the black people, womens subordination, womens responses to events or circumstances of racism and sexism (responses to the economic and political demotion long formed against black women, which necessarily included responses to the oppression and reification of black women, responses to the subordination and to the thing attributes that were historically imposed on them). On the other hand, the research resorted to semi-guided interviews and to the examination of testimonies: the same themes, first taken from the literature, were recovered in direct conversation with each of the four writers

Neuf ans après 1968, l’Italie connaît une nouvelle année d’agitation. Pendant quelques mois la péninsule est parcourue par un mouvement social, politique et culturel extrêmement vigoureux et offensif qui prendra le nom de « mouvement de 77 ». Cette contestation irrévérencieuse évoluera au fil des mois : les manifestations vont se tacher de sang et le « mouvement de 77 » se radicaliser. Mais il sera vite oublié, l’Italie se précipitant, le 16 mars 1978 avec l’enlèvement d’Aldo Moro, au cœur de ce que l’on nomme les « années de plomb ». De ce fait l’historiographie italienne mentionne rarement cette année de mobilisation, et seuls quelques romanciers ont été inspirés par le mouvement insurrectionnel de 1977. Nous dégagerons les raisons littéraires qui ont poussé les écrivains à s’emparer du « mouvement de 77 », afin de comprendre l’exploration paradoxale de cette année : d’un côté volontairement refoulée de l’histoire et de la littérature, de l’autre instrumentalisée afin d’illustrer les valeurs, les échecs ou les victoires de toute une génération. Comment les écrivains ont-ils évoqué ce mouvement ? Comment se sont-ils mesurés à ses enjeux, à ses dérives et à ce qu’il représente ? Quelles solutions narratives ont-ils exploré pour en rendre compte ? Comment leurs textes répondent-ils aux « mythes », ces conceptions dominantes et réductrices que la société italienne, traumatisée par cette période de son histoire, a produit envers cette jeunesse contestatrice ? Nous suivrons la diachronie des perceptions littéraires de cet événement, de 1979 à 2007, à travers les œuvres de Bruno Arpaia, Nanni Balestrini, Ferdinando Camon, Enrico Palandri, Paolo Pozzi et Luca Rastello. / Nine years after 1968, Italia is going again through one year of agitation. For a few months, the peninsula is crossed over by a social, political and cultural movement, extremely vigorous and offensive, that was named "movement of ’77". This irreverent contestation is going to change with the passing months : the demonstrations become bloody and the movement of ’77 turns to more radicalism. But it will be soon forgotten when Italia, on the 16th of March 1978, day of the kidnapping of Aldo Moro, will rush into the heart of what were called the "Years of Lead". Thus, the italian historiography rarely mentions this year of mobilisation, and only a few italian novelists were inspired by the insurrectionary movement of 1977. We will draw the literary reasons that led those novelists to take over the "movement of ’77", in order to understand the paradoxical exploration of that year which was on one side forgotten by the history of literature, and on the other side used to illustrate the values, the failures and the victory of a whole generation. How did the writers picture that movement? How did they confront its stakes, its drifts, and what it represents? What are the narrative solutions they have found to express it? How do their texts answer to the "myths", these dominating and reducing conceptions that the italian society, traumatised by this period of its history, have brought to the contestating youth? We will follow the diachrony of the literary perceptions of that event, from 1979 to 2007, through the works of Bruno Arpaia, Nanni Balestrini, Ferdinando Camon, Enrico Palandri, Paolo Pozzi and Luca Rastello.

Ao escrever Avalovara, Osman Lins manifestou que diversas leituras foram convocadas para sua construção. Dessa forma, a obra estabelece um diálogo com diversos textos, sendo que alguns estão preservados no Fundo Osman Lins do Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros da Universidade de São Paulo e da Fundação Casa de Rui Barbosa. Assim, ao investigar o arquivo do escritor e trabalhar com a ideia de que o ato de escrever é antecedido por uma leitura e uma pesquisa, esta tese apresenta como alguns livros da biblioteca do escritor fazem parte do processo criador do romance. O estudo configura-se como uma análise e interpretação crítica deste material, apoiando-se na correlação de leituras, notas marginais e documentos do processo criador, observando ainda alguns aspectos de assimilação, transfiguração e seus desdobramentos em Avalovara. Com isso, sobrepostos aos textos impressos, as anotações, grifos ou apontamentos das leituras de Osman Lins se convertem em manuscrito, reforçando a importância da abordagem dos documentos do processo e a presença de um diálogo intertextual que interessa tanto à Literatura Comparada como à Crítica Genética. O trabalho apresenta ainda uma edição das anotações autógrafas: transcritas, classificadas e organizadas. Conteúdo que fornece um percurso de parte da formação do leitor/escritor, seus interesses estéticos e literários e como esta marginália oferece novas perspectivas de estudo para o conjunto de sua obra. / When writing Avalovara, Osman Lins declared that several readings were convened for its construction. Thus, the book establishes a dialogue with various texts, some of which are preserved in the Osman Lins Archive in the Institute of Brazilian Studies of the University of São Paulo and in the Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation. Therefore, when investigating the writers archive and work, considering the idea that the act of writing is preceded by reading and research, this thesis shows how some books from the writers library are part of the creative process of the novel. The study configures itself as an analysis and critical interpretation of this material, supported by the correlation of readings, marginal notes and documents of the creative process, still, by watching some aspects of assimilation, transfiguration and its developments in Avalovara. Consequently, superimposed on printed texts, notes, or notes of griffins, Osman Lins readings are converted into manuscript, reinforcing the importance of the approach to documents of the process and the presence of an intertextual dialogue that are connected both with Comparative Literature and Genetic Criticism. The work also presents an edition of handwritten notes, transcribed, classified and organized. Content which provides a route for part of the formation of the reader / writer, his aesthetic and literary interests and how this marginalia provides new perspectives for the study of his work collection.