Journal of Critical Studies in Language and Literature

Book Review: Moser, K. (2024). Fake News in Contemporary Science and Politics. A Requiem for the Real? Palgrave Macmillan

Dan Manolescu — 2024-06-29

When the conditions are right, there are ideas and concepts that ignite and burn with such intensity that they outshine any others of the same time period. Fake News in Contemporary Science and Politics presents a very good example of what its author, Keith Moser, describes as infodemic, “or the increasing inability of a large segment of the population to distinguish between reality and its ubiquitous misrepresentation on a plethora of divergent screens.” In this context, the current volume is meant to send a wake-up call regarding the consequences of this constant transmission of information ad infinitum that may affect our existence on this planet and even lead to a misinterpretation of democracy and its basic grasp on reality.

A Post-Darwinian Fable: Canine Narration in The Call of the Wild

Xin Zhang — 2024-06-29

The paper reads Jack London’s The Call of the Wild as a post-Darwinian fable that challenges the anthropomorphism and sentimentality in the notoriously charged genre of the animal fable. London’s post-Darwinian representation of canine narration in an evolutionary continuum seeks to deconstruct the inherent hierarchy embedded in the fable. Through a reconciliation of the animal fable’s internal and external conflict, London aims to draw an ethical critique of amoral aspects of social Darwinism that underlies the American industry culture at the turn of the century. The remapping of humanity/animality, progression/regression, and the society/the wild within a bispecies environment for coevolution embodies London’s endeavor to rescue the reputation of the genre of fable from a conventional naturalist mode. London’s proclaimed vigor and science in the critique of animal fable further aspire to redeem the feminized professionalism of writing.

Detecting Discipline & Control: J.G. Ballard’s Running Wild

Rhys William Tyers — 2024-07-17

J.G. Ballard‘s 13th novel Running Wild (1996) investigates our media-saturated society and its representations. His ideas are explored through experimental and confrontational narratives, which invite us into a world in which desire, violence and innovation collide. Denying neat categorization and incorporating elements from a variety of genres including dystopian science fiction and the detective novel, Ballard’s books are confronting, disturbing and exhilarating. Ballard employs the tropes of the detective novel to examine homicidal obsessions, extreme violence, and controlled communities and, as a result, analyzes the sense of communal anxiety and brooding hostility which predominates ostensibly safe and secure gated-communities. Through this investigation he interrogates the cultural associations and motifs of violent trauma. Ballard, however, goes beyond merely identifying the violence and instead focuses on the systems that precipitate the violence and how society reacts to crimes that contradict its understanding of the world. Thus, Running Wild manipulates the tropes of detective fiction to explore the world of privilege, gated communities and wealth. Ballard’s novel employs the tropes of crime fiction in an unorthodox way to interrogate the pathological manifestations of the society of control as described by Gilles Deleuze and to delve into how these disciplinary processes may affect modern society.

Empathy amid Fear: A Study of Affect in Meg Cabot’s Abandon

Fazel Asadi Amjad — 2024-08-24

The aim of this article is to trace affect in Meg Cabot’s novel, Abandon. Affective analysis is a sect of the semiotic side of language which contributes to discovering the deeper and hidden layers of language. Julia Kristeva is a major figure in this regard, utilizing semiotics in the critical analysis of literary texts. She has specifically focused on how the sole responsibility of our unconscious fears and affects and their effects on others lies with us. This article, likewise, scrutinizes the same features in the novel, Abandon. This novel depicts the demanding moments of Pierce Oliviera, a teenager, years after her near-death experience, while the previous events of the protagonist’s life are shown as a series of flashbacks. Through portraying Pierce’s fears, we elaborate on how empathy, fostered among those sharing similar challenges, can facilitate overcoming the fearful conditions. Additionally, social collectiveness and affective connection among the characters can be the basis for the accumulation and the circulation of positive energy.

Developing Students’ Compositions in English Through Mind Mapping Techniques

Gopal Prasad Pandey — 2024-08-24

This research explores the effectiveness of mind-mapping strategies in developing essay writing skills among secondary-level students in Nepal. The study addresses the extent to which these strategies can improve students' compositions and identifies specific challenges they face, including issues with grammar, vocabulary, organization, and time management. Using an action research design, data were collected from 25 tenth-grade students through observation checklists, tests, and unstructured interviews. The findings revealled that mind-mapping strategies, when combined with group discussions, significantly enhance students' ability to organize and generate ideas, leading to improved essay writing skills. Students initially struggled with confusion and resistance but gradually showed progress in writing cohesively and coherently. The study also highlights the limitations of the current examination system, which favors memorization over creative writing. Despite challenges in classroom management and the need for better time efficiency, the research concludes that mind mapping and group discussions are effective tools in fostering student engagement and improving writing skills. The study underscores the importance of creating a supportive and interactive learning environment to achieve better writing outcomes.