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Community’s Influence on Igbo Musical Artiste and His Art
Alvan-Ikoku Okwudiri Nwamara
Issue:
Volume 7, Issue 1, January 2019
Pages:
1-8
Received:
19 September 2018
Accepted:
17 October 2018
Published:
11 March 2019
Abstract: The Igbo traditional concept of “Ohaka: The Community is Supreme,” is mostly expressed in Igbo names like; Nwoha/Nwora (Community-Owned Child), Oranekwulu/Ohanekwulu (Community Intercedes/intervenes), Obiora/Obioha (Community-Owned Son), Adaora/Adaoha (Community-Owned Daughter) etc. This indicates value attached to Ora/Oha (Community) in Igbo culture. Musical studies have shown that the Igbo musical artiste does not exist in isolation; rather, he performs in/for his community and is guided by the norms and values of his culture. Most Igbo musicological scholars affirm that some of his works require the community as co-performers while some require collaboration with some gifted members of his community. His musical instruments are approved and often times constructed by members of his community as well as his costumes and other paraphernalia. But in recent times, modernity has not been so friendly to this “Ohaka” concept; hence the promotion of individuality/individualism concepts in various guises within the context of Igbo musical arts performance. Technological advancements on the one hand, try to promote and popularize Igbo musical arts, while on the other hand, dampen the spiritual and socio-cultural essence of the art. Coming from a performer/participant observer’s perspective, the author carefully examines the nature of Igbo musical arts in modern times in comparison to ethno-historical viewpoints gathered through review of related literatures. In general, the paper highlights Ohaka in Igbo musical arts with emphasis on the artiste, his art, effects of modernity on the concept and subsequently suggests way forward.
Abstract: The Igbo traditional concept of “Ohaka: The Community is Supreme,” is mostly expressed in Igbo names like; Nwoha/Nwora (Community-Owned Child), Oranekwulu/Ohanekwulu (Community Intercedes/intervenes), Obiora/Obioha (Community-Owned Son), Adaora/Adaoha (Community-Owned Daughter) etc. This indicates value attached to Ora/Oha (Community) in Igbo cultu...
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On National Consciousness in Wu Shimin’s Novel Iron Net and Bronze Hook
Liu Weiqin,
Zhang Zhaoqin
Issue:
Volume 7, Issue 1, January 2019
Pages:
9-13
Received:
14 January 2019
Accepted:
26 February 2019
Published:
16 March 2019
Abstract: Mr. Wu Shinmin was once the deputy director of State Ethnic Affairs Commission of China. After retiring, he turned his long time thinking on ethnic work into composition and devoted himself in writing novels. Iron Net and Bronze Hook is a representative one. By narrating Chinese people’s resistance against Japanese aggression in Poyang Lake Area, Mr. Wu expresses a strong will of the Chinese nation in this novel. Though it writes about the conflicts and collisions between Zhao’s and Zhu’s Village, different from the other family novels which mainly focus on internal affairs of small families, the novel manifests a deep concern about the fate of country and demonstrates the writer’s cognition of and concern for the Chinese social structure and expresses a strong national consciousness, i.e. no matter how different people are, they will surely unite as a whole when facing foreign invasions. Iron Net and Bronze Hook is the very result of Mr. Wu Shimin’s meditation for his ethnic work for many years and also the perceptual manifestation of his ideas on it.
Abstract: Mr. Wu Shinmin was once the deputy director of State Ethnic Affairs Commission of China. After retiring, he turned his long time thinking on ethnic work into composition and devoted himself in writing novels. Iron Net and Bronze Hook is a representative one. By narrating Chinese people’s resistance against Japanese aggression in Poyang Lake Area, M...
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The Analysis of Freudian Elements in Hurry On Down
Issue:
Volume 7, Issue 1, January 2019
Pages:
14-19
Received:
12 December 2018
Accepted:
10 January 2019
Published:
21 March 2019
Abstract: The paper attempts to present a tentative study of John Wain’s Hurry On Down in view of Sigmund Freud’s theory for the purpose of exploring Lumley’s psychological process. In Hurry On Down, there are many Freudian elements such as the libidinal energy, illusion, and anxiety; etc. These elements embodies the worldviews towards love.His two processes of falling in love reflect the two different attitudes towards love and morality.Charles Lumley’s personal experience after graduation is constantly a process of knowing himself, self-fulfillment and self-realization. In this process his id, ego and superego conflict with each other. Eventually, it can be concluded that human being exists in the society, and you cannot escape the society you belong to. In order to live, you must learn to adapt to the society even if you don’t like, even hate the society. Because human beings live in the society, and you have no choice.
Abstract: The paper attempts to present a tentative study of John Wain’s Hurry On Down in view of Sigmund Freud’s theory for the purpose of exploring Lumley’s psychological process. In Hurry On Down, there are many Freudian elements such as the libidinal energy, illusion, and anxiety; etc. These elements embodies the worldviews towards love.His two processes...
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Landscape of Evils in Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle
Issue:
Volume 7, Issue 1, January 2019
Pages:
20-25
Received:
25 January 2019
Accepted:
12 March 2019
Published:
30 March 2019
Abstract: In The Jungle, Upton Sinclair delineates the social evils in the early 20th-century America from such aspects as the evils of reification, banality and unscrupulous personality. He discloses the phenomena of reification appearing under the systematic force by highlighting the reification of political-commercial relation, capitalist-worker relation and interpersonal relation, denouncing the social trample on laborers’ basic human rights and dignity from the perspectives of political corruption, politician-businessman collusion and capital monopolization. Moreover, he explores the anti-civilization, anti-socialness and anti-ethics of banality of evils through the revelation of evil-doings of scabs, manual laborers and real estate brokers. Finally, the unscrupulous personality finding expression in jealousy, avarice and lust brings to light the pleasure-seeking evil psyche harmful to social interaction.
Abstract: In The Jungle, Upton Sinclair delineates the social evils in the early 20th-century America from such aspects as the evils of reification, banality and unscrupulous personality. He discloses the phenomena of reification appearing under the systematic force by highlighting the reification of political-commercial relation, capitalist-worker relation ...
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Kasem Metaphoric Extensions of yi ‘Eye’ and yuu ‘Head’ Expressions
Umar Abdul-Hakim,
Emmanuel Dogbey
Issue:
Volume 7, Issue 1, January 2019
Pages:
26-31
Received:
10 January 2019
Accepted:
22 March 2019
Published:
18 April 2019
Abstract: This paper studies the metaphorical extensions of the human body parts of yi ‘eye’ and yuu ‘head’ among the Kasena. We examine how these expressions are used to conceptualise a broader view of the people and whether these metaphorical expressions have a specific style and structure. We also argue that yi ‘eye’ and yuu ‘head’ as in the expressions collected are polysemic in Kasem. Data for the study were collected from Kasem level 200 and 300 students of the College of Languages Education, Ajumako of the University of Education, Winneba and our native speaker intuition as well. The conceptual metaphor theory (CMT) is adopted for the study. The analysis clearly shows that these expressions are employed as instruments in the expressing of trait or character of individuals. In terms of structure, it is worth mentioning that these expressions have specific structure. The body part is obligatory and then followed by a verb or an adjective to make the structure grammatical. However, if the verb or adjective precedes the human body part the structure becomes not meaningful. It is further established that the two expressions, lexicalise expressions of emotion and perception.
Abstract: This paper studies the metaphorical extensions of the human body parts of yi ‘eye’ and yuu ‘head’ among the Kasena. We examine how these expressions are used to conceptualise a broader view of the people and whether these metaphorical expressions have a specific style and structure. We also argue that yi ‘eye’ and yuu ‘head’ as in the expressions c...
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Awakening of Female Consciousness in The Joy Luck Club: An-mei Hsu and Rose Hsu Jordan as Two Illustrations
Issue:
Volume 7, Issue 1, January 2019
Pages:
32-37
Received:
17 January 2019
Published:
29 April 2019
Abstract: Amy Tan’s novel The Joy Luck Club, with the awakening of women’s self-consciousness as one of its themes, revolves around the lives of four Chinese immigrant mothers and their four American-born daughters. Taking An-mei Hsu and Rose Hsu Jordan in The Joy Luck Club as two illustrations, this paper aims to explore the internal and external causes leading to their awakening. After analyzing the embodiment of the female consciousness in these two characters, this paper points out that the internal factors involve their traits and personalities and the external factors deal with their mother-daughter bond and the differences between Chinese and American culture: An-mei, encouraged by her mother’s silent rebellion against Chinese feudal patriarchal society, eventually achieves self-discovery and independence by struggling out of the dilemma and immigrating to America; Rose, a second-generation immigrant, keeps seeking for her own identity while facing both the racial and gender discrimination from American society and, with the help of her mother, succeeds in seizing the power of discourse in her marriage and in shaping her independent personality.
Abstract: Amy Tan’s novel The Joy Luck Club, with the awakening of women’s self-consciousness as one of its themes, revolves around the lives of four Chinese immigrant mothers and their four American-born daughters. Taking An-mei Hsu and Rose Hsu Jordan in The Joy Luck Club as two illustrations, this paper aims to explore the internal and external causes lea...
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