Browsing through the archives of the Rotterdam Public Library, I discovered that the historic book collection contains a single publication by an English woman at the seventeenth-century Rotterdam...Show moreBrowsing through the archives of the Rotterdam Public Library, I discovered that the historic book collection contains a single publication by an English woman at the seventeenth-century Rotterdam publishing house of Goddaeus, that of Katherine Sutton. Asking myself why this was the only book by a woman to be published at Goddaeus’ publishing house, my curiosity was aroused to find out why this English woman chose to publish a book in the Netherlands. It challenged me to discover if more women found their way to Rotterdam to publish their work and what their motives were. I found out that in the second half of the seventeenth century, more English women travelled to the Netherlands to seek refuge and two of them had their work published by Goddaeus: Katherine Sutton (1630-63) and Mary Hampson (1639-1698). Although they migrated in different time periods and for different reasons, they both seized the opportunity to publish their life experiences at a Dutch publishing house. Although the historical archives offer little to no information on the reason for their connection to Goddaeus, the fact that both women took their chance to publish their works while in exile, in their native language at a Dutch publishing house, triggered me to find out more. What follows here, is an overview of the cultural-historical context of the seventeenth century; an overview of connections and differences between English and Dutch society; the social impact of the seventeenth century printing industry; the position of women and their position to write; and ultimately how this culminates in the aim of these two women in particular, to pursue truth by making their life experiences public by means of print.Show less
Derry Girls provides a humorous take on the Northern Irish Troubles. The sitcom, following the lives of a group of teenagers living in Derry in the 1990’s, combines the grimness of the sectarian...Show moreDerry Girls provides a humorous take on the Northern Irish Troubles. The sitcom, following the lives of a group of teenagers living in Derry in the 1990’s, combines the grimness of the sectarian conflict with the recognisability of teenage hardship. In the series, trauma is inherently linked to the everyday concepts of youth, humour, and community. These concepts are used to allow the characters and the audience to think critically on the events occurring in the series, as the conflict is presented with such normalcy. Additionally, they highlight a sense of hope and kinship and advocate for a youth-inclusive approach to peacebuilding. The series can also be seen as a product of its time; not only does it portray the zeitgeist of 1990’s Derry, it is also a response to the ongoing violence and paramilitary activity in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement. Derry Girls underlines the importance of community in the processing of trauma, established the ‘Derry Girls’ as an exemplification of peacebuilding, and uses humour as a means of the demystification of conflict.Show less
This thesis will focus on four comedies by William Shakespeare, who used the concept of cross-dressing within As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline and The Merry Wives of Windsor. This thesis...Show moreThis thesis will focus on four comedies by William Shakespeare, who used the concept of cross-dressing within As You Like It, Twelfth Night, Cymbeline and The Merry Wives of Windsor. This thesis will aim to find an answer to the question of whether female characters that cross-dress are more successful in achieving their goals and to what extent the characters experience altering consequences.Show less
A Jungian approach to Harry Potter would entail the idea that for the story to be complete, the characters must confront and integrate these many aspects of their psyche. However, as implied by the...Show moreA Jungian approach to Harry Potter would entail the idea that for the story to be complete, the characters must confront and integrate these many aspects of their psyche. However, as implied by the title of this thesis, not every significant character is capable of doing so for a variety of reasons. This thesis will largely concentrate on The Helper, The Villain, and The Hero; namely, Remus Lupin, Voldemort, and Harry Potter. This thesis will examine these characters’ journeys towards wholeness and will explore to what extent they are successful in completing their “quests.” By dividing this thesis into four parts, one for each character, and one for an in-depth literary examination of Jung’s theory of Individuation, this thesis will shed a light on Lupin, Voldemort, and Harry’s Shadow selves. After a comprehensive study of the seven books and an in-depth examination of these three characters, this thesis will conclude that not every character is capable of confronting their Shadow for a number of internal and external reasons. Using the characters of Remus Lupin, Tom Riddle, and Harry Potter, this study asserts that although Remus is incapable of embracing his Shadow Self and Tom is opposed to it, Harry eventually does so. Additionally, this thesis will illustrate that, much as Lily Potter’s love for Harry saved his life, it is love that enables him to embrace his whole Self; his dark and light Persona.Show less
