A critical analysis of Charles Brockden Brown’s Wieland: or, The Transformation: An American Tale (1798) and James Hogg’s Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824). Through...Show moreA critical analysis of Charles Brockden Brown’s Wieland: or, The Transformation: An American Tale (1798) and James Hogg’s Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner (1824). Through psychoanalytical and dialectic models, this thesis compares and contrasts Brown and Hogg's critique of religious fanaticism in two separate (British and American) contexts. The focus is on the Gothic trope 'the Double' used by both authors to unfold their criticism.Show less
Homosexuality has been a controversial topic globally for the last decade. Many countries have slowly accepted the emergence of homosexual relationships, some more than others, but in some...Show moreHomosexuality has been a controversial topic globally for the last decade. Many countries have slowly accepted the emergence of homosexual relationships, some more than others, but in some countries it remains a sensitive subject. For mainland China, it is generally believed that the Chinese government adopts a ‘3-no’ policy – no approval, no disapproval, and no promotion.1 Homosexuality has mainly been developing as an underground phenomena. Homosexuality in Hong Kong on the other hand is much more visible and relatively more accepted than in mainland China. Taiwan has been the most progressive region, developing a visible homosexual subculture and literary movement. In this thesis I look at the historical development and the cinematic development of homosexuality in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan and specifically at the portrayal of homosexuality in two Chinese-language films, Stanley Kwan's Lan Yu and Zero Chou's Ci Qing.Show less
At the end of the twentieth century, George R. R. Martin rose to success with his fantasy. Martin’s series shares a similar setting to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, but there is a...Show moreAt the end of the twentieth century, George R. R. Martin rose to success with his fantasy. Martin’s series shares a similar setting to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, but there is a difference in Martin’s work compared to that of traditional medievalist fantasy authors. Martin himself has stated on multiple occasions that he, just like Tolkien had done, based the setting of his books on medieval Britain and Europe. The critical acclaim the series has received partly seems to stem from the fact that Martin’s characters appeal to a broad audience. Many major characters of the books are clearly derived from character types present in medieval literature, but Martin has added certain qualities to them which make these characters more human, instead of being the same stock figures that characters from medieval literature mostly are. I will be researching why Martin’s characters appeal to such a broad audience while being based on traditional medievalist character roles by doing close reading of the text. I will also look at Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte Darthur to research how much Martin has been influenced by character roles from medieval literature, and how these roles were perceived in their own time, also by doing close reading. To this purpose I will be looking into two character roles, that of the king and of the queen. I will look into the characters of King Arthur Pendragon and King Robert Baratheon in the first chapter, and Queen Guinevere and Queen Cersei Lannister in the second chapter.Show less
Deze bachelorscriptie onderzoekt hoe de Chinese regisseuse Li Yu uitdrukking geeft aan genderrelaties in haar films, en daarbij wat haar eigen kijk is op vrouwen in de moderne Chinese samenleving....Show moreDeze bachelorscriptie onderzoekt hoe de Chinese regisseuse Li Yu uitdrukking geeft aan genderrelaties in haar films, en daarbij wat haar eigen kijk is op vrouwen in de moderne Chinese samenleving. De nadruk ligt op het beeld dat geschetst wordt van vrouwen in Li Yu’s films, en of er overeenkomsten te vinden zijn tussen de verschillende vrouwelijke hoofdpersonages in haar films.Show less
In deze scriptie wordt er gekeken naar de referentiële patronen bij RTL Boulevard. Er wordt een onderscheid gemaakt tussen spontane, gesproken taal aan de balie, en de voice-overs, wat vooraf...Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt er gekeken naar de referentiële patronen bij RTL Boulevard. Er wordt een onderscheid gemaakt tussen spontane, gesproken taal aan de balie, en de voice-overs, wat vooraf bedachte geschreven taal is. Vooral in de voice-overs van het programma wordt er vaak verwezen met lange naamwoordgroepen, de surplus NP's. Hier worden mogelijke verklaringen voor geboden en er wordt een vergelijking gemaakt met de spontane spraak.Show less
This thesis examines how a memorial’s narration, stakeholders, and assigned purposes have led to the creation of the National September 11 Memorial. This thesis argues that the stakeholders, the...Show moreThis thesis examines how a memorial’s narration, stakeholders, and assigned purposes have led to the creation of the National September 11 Memorial. This thesis argues that the stakeholders, the creators (the LDMC and the designers), financers, family advocacy groups, and politicians, have constructed a complex memorial that not only serves a cathartic or political purpose, but that also raises questions about the current state of memorialization, its purpose and urgency, in modern American society. By defining the National 9/11 Memorial as a cathartic memorial, a narrative of healing has been created. At the same time, a narrative of victimization has been assigned to the memorial. This victimization offers political capital to the American political apparatus, but also proves to be problematic for certain family advocacy groups of firefighters and policemen who perished in the attacks; these family members desire a heroic memorial to remember their loved ones. These conflicting narratives raise questions about how the memorial will be used and interpreted in the future.Show less
The Old English poem Wulf and Eadwacer is famous for its ambiguity, mystery, and difficulty of interpretation. According to Elaine Treharne, “it is one of the most challenging Old English poems to...Show moreThe Old English poem Wulf and Eadwacer is famous for its ambiguity, mystery, and difficulty of interpretation. According to Elaine Treharne, “it is one of the most challenging Old English poems to translate satisfactorily.” There are various ways to interpret and translate Wulf and Eadwacer, and many different translations have already been published. Throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, translators have tried their best to create translations of Wulf and Eadwacer that reflect their opinions, serve their purposes, and appeal to their particular audiences. John Adams believes Wulf and Eadwacer must be seen as a riddle, and has translated it as such, while others, like Treharne, consider the poem a woman’s song. The choices that translators make show how they interpret the poem, and the examination in this thesis will show what might have influenced the translators to create their particular translation, and how their choices and interpretations of Wulf and Eadwacer have influenced their translations.Show less
Het wereldwijd toenemend aantal mensen met obesitas wordt steeds vaker als zorgwekkend gekarakteriseerd en als serieus probleem beschouwd. Samenlevingen noemen obesitas tegenwoordig in een adem met...Show moreHet wereldwijd toenemend aantal mensen met obesitas wordt steeds vaker als zorgwekkend gekarakteriseerd en als serieus probleem beschouwd. Samenlevingen noemen obesitas tegenwoordig in een adem met sociale problemen als armoede en verslaving. Daar waar de obesitas-aantallen stijgen, groeit ook de mate van media-aandacht voor de kwestie. Media schilderen het obesitasprobleem op diverse manieren af, door het op een bepaalde manier te framen. Framing heeft bewezen effecten op culturele attitudes: zo zorgt de framing van obesitas in Amerikaanse reality-tv als een moreel en dus individueel probleem, voor een toenemende negatieve houding jegens dikke mensen. Met die reden is het relevant inzicht te verkrijgen in de framing van obesitas in ook de Nederlandse media, waar tot op heden nog geen onderzoek naar is verricht. Onderhavig onderzoek richt zich hierop, focust op het genre van reality-tv en geeft antwoord op de volgende vraag: hoe wordt obesitas geframed in realityprogramma ‘Obese’? Een speciale interesse is er voor de vraag wie het populaire transformatieve lifestyleprogramma als verantwoordelijke voor - zowel de oorzaak als de oplossing van – het obesitasprobleem presenteert. In totaal zijn drie van de zes afleveringen uit het tweede seizoen uit 2013 geselecteerd, getranscribeerd en geanalyseerd middels een kwalitatief-interpreterende inhoudsanalyse. Bevindingen uit eerder onderzoek tonen aan dat het een specifieke eigenschap van reality-tv is om zich tot een individualistisch frame te beperken. De resultaten van de analyse bevestigen inderdaad de verwachting van onderhavig onderzoek dat dit in ‘Obese’ niet anders is en laten zien waar het dit onderzoek vooral om te doen is: hoe dit frame in een andere nationale context dan tot dusver onderzocht, wordt ingevuld. ‘Obese’ spreekt met een alarmerende toon over obesitas. Het realityprogramma gaat in op de gevolgen die het excessieve overgewicht voor de deel-nemers ervan heeft en definieert obesitas als een risico voor de gezondheid, een praktisch en ook een psychosociaal probleem. De verantwoordelijkheid hiervoor ligt volgens het programma bij het individu: ‘Obese’ presenteert de oorzaak als een kwestie van eet- en beweeggewoonten (levensstijl) die samenhangen met denk- en gedragspatronen (mentaliteit) en negeert sociale, politieke en economische factoren. ‘Obese’ heeft een duidelijke boodschap: dik zijn is een keuze. In de manier waarop het de deelnemers behandelt en in beeld brengt zitten aspecten van straf en vernedering, wat bij de kijker gevoelens van walging en afschuw opwekt. Om het probleem op te lossen moeten de deelnemers de strijd aangaan. Tegen het overgewicht, maar volgens de realityshow vooral tegen zichzelf. De oplossing is volgens ‘Obese’ simpel; zolang de eigenaar daartoe bereid is, kan het lichaam bestuurd worden als een machine. Wanneer de deelnemers hierin slagen, is ook ruimte voor beloning en bewondering. De Nederlandse programmamakers kleuren het individualistische frame subtieler in dan hun Amerikaanse en Engelse collega’s: terwijl de laatste zich niet inhouden voeren de makers van ‘Obese’ met grote zorg een balanceeract op waarbij ze continu het evenwicht bewaren tussen veroordeling van en sympathie voor het individu. Maar hoewel verzachtende omstandigheden het scherpe randje eraf halen, blijft het idee dat het probleem de eigen schuld van de deelnemers is bestaan. Individuele verantwoordelijkheid wat betreft obesitas is sterk verankerd in onze maatschappij en discriminatie van dikke mensen is erg makkelijk. ‘Obese’ versterkt het idee dat het individu voor het obesitasprobleem verantwoordelijk is en maakt het mogelijk nog makkelijker mensen met obesitas af te keuren. Vervolgonderzoek, waarbij meer programma’s, andere genres en ook andere bronnen worden betrokken, is nodig om het beeld completer te maken en uitspraken te kunnen doen over ‘de framing van obesitas in de Nederlandse media’ in het algemeen.Show less
Analysis of the Bolivian film Yvy Maraey and the representation of the contemporary mestizo in Bolivia and Latin America. Approaching to the guarani culture and its historical struggle within the...Show moreAnalysis of the Bolivian film Yvy Maraey and the representation of the contemporary mestizo in Bolivia and Latin America. Approaching to the guarani culture and its historical struggle within the modern state, and the resulting mestizo ch'ixi, as a theoretical response to the Bolivian reality today.Show less
Solid waste management is one of the main problems worldwide. Especially in developing countries, different factors such as rapid population growth, migration to urban areas, and lack of financial...Show moreSolid waste management is one of the main problems worldwide. Especially in developing countries, different factors such as rapid population growth, migration to urban areas, and lack of financial resources make difficult to implement an efficient system of collection. Waste–pickers have an important role in the solid waste management but they normally work under hazardous and precarious conditions. In Brazil, in particular, although most of scavengers work informally, there are also many formal cooperatives of waste pickers that collaborate each other and contribute significantly to clean the cities and reduce the volume of solid waste destined to the dumps. Nevertheless, solid waste management is still a complex issue in the country and there is still a lot do in order to integrate waste–pickers within the society and in the waste management system. This study analyzes the social impact of waste–pickers’ cooperatives in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Duque de Caxias, using data collected in five cooperatives during five weeks fieldwork research.Show less
Dit werkstuk bevat een onderzoek naar de lengte van de Chinese zin in vergelijking met de lengte van de Nederlandse zin. Dit naar aanleiding van het idee dat Chinese zinnen veel langer zijn dan...Show moreDit werkstuk bevat een onderzoek naar de lengte van de Chinese zin in vergelijking met de lengte van de Nederlandse zin. Dit naar aanleiding van het idee dat Chinese zinnen veel langer zijn dan Nederlandse zinnen. Bij twee spreektalige geluidsfragmenten, één in het Chinees en één in het Nederlands, wordt door een aantal moedertaalsprekers bepaald wat de zinnen precies zijn. De definities van zin die deze informanten aanhouden worden vervolgens vergeleken met wat volgens literatuur een zin in. Tenslotte wordt een meting van de gemiddelde zinslengtes gedaan van de zinnen die moedertaalsprekers bepaald hebben, en deze worden met elkaar vergeleken om te zien of Chinese zinnen daadwerkelijk langer zijn dan Nederlandse zinnen.Show less
According to the 2000 Census, only 8.41 percent of the population of the People's Republic of China belonged to one of the 55 recognized ethnic minorities. Despite this relatively small percentage,...Show moreAccording to the 2000 Census, only 8.41 percent of the population of the People's Republic of China belonged to one of the 55 recognized ethnic minorities. Despite this relatively small percentage, western media regularly report about ethnic violence in the PRC. This thesis examines preferential policies, a solution of the PRC government to stabilize ethnic tensions within its territories. After providing a brief understanding of living conditions for ethnic minorities in China, the thesis outlines challenges for both the ethnic minorities and the PRC government and continues by a detailed explanation of the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy and the preferential policy on minority education enrollment, followed by an analysis of the actual results of the policies. The thesis concludes by stating that the preferential policies both work and do not work. There is an increase in the literacy rate of minorities that can be contributed to the policies. At the same time, however, the preferential policies seem to be both a result and a source of Han-centered discrimination of ethnic minorities.Show less
According to Miestamo (2005:18), a lot of cross-linguistic research has been undertaken on what is called standard negation (Dahl 1979; Payne 1985; Forest 1993; Honda 1996). However, in these works...Show moreAccording to Miestamo (2005:18), a lot of cross-linguistic research has been undertaken on what is called standard negation (Dahl 1979; Payne 1985; Forest 1993; Honda 1996). However, in these works, little attention is paid to the negation of existential clauses. Recently, a typological study of negative existential clauses was carried out by Vesselinova (2013), who focuses on how this special type of negation relates to standard negation. Since affirmative existential clauses are often related to possessive and locative clauses (Lyons 1967; Clark 1978; Payne 1997), this thesis examines negative existential clauses according to their relation with negative possessive and locative clauses in a geographically and genetically balanced sample of 12 languages. This relation is compared to the way their affirmative counterparts relate to each other. The data used in this study comes from descriptive grammars, linguistic articles on the languages, and personal communication with speakers. It appears that in the majority (66,67%) of the sample languages negative existential, possessive and locative clauses are related to each other in the same configuration as their affirmative counterparts, while a minority of the sample languages is asymmetric in this respect. The pattern that is found in most of the sample languages is that in which all three clause types are related to each other. None of the sample languages follows a pattern in which negative existential clauses are not related to either negative possessive or negative locative clauses.Show less
Upon becoming prime-minister of Malaysia in 1981,Mahathir initiated the “Look East” policy. This policy looked at Korea and Japan and sought to use these countries as examples. The policy was not...Show moreUpon becoming prime-minister of Malaysia in 1981,Mahathir initiated the “Look East” policy. This policy looked at Korea and Japan and sought to use these countries as examples. The policy was not only meant as an economic measure, but also as a cultural policy to aid the poor Malays. This thesis tries to answer the question to what extent the policy was aimed for the latter and how this was to be implemented. Firstly, it will look at Malaysia's cultural background and Mahathir's view on the matter before becoming prime-minister. It focuses on his book, the Malay Dilemma, where he stressed the need for Malays to change their values. Secondly it will look into the initiation of the “Look East” policy and what it aimed to do. Thirdly, it will go into Japan's image and how Mahathir sought to transfer values from Japan to Malaysia. Then, it will look at the implementation of the policy and how it was executed. Lastly, the conclusion talks about the cultural influence of the “Look East” policy. Saying that the policy was not effective in changing the values of the Malays, but did bring out a change in direction from looking to the West towards looking to the East.Show less
Throughout the years, young adult dystopian fiction has become a well-known and widely-read genre. Simultaneously, the division of the world into typically masculine or feminine matters has changed...Show moreThroughout the years, young adult dystopian fiction has become a well-known and widely-read genre. Simultaneously, the division of the world into typically masculine or feminine matters has changed as well. This same idea applies to literary genres. Science fiction has been dominated by male characters and writers throughout the years, for instance in books such as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, or in television series like Star Trek and Babylon 5. Nevertheless, the more contemporary young adult dystopian novels, as a subgenre of science fiction, have seen an emergence of other heroic protagonists, namely girls. These girls, such as Katniss Everdeen in Suzanne Collin’s Hunger Games, are suddenly able to exert agency in a genre that initially mainly had male protagonists, and in which female characters were merely supporting those real heroes. In fact, the modern female protagonists use their gendered traits to drastically change the society they live in. While these capacities were usually not given to young women in dominant patriarchal societies, nowadays it has been made possible by the increasing presence of conventions of the romance genre in science fiction, and its subgenre, dystopian fiction. The combination of the conventions of both genres results in a change of subject matter of dystopian fiction, but also a change in the intended audience. This is because both genres have a different focus as well, as the focus of science fiction is scientific and technical developments and societal problems, whereas the focus of romance fiction is romantic behaviour, emotions, and relationships. The increasing popularity of contemporary young adult dystopian fiction shows that adolescents are ready for a change. My thesis will analyse the portrayal of female characters in a popular Young Adult dystopian fiction series, namely Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games (2008-2010), and it will examine how the genres of science fiction and romance have merged together, and what the consequences have been. To ensure a thorough analysis that is supported by relevant and substantiating theories, the thesis is divided into two parts. The first part contains thorough analyses of the romance genre, the science fiction genre, and the latter’s subgenre dystopian fiction. The focus is on these genres, for the reason that the text in question, The Hunger Games, fuses these genres, and one of the objectives of this thesis is to place Young Adult dystopian fiction between the two seemingly conflicting genres, in order to show that these two genres have combined their characteristics. By examining these genres individually, I shall eventually demonstrate to what extent these genres merged together, and what the consequences have been in terms of role division and the distribution of power between the male and female characters. The second part of my thesis explores the portrayal of female characters in Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games, to research the extent to which certain characteristics of the romance genre and the strong female characters have invaded the science fiction and dystopian genre, and what the effects have been in this particular series. In other words, the second part will demonstrate how romance in The Hunger Games has resulted in the creation of a strong female character, Katniss Everdeen, who exerts agency and who is able to use her femininity in order to rebel against and change the government of Panem. This part consists of three chapters, all of which contain an analysis of one book of the trilogy. The three analyses will show how the female protagonist in the series has obtained agency by embracing her own femininity, which has been made possible by the addition of important characteristics of the romance genre, and how this change in agency, created by the combination of the two genres, enables her to fight against and bring down the totalitarian government, and create a better place for all Panem’s citizens.Show less
