Joseph Heller’s Catch-22 is one of the most representative works of American absurd novel. In his novel, Heller profiles the cold, strange and unexplainable Amercian society. People are unable to realize a successful communication. Absurdity is the theme of Catch-22. The theme of absurdity is not only exposed in novel’s content, but especially in the use of the language of the novel. This paper is going to reveal the absurdity and meaninglessness theme by means of employing Grice’s...

Literature 

By utilizing Lakoff’s conceptual metaphor theory and Fauconnier’s Blending Theory, the article explores and elaborates on three metaphors about “grapes” in The Grapes of Wrath in light of the connection between the book’s descriptions and Biblical allusions, namely, “grapes as oppressed toilers,” “grapes as hope,” and “grapes as abundance.” “Grapes are the oppressed toiling masses,” “Grapes are hope,” and “Grapes are abundance.”

Linguistics  Literature 

Based on the textual content of Hojoki and KAMO no Chomei’s personal experience, this paper investigates KAMO no Chomei’s “recluse view” from two aspects: the reasons for his recluse and his recluse life. The conclusion is that in KAMO no Chomei’s “recluse view”, he tends to settle his heart by reducing contact with the outside world and creating a relatively quiet space, with the aim of seeking spiritual comfort. In addition, in KAMO no Chomei’s “recluse view”, it is relatively weak in h...

Literature 

This paper inquiry delves into the representation of death’s aesthetics within John Keats’ renowned composition “Ode to a Nightingale”, originating in the 19th century, and Wystan Hugh Auden’s poignant masterpiece, “Echo of Death”, which emerged in the 20th century. By approaching this exploration from three distinct vantage points, namely the “imagery of death”, “poetic wisdom”, and the profound “Dionysian spirit”. The author meticulously dissects the poetic creations of both visi...

Literature 

Pygmalion is an archetypal mythological figure, which reflected in many poems, drama plays and short stories. Pygmalion, by George Bernard Shaw, clearly referenced to this mythical archetype. In 1921, Shaw wrote Back to Methuselah (1921). Pygmalion, written at the end of his second decade as a playwright. Shaw never freed himself from the irritating demands of these unconscious images. Another decade passed and Pygmalion appeared again as an actual character in Back to Me...

Literature 

Coetzee’s Foe, the rewriting of Robinson Crusoe, tells a story about how Susan, a female castaway and a character absent in Defoe’s original text, challenges Crusoe and Foe, and how she pursues the right to speak for Friday. As a marginalized woman in the patriarchal society, the process of de-marginalization of Susan is a topic worth exploring. Thus, with the assistance of Beauvoir’s existential feminism, this thesis attempts to explore Susan’s de-marginalization in novel ...

Literature 

The novel The Lowland (2013) written by Jhumpa Lahiri seemingly begins with the story of twin brothers, Subhash and Udayan, but eventually turns into the independent journey of a woman named Gauri. This paper attempts to trace Gauri in two spaces—the traditional society of India and the modern society of the U.S.—and shows her transformation guided by feminist geographic theories.

Literature 

“The white riverbed” is the literary underpinning of the well-known Japanese poet and novelist Yasushi Inoue, and his concern for the theme of fate can be considered an extension of “the white riverbed”. Yasushi Inoue’s thoughts on fate originate from his personal experiences in his early years and his novels can be regarded as a projection of his personal experiences. In the story of Dunhuang, Yasushi Inoue’s Chinese-themed historical novel, the word “fate” is found everywhere. Also, the...

Literature 

Time is a vital keynote of Shakespeare’s sonnets. From the perspective of time, this paper attempts to explore the theme of time and the ways how to against time in Shakespeare’s sonnets. It reveals Shakespeare’s positive attitude towards time and making efforts to keep eternity, and his affirmation of human ability against time, which is filled with philosophy and implications.

Literature 

Imagery is an important key to open a poem and explore the poet’s inner word. In Shakespeare’s sonnets, the rose is repeated image, which is placed in a dominant position among all the other flower imagery. In general, rose is one of the most conventional image in the sonnet. So, this article aims to explore why Shakespeare prefers “rose” to other flower imagery, and what are the symbolic meanings of “rose” images in Shakespeare’s sonnets. Imagery is the poem’s link to the senses, figure out “ro...

Literature