Tag: Literature
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Journeying to the Centre of the Earth: The Scientific Accuracy of Jules Verne’s Writing
French novelist Jules Verne has been celebrated for over a century as a pioneer of the science fiction genre. Kat Jivkova examines the scientific accuracy of his work to determine whether this appellation obscures his legacy.
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The Brontë Sisters and the Importance of Women’s Education in the Nineteenth Century
In their personal lives as well as through their novels, the Brontë sisters challenged patriarchal norms surrounding a woman’s role in society. Isabelle Shaw examines the impact that their work has had on efforts for equal education in the nineteenth century and beyond.
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The Simple History: #Cottagecore, Pastoral Arcadia and Marie Antoinette
Written by Melissa Kane. The current cultural fascination with #Cottagecore, encompassed by a rural idyll shared on social media websites, is rooted in a long history of romanticised escapism. But where did this start? And how does Marie Antoinette play a role in Cottagecore?
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The Song of Achilles, 10 Years On
Written by Justin Biggi. The Song of Achilles has been praised for it’s treatment of the relationship between Achilles and Patroclus, one which has historically been controversial for academics. But does Miller’s retelling stand the test of time?
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Spilling Over: Ovid’s Heroides and the Mythological Female Voice
Written by Hazel Atkinson. Ovid’s Heroides is one of his most understudied texts. It consists of fifteen “letter” poems written from the perspective of various female characters of Greek myth. How might the text alter our perceptions of Greek myth and writings about it?
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The Illusive Window: Insights into an Irish Tale
Written by Deana Davis. The extent to which written sources can be relied upon has constantly plagued historians in their attempt to recreate and “see” the past. In Ireland’s case, its unique plethora of cycles, or tales, contain pseudo-historical stories that have been fertile ground for such recreation. One such collection of tales, the Ulster […]
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Wicked Women: The Stepmother as a Figure of Evil in the Grimms’ Fairy Tales
Written by Anahit Behrooz. The recent scholarly resurgence of fairy tales and folklore, and the litany of rewrites, spin offs and adaptations, prompts a reexamination of many of the genre’s characteristics and tropes. The character of the wicked stepmother has gained notoriety as one of the most evil villains to be found in fairy tales, frequently […]
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From Oral to Written Folklore: The Evolution and Reception of the Icelandic Saga
The Icelandic Sagas are more than stories about a heroic age of kings, of trolls and witches, and magical phenomenon unseen by our modern eyes. They offer a complex resource of what early settlers of the island deemed important to their heritage. Since the thirteenth century, scholars have attempted to understand the departure from the […]
Retrospect Journal 