This study seeks to investigate Sinan Antoon’s I’jaam (2004) through applying different theoretical frameworks including those of Althusser (1971) and Foucault (1978). Antoon, considered as one of the most internationally recognized Iraqi writers, wrote this dystopian, war novel in Arabic and translated it to English. Antoon’s emphasis placed on literature acting as an oppositional political voice has, in turn, created its own form of censorship inside the fictional world and outside the actual state censorship during Saadm Hossein reign. Thus, particular political messages within literary texts, like I’jaam, have been received with critical attention. The writing culture in Iraq has established an atmosphere in which literary criti

To approach the problem of individual oppression with an international perspective drawing on Foucauldian concepts, this paper compares George Orwell’s 1984 (1949) and the Iraqi Sinan Antoon’s I’jaam (2004), which was translated into English in 2007. Even though Orwell and Antoon come from dissimilar cultural backgrounds, religions and epochs, they have tackled the issue of individuals’ oppression through their oppressed characters in a strikingly similar way. Hence, by applying the theories of both the American School of Comparative Literature and Foucauldian concepts, the current study attempts to establish a relationship between the Western and Eastern ways of dealing with the issue of oppression as an international problem in au

This research explores the themes of identity and alienation in Tsitsi Dangarembga's famous novel, Nervous Conditions, through Kimberlé Crenshaw's intersectionality theory. The story takes place in postcolonial Zimbabwe and delivers a fascinating illustration of the intersecting domains of gender, race, class, and colonial legacies that shape the characters' experiences of identity and alienation. Benefitting from Crenshaw's intersectional paradigm, this article explores the multidimensional interface of societal categorizations and power relations in the novel, revealing the complex dynamics of individuals as they negotiate their identities in a postcolonial context. Through a thorough examination of Tambudzai's journey and the problems o

William Shakespeare's play Coriolanus explores the journey of power and the transformation of a skilled warrior into a statesman. This paper employs Machiavelli’s framework of pragmatic statecraft to analyse Coriolanus’s tragic failure as a political leader despite his unparalleled prowess as a Roman general. It analyses Coriolanus's political career, revealing how his military skills, while effective in warfare, do not translate into political success. The paper shows that Coriolanus’s contempt for performative politics, refusal to adopt civic diplomacy, and failure to soften aristocratic pride with populist appeal turn plebeians against him and alienate patricians. His upholding of martial honour — fostered by his mother Volumnia