The Joys of Motherhood explores the ways in which women are silenced and oppressed. Traditionally, a woman’s worth in Igbo society is tied to her ability to bear children, especially sons. The novel examines the double oppression faced by African… Read More »Gender and the role of women in Nadine Gordimer’s ‘The Joys of Motherhood’
“Telephone Conversation,” written by Nigerian poet Wole Soyinka, satirizes racism. As the title suggests, the poem depicts a telephone conversation between a West African man and a British landlady, who shockingly changes her attitude toward him soon after he reveals… Read More »Use of Satire in Wole Soyinka’s Telephone Conversation
Pablo Neruda, a Chilean poet, had a deep connection with Spain, considering it his second home. He was actively involved in the Spanish Civil War, supporting the Republican side against the Nationalists led by Francisco Franco. Neruda saw himself as… Read More »Historical context of Pablo Neruda’s ‘What Spain Was Like’
One of the principal elements in colonial and postcolonial literature is the encounter with the ‘Other’. This concept refers to how colonisers and the colonised view each other. In a colonial context, the culture of the coloniser is seen as… Read More »The Concept of the ‘Other’ in Coetzee’s Waiting for the Barbarians
Waiting for the Barbarians is a novel by South African author J.M. Coetzee, winner of the Nobel Prize. He has taken the title from C.P. Cavafy’s poem ‘Waiting for the Barbarians’. In the world of postcolonial literature, Coetzee holds a… Read More »The Significance of the title Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee
About the poet Mahmoud Darwish (1941–2008) was a renowned Palestinian poet and author, widely considered the national poet of Palestine and one of the most influential voices in modern Arabic literature. Throughout his life, Darwish was involved in political activism… Read More »A Letter from Exile by Mahmoud Darwish summary and analysis
About the poet Wole Soyinka is an important figure in post-colonial literature. He is a renowned Nigerian playwright, poet, essayist, and political activist, widely considered one of Africa’s greatest literary figures. In 1986, Soyinka became the first African to be awarded… Read More »Telephone Conversation by Wole Soyinka Summary and Analysis
Henrik Ibsen is considered the father of modern drama. His plays had a significant impact on 20th-century theatre. There are different interpretations of his play The Wild Duck. At the heart of it lies a powerful conflict between idealism and… Read More »Idealism vs Realism or Illusion vs Reality in Henrik Ibsen’s The Wild Duck
Paul Celan was a survivor of the Holocaust, and he wrote ‘Death Fugue’ to comprehend and convey the enormity of suffering in the concentration camps. He constantly repeats words and images to show that many people died one after another.… Read More »Horrors of Holocaust in Paul Celan’s Death Fugue
Nikolai Gogol was a Russian writer, best known for his blend of realism, satire, and the supernatural. His words had a great influence on later Russian writers, including Dostoevsky. ‘The Overcoat’ is one of the most influential short stories in… Read More »Nikolai Gogol’s The Overcoat as a Social Satire