International Journal of English Language and Literature Studies

She who remembers: Gendered trauma as survival and resistance in Scholastique Mukasonga’s writing

P Gowsalya, C Jothi — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This study investigates how Scholastique Mukasonga’s fiction articulates gendered trauma not merely as a psychological or historical condition but as a multifaceted narrative of survival, resistance, and cultural resilience. The purpose of the research is to explore the representation of gendered trauma in her works, focusing on how women, as central characters, endure and respond to the devastation of violence, forced displacement, and profound personal loss. Through a feminist trauma lens, the study employs Judith Herman’s theory of trauma and Marianne Hirsch’s notion of postmemory to analyze how the narratives embody both personal and collective memory. Methodologically, the research offers a close textual analysis of Mukasonga’s selected works, with attention to the ways in which silence, memory, rituals, and the mother-child bond are employed as coping strategies by female characters. It further investigates how oral tradition, cultural memory, and inherited rituals become tools of both resistance and recovery. The findings reveal that Mukasonga’s narrative strategies reclaim women’s agency and voice in the aftermath of historical atrocities, portraying them not solely as victims but as active participants in cultural preservation and healing. This study contributes to trauma studies by expanding its scope through a postcolonial and gendered perspective, highlighting how literature serves as a space to record, transmit, and transform collective trauma. Ultimately, Mukasonga’s fiction becomes a powerful literary intervention that safeguards erased histories and affirms the resilience embedded in Rwandan women’s lived experiences.

A psychological study of traumatic effects of war on female characters in Kazuo Ishiguro’s A Pale View of Hills

Arwa Abdullah Alhozaimi — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This study aims to examine the psychoanalytical exploration of the female characters in Kazuo Ishiguro’s A Pale View of Hills (1982), focusing on how the postwar period is portrayed as a traumatic experience for women. Through a qualitative analysis of the novel, the research reveals the psychological effects of war and its enduring post-event impact on the female characters’ psyches. The study is grounded in a psychoanalytic framework centered on the repressed unconscious, which accounts for the development of psychological disturbances due to suppressed memories and emotions. By discussing the postwar impact on multiple levels physical, psychological, social, and emotional—and by employing psychoanalytical concepts, it demonstrates the profound trauma experienced by the characters. Etsuko, Keiko, Niki, Sachiko, and Mariko each suffer unique psychological consequences that illustrate the layered impact of war. The analysis highlights suicide and displacement as physical consequences, repression and projection as psychological mechanisms, and marriage and motherhood as significant social pressures. Grief and loss emerge as powerful emotional forces that shape the characters’ behaviors and identities. The findings indicate that the traumatic consequences of war persist even after geographical relocation. However, the way the female characters manage their psychological burdens reflects a therapeutic process, suggesting a resilient and adaptive response. The study offers insight into the literary representation of postwar trauma and underscores the value of psychoanalytical readings in understanding women's psychological resilience.

Breaking boundaries: Fugard’s Blood Knot and the dynamics of deterritorialization

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This paper explores the concept of deterritorialization in Athol Fugard's Blood Knot through the philosophical frameworks of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, focusing on how Fugard’s characters transcend the oppressive restrictions of apartheid using symbolic actions and postdramatic techniques. The study employs a multidisciplinary approach, applying Deleuze and Guattari's philosophical concepts to analyze Blood Knot through three primary lenses: temporal displacement, symbolic landscapes, and embodied contradictions. These elements are examined to reveal how Fugard manipulates time, space, and the physicality of his characters to reflect the process of deterritorialization. By analyzing how identity markers and power dynamics are portrayed and subverted within the play, the approach combines philosophical theory with literary analysis to uncover the deeper layers of resistance and transformation within the characters' experiences under apartheid. The analysis demonstrates that Fugard’s characters rise above apartheid’s constraints by engaging in symbolic and embodied actions, which reflect the fluidity of identity and resistance to oppressive systems. The manipulation of time, symbolic environments, and physical struggles within the play illustrates a deeper process of deterritorialization, where characters disrupt the rigid social and political structures imposed on them. By examining the play through philosophical and symbolic lenses, the study highlights Fugard's nuanced portrayal of resistance and the fluid, dynamic nature of identity under oppressive regimes, providing a richer understanding of the complexities of identity and power within the play’s historical and political context.

Interactional pragmatic strategies in a Thai university English language classroom

Pikul Kulsawang, Eric Agrie Ambele — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This study examined Interactional Pragmatic Strategies (IPSs) between a Filipino teacher and Thai students in a Thai university English language classroom. Using purposive sampling and a qualitative design, data were collected through classroom observation and semi-structured interviews. Discourse analysis was used for data interpretation and analysis. Findings revealed that both the teacher and students frequently employed a variety of IPSs to convey and clarify meaning, with repair, clarification, and repetition being the most common. Additionally, five context-specific strategies encouragement, modeling, reinforcement, scaffolding, and translanguaging, emerged, highlighting the dynamic nature of IPSs use in this EFL context. The teacher and students generally perceived IPSs positively, recognizing their value in supporting communication and language development. However, the teacher expressed concerns about the unconscious and possibly excessive use of certain strategies. Students noted that IPSs helped build confidence and overcome linguistic challenges, although rapid speech and anxiety remained barriers. A key limitation is the single classroom setting, which may affect generalizability. Practically, training in IPSs awareness and strategy application may benefit teachers, especially in multilingual classrooms. Pedagogically, the findings underscore the importance of inclusive communicative practices that embrace cultural and linguistic diversity, contributing to more effective and equitable language learning in EFL contexts.

English glossophobia among private university apprentices of Bangladesh: A comparative study and sustainable recommendations

Mithila Afrin, Mainul Islam — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This study demonstrates the prevalence of fear of public speaking in English among students at six distinct private universities in Bangladesh. Tertiary-level students of Bangladesh have a desire to learn English; however, they often experience anxiety during public speaking. This nervousness does not stem only from a lack of language proficiency but also from the fear of judgment by peers and mentors, as well as inadequate psychological preparation for such situations. Since English is practiced as a foreign language in Bangladesh, students face various challenges, including familial problems, institutional limitations, financial pressures, and surroundings dominated by the Bengali language, which increase the probability of developing glossophobia. In this study, students and instructors from six different private universities were surveyed through semi-structured interviews to explore the reasons for glossophobia and to develop recommendations for addressing it. A random selection of students from various English and non-English departments across universities in Dhaka, Feni, Chittagong, and Cox’s Bazar participated in these interviews with their English mentors. The aim was to identify key factors influencing glossophobia and to find ways to foster confident English public speaking. The data, findings, discussions, and recommendations presented in this study provide a comprehensive overview of the situation in Bangladesh and may help reduce glossophobia among Bangladeshi tertiary learners.

Unpacking colonial legacy and identity in Our Sister Killjoy: A critical exploration of postcolonial perspectives and cultural resistance

Ameen Zuhair Al-Khamaiseh, Mahmoud Ali Al-Sobh — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0500

This paper examines Ama Ata Aidoo’s Our Sister Killjoy as a critique of the colonial legacy, perspectives, and relationships. The main argument centers on critiquing issues of migration, diaspora, language, and identity, given their significance in maintaining and perpetuating the colonial existence in Africa. The novel introduces a young woman from Ghana, named Sissie, who is on a scholarship to study in Europe, only to recognize the superficiality and materialism of the West, with which many African expatriates she meets abroad become increasingly disillusioned and lost in their absorption of Western civilization. Aidoo argues that the act of decolonization failed to achieve true independence in the African continent and did little to undermine and remove the power and presence of the West in its former colonies. She claims that this new situation makes the colonial influence and existence stronger and more effective even without any military intervention. The paper, however, employs a theoretical and interpretive methodology, mainly informed by Edward Said and Frantz Fanon, to provide penetrating insights into the novel’s representation of the postcolonial character, its exposure of colonial legacies, and the dilemmas of identity, language, and migration facing African society in the era following its independence.

Generational shifts in bilingual communication: A comparative study of English-Arabic code-mixing in Saudi Arabia

Yumna Ali Alshehrib, Safaa Mahmoud Abdelhalim — Tue, 02 Sep 2025 00:00:00 -0500

In an increasingly globalized and digitally mediated world, bilingual communication has become central to everyday interactions, particularly in linguistically diverse societies such as Saudi Arabia. English-Arabic code-mixing is widespread across generations; however, existing research has largely focused on younger speakers or specific contexts like education, leaving a gap in understanding how bilingual practices vary by age. This study investigates generational differences in English-Arabic code-mixing among bilingual speakers in Saudi Arabia and explores linguistic and social factors influencing younger speakers’ practices. Using a mixed-methods design, the study collected both quantitative and qualitative data from 89 participants across three age groups (16–30, 31–45, and 46–60) through a questionnaire. Findings revealed significant generational differences: older and middle-aged participants reported prevalent code-mixing in professional and peer settings, while younger speakers used it more selectively and contextually. Analysis of open-ended responses from younger participants highlighted identity expression, audience awareness, lexical gaps, and digital media as key drivers of code-mixing. These findings challenge assumptions that younger speakers code-mix more, suggesting instead a shift toward intentional, socially informed bilingual communication. The study contributes to sociolinguistic literature by emphasizing the evolving role of digital platforms, peer dynamics, and intergenerational norms in shaping bilingual practices across multilingual contexts.