Phonetic Description of Nepali Consonants

1.      Consonants

Consonants are one of the major two subdivisions of phonemes of any language. It is distinguished from the other major subdivision 'Vowels'. Unlike vowels, consonant sounds cannot be pronounced without obstruction in airflow. In other words, "consonants are produced by temporarily obstructing or restricting the airstream as it passes through the mouth" (Lyons 75).     

Review of ‘The Journey’

'The Journey' is a short story by Catherine Lim. The story revolves around movement (not only physical one!) of the character named Richard and his family. It presents a conflict between traditional life style in rural Singapore and the modern life in urban cities of the nation that Richard and his wife Mabel represent respectfully. In addition, there also lies a conflict between older traditionalist generation and newer modernist generation. All the elements of the stories – including structure, characters, actions and language – contribute to the exposition of the same geographical and generational conflicts.

Nature and Time in the Given Poems of Coleridge, Keats and Wordsworth

The three poems - 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' (Coleridge), 'La Belle Dame sans Merci' (Keats) and 'Daffodils' (Wordsworth) belong to the same historical and literary period (of Romantic poetry). Thus they have similar visions toward nature and time that they pay high respect to nature and believe that past has a lasting effect on present and future.

            Explanation of beauty of nature is perhaps the most significant characteristic of literature of their time. Along with appreciation of its beauty, these three poems perceive nature as something great, God-like, thus it deserves high value and respects from human beings. The same beliefs are reflected in the three poems under question.

Difficulties as Inspirations for Improvement

photo from http://voxy.com/blog/

Despite the fact that I used to score the highest in my class, I was weak in English among my mates up to class 8. In class 9, I realised that I need to work hard on this subject for better SLC result. I worked hard and improved satisfactorily, which ultimately gave me a score of 82 in English in SLC exam. This mark convinced me that I am not weaker than other English school students in this subject. But I was proved wrong when I stepped into my +2 classroom.

End of Internal Exams: Not Reasonable for Real Students

Almost all +2 and bachelor level colleges in Kathmandu Valley schedule internal examinations for its students; but surprisingly very few students attend them. The students are neither forced to attempt them if the exams do not contribute to their final evaluation/score. Nevertheless, many colleges have never thought of any alternatives which would be more favourable to their students. Disparity between attitude of students toward such exams and the colleges' continuation of them can be taken as an evidence of the fact that we have many problems in education system. Yet, internal exams are beneficial too, thus can not be removed altogether from the system.

Mirror or Hammer? : Different Positions of Stories in Social Change

Introduction

            "Art is not a mirror to hold up to society, but a hammer with which to shape it", says Marxist thinker and dramatist Bertold Brecht (1898-1956). His idea is that art does not passively reflect whatever happens in society, but it actively influences and guides it. Art has a role to play, a function to inspire change in human society. It is in apparent opposition to traditional view toward art and literature that they "reflect" society as mirrors. In a way, both views seem correct. Some literatures simply reflect society, whereas some dare to shape it anew. The stories in this course too are divided over it. From the basis of two stories to be interpreted here, we can claim that art doesn't only mirror society every time, but sometime it hammers existing socio-cultural norms and values.

Dr Leinsdorf: Representative of 'White-Chauvinism'

'Town and Country Lovers' by Nadine Gordimer basically deals with racial differences and its impacts in human relationships in then South African settings. It includes two independent but similar stories set in town and country of South Africa. In the first story of town, Dr Franz-Josef von Leinsdorf (white man) is the major character who has relationships with an unnamed black girl. As the title suggests, they love each other. But their love is not so simple like 'pure love', but is complicated that also presents White view toward Black women in particular and whole Black life in general. Dr Leinsdorf's views can be representatives for white's views toward lives of blacks.

Sense of Class in 'The Garden Party'

'The Garden Party' by Katherine Mansfield suggests opinions on class differences in a society as one of its many themes. Its major character Laura belongs to the upper class. However in her neighbourhood, there live many lower (working) class poor families. Laura's and her family's view on life of lower class people has a significance in understanding of the story. Thus, although ambivalent, the story presents upper class's perspective toward life of lower class nearby them.

Delphin Slade in 'Roman Fever': An Unseen yet Important Character

Though only two characters – Alida Slade and Grace Ansley – are seen in 'Roman Fever' by Edith Wharton, there are numerous characters behind the scene. Among them, Delphin Slade is the most important one, whose strong influence can be seen contributing to what appears in the story. At the end of the story, most of the readers are forced to think about his role more importantly than Alida or Grace.

Satire in Gogol's 'The Overcoat'

Nikolai Gogol's 'The Overcoat' has predominantly satirist tone.  Written by a well-known Russian satirist, the story moves around the character of Akaky Akakievich (Bashmachkin); and the writer tries to attack then Russian bureaucracy in particular, and bureaucratic weaknesses of any place of any time in general through the incidents happened in life of its character. In surface view, the story seems to be mere portrayal of hardships and pains Akaky faces; or the story's central light is on Akaky's character, than on bureaucratic misbehaviours. However, if we read it more closely, it appears to be a strong satire against faults of administrative systems and its staff in then Russia.

Introduction to Major Feminists: from Woolf to Cixous

Background

            Feminism is an academic and political movement that attempts to establish women as equal to men in the world. Though mainstream political and literary history of feminism began in the nineteenth and twentieth century; struggles against patriarchy in literature can be seen earlier too. Mary Wollstonecraft's resistance against patriarchal ideology in 1792 with her 'A Vindication of the Rights of Woman' is an example (Tyson 93).

            Feminism's history is generally divided into three phases – as the first, second and third waves. Each of the waves involves some academic pioneers whose ideas led other activists. Below are introductions to few of those theorists who led development of the first and second wave feminisms.   

Development and Assumptions of New Critical Thought

New Criticism began in mid twentieth century. However, it is influenced by some nineteenth century thinkers, especially by Matthew Arnold, the British poet and literary and cultural critic. Arnold's central idea that New Criticism brought was "philosophy and religion would be replaced by poetry in modern society" (qtd. in Selden et al 25), where the existence of god is already questioned. He believed that literature is in deed culture, because for him, culture represents the best that has been known and thought in the world, and it can be a humanistic defense against destructive anarchy of the modern world.

Syllable Structures in Nepali Language

1.       Introduction to Syllables

A syllable is generally a speech sound of a particular language which can be pronounced with a single puff of breathes.  It is an essential element for a morpheme, i.e.: no morpheme can be formed without a syllable.  Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia states "Syllables are often considered the phonological 'building blocks' of words." For example, in the word 'Book' [bʊk], there is only one syllable, whereas the word 'Copy' [kopi:] is made up of two syllables. We need to break air to pronounce this word between 'co', and 'py'.

Then I Realised What It Means to Be a Vegetarian

Photo by Rubina Shreshth

I had spent a week with very difficult yet exciting and interesting experiences in Kolki, a rural village of Lamjung district last year. I was there to facilitate five-day training on life skills to members of local child clubs on invitation by a local NGO. Interestingly the trip became so memorable because of cross-cultural experiences I went through, rather than what I did there as a part of my formal purpose. It also made me learn some important life skills practically, which I was supposed to teach there.

Poetry in 'Fences': Metaphors, Music and More

'Fences' (1987) is a play by August Wilson, who is well known for the plays that use best of poetry and music. Like in many of his plays, poetry and music are very significantly present in language of characters of this play 'Fences'; and they have made this play playful and amusing. In addition, the play involves many interesting metaphors, contributing to enrichment of meaning of the dialogues. Thus, it is language of poetry that has made 'Fences' richer for both understanding and pleasure. 

Mother – Son Relations in 'The Glass Menagerie' and the 'Death of a Salesman'

'The Glass Menagerie' (1944) by Tennessee Williams and the 'Death of a Salesman' (1949) by Arthur Miller are considered to be two of most important plays of twentieth century American theatre. Written in the same decade, both of the plays delve into two different families and relationship between its members. The mother-son relationship in these two families is interesting to study, because it shares many similarities and differences. Though there are many gaps, both of the plays involve similar role of mothers toward sons of similar nature.