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Research Article
The Three Constructive Pathways of Children’s Self-Identity in Chinese Original Picture Books
Wang Jin*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 6, December 2025
Pages:
124-129
Received:
16 October 2025
Accepted:
26 October 2025
Published:
3 December 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijla.20251306.11
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Abstract: Self-identity, an essential and inescapable theme in children’s development, is frequently explored in original picture books. Although children’s “self-identity” is centered on the “self,” its construction, from a practical perspective, is not achieved by the self alone. This study, founded on a selective collation and curation of contemporary original Chinese picture books for children, identifies a number of influential works that engage the theme of “self-identity”. It aims to elucidate the real-world orientation of the “self-identity” question as manifested within China’s corpus of original picture books, and to examine the mechanisms by which the proposition of “self-identity” is enacted. By classifying these works, three distinct thematic propositions are distilled: the individual (self-) construction of self-identity, the social construction of self-identity, and the other-mediated construction of self-identity. Through close textual reading and comparative analysis, this paper demonstrates that whether arising from spontaneous personal reflection and the individual’s project of self-construction, from a sense of personal identification catalyzed by social recognition, or from self-identity elicited under the guidance of “others,” the series of picture books grouped under the rubric of “self-identity” uniformly seek to prompt young readers to contemplate the fundamental questions “Who am I?”, “Who do I aspire to become?”, and “By what means might I realize that aspiration?” These three pathways complement and illuminate one another, providing feasible approaches for children to achieve a coherent sense of self-identity.
Abstract: Self-identity, an essential and inescapable theme in children’s development, is frequently explored in original picture books. Although children’s “self-identity” is centered on the “self,” its construction, from a practical perspective, is not achieved by the self alone. This study, founded on a selective collation and curation of contemporary ori...
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Research Article
Poetic Archaism and Lyric Tradition in Ming Theories of Poetry: Readings on Zhou Xu, Xu Zhenqing and T’ang Shunzhi
Liu Zhiyi*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 6, December 2025
Pages:
130-138
Received:
22 October 2025
Accepted:
2 November 2025
Published:
3 December 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijla.20251306.12
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Abstract: Archaism stands as a prevailing literary ideology in the Ming Dynasty, famously proposed by the Former Seven Masters and later championed by the Latter Seven Masters. This movement established a formidable critical discourse, shaping much of the era's literary ecology. Conventionally, this archaist paradigm is positioned in stark opposition to the principles of the Gong-an School, which argued forcefully for the freedom of direct, authentic self-emotional expression in writing. This critical narrative has long posited a seemingly irreconcilable binary opposition between formal imitation and genuine lyricism. This article, however, challenges the rigidity of this established dualism. By examining several rarely scrutinized poetic theories from the Early, Middle, and Late Ming, this study uncovers nuanced perspectives beneath the mainstream paradigm that serve to deconstruct this binary. Through focused analyses of Zhou Xu’s Shi Xue Ti Hang, Xu Zhenqing’s Tan Yi Lu, and the theoretical writings of T’ang Shunzhi, this paper seeks to prove that poetic archaism in the Ming context was not fundamentally opposed to the core tenets of the lyric tradition. Instead, it demonstrates that archaism often operated within a profound intertextuality with lyricism, frequently functioning as a specific methodological or pedagogical pathway intended to recover and reinvigorate authentic poetic expression.
Abstract: Archaism stands as a prevailing literary ideology in the Ming Dynasty, famously proposed by the Former Seven Masters and later championed by the Latter Seven Masters. This movement established a formidable critical discourse, shaping much of the era's literary ecology. Conventionally, this archaist paradigm is positioned in stark opposition to the ...
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Research Article
The Impact of Technological Media on Narrative Structures in 21st-century Fiction
Kawsar Ahamed*
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 6, December 2025
Pages:
139-146
Received:
5 July 2025
Accepted:
21 July 2025
Published:
9 December 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijla.20251306.13
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Abstract: This study examines the profound impact of technological media on narrative structures in 21st-century fiction. As digital technologies continue to redefine communication, interaction, and perception, contemporary literature has adapted by embracing non-linear storytelling, multimodal formats, and interactive elements that challenge traditional narrative conventions. Writers are increasingly exploring the influence of social media platforms, virtual reality experiences, and the pervasive presence of data-driven culture within their fiction, resulting in innovative approaches to narrative form, character development, and thematic exploration. This research focuses on the works of prominent authors such as Jennifer Egan, Dave Eggers, and Mark Z. Danielewski, whose fiction exemplifies the blending of digital culture with literary creativity. For instance, Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad employs fragmented timelines and PowerPoint slides as narrative devices, reflecting the disjointed yet interconnected realities shaped by digital media. Eggers’ The Circle critiques the omnipresence of social surveillance and the commodification of privacy in the internet age, while Danielewski’s House of Leaves and Only Revolutions experiment with textual architecture and hypertextuality, simulating the immersive and often disorienting experience of navigating digital spaces. By engaging with these examples, the study reveals how fiction not only reflects the anxieties and possibilities of the digital era but also functions as a critical commentary on technological transformations. Ultimately, this research underscores the transformative power of technology in shaping literary expression, positioning fiction as both a mirror to and a critique of the complexities of contemporary digital life.
Abstract: This study examines the profound impact of technological media on narrative structures in 21st-century fiction. As digital technologies continue to redefine communication, interaction, and perception, contemporary literature has adapted by embracing non-linear storytelling, multimodal formats, and interactive elements that challenge traditional nar...
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Research Article
Narrative Multiplicity as Ideological Deconstruction in George Fox’s Amok
Issue:
Volume 13, Issue 6, December 2025
Pages:
139-153
Received:
17 September 2025
Accepted:
20 October 2025
Published:
9 December 2025
DOI:
10.11648/j.ijla.20251306.14
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Abstract: Structuralist Narratology underscores theoretical and typological ideas and interests in narratives. Novelists employ various narrative modes to embellish their style of writing and captivate the attention of readers. They exemplify their power of creativity through narrative multiplicity. Interpretation of novels is closely associated with the special way in which a narrator uses language in texts. This paper examines the narrative language of George Fox’s Amok with focus on literary stylistics. The main objective of this paper is to explore and delineate George Fox’s narrative skills as a unique modern American novelist and how he applies narrative multiplicity in his novel, Amok. The literariness of this thriller cum novel lies in its structure and the effective use of language in describing events and analysing characters. The assertion that the novel’s capacity to represent plurality of voices or languages depends on the style of the novelist and his skill as an individual author undergirds this paper. Narratological concepts of Genette and Bal as guiding principles were essential reference points. Extracts from the novel served as primary data and the analytical procedure adopted was critical examination of textual content. Analysis identifies three forms of narrative multiplicity: mobile focalization, voice heteroglossia, and historical analepses and methodology that is, the application of Genette and Bal models to five excerpts from the novel, Amok. The study concludes that the interpretation and understanding of Amok are based on narratological features such as linguistic, figurative and semiotic representation exemplified by the novelist’s captivating style, his choice of words and the portrayal of the human-monster character.
Abstract: Structuralist Narratology underscores theoretical and typological ideas and interests in narratives. Novelists employ various narrative modes to embellish their style of writing and captivate the attention of readers. They exemplify their power of creativity through narrative multiplicity. Interpretation of novels is closely associated with the spe...
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