http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/198 2013-05-22T17:14:39Z 2013-05-22T17:14:39Z Connell, Daniel http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/6573 2012-09-21T14:38:15Z 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Hypermasculinity and the hero in comic book fiction: This Is It Authors: Connell, Daniel Abstract: This thesis examines occurrences of hypermasculinity in examples from the genre of comic book fiction, utilizing textual evidence to suggest the current collection has re-iterated the more negative hypermasculine components of their source material: comic books. In doing so, the thesis compares the present novels with the creative element of the PhD submission – This Is It – a novel which serves as a critique of the prevalence of hypermasculinity in heroic figures within comic book fiction. By analyzing the sociological reasons behind hypermasculinity, and its subsequent effects, this thesis aims to make apparent the danger inherent with the continued association of hypermasculinity and hero figures in a new medium such as comic book fiction. It will also argue that the development of such a form divergent from comic books allows scope for a deconstruction of the hypermasculine comic book hero. Description: This thesis was submitted for the degree of Docter of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University on the 13th April 2011.

2011-01-01T00:00:00Z Buchberger, Michelle http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/6558 2012-09-21T15:04:18Z 2009-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Metafiction, historiography, and mythopoeia in the novels of John Fowles Authors: Buchberger, Michelle Abstract: This thesis concerns the novelist John Fowles and analyses his seven novels in the order in which they were written. The study reveals an emergent artistic trajectory, which has been variously categorized by literary critics as postmodern. However, I suggest that Fowles's work is more complex and significant than such a reductive and simplistic label would suggest. Specifically, this study argues that Fowles's work contributes to the reinvigoration of the novel form by a radical extension of the modernist project of the literary avant-garde, interrogating various conventions associated with both literary realism and the realism of the literary modernists while still managing to evade a subjective realism. Of particular interest to the study is Fowles's treatment of his female characters, which evolves over time, indicative of an emergent quasi-feminism. This study counters the claims of many contemporary literary critics that Fowles's work cannot be reconciled with any feminist ideology. Specifically, I highlight the increasing centrality of Fowles's female characters in his novels, accompanied by a growing focus on the mysterious and the uncanny. Fowles's work increasingly associates mystery with creativity, femininity, and the mythic, suggests that mystery is essential for growth and change, both in society and in the novel form itself, and implies that women, rather than men, are naturally predisposed to embrace it. Fowles's novels reflect a worldview that challenges an over-reliance on the empirical and rational to the exclusion of the mysterious and the intuitive. I suggest that Fowles's novels evince an increasingly mythopoeic realism, constantly testing the limits of what can be apprehended and articulated in language, striving towards a realism that is universal and transcendent. Description: This thesis was submitted for the degree of Docter of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.

2009-01-01T00:00:00Z Tew, P http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/6262 2012-02-21T16:36:17Z 2002-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: B. S Johnson Authors: Tew, P Description: This Article can be accessed from the link below - Copyright @ 2002 Dalkey Archive Press

2002-01-01T00:00:00Z Bazalgette, L Holden, J Tew, P Hubble, N Morrison, J http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/6237 2012-02-14T13:59:18Z 2011-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Coming of age Authors: Bazalgette, L; Holden, J; Tew, P; Hubble, N; Morrison, J Abstract: Britain’s ageing population is often described as a demographic time-bomb. As a society we often view ageing as a ‘problem’ which must be ‘managed’ – how to cope with the pressure on national health services of growing numbers of older people, the cost of sustaining them with pensions and social care, and the effect on families and housing needs. But ageing is not a policy problem to be solved. Instead it is a normal part of life, which varies according to personal characteristics, experience and outlook, and for many people growing older can be a very positive experience. Drawing on the Mass Observation project, one of the longest-running longitudinal life-writing projects anywhere in the world, Coming of Age grounds public policy in people’s real, lived experiences of ageing. It finds that the experience of ageing is changing, so that most people who are now reaching retirement do not identify themselves as old. One-size-fits-all policy approaches that treat older people as if they are all alike are alienating and inappropriate. Instead, older people need inclusive policy approaches that enable them to live their lives on their own terms. To ensure that older people are actively engaged, policy makers should stop emphasising the costs posed by an ageing population and start building on the many positive contributions that older people already make to our society. Description: Copyright at Demos 2011. This work is made available under the terms of the Demos licence.

2011-01-01T00:00:00Z