https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/131515 Mon, 07 Sep 2026 18:26:20 GMT 2026-09-07T18:26:20Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148608 Title: Rereading Martin Amis : character, reputation, morality Abstract: This dissertation begins with the observation that, although Martin Amis was once at the centre of British literary culture, he has remained underrepresented in recent academic criticism. In response, it reassesses his fiction by taking character as a central, though not exclusive, critical concern, considered alongside the questions of reputation and morality that shape both his writing and its reception. This approach is informed by two developments: the renewed attention prompted by Amis’s death in 2023, and a broader critical return to issues surrounding character (and characterisation) in contemporary literary studies. Taken together, they help motivate a reconsideration of Amis’s literary standing through close readings of selected novels from across his career. Accordingly, the first chapter examines how Amis constructs the postmodern self in The Rachel Papers (1973), Money (1984), and London Fields (1989), analysing how these novels engage with and complicate postmodern conventions. The reading then turns to Night Train (1997) and Yellow Dog (2003) to explore Amis’s treatment of meaning and moral seriousness, and how these novels begin to suggest a broader emotional range in his portrayal of character. At the same time, this shift accompanies a change in tone and style, as Amis responds to the critical reassessment of postmodernism and its limits. Finally, the third chapter focuses on The Zone of Interest (2014) and Inside Story (2020), where questions of memory, history, and ‘late style’ shape a deeper emotional investment in his characterisation. These core readings are complemented by reference to Amis’s short stories and nonfiction, which help contextualise the novels within the broader context of his writing. Bringing the study to a close, the conclusion offers a final general reflection on what is overlooked when certain writers or methods fall out of critical view, and attempts to reaffirm the case for renewed scholarly attention to Amis’s fiction. Description: M.A.(Melit.) Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148608 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148607 Title: Kafka at work : refractions of the Kafkaesque across the second half of the twentieth century Abstract: This dissertation investigates the evolving influence and cultural significance of the Kafkaesque in the second half of the twentieth century, tracing its literary refractions across a diverse range of texts and discourse, with a particular focus on Joseph Heller’s Catch-22, J. M. Coetzee’s Life & Times of Michael K, and Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Unconsoled, as it examines how the Kafkaesque persists and adapts across divergent geopolitical and narrative terrains. Beginning by acknowledging that the term has transcended its literary origins to become a widely recognised descriptor for situations marked by absurdity and bureaucratic oppression, this study first sets out to explore the roots of the Kafkaesque, arguing for a historically and theoretically grounded understanding of the term, and revisiting Kafka’s own texts to distil key thematic and formal elements. Through close reading of the three case studies, it will then demonstrate how Kafka’s legacy is not merely replicated but reconfigured, with Heller employing it for social commentary through satire set against a military backdrop; Coetzee engaging it as a vehicle for political critique under apartheid; and Ishiguro invoking it to map psychic fragmentation and existential drift. Subsequently, the study will delve more deeply into the possible reasons behind the pervasiveness of the Kafkaesque during this time. It engages with thinkers such as Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari, Walter Benjamin, Hannah Arendt, and Theodor Adorno to contend that the enduring resonance of the Kafkaesque stems from its attuning to the ideological mechanisms of modernity and postmodernity. Ultimately, it concludes that the Kafkaesque remains of vital relevance to this very day, uniquely equipped to articulate the entanglements of power, selfhood, and systems that continue to define contemporary life. Description: M.A.(Melit.) Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/148607 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138509 Title: Indirectness in a Maltese school setting Abstract: This dissertation investigates the role of indirectness in a Maltese educational setting, focusing on its use among female and male educators to determine who is more indirect. The study also explores how indirectness is perceived by both educators and learners: as a sign of power or weakness? Additionally, it categorises the types of indirect speech acts used in the classroom, identifying the most common uses according to gender. The research was conducted in an independent school in Malta where students follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP). A mixed-methods approach was employed, involving a self-administered questionnaire completed by participants, followed by lesson observations. In the final stage, a focus group with educators was conducted. Both the lesson observations and the focus group were recorded and transcribed to identify the direct and indirect linguistic strategies used by both genders. Contrary to many previous studies positing that women’s language is more characterised by indirect forms, this study found that female educators were generally more direct than their male counterparts. However, the findings also indicated that gender is just one of many factors that contribute to the choice of indirect strategies in the classroom. Description: M.A.(Melit.) Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138509 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138491 Title: The impact of COVID-19 restrictions on linguistic development in children as seen in educational settings, with a specific focus on the mask mandate and nation-wide lockdowns Abstract: Child language acquisition is a multimodal process aided by several factors. These include interlocutor variability, exposure to new environments, and the opportunity for children to be exposed to as much speech as possible. School offers a linguistically stimulating environment where children are provided with the necessary tools for linguistic development. However, this changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, resulting in the implementation of various restrictions and remote education. This research seeks to explore if restrictions like social distancing, distant learning, and the mask mandate resulted in any regressions when it comes to child language acquisition. The following research questions will be examined within this study: (i) How was children’s linguistic development affected by COVID-19 restrictions? (ii) Do teachers believe that mask-wearing created a more difficult environment for children to learn and progress linguistically in the classroom? A qualitative approach was employed by means of semi-structured interviews to seek to address the set research questions. Through the chosen research instrument, it was established that COVID-19 restrictions had critical effects on students’ language development within classroom settings. Vocabulary development, bilingualism, pronunciation, and written language regressed during the pandemic, with some difficulties still being prevalent after restrictions were lifted. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) Wed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMT https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/138491 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z