Literary Quest

Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis is a powerful story about change, loneliness, sacrifice, and family relationships. Although the story begins with Gregor Samsa waking up one morning as a giant insect, the real transformation is not limited to his physical appearance. Kafka shows how Gregor's strange condition changes the lives of everyone in his family. Through symbolism and the changing attitudes of the characters, the novella explores themes such as alienation, maturity, responsibility, and self-sacrifice. Gregor's physical transformation is the first and most shocking event in the story. He wakes up to discover that he has become a huge insect. Surprisingly, his first concern is not his frightening appearance but the fact that he will be late for work. This reaction shows how deeply his life is connected to his job and his responsibility towards his family. Gregor works hard only to support his parents and sister. His family depends entirely on his income, and he believe...

The theme of duality is central to Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer . Duality means the presence of two opposite or contrasting aspects within the same character, situation, or idea. In this play, Goldsmith uses duality to create humour and to expose the artificial nature of social behaviour and class distinctions. The most important example of duality is seen in the character of Charles Marlow. He shows two completely different personalities. In the presence of women of his own social rank, he is shy, nervous, and unable to speak freely. However, when he believes a woman belongs to a lower class, he becomes confident, bold, and expressive. This contrast reveals that his behaviour is not natural but shaped by social expectations. Goldsmith uses this duality to criticize the rigid manners of society. Another important example is Kate Hardcastle, who also presents a dual identity. She appears both as a gentlewoman and as a barmaid. When she meets Marlow in her true identity, ...

Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer (1773) represents a deliberate reaction against the dominance of sentimental comedy in the eighteenth century. Sentimental drama focused on refined emotions, moral instruction, and idealized characters designed to evoke sympathy. Goldsmith, however, believed that comedy should correct society through laughter. In this play, he restores the tradition of “laughing comedy” by presenting realistic characters, humorous situations, lively dialogue, and effective use of irony. The play is structured around misunderstandings and disguises, especially in the relationship between Kate Hardcastle and Charles Marlow, which becomes central to its anti-sentimental nature. A major feature of the play is its rejection of moral seriousness in favour of humour. The characters are not perfect or ideal but natural and flawed. Marlow, for instance, is modest and well-bred, yet he is extremely shy in the presence of women of his own social rank. At the same time, ...

  Structuralism and Post-structuralism: Theory and Practice of Deconstruction Structuralism and post-structuralism are two major theoretical approaches in modern literary criticism. Post-structuralism developed out of structuralism, but it also questioned and challenged many of its basic assumptions. While structuralism believed that language and meaning follow stable systems, post-structuralism argued that language is unstable and meaning is always shifting. Understanding their differences helps us see how literary interpretation has evolved. Structuralism: Origin and Characteristics Structuralism developed mainly from linguistics, particularly from the work of Ferdinand de Saussure. Linguistics as a discipline had confidence in the possibility of discovering objective knowledge. Structuralists believed that by carefully observing language, collecting data, and applying logical analysis, it is possible to reach reliable conclusions about meaning and culture. Structuralism ...

  Louis Althusser was a Marxist thinker from France who tried to explain how the State controls people in modern society. He said that the State does not control people only by force, but also by ideas and beliefs. State Apparatus and Repressive State Apparatus According to Althusser, the State Apparatus includes the government, administration, army, police, courts and prisons. He calls these the Repressive State Apparatus because they mainly use violence or the threat of violence to control people. This repression can be physical, like arrest and jail, or non‑physical, like certain strict administrative actions. Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs) Althusser then introduces another idea called Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs). ISAs are institutions in society that look separate and normal, but they spread the ruling class’s ideas. He gives an open list of ISAs: Religious ISA: churches and other religious organisations. Educational ISA: schools, colleges, ...

Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937) was an Italian communist revolutionary and Marxist theorist. Mussolini's Fascist regime arrested Gramsci because his movement sought to overthrow the existing social order and replace it with a socialist system.   His most influential work the Prison Notebooks was written during his imprisonment. It questions the problem: How does a dominant class maintain its rule, not just through force, but through consent? His work analyses the subtle, pervasive structures of power that shape our reality. While earlier Marxists focused heavily on economic forces, Gramsci shifted focus toward the "superstructure"—the world of ideas, culture, and institutions.   In his Prison Notebooks , Antonio Gramsci explores the multifaceted role of intellectuals in maintaining and challenging social power. The central concept in Gramsci's work is hegemony, a form of rule in which the ruled consent to the power of the ruling class. Hegemony is the process by which ...