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Difference in Aldous Huxley's approach to the concept of dystopia in the 1930s and 1960s with references to his selected works
Hronová, Marie ; Chalupský, Petr (advisor) ; Topolovská, Tereza (referee)
TITLE: The difference in Aldous Huxley's approach to the concept of dystopia in the 1930s and 1960s with references to his selected works AUTHOR: Marie Hronová DEPARTMENT: Department of English Language and Literature SUPERVISOR: PhDr. Petr Chalupský, Ph.D. ABSTRACT: This thesis is focused on the approach of Aldous Huxley to dystopian fiction. To explore this topic it analyses his two major novels, namely Brave New World (1932) and Island (1962). The aim of the theoretical part is to provide a context to these two works. Therefore, it describes the most important social changes which emerged after the First World War and further developed after the Second World War. This part is also concerned with the development of psychopharmacology and its consequences since it plays a major role in both analysed novels. Further context is given by outlining the basic ideas of selected eastern philosophies as they are crucial for one of Huxley's works. The practical part then analyses Huxley's imaginary society in Brave New World in order to pinpoint the features of the author's dystopian novel and his criticism of the society of the 1930s. Island is explored as a counterpart of Brave New World, since both novels deal with the same topic but in different perspectives. The aim of this part is to analyse and compare the...
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Silk as a motif in Tang poetry and related meanings
Slabáková, Eliška ; Lomová, Olga (advisor) ; Andrš, Dušan (referee)
Sericulture has been a part of Chinese culture since ancient times. The silk dress was a symbol of the social privileges of the educated elite and the court. On the other hand, silk production and silk processing were also part of the everyday life of common villagers. For Chinese society, silk was an important material both economically and culturally. This diploma thesis analyzes how various aspects of life in Tang society, which were connected to silk, are portrayed in the works of the middle Tang poets Wang Jian 王建 (cca. 751-830) and Bai Juyi 白居易 (772-846). This paper identifies various themes and describes meanings that silk as a literary motif helps to express.
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The depiction of Nordic model of welfare state in nordic noir: the case of Denmark
Michalková, Dominika ; Matějka, Ondřej (advisor) ; Kasáková, Zuzana (referee)
Nordic noir is a distinctive component of the current Nordic cultural export, which has become increasingly popular in recent years not only in Europe. One of the main characteristics of this genre is the description of tensions between the seemingly insignificant and peaceful social climate in the Nordic environment and the murders, racism, inequality and other malfunctioning mechanisms that occur beneath the surface. This creates an ideal spare for criticizing the welfare state. Denmark, as a representative of its Scandinavian model, is also one of the countries where nordic noir has spread very quickly. Therefore, this master thesis will be devoted to analyzing the criticism of the welfare state in the Danish series The Killing in order to demonstrate socio-critical tendencies in the aforementioned genre. It will further examine how they are approached and what specific aspects are subjected to criticism. The work aims to contribute to the current debate by presenting specific examples based on a detailed analysis of the selected case.
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Difference in Aldous Huxley's approach to the concept of dystopia in the 1930s and 1960s with references to his selected works
Hronová, Marie ; Chalupský, Petr (advisor) ; Topolovská, Tereza (referee)
TITLE: The difference in Aldous Huxley's approach to the concept of dystopia in the 1930s and 1960s with references to his selected works AUTHOR: Marie Hronová DEPARTMENT: Department of English Language and Literature SUPERVISOR: PhDr. Petr Chalupský, Ph.D. ABSTRACT: This thesis is focused on the approach of Aldous Huxley to dystopian fiction. To explore this topic it analyses his two major novels, namely Brave New World (1932) and Island (1962). The aim of the theoretical part is to provide a context to these two works. Therefore, it describes the most important social changes which emerged after the First World War and further developed after the Second World War. This part is also concerned with the development of psychopharmacology and its consequences since it plays a major role in both analysed novels. Further context is given by outlining the basic ideas of selected eastern philosophies as they are crucial for one of Huxley's works. The practical part then analyses Huxley's imaginary society in Brave New World in order to pinpoint the features of the author's dystopian novel and his criticism of the society of the 1930s. Island is explored as a counterpart of Brave New World, since both novels deal with the same topic but in different perspectives. The aim of this part is to analyse and compare the...
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Harry Potter: A Social critique
Nováková, Petra ; Nováková, Soňa (advisor) ; Clark, Colin Steele (referee)
Harry Potter: A Social Critique The aim of this thesis is to offer an analysis of J.K. Rowling's fantasy novels, the Harry Potter series, as a work of social criticism. The striking contrast between the two diametrically opposed fictional worlds, the wizarding world in which the governing principle is magic and its muggle (a term denoting non-magical or status) counterpart defined mainly by the lack of magic, enables Rowling to present and explore various social issues: racial bigotry, social stratification, prejudice, corruption, child welfare, moral questions, misuse of power, civil conflicts, national bias, slavery, terrorism and gender issues. The two coexisting cultures constructed in her novels are reflected in language, customs and values. The complexity of Rowling's work allows her to gradually move towards bigger issues, at first revolving mainly around the main character, Harry Potter, and later involving both, the wizarding and muggle world as a whole. In other words, what starts out as a children's story of childhood changes its course towards a critique of greater social injustices as the characters grow up, a clear bildungsroman in which additional themes are developed apart from the basic struggle between good and evil. Attention will also be paid as to how Rowling's novels are influenced by...
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Silk as a motif in Tang poetry and related meanings
Slabáková, Eliška ; Lomová, Olga (advisor) ; Andrš, Dušan (referee)
Sericulture has been a part of Chinese culture since ancient times. The silk dress was a symbol of the social privileges of the educated elite and the court. On the other hand, silk production and silk processing were also part of the everyday life of common villagers. For Chinese society, silk was an important material both economically and culturally. This diploma thesis analyzes how various aspects of life in Tang society, which were connected to silk, are portrayed in the works of the middle Tang poets Wang Jian 王建 (cca. 751-830) and Bai Juyi 白居易 (772-846). This paper identifies various themes and describes meanings that silk as a literary motif helps to express.
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