http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/1929 2001-01-13T05:51:17Z 2001-01-13T05:51:17Z Kibebu, Daniel http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16752 2025-07-18T06:02:35Z 2025-05-01T00:00:00Z

Constructions of Childhood in Selected Contemporary Amharic Novels Kibebu, Daniel Since literature is a transboundary field, literary texts are one of the most resourceful sites for studying childhood. Therefore, this study examines constructions of childhood in three contemporary Amharic novels: Adam Reta’s (2005) Gïrčʹa Qačʹïloč, Zenebe Wela’s (2008) Lïǰïnät, and Alemayehu Gelagay’s (2012) Yäbïrïhan Fälägoč. Literary hermeneutics, a qualitative research approach, is employed in this study. Purposive sampling is used for the selection of the primary texts. The main method for data collection is an in-depth reading of the selected novels. This study utilized descriptive and thematic methods of data analysis. The theoretical notions of the new sociology of childhood studies: social constructionism of childhood, interpretive reproduction, and children’s peer cultures serve as the study’s theoretical framework. The findings of the study reveal societal perceptions and adult-centric perspectives on childhood. In the selected novels, while the presence of curses, negative labels, and accusations reflect the original sin discourse, children are also viewed as inherently holy yet corrupted by circumstances, which represents the original innocence discourse. The use of physical punishment by authority figures to instill discipline and correct sinful behavior juxtaposed with the care and protection of adults. As the findings in these novels further demonstrate, children are perceived as vulnerable, a source of anxiety, naïve, immature, inadequate, incapable, and their ideas, actions, and intelligence are underestimated and dismissed. In contrast to these adult-centric views, the novels also portray children as active agents. In these novels, children’s strong desire for autonomy and control over their lives is demonstrated by their attempts to appear older. Further, children assert control and autonomy by actively reinterpreting and reproducing adult practices through games and plays. Also, children assert control and autonomy by challenging adult authority and norms, and actively reinterpret and resolve environmental uncertainties through plays and games. Regarding status differentiation, in the selected novels, conflict-based status is reinforced through competition, confrontation, and symbolic dominance. Children also gain status through cooperation, achievement, skills and intelligence. Further, children articulate values of fairness, reciprocity, and collective identity through negotiations of ownership and sharing rituals. Additionally, they demonstrate commitments to protect shared activities and interactive spaces

2025-05-01T00:00:00Z Abrham, Gedamu http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16686 2025-04-01T06:30:21Z 2024-05-01T00:00:00Z

Major Sociopolitical Discourses Of Post-1991 Ethiopia: A Critical Analysis Of Selected Amharic Novels Abrham, Gedamu Narratives are shaped not in a vacuum but in a very complex sociopolitical environment where at least part of these sociopolitical issues are entertained in line with the context of the time. The Amharic novel, since its introduction as a genre, similarly has played a significant role in reflecting social, political, and other crosscutting issues that happened in Ethiopia across periods. Though there are studies conducted on elements of the political or social discourses of different political regimes as reflected in Amharic novels, those studies do not emphasize on major sociopolitical discourses which are evident in post-1991 Ethiopia. For this reason, the major sociopolitical discourses which take center stage in scholarly writings, the media space, and the general public were first identified. This study was thus intended to explore how these major sociopolitical discourses are reflected in selected Amharic novels. Critical discourse analysis and postmodern theory were employed as theoretical frameworks for the analysis. Hence, the discourse of ethnocentrism, Ethiopianism and party politics in Yismake’s Dertogada and Kïbur Dïngay; politicized historical discourse in Tesfaye’s Yäburïqa Zïmta; the discourse of gender in Mihret’s Yätäqoläfäbät Qulf, and the discourse of normative worldviews in Dawit’s Alämänor are the major sociopolitical issues discussed in this study. The major sociopolitical discourses of the post-1991 political period, as the study showed, are entertained in different ways in the selected novels; some are deconstructed (criticized), and others are either upheld (maintained) or (r)econstruced in line with certain perspectives. To this end, the introduction of ethnocentric thought during the EPRDF period is portrayed in Dertogada and Kïbur Dïngay as a fertile and legitimate ground for the proliferation of tribal ideology at the expense of pan-Ethiopian ideology. While the ethnocentrism that is evident in the contemporary political system is severely criticized, Ethiopian nationalism is upheld and/(re)constructed in the two novels. The contested historical discourses related to Amhara and Oromo are presented in line with the thoughts of ethnonational elites in Yäburïqa Zïmta. By adding ethnic sensitive flavor to stories in the novel, the two ethnic groups (Amhara and Oromo) are portrayed “antagonistic” to each other, and this is realized by discursive construction and negative characterization of näfïtäñahood. Gendered ideologies that perceive women as subordinate to men in various social settings (in marital life and in the community) are evident in Yätäqoläfäbät Qulf. Most importantly, it portrays women in their marital relations as soft, tolerant and submissive to their abusive husbands, which in turn contributes for the maintenance of gendered ideology in the social system. Some normative worldviews of the Ethiopian society that seem apparently real and natural are criticized in the novel, Alämänor. The novel, in this regard, is devoted to prove how people’s intuitive knowledge on “truth” is mistaken, and condemns some social norms that make people behave and act against their inner selves. Keywords/phrases: Amhara, Amharic novels, Ethiopian nationalism, ethnocentrism, gendered ideology, major sociopolitical discourses, narratives, normative worldviews, Oromo, postmodern thoughts

2024-05-01T00:00:00Z Habtemariam, Amare Gebremeske http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16677 2025-03-26T13:11:14Z 2024-12-01T00:00:00Z

Thematic and Stylistic Analysis of Mätshäfä Ziq through Intertextuality Habtemariam, Amare Gebremeske The study aimed at conducting a thematic and stylistic analysis of Mätshäfä Ziq through intertextuality, exploring its intertextual techniques. Originating in Ge'ez literature over 1500 years ago, Mätshäfä Ziq is believed to compile compositions by Saint Yared, exhibiting a well structured form and diverse literary qualities. Drawing on intertextuality theories by Bakhtin, Barthes, and Kristeva, the research examines how the manuscript interacts with its intertexts. Intertextual techniques such as quotation, pastiche, paraphrase, and stylistic elements such as transfiguration, prefiguration, personification, and hyperbole are identified through close manuscript reading, elucidating their role in reinforcing meanings across different contexts. Employing textual analysis, the research evaluates the significance of embedded texts. It highlights how intertextual techniques honor predecessors, reinforce thematic and stylistic continuities, and illuminate religious debates and societal experiences. This inquiry aims to provide a reassessment of established views on religious texts, demonstrating their incorporation of literary and societal dimensions beyond the theological polemics. Hence, it would hopefully encourage scholars to approach religious texts through a literary perspective, suggesting the manuscript as a valuable resource of understanding intertextual dynamics in literary discourse.

2024-12-01T00:00:00Z Ejigu, Shiferaw http://ir.bdu.edu.et/handle/123456789/16676 2025-03-26T13:03:09Z 2024-11-01T00:00:00Z

Political Conspiracy in Modern Amharic Novels Ejigu, Shiferaw This dissertation aims to explore the theme of political conspiracy as depicted in Fisseha Yaze's tetralogy "Yesatenael Goal Ethiopia" (Ethiopia, the Goal of Satan) and Yismake Worku's sequel novels, "Dertogada" and "Ramatohara." The significance of this investigation lies in the fact that many of the conspiracies portrayed are based on real events, rather than fictional narratives. Furthermore, this topic has not received adequate scholarly attention, prompting a focused examination of political conspiracies within these works. The study delved into the strategies and frameworks of political conspiracies, the narrative structures employed in these conspiracies, and the alternative narratives that challenge official accounts, thereby contributing to a deeper understanding of the subject. The selection of novels was conducted with a deliberate focus on the characteristics inherent in conspiracy fiction, sequential paternity and their contemporaneity. Through a critical examination of these novels along with relevant non-literary texts, the researcher employed a qualitative method to validate various concepts primarily centered on conspiratorial themes. The researcher adopted an eclectic approach utilizing Fairclough’s CDA, Lyotard’s postmodernism, and Fenster’s conspiracy theory, especially in terms of narrativity in conspiracies. The findings indicate that the conspirators depicted in Fisseha's novels employ diverse strategies to undermine Ethiopia, with their primary objective being the destabilization of the nation's political framework, thereby facilitating their infiltration and control. They have established a puppet government that is manipulated by powerful external entities, such as the G-8/20 groups, operating from behind the scenes. In contrast, Yismake's novels portray certain antagonistic characters and the government of the country who act as conspirators, driven by personal interests, amassing wealth through the exploitation of the country's natural resources, while developed nations further exploit both resources and the populace. Conspirators devised various strategies to undermine Ethiopia. Both authors highlight conspirators’ utilization of economic manipulation, technological interference, and other exploitation. In Fisseha's works, the conspirators provide loans to the country, knowing it cannot repay them, ultimately aiming to acquire 1/6 of the Ethiopia’s land. Conversely, in Yismake's narratives, developed countries exploit developing nations, such as Ethiopia, through space travel and monopolize resources for their own benefit. The study revealed that the conspirators employed various narrative strategies to manipulate the country's politics. In Fisseha's novels, the leading conspirators use narratives to persuade their members. In contrast, Yismake's novels present narratives in a persuasive manner that effectively guides the audience. Both authors' novels aim to establish connections between the past, present, and future circumstances, along with the historical background of the country. However, in Fisseha's novels, the conspirators manipulate this overarching storyline to distort the nation's history, portraying it as a catalyst for discord and disunity among the diverse populace of Ethiopia.

2024-11-01T00:00:00Z