A Comparative Analysis of Reading Habits among Standard Eight Students across Different School Types

This study explored the reading habits, preferences, and challenges of Standard VIII students across government, government-aided, and private schools in Thoothukudi District. Using a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 130 students through a structured and validated questionnaire covering aspects such as reading frequency, book preferences, sources of reading materials, language preferences, digital engagement, and library usage. The findings revealed significant association between the type of school and key reading behaviours. Private school students showed greater access to books and digital platforms but surprisingly reported lower daily reading frequencies and underutilization of school libraries. In contrast, government-aided school students demonstrated structured reading patterns and higher library engagement and government school students largely depended on informal sources like peers and exhibited stronger preferences for traditional books and mother tongue reading. Educational implications underscored the need for equitable access to resources and tailored reading interventions

Virginia Woolf: Redefining Gender and Freedom

Virginia Woolf remains one of the most transformative literary figures of the twentieth century, whose works not only revolutionized modernist narrative techniques but also reshaped feminist thought. Her writings, deeply introspective and socially perceptive, opened new avenues for understanding gender, identity, creativity, and women’s place within patriarchal structures. This study examines Woolf’s feminist ideology as reflected in her key works such as A Room of One’s Own, Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and Professions for Women, analyzing how she challenged traditional power structures and articulated a compelling vision of intellectual and economic freedom for women. By situating Woolf within the broader continuum of feminist history, from Wollstonecraft’s liberal advocacy to Beauvoir’s existential feminism, the paper highlights her role in bridging philosophical, literary, and psychological dimensions of women’s emancipation. Using qualitative textual and contextual methods, the study demonstrates that Woolf’s narrative experimentation, socio-economic critique, and symbolic representations continue to shape contemporary debates on gender equality. Ultimately, her feminist ideology offers a lasting framework for interpreting women’s autonomy, identity formation, and resistance in modern society

Political Satire and Bureaucratic Corruption: An Analysis of Shyam Benegal’s Film “Well Done Abba”

Corruption poses a significant obstacle in governance, threatening transparency, accountability, and the efficiency of institutions. In India, corruption within the bureaucracy hampers the implementation of welfare programs, denying marginalized communities access to vital resources. The Right to Information Act (RTI) of 2005 was established to address corruption by enhancing transparency and empowering citizens. Nonetheless, systemic inefficiencies and resistance from bureaucrats persist, preventing its complete effectiveness. Shyam Benegal’s Well Done Abba (2009) serves as a political satire that critiques corruption and shortcomings in rural governance. Through the protagonist\u27s battle to secure a well in his village, the film reveals the systemic issues within government welfare initiatives and highlights the role of RTI in exposing corruption. This paper analyzes Well Done Abba as a case study to investigate governance failures, bureaucratic inefficiencies, and the impact of political satire on public awareness. The study underscores both the effectiveness and limitations of transparency measures in India by juxtaposing the film’s storyline with actualcorruption cases revealed through RTI. The findings indicate that although RTI has brought to light several fraudulent incidents, deeper structural reforms are essential for lasting change. The study concludes by stressing the importance of political satire in promoting civic awareness and stimulating democratic engagement

Multifacetedness of Collective Memory and Identity in Elie Wiesel’s The Fifth Son

The paper analyses the important aspects of the multifaced operation of collective memory and its influence on identity formation in Elie Wiesel’s The Fifth Son (1985). To shape an outlook on society collective memory plays a significant role in shaping individual consciousness and social outlook. The paper investigates the sociological theories of collective memory based on the theoretical findings of the French philosopher Maurice Halbwachs (1992) and the sociologist David Sontag Rieff (2016). It provides a detailed study of the influence of collective memory and the collective trauma of suffering experienced by the Jewish community. By adopting the qualitative textual analysis, the paper examines how the protagonist Ariel Tamiroff navigates inherited trauma across three developmental stages. Wiesel is a fine craftsman with an extraordinary talent for portraying the exact realities of historical trauma. His virtuosity is a tool to reveal the significance of the cultural, social and religious elements in Judaic tradition. He also discusses the influence of all these elements in shaping the collective history of the community. In The Fifth Son, Wiesel voices the anxieties, traumas, hysteria and unending guilt the children of the second-generation of the Holocaust experience. As a real victim of the troubles of the Holocaust, he shares the impact of the pain of being displaced while transplanting the collective memory of an entire social community

Feminist and Traditional Patriarchal Perspectives in D. H. Lawrence’s Women in Love

oai:ojs.s3rjournal.com:article/3The two sisters worked on in silence. Ursula having always that strange brightness of an essential flame that is caught, meshed, contravened. She lived a good deal by herself, to herself, working, passing on from day to day, and always thinking, trying to lay hold on life, to grasp it in her own understanding. She seemed to try and put her hands out, like an infant in the womb, and she could not, not yet. Still she had a strange prescience, an intimation of something yet to come

Use of Digital Applications- Quizlet, Kahoot, and Padlet in ESL Classroom

Quizlet, Kahoot and Padlet are digital resources that are widespread in most modern ESL classes, but their pedagogical usefulness is questionable. A recent synthesis of research on these tools reveals three main findings: (1) the essential skills represented by each platform are reinforced by their use; (2) learning outcomes are realized as learners engage with constructivist pedagogies; and (3) sociocultural and gamification principles are involved in the effectiveness of these technologies in the ESL classroom. A literature review conducted to synthesize research published within the recent ten years reveals that learners can learn best when they actively construct knowledge, partner with others, and get immediate feedback in stimulating settings. These tools encourage interaction, but they are associated with several challenges, such as technical inequities, excessive visual and auditory stimulation, rapid interaction, which can foster surface learning and extensive preparation time of the teacher. In general, technology is strictly curriculum-based to maximize learning. The review ends with the recommendations about studying the long-term learning impacts, varied conditions, and features that can maintain the interest of learners

Representation Redefined: The Tawaif in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas and Heeramandi

Indian cinema has undergone a significant transformation in its form and ideology under the sway of globalization, digitalization, and feminist discourse. In recent years, amid the growing prominence of the OTT platforms, narrative freedom has expanded, enabling filmmakers to reimagine marginalized identities beyond Bollywood’s melodramatic conventions. In this evolving mediascape, the tawaif- once an iconic cultural figure who were later reduced to a tragic courtesan- serves as a critical lens for examining the shifting grammar of women\u27s representation. This paper analyses Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas (2002) and Heeramandi (2024) through Stuart Hall’s theory of representation to explore the paradigmatic shifts in narrative, visuality, and performance. This study further identifies a transformation of the tawaif from objectified and tragic figures in Devdas to empowered and multilayered characters in Heeramandi. Ultimately, it contributes to media representation debates by demonstrating how evolving platforms reshape cultural narratives and recuperate marginalized voices

Anthropocene Through The Lens of Richard Powers The Overstory

Literature plays a pivotal role in sculpting human life. It empowers the person to obtain, learn, and inspire the society in a better way. The different genres of literature help to explore the authentic concerns encountered by mankind. It narrates beyond the tales of human life and serves as a powerful medium to portray humanity’s most pressing concerns. The most concerning struggle of humans at the present is climate change and its’ consequences. Because of this, slowly, we are entering into the Anthropocene epoch because of the human activities against environment on the earth. This may seem like the problem of the ecologists and environmentalists, but it is also interconnected with the literature of various languages. It is a known fact that on numerous occasions’ literature helps us to explore the complex, multifaceted connections between human existence and the environment. Many times, literature inspires critical reflection, raises awareness, and encourages action. The present paper aims to bring out the environmental issues and repercussions represented in the Richard Powers The Overstory and how American literary works helps in analyzing, predicting, and visualizing the environmental related issues in real life

English Language Teachers\u27 Perceptions Regarding Psychosocial Environment: A Case Study at BS Level

This study investigates how English language instructors at the BS level in Multan perceive the psychosocial environment of their classrooms and how various ecological factors influence their teaching. It explores the psychological and social dynamics within English language classrooms, focusing on elements such as student collaboration, autonomy, participation, and task orientation. These factors are analyzed in terms of how they shape and redefine teachers’ perspectives on the teaching-learning process. Data were gathered through structured questionnaires administered to BS-level English teachers in universities and colleges. The findings, analyzed using correlation and regression techniques, reveal that the psychosocial climate significantly impacts teachers\u27 perceptions and practices in English language instruction. The study emphasizes the importance of creating supportive learning environments to improve instructional quality and learner engagement

The Evolution of Indigenous Words in Selected Novels of Modern Indian Writers: Language Change and Shifts

This study focuses on the use of indigenous words in Indian English in the selected novels of modern Indian Writers. It is an explorative study where many indigenous words have been used and analyzed deeply in Indian English in modern era. Here, note taking technique has been used to note down the indigenous words in Indian English writing. This is also called as Indian English or Inglish. There are some selected novels from which the words have been taken, such as – Arundhati Roy’s ‘God of Small Thing’, Khushwant Singh’s ‘Train to Pakistan’ where many words are local words which are called as Indian English which shows the reflection of socio linguistic uses. It is the study of these two writers that how they have borrowed some Indian words or local words into daily practices.These words have been borrowed from different cultures, events, marriages and historical words which became a trend in IndianEnglish. In modern English, social media is also helping to incorporate the local words in speaking. By using of these words, one shows their identity as an individual or societal. All these words show the rich culture and history, tradition of India. This study also highlights that how lexical words reflect the Indian history and how socio linguistic practices can be seen in Indian English. In these two novels,there code mixing and code-switching words have been assimilated. Code switching words in Indian English have become a medium ofengagement while communicating. These words are local words which are blended with English language what we use in daily life which show our identity as an individual or as a society. This study also sheds light on how such novels expose the Indian words which show our cultural heritage and identity. These are the lexical words which represent a society’s identity or cultural values which is the pride of a nation.