Revisiting the fairy land: Anne Sexton’s transformation of the Grimms’ female characters

Anne Sexton’s vivid and scandalous literary heritage has always been arousing controversy mostly due to its confessional character. It is, however, underestimated that one of the sources of her poetic inspirations was a broadly defined European culture and tradition, including the Grimms’ fairy tales. This article strives to inquire how Sexton revisits narratives of canonical tales with special regard to female protagonists. An apparent discrepancy will be shown between the two versions in terms of poetic imagery, character construction, and the reality in which they are firmly anchored. The morals drawn from the poems markedly diverge from the original versions, for it is with pessimism and disillusionment that Sexton transforms the naïve and sentimental images. The applied adaptation, hence, serves here to articulate the conflict between the traditional, male-centered set of values and a feminist perspective. The poems’ structures, literary figures, cultural references, features of genre, and other elements will be examined and analyzed to compare the retold stories with their archetypes and to provide a detailed interpretation in the light of the addressed [email protected] Korzeniewska-Nowakowska is a PhD student in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Zielona Góra, Poland. Her academic interests include: American confessional poetry, postmodern studies, olympism, olympic idea in film and literature.University of Zielona Góra, PolandBeauvoir, de Simone. 1952. The Second Sex. New York: Knopf.Bottigheimer, Ruth B. 1987. Grimm’s Bad Girls and Bold Boys: The Moral and Social Vision of the Tales. New Haven: Yale University PressGill, Brendan. 1991. The Sky Line: Disneyitis. The New Yorker (April 29), 96-99.Gonzalez, Matilde Martin. 1999. Fairy tales revisited and transformed: Anne Sexton’ Critique of Social(ized) Feminity. http://dspace.uah.es (30 May 2015).Grimm, Jacob and Willhelm. 2012. Completed Fairy Tales. New York: Fall River Press.McGowan, Patrick, P. 2004. Anne Sexton and Middle Generation Poetry. London: Praeger.Liebermann, Marcia R.. 1972. Some Day My Prince Will Come: Female Acculturation through the Fairy Tale. College English 34(3), 383-395.Pinkola, Clara. 1996. Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype. New York: Ballatine BooksSexton, Anne. 1971. Transformations. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.Sexton, Anne. 1971. Transformations. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.Tatar, Maria. 1987. The Hard Facts of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.Warner, Marina. 1991. The Absent Mother, or Women Against Women in the ‘Old Wives’ Tale. Hilversun: Verloren.Warner, Marina. 1994. From the Beast to the Blond: On Fairy Tales and their Tellers. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.Zipes, Jack. 2002. The Brothers Grimm: From Enchanted Forests to the Modern World. New York: Palgrave MacMillan.15-2110 (3/2015)152

Controversial animal tourism considered from a cultural perspective

An aspect of controversial animal tourism that has received little attention is its relationship with cultural tourism. The article presents a categorization of cultural tourism, and sports attractions and events related to the abuse of animals. It shows how tourists, driven by cultural omnivorousness and the wish to stand out from the crowd, eagerly enjoy controversial forms of animal tourism on their travel. In order to avoid the pitfall of western ethnocentrism ending in accusations of barbarism, the issue is also reflected on from an intercultural point of view, which helps to understand that local communities have different attitudes to animals and their wellbeing. In addition, a historical overview shows that ‘animal friendliness’ does not have a long tradition in western thinking about the human-animal relationship and is only of recent date. Sustainable solutions for controversial animal tourism have to be found by raising tourists’ awareness by means of information and education

Kontrowersyjna turystyka z wykorzystaniem zwierząt w perspektywie kulturowej

Nieomówionym dotychczas aspektem kontrowersyjnej turystyki z wykorzystaniem zwierząt jest jej związek z turysty­ką kulturową. Artykuł ma na celu przedstawienie kategoryzacji atrakcji oraz wydarzeń kulturowych i turystycznych, które są związane ze złym traktowaniem zwierząt. W tekście opisano, w jaki sposób turyści, kierowani kulturowym omniworyzmem i chęcią wyróżnienia się z tłumu, korzystają z kontrowersyjnych form tego rodzaju turystyki podczas międzykontynentalnych podróży. By uniknąć pułapki zachodniego etnocentryzmu, który prowadzi do oskarżeń o barbarzyństwo, autorzy przedstawili problem z różnych, międzykulturowych punktów widzenia, co pozwala na zrozumienie nastawienia lokalnych społeczności do zwierząt i ich dobrostanu. Co więcej, historia pokazuje, że troska o los zwierząt nie jest głęboko zakorzeniona w tradycji Zachodu. Zrównoważone rozwiązania w sektorze turystyki związanej ze zwierzętami muszą stać się elementem świadomości turystów, do której należy dążyć poprzez należytą edukację

Pro Libris: Lubuskie Pismo Literacko-Kulturalne, nr 3 (2009)

134 s. : il.

Literary Representation of Sport in Historical Turmoil: On Józef Hen’s “The Boxer and The Death”

The present article strives to analyze a sporting war short story The Boxer and The Death by Józef Hen as an exemplary piece of sports writing immersed in a historical context. Although there is no entrenched tradition of sports writing in the Polish literary expression, the story offers a very classic sports narrative anchored in the Holocaust reality. Following the presentation of the figure of Hen and providing historical background for sport in concentration camps, the author analyzes the story, focusing on its two main characters: Janusz Kominek and Walter Kraft, as well as the values and symbols they represent. It is also argued that The Boxer and The Death fulfills the criteria of a traditional western, melodramatic narrative, and conforms to Robert J. Higgs’s Adonic model of an athlete in literature.The present article strives to analyze a sporting war short story The Boxer and The Death by Józef Hen as an exemplary piece of sports writing immersed in a historical context. Although there is no entrenched tradition of sports writing in the Polish literary expression, the story offers a very classic sports narrative anchored in the Holocaust reality. Following the presentation of the figure of Hen and providing historical background for sport in concentration camps, the author analyzes the story, focusing on its two main characters: Janusz Kominek and Walter Kraft, as well as the values and symbols they represent. It is also argued that The Boxer and The Death fulfills the criteria of a traditional western, melodramatic narrative, and conforms to Robert J. Higgs’s Adonic model of an athlete in literature

Inhibition of Methane Fermentation by Antibiotics Introduced to Municipal Anaerobic Sludge

Annually, a few thousand tons of antibiotics and their transformation products (metabolites and degradation products) are introduced to wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) as a result of human and animal excretion, or dispose of expired or unused medications. Antibiotics present in wastes might inhibit their treatment processes for instance during methane fermentation. In this study, β-lactams, tetracycline’s, fluoroquinolones, sulphonamides and metronidazole were selected as inhibitors of methane fermentation of sewage sludge collected from municipal WWTP. The experiments were performed in two series with different concentrations of antibiotics. The biogas production did not significantly differ between series, and was from 151.7 ± 18.9 mL/g VS (in the bioreactor with metronidazole addition—II series) to 208.3 ± 11.9 mL/g VS (in the bioreactor with amoxicillin addition—I series). In the control sample biogas production was 203.7 ± 21.1 mL/g VS. The methane content in all experiments was from 61.3 ± 2.1% to 66.4 ± 3.1%. The results indicated that microorganisms in anaerobic sludge from municipal wastewater are highly resistant to antibiotics in the tested concentrations. Antibiotic present in wastewater probably caused of antibiotic resistance in bacteria

Long-Term, Simultaneous Impact of Antimicrobials on the Efficiency of Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge and Changes in the Microbial Community

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of simultaneous, long-term exposure to increasing concentrations of three classes of antimicrobials (β-lactams, fluoroquinolones and nitroimidazoles) on: (1) the efficiency of anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge, (2) qualitative and quantitative changes in microbial consortia that participate in methane fermentation, and (3) fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Long-term supplementation of sewage sludge with a combination of metronidazole, amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin applied at different doses did not induce significant changes in process parameters, including the concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), or the total abundance of ARGs. Exposure to antibiotics significantly decreased methane production and modified microbial composition. The sequencing analysis revealed that the abundance of OTUs characteristic of Archaea was not correlated with the biogas production efficiency. The study also demonstrated that the hydrogen-dependent pathway of methylotrophic methanogenesis could significantly contribute to the stability of anaerobic digestion in the presence of antimicrobials. The greatest changes in microbial biodiversity were noted in substrate samples exposed to the highest dose of the tested antibiotics, relative to control. The widespread use of antimicrobials increases antibiotic concentrations in sewage sludge, which may decrease the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, and contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance (AR)

Metagenomic Analysis of the Long-Term Synergistic Effects of Antibiotics on the Anaerobic Digestion of Cattle Manure

The conversion of cattle manure into biogas in anaerobic digestion (AD) processes has been gaining attention in recent years. However, antibiotic consumption continues to increase worldwide, which is why antimicrobial concentrations can be expected to rise in cattle manure and in digestate. This study examined the long-term synergistic effects of antimicrobials on the anaerobic digestion of cattle manure. The prevalence of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and changes in microbial biodiversity under exposure to the tested drugs was investigated using a metagenomic approach. Methane production was analyzed in lab-scale anaerobic bioreactors. Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria were the most abundant bacteria in the samples. The domain Archaea was represented mainly by methanogenic genera Methanothrix and Methanosarcina and the order Methanomassiliicoccales. Exposure to antibiotics inhibited the growth and development of methanogenic microorganisms in the substrate. Antibiotics also influenced the abundance and prevalence of ARGs in samples. Seventeen types of ARGs were identified and classified. Genes encoding resistance to tetracyclines, macrolide–lincosamide–streptogramin antibiotics, and aminoglycosides, as well as multi-drug resistance genes, were most abundant. Antibiotics affected homoacetogenic bacteria and methanogens, and decreased the production of CH4. However, the antibiotic-induced decrease in CH4 production was minimized in the presence of highly drug-resistant microorganisms in AD bioreactors

Long-Term, Simultaneous Impact of Antimicrobials on the Efficiency of Anaerobic Digestion of Sewage Sludge and Changes in the Microbial Community

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of simultaneous, long-term exposure to increasing concentrations of three classes of antimicrobials (β-lactams, fluoroquinolones and nitroimidazoles) on: (1) the efficiency of anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge, (2) qualitative and quantitative changes in microbial consortia that participate in methane fermentation, and (3) fate of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Long-term supplementation of sewage sludge with a combination of metronidazole, amoxicillin and ciprofloxacin applied at different doses did not induce significant changes in process parameters, including the concentrations of volatile fatty acids (VFAs), or the total abundance of ARGs. Exposure to antibiotics significantly decreased methane production and modified microbial composition. The sequencing analysis revealed that the abundance of OTUs characteristic of Archaea was not correlated with the biogas production efficiency. The study also demonstrated that the hydrogen-dependent pathway of methylotrophic methanogenesis could significantly contribute to the stability of anaerobic digestion in the presence of antimicrobials. The greatest changes in microbial biodiversity were noted in substrate samples exposed to the highest dose of the tested antibiotics, relative to control. The widespread use of antimicrobials increases antibiotic concentrations in sewage sludge, which may decrease the efficiency of anaerobic digestion, and contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance (AR)

The Effect of Antibiotics on Mesophilic Anaerobic Digestion Process of Cattle Manure

This study explored the effect of eight antimicrobials on the efficiency of biogas production in the anaerobic digestion (AD) process of cattle manure. The microbiome involved in AD, presence and number of genes mcrA, MSC and MST specific for Archaea, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) concentration in digestate (D) were examined. Supplementation of antibiotics to substrate significantly lowered biogas production. Amoxicillin caused a 75% decrease in CH4 production in comparison with the control samples. Enrofloxacin, tetracycline, oxytetracycline, and chlortetracycline reduced the amount of biogas produced by 36, 39, 45 and 53%, respectively. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA results revealed that bacteria dominated the Archaea microorganisms in all samples. Moreover, antibiotics led to a decrease in the abundance of the genes mcrA, MSC, MST, and induced an increase in the number of tetracyclines resistance genes. Antibiotics decreased the efficiency of the AD process and lowered the quantity of CH4 obtained, while stimulating an increase in the number of ARGs in D. This work reveals how antimicrobials affect the cattle manure AD process and changes in microbial biodiversity, number of functional genes and ARGs in the digestate due to drugs exposure. It also, provides useful, practical information about the AD process