Gothic Trouble: Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and the Globalized Order

The article explores the way American author Cormac McCarthy uses the Gothic genre in his novel The Road as a means to address what has been called “our globalized order,” in particular the way it has turned human beings into consuming or consumed entities. Some dimensions of this globalized order indeed involve the reintroduction of slavery through human trafficking, unprecedented greed and labor capitalism, surveillance and personal data gathering. Hannah Arendt notes in The Origin of Totalitarianism that the disasters of the twentieth century had proved that a globalized order might “produce barbarians from its own midst by forcing millions of people into conditions which, despite all appearances, are the conditions of savages.” The artist’s task is to find the right language and images to address the breaking of the world. French philosopher J. P. Dupuy, for example, has argued that the financial world is a way to contain (contenir) the violence of competition, placing it into acceptable (symbolic) forms away from primal physical competition. McCarthy’s graphic use of Gothic tropes—including cannibalism, the wild forest, the haunted house, the chase, the conflict between light and darkness, the blurring of boundaries between different categories—creates a shock. The article also addresses the larger question of the impact of globalization on Gothic literature, and the impact of Gothic literature on real world matters as it contributes to and reflects upon and challenges global regimes of economic, social and economic power. In other words, what is the cultural work that the Gothic does in the present

Marcel Arbeit and M. Thomas Inge, eds., The (Un)Popular South

The eleven articles included in the volume are the proceedings of the Southern Studies Biennial Conference held at Palacký University in September 2007. They offer many thought-provoking insights into the way the South has been either idealized or demonized. They cover a wide range of Southern issues (slavery, miscegenation, identity) and time periods (such as the Civil War and the civil rights movement) through the exploration of both literary and filmic media. This brilliant collection deal..

Marcel Arbeit and M. Thomas Inge, eds., The (Un)Popular South

The eleven articles included in the volume are the proceedings of the Southern Studies Biennial Conference held at Palacký University in September 2007. They offer many thought-provoking insights into the way the South has been either idealized or demonized. They cover a wide range of Southern issues (slavery, miscegenation, identity) and time periods (such as the Civil War and the civil rights movement) through the exploration of both literary and filmic media. This brilliant collection deal..

Appréhender le stock de métal monnayé au ive siècle après J.-C.

Parmi les thématiques abordées en numismatique à l’aide de l’archéométrie, les recherches spécifiques sur le stock de métal monnayé au ive siècle s’avèrent fascinantes mais délicates. Afflux de nouvelles ressources métalliques, refontes volontaires de monnaies : tous ces phénomènes sont de grande conséquence pour les monnayages produits dans les différents ateliers de l’Empire romain tardif. Certaines données de ce type sont mesurables. Les alliages métalliques (donc ici monétaires) contiennent en effet des éléments mineurs ou en traces, constituant la « carte d’identité » de l’approvisionnement des ateliers monétaires. Il y a 10 ans Isabelle Bollard et Jean-Noël Barrandon réunissaient plusieurs analyses de monnaies en alliage cuivreux émises au cours du ive siècle. Nos propres observations, obtenues dans le cadre d’un projet de recherche financé par la région Normandie (intitulé FANUM), sur 14 528 monnaies (nummi) de la période constantinienne contenues dans un trésor découvert fortuitement à Saint-Germain-de-Varreville (Manche), nous ont incités à reprendre, de façon plus approfondie, l’étude des alliages utilisés au cours de cette période, en portant notamment notre attention sur les teneurs en or et en argent. En effet, la grande variété des ateliers représentés au sein du trésor favorisait idéalement une telle enquête. Le choix de la fluorescence X portable a permis d’élaborer un protocole d’analyse précis et adapté à un grand nombre de monnaies. L’exploitation de 774 analyses réalisées sur des nummi frappés dans les ateliers occidentaux a permis de compléter les travaux antérieurs, mais également de mettre en évidence l’utilisation de stocks métalliques différents à partir des années 320.Among the thematics studied in numismatics using archeometry, specific research on the stock of metal struck in the 4th century turns out to be fascinating but complex. Influx of new metallic resources, voluntary recasts of coins: these phenomena have great consequences for the coinage produced in all the workshops throughout the late Roman Empire. Some of these data can be measurable. Metallic alloys (coins in this case) contain minor or trace elements that constitute a kind of “identity card” for the supply of monetary workshops. Ten years ago, Isabelle Bollard and Jean-Noël Barrandon collected several analyzes of bronzes struck during the 4th century. Our own observations, obtained within the FANUM project, funded by the Normandy region, on 14 528 coins (nummi) of the Constantinian period, contained in a fortuitously discovered treasure in Saint-Germain-de-Varreville (Manche) have motivated a thorough new study of the alloys used during this period, focusing on the traces of gold and silver. Indeed, the variety of workshops represented in the treasure has encouraged such an inquiry. The choice of portable X-ray fluorescence has enabled to develop a protocol of analysis adapted to a large number of coins. The use of 774 analyzes carried out on nummi struck in the Western workshops has completed previous works, but also enabled to highlight the use of different metal stocks from the 320s

Transfer of Communication Skills to the Workplace during Clinical Rounds : Impact of a Program for Residents

peer reviewe

Factors associated with self-perceived burden to the primary caregiver in older patients with hematologic malignancies: an exploratory study

Objective: Although cancer patients frequently experience self-perceived burden to others, this perception has not been enough studied. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of selfperceived burden to the primary caregiver (SPB-PC) and associated factors in an older patient population with hematologic malignancies at the time of chemotherapy initiation. Methods: In total, 166 consecutive patients with hematologic malignancies aged ≥65 years were recruited at the time of chemotherapy initiation. Patients’ SPB-PC was assessed using a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS). Characteristics potentially associated with SPB-PC, including sociodemographic and medical characteristics, physical functioning status (Karnofsky performance score, activities of daily living (ADL)/instrumental ADL), symptoms (fatigue, pain, nausea, quality of life), psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)), perceived cognitive function (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy Cognitive (FACT-Cog) Scale), and patients’/primary caregivers’ personal relationship characteristics (family tie, support), were assessed. Results: Thirty-five percent of patients reported moderate to severe SPB-PC (VAS ≥ 50 mm). Patients’ SPB-PC was associated with lower Karnofsky performance (β = 0.135, p = 0.058) and ADL (β = 0.148, p = 0.037) scores, and higher HADS (β = 0.283, p<0.001) and FACT-Cog perceived cognitive impairments subscale (β = 0.211, p = 0.004) scores. The proportion of explained variance was 23.5%. Conclusions: Health care professionals should be aware that about one third of older cancer patients experience moderate to severe SPB-PC at the time of chemotherapy initiation. They should adapt their support of patients who report such a feeling

Valognes – Le Bas Castelet, Le Castelet

Pour la deuxième année de sondages, les résultats confirment l’extension de l’aire urbaine sur toute la frange septentrionale de l’emprise estimée du site. Le rebord de plateau et le versant sud de la vallée du Merderet, jusqu’au contact des thermes, en livrent de nombreuses traces : rues, édifices, productions artisanales, mobiliers. Cette campagne est donc particulièrement positive dans la progression des connaissances de cette ville antique, tant sur le plan de l’état sanitaire des vestige..