مهسا هاشمی

Myths, as part of human's life since ancient times, continue to be depicted in novels, movies, and TV series with the advent of technology. The dystopian theme much favored in the book market receiving international attention and appreciation is present in a large number of novels for the adult and the adolescent. Dystopia, as a sub-genre of science fiction, has strongly affected young adult (YA) literature. The Maze Runner trilogy (2009-2011), written by James Dashner, is a popular dystopian fiction with almost all-male supporting heroes. In the present paper, quest in Dashner’s trilogy is investigated in order to analyze the adventure in terms of Joseph Campbell’s views of hero’s journey, including the steps from the very first volume to the third in order to explore the archetype of journey in an adventure taking place in the future fictional world. Characters in this trilogy go through many difficulties to survive, and they pass through the rite of the passage each facing a crisis. A major conclusion the research arrives at is that there is more of an inner change in the young characters than an instant effect on their environment; however, they will be ready for the future. 

The post-black playwright, Marcus Gardley has been concerned with the concept of African American identity as defined within the nexus of diverse socio-cultural elements. This study explores the role of religion as an integral and indispensable constituent of African American identity in three of Gardley’s plays, namely, And Jesus Moonwalks the Mississippi, The House That Will Not Stand, and A Wolf in Snake Skin Shoes, while considering the relevant cultural and sociological studies on the role of religion in African American communities. Drawing upon the conception of identity in the framework of African American criticism, the focus of this paper is on Gardley’s intricate portrayal of the function of church and religious beliefs in shaping black identity. It is argued that Gardley’s insightful and multilayered depiction of religion in his drama delineates a rather complex and paradoxical function where African American identity both benefits from, and bears the negative impacts of, religiosity. This study reveals that, in Gardley’s plays, Christianity sometimes acts as a soothing balm to African Americans who have for long fought not only racial discrimination but also collective and individual traumas in various stages of their lives, as in the cases of Free, Maud Lynn and Miss Ssippi. In some cases, however, a type of Christianity promoted by the black church is presented as an obstacle in the way of some African Americans’ recognition of their true identity, as observed in the case of Gumper.