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One of the notes to „Sourcing Siapo” of making Siapo, the traditional Samoan cloth, is “[i]t is women’s work only and it is very hard work” (Ava Taesali 2016 ) January is the oldest daughter of ten siblings. Their mother remarried after raising seven children with her first, beloved by the offspring Samoan father. After divorce, father Tamā is forced to leave the family while the new partner reveals to be a ruthless and violent predator whom children call a “drunk.” Throughout the novel constructed in forms of poems, letters, and memoires, January tells the heartbreaking story of suffering, frustration, and imaginary world of hope which helps sibling to survive the hard times. November, January, March, May, August, June, September, October, July, and December always protect each other and even though from different fathers, never think of each other as half blood. The memories of January describe her family story from her childhood until the mother’s death followed by sorrow yet compassionate letters. Sourcing Siapo, the traditional Samoan piece of art remains the metaphor of complicated relationship of half-Caucasian and Samoan family where the indigenous culture symbolise home.

Ava Taesali, P. (2016). Sourcing Siapo. An Ala Press Offering.

One of the notes to „Sourcing Siapo” of making Siapo, the traditional Samoan cloth, is “[i]t is women’s work only and it is very hard work” (Ava Taesali 2016 ) January is the oldest daughter of ten siblings. Their mother remarried after raising seven children with her first, beloved by the offspring Samoan father. After divorce, father Tamā is forced to leave the family...

The colonization of Pacific Islands has left irreversible changes on language and culture of Pohnpei people in Micronesia. Through the first explorers’ invasions to modern tourism, the landscape and identity are the subject to constant changes and modifications. The battle between the westernized lifestyle and heritage cultivation is strongly visible in, for instance, “Like the Island.” The collection of poems is strong, vibrant, and brave treating the matters from perspective of likio “outsie” and Sapw Sarawi “spiritual powers” (Kihleng 2008 61). The first one is reflected through the metaphor of neglectable homicide of Chuukese child by a women in 2006 where the politicization of the poetry raises anger and frustration. On the other hand, the “Untitled” tells a touching story of relationship between the granddaughter who takes care of her grandfather in the hospital:
“my hands rubbing p from under his heel
up to his toes, neglected for so long
brown, dry flakes fall off his foot
on to my urohs
and on to the tile floor in room 208
tears for the hplesness I feel
when we’re together”

Kihleng, E. (2008). My Urohs. Kahuaomānoa Press

The colonization of Pacific Islands has left irreversible changes on language and culture of Pohnpei people in Micronesia. Through the first explorers’ invasions to modern tourism, the landscape and identity are the subject to constant changes and modifications. The battle between the westernized lifestyle and heritage cultivation is strongly visible in, for instance, “Like...

South Pacific Futures: Oceania toward 2050 analyses five different approaches in foreseeing South Pacific socio-economic realities— Globalisation and Doomsday, Oceania and Empowerment, Dependency and World-System, MIRAB (Migration, Remittances, Aid and Bureaucracy), finally Asianisation and Ethical Decision. The future of Pacific Islands in next decades is being analyzed mainly from the perspective of Globalists and Oceanians who underline the role of South Pacific diaspora in their forecasts. The first pessimistic standpoint, represented by Rowan Callick (1993 qtd. in van Fossen, 2005, 10), states that in overpopulated, dependent on capitalistic market, and demanding strategical expertise region, expatriates will become essential by “represent[ing] the true high culture of The Pacific.” The latter, comprised in Epeli Hau’ofa’s “Sea of Islands” (1994), bases on the re-establishment of pre-European mentality, autonomy, and self-sufficiency by exploration of natural sources comprised in 12% of managed by Pacific Islands waters. In proposed vision, the expansion of Islanders to other continents inflates the community’s reception, liberation from neo-colonial past, and effective regionalisation where “[o]ceania is bound together by new forms of transportation, information technology and telecommunications…” (van Fossen, 2005, 13). In both scenarios, diaspora plays a crucial role in providing South Pacific with independency, consistency, and continuity. Theories range from influence on population, environment, economies, politics, aid, information technology, media, culture, tourism. Clear tables, summaries of the chapters, short comments make the Anthony Van Fossen’s volume consistent and transparent.

Hau’ofa, E. (1994). Our Sea of Islands. The Contemporary Pacific, 6(1), 148-161.
Van Fossen, A. (2005). South Pacific Futures: Oceania toward 2050. The Foundation for Development Cooperation.

South Pacific Futures: Oceania toward 2050 analyses five different approaches in foreseeing South Pacific socio-economic realities— Globalisation and Doomsday, Oceania and Empowerment, Dependency and World-System, MIRAB (Migration, Remittances, Aid and Bureaucracy), finally Asianisation and Ethical Decision. The future of Pacific Islands in next decades is being analyzed...

Sia Figiel’s most recent novel Freelove tackles the variety of subjects which include pre-palagi (pre-European) kastom, missionary society, Mead vs Freeman controversy, traditional aiga (family clan) values, education in science, respect to elders, finally, importance of courage:
Rather than dreaming up ways of escaping reality, your perpetual duty is to face reality and all the challenges it throws on your way. Don’t wish for the easy. Go through the hard and tough. Because it is only there an then that you truly discover just how remarkable you are. And you should never forget it … Astound yourself so that you may astound those around you (167).
According to Epeli Hau’ofa and his theory of “Sea of Islands” (1994), self-confidence and strong belief in Oceanic strength, solidarity, and culture will play a strategic role in revolutionizing post colonial reality and regaining regional independence in Oceania. Freelove definitely raises these aspects simultaneously touching the matters of gender equality and costly possibility of individual choice over cultural norms.
By drawing a silhouette of intelligent 17 years old Inosia, the author accentuates the strong position of females in upcoming era. She wishes women and men loved each other in respectful and affectionate way. Her novel is full of excitement and sexual tension. As Sia becomes more intimate with Ioage, their relationship is fulfilled on multiple levels including desire, friendship, trust, and intimacy showing the beauty of romantic feelings.
In the interview for Salon du livre de Tahiti, Sia Figiel admits that Freelove is her favourite novel that she has been aiming to write for last 30 years. She stresses how fulfilling and satisfying was the journey to compose the story in only six weeks’ time (2020). As her previous novels focused on the patriarchal system and limitations women ought to fight on daily basis, Freelove is a perfect counterbalance proving the existence of pure love.

Figiel, S. (2016). Freelove: A Novel. Lōʻihi Press.
Hau'ofa, E. (1994). Our Sea of Islands. The Contemporary Pacific, 6(1), 147-161.
Salon du livre de Tahiti (2020, November 23). Rencontre avec Sia Figiel [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTioe-UjU2c

Sia Figiel’s most recent novel Freelove tackles the variety of subjects which include pre-palagi (pre-European) kastom, missionary society, Mead vs Freeman controversy, traditional aiga (family clan) values, education in science, respect to elders, finally, importance of courage:
Rather than dreaming up ways of escaping reality, your perpetual duty is to face reality and...

The story of the two sisters, Marlowe and Harper, charms and strikes a chord in reader’s heart. Strengthening the importance of sisters’ love, attachment, and engagement, the novel illustrates the hardship of grief. When I first reached out for this book I was aiming to find a birthday present for my sister however ended up being completely delighted by its formula. I was enchanted by the sensible openheartedness the author was describing the nature of life. Hannah Bent was growing up with her three years older sister with a down syndrome who would always astonish everyone with her joy for life (Bent, 2021). The novel spoke to me on so many levels giving me a huge appreciation for my family, and wonders I attempt to admire every day in a new thankful way. Watching our close relatives die is a heartbreaking process turning into long years of mourning. Marlowe and Harper’s sweet sacrificial love reminds us that people dear to us never really pass away as they live and hum in our souls. Briefly, I could not agree more with the Trent Dalton’s comment on this novel: “What a gift.”

Bent, H. (2021, July 21). My Sister Has Taught Me to live With A Brave, Glowing Heart. The Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/culture/books/my-sister-has-taught-me-to-live-with-a-brave-glowing-gypsy-heart-20210716-p58af0.html

The story of the two sisters, Marlowe and Harper, charms and strikes a chord in reader’s heart. Strengthening the importance of sisters’ love, attachment, and engagement, the novel illustrates the hardship of grief. When I first reached out for this book I was aiming to find a birthday present for my sister however ended up being completely delighted by its formula. I was...

One of the comments made by the reviewer of George Lamming’s work, V. S. Pritchett was: “We are in the heart of a coloured or half-coloured community, sharing its sudden, unreasonable passions… its naïve illusions about the world outside” (qtd. in Brown 681). I believe that as many ambitious novels, In The Castle of My Skin is challenging to read and touches compound structures of meanings to decode. Coming of age novels often present sentiments common for all adults as they refer to certain nostalgy. In George Lamming’s case it is not that simple to interpret the novel especially if one comes from Commonwealth culture. Firstly, as the author analyses in The Pleasures of Exile (229), living in a colonial reality means to be detached from his own origin culture by imperialism. Caribbean people are mostly descendants of captive Africans and to many of them that continent is very close to their heart. In common speech, exile does indeed mean a physical absence being banned or unable to return to one’s land. David W. Hart defines this interior exile which might constitute "either an intellectual turn away from home or an emotional turn inward to the self" (qtd. in Wheat 5). G. is on a mental exile from his sense of belonging. As he grows older he detaches himself from his village and leaves to Trinidad. Meanwhile Trumper returns from the United States for a visit. Young men discuss the difference in reality and perspective of seeing oneself:
There ain’t no “man” an’ there ain’t no “people.” Just nigger an’ Negro. An’ little as that seem ‘tis a tremendous difference. It make a tremendous difference not to the whites but the blacks. ‘Tis the blacks who get affected by leavin’ out that word “man” or “people.” That’s how we learn the race. ‘Tis what a word can do. Now there ain’t a black man in all America who won’t get up and an’ say I’m a Negro an’ I’m proud of it. We all are proud of it.” (289)
It appears that the reality narrows down to the point of how an individual thinks about oneself. The feeling of inferiority might dictate one’s possibilities by limiting personal ambitions as well as potential. I perceive In The Castle of My Skin as a very intellectually stimulating and I believe that V. S. Pritchett’s impression lacks certain ability of co-feeling. The consciousness of all the unknown ahead existing might be at times paralysing as it requires to leave one’s known behind. This is the reason why the cultivation of one’s value and origin is essential for self-growth and being honest with oneself in accordance to one’s believes. In a larger spectrum it refers to the rebirth of the nation after colonialism. Calypso Rose, Trinidad musician when singing her beautiful song Calypso Blues reminds Caribbean women of their beauty and authenticity encouraging them not to be afraid of identifying with their culture not following foreign trends:
Dese yankee girl give me big scare,
Is black de root, is blonde de hair.
Her eyelash false, her face is paint,
And pads are where de girl she ain't
She jitterbug when she should waltz,
I even think her name is false.
But calypso girl is good a lot,
Is what you see, is what she got. (2:15)

Brown, Dillon J. “Exile and Cunning: The Tactical Difficulties of George Lamming.” Contemporary Literature, vol. 47, no. 4, 2006, pp. 669-694.
Calypso Rose. Calypso Blues. YouTube, uploaded by Calypso Rose, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPQ0PDi6m1k
Lamming, George. In The Castle of My Skin. Longman, 1987.
Lamming, George. The Pleasures of Exile. University of Michigan Press, 1992.
Wheat, Celeste A . “Examining Colonialism and Exile in George Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin (1953), The Emigrants (1954), and The Pleasures of Exile (1960) Journal of Colonialism & Colonial History”. Baltimore, vol. 10, no. 3, 2009.

One of the comments made by the reviewer of George Lamming’s work, V. S. Pritchett was: “We are in the heart of a coloured or half-coloured community, sharing its sudden, unreasonable passions… its naïve illusions about the world outside” (qtd. in Brown 681). I believe that as many ambitious novels, In The Castle of My Skin is challenging to read and touches compound...

Tipani comprises the selected poems of Ian George, Christine Hatcher, Harry Ivaiti, Jon Jonassen,
Kauraka Kauraka, Florence Syme, Makiuti Tongia, and Manu Tutapu. The volume tackles complex problematics of racism “Racial Discrimination”, sense of belonging “Coral Beach”and “Home”, morality “My Dad”, nostalgy “Shell” and “When I Leave”, love ”Mother”, self-disclosure “I Walk”. The compositions such as “Ngapoko Bertram” convey the strong connection to origin and ancestry which form inseparable component of identity. The authors do not restrain from raising difficult matters of the pressure in between Global North and South “Forgotten Shelves” and tackle the issues caused by both Internal “Drunen Moods” and external factors “Service on Mangaia”, “Kia Orana”. The collection of poems encourage to observe and confront, react and response. Tipani could be briefly described by Jim W. Corder’s words, who said “[r]hetoric is love, and it must speak a commodious language, creating a world full of space and time that will hold our diversities” (1985, 31). “Harmony Not Prejudice”, by Christine Hatcher, is one of the volume’s poems which might be quoted to represent its overall character and aim to navigate through inequalities and calling for change:

Stop!
blaming the colour
God happened to find on his palette
the morning of your birth.
Imagine the monotony
were we all the same

Look!
beyond mere pigment to
what people really are
instead of condemning
with prejudice and ignorance
making fear you master.

Find!
the antidote to this poison
which kills compassion
separates humans, cultures
nurturing only sad losses
denying the richness of knowledge.

Free!
your mind from debilitating
pollution. Yes! We are all
different, unique- but let’s select
only the best as gifts
for our children (7)

Corder, J. W. (1985). Argument as Emergence, Rhetoric as Love. Rhetoric Review, 4(1), 16-32.
Tongia, M., & Kauraka, K. (1991). Tipani: Poems of The Cook Islands. Tauranga Vananga.

Tipani comprises the selected poems of Ian George, Christine Hatcher, Harry Ivaiti, Jon Jonassen,
Kauraka Kauraka, Florence Syme, Makiuti Tongia, and Manu Tutapu. The volume tackles complex problematics of racism “Racial Discrimination”, sense of belonging “Coral Beach”and “Home”, morality “My Dad”, nostalgy “Shell” and “When I Leave”, love ”Mother”, self-disclosure “I...

In her preferred short length stories, Maxine Beneba Clarke introduces the characters from Australia, Jamaica, England, Sri Lanka, and Uganda. In her piercing responses to Tony Britten’s questions on the Foreign Soil collection, the author admits its nature is semi-autobiographical as some of her stories were inspired by political events and her personal experience:
Harlem Jones was inspired by the 2011 Tottenham riots in London. The Stilt Fishermen of Kathaluwa is set in an Australian detention centre. My first ‘career’ was in human rights law, and those themes and interests have carried over into my writing. (Britten, 2016, 26)
Through the story “Big Islan,” Maxine Beneba Clarke portrays the post colonial displacement problematics comparing Great Britain, the island of migration desire, to Jamaica. Clarise teaches her husband Nathaniel to read in order to broad their economic perspectives. As a result, Ruth McHugh-Dillon notices, “[e]ducation in the story proves its ambivalent, decolonising potential, as both submission to the coloniser’s system and new means to subvert it” (2018, 1).
The prevalent subject of migration is developed further in The Stilt Fishermen of Kathaluwa where the author tackles assimilation and silencing. In this setting, the story is crucial for refugee rights as it gives agency to immigrants from South Globe. Powerless and in despair, Asanaka steals the necessary tools from Loretta’s bag to sew his mouth. The metaphor serves to depict him back again, in the Australian officer’s eyes, to a fish, “caught, trapped, helpless and awaiting its inevitable fate” (Edwards & Hogarth, 2017, 8).
Maxine Beneba Clarke’s writing is important because it underlines the significance of equality, respect, and fundamental human rights and values in the era of the biggest migrations since the World War II. Her stories show the bold pain, anger, intercultural differences intertwined with assimilation and lack of asylum.

Britten, T. (2016). Interview with Maxine Beneba Clarke. Metaphor, 2, 25-27.
Edwards, N., & Hogarth, C. (2017). Fishermen and Little Fish: Migration and Hospitality in Maxine Beneba Clarke's 'The Stilt Fishermen of Kathaluwa.' Portal : Journal of Multidisciplinary International Studies, 13(2), 1-10.
McHugh-Dillon, R. (2018). Island Mentality: Mapping “de globality ov it all” between Jamaica, England, and Australia in Maxine Beneba Clarke’s “Big Islan.” Postcolonial Text, 13(4), 1-15.

In her preferred short length stories, Maxine Beneba Clarke introduces the characters from Australia, Jamaica, England, Sri Lanka, and Uganda. In her piercing responses to Tony Britten’s questions on the Foreign Soil collection, the author admits its nature is semi-autobiographical as some of her stories were inspired by political events and her personal experience:
Harlem...

Jane Harper, Australian author of the bestsellers such as The Dry (2016) is with no doubt one of the most recognized crime novelists. The landscapes in her stories illustrate the mysterious and inhospitable small towns full of secrets hidden away from outsider’s eye. In her interview for ANU TV, Jane Harper explained that “the core of The Survivors is this story set in a coastal sort of small town with this kind of rugged seascape,” she then continues:
Tasmania was a really natural fit for that. It was quite an easy choice because it takes all those boxes. It has a lot of those really small sort of tight-knit coastal communities that rely heavily on tourism nowadays and it has that kind of beautiful visual landscape.
She admitted that the primary inspiration of setting was inspired as well by the fact, that Tasmanian “(…) waters are home to more than 1000 sunken wrecks” (Jaye, 2020). Surrounded by his family and childhood friends, Kieran Elliott privately investigates the death of a young student whose body has been found on a beach. Jane Harper’s writing technique focuses on small details, interactions which seem to be almost insignificant, loose remarks, and outburst of anger. While these illustrious attempts allow The Survivors to portrait a gloomy reality of a Tasmanian village, the relationships between the characters are equally complex and thought through. After the spectacular success of her four novels, readers can be sure to expect next enchanting bestseller crime stories.

ANU TV. (2020, October 12). In Conversation with Jane Harper [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8es5ZGtjIc
Jaye. (2020, September 30). The Survivors: An Interview with Jane Harper. Mary Martin Bookshop. https://www.marymartinbooks.com.au/new-blog/author-interview-jane-harper

Jane Harper, Australian author of the bestsellers such as The Dry (2016) is with no doubt one of the most recognized crime novelists. The landscapes in her stories illustrate the mysterious and inhospitable small towns full of secrets hidden away from outsider’s eye. In her interview for ANU TV, Jane Harper explained that “the core of The Survivors is this story set in a...

‘The sky gifts,’ Molly says. She likes those words. ‘Just for me?’
‘Just for you, Molly. But you have to keep your eyes on the sky. You have to keep looking up.’ Violet points at the sky. (14)
The novel begins with the gravedigger’s daughter being abandoned by her mother who must leave. Molly Hook reminds herself to stay strong as the day and night sky protect her and become her guards sending not only comfort but precious offerings. As the story continues, the gravedigger’s daughter discovers what she instinctively sensed, her mother has passed away. Convinced that all the misery her family experiences is caused by the Longcoat Bob’s course, the small girl decides to change her destiny and ask the sorcerer to withdraw the hex. On her escapade she confront her pain, asks herself important questions, and learn beautiful lessons which cherish life, love, and courage. In the interview with Frances Whiting for The Daily Telegraph, Trent Dalton reveals that these are the people who are close to our hearts who become the true gifts from the sky (2020). The magical realism combined with events from World War II, Australian landscapes, and exuberant insight into child’s imagination create the unforgettable novel with many unique and sincere metaphors.

The Daily Telegraph. (2020, September 26). Frances Whiting Q&A with Her Friend and Author Trent Dalton. [Video]. https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/entertainment/books/trent-dalton-introduces-the-colourful-cast-of-all-our-shimmering-skies-and-reveals-their-personal-connection/news-story/81f55c5e4e0f35855a4b35b6c75467c1
Trent, D. (2020). All Our Shimmering Skies. Fourth Estate.

‘The sky gifts,’ Molly says. She likes those words. ‘Just for me?’
‘Just for you, Molly. But you have to keep your eyes on the sky. You have to keep looking up.’ Violet points at the sky. (14)
The novel begins with the gravedigger’s daughter being abandoned by her mother who must leave. Molly Hook reminds herself to stay strong as the day and night sky protect her and...

Wide Sargasso Sea self-consciously reflects upon writing, power, and knowledge. The symbolics and concepts presented in prose and novels are popular and can shape new tendencies and definitely did especially in 19c when written stories had a strong influence on the society. Jane Eyre’s representation of Jamaican mad wife, Bertha Mason, is highly connected to her country of origin as if it would explain her state of mind: “(…) ambiguous bestiality, her wild and violent nature dovetail with her ‘mixed’ Creole lineage and Jamaican birthplace” (McLeod, 2000, p. 152). Such representations might strengthen already existing stereotypes of “savage” people from distant faraway locations. In this context, writing is a powerful tool which represents certain side of the story and transmits personal believes. Wide Sargasso Sea as a prequel to Jane Eyre challenges some of the aspects reassigning the meanings and liaisons between the heroes, therefore stressing the power of writing. The other aspects which are rewritten, the power and knowledge are shown as well through the sexual relationships and gender inequality. On the other hand, periphery and the centre is hidden in nostalgic and sentimental vision of the nature which becomes mysterious, unknown, and almost personified: “Standing on the veranda I breathed the sweetness of the air. Cloves I could smell and cinnamon, roses and orange blossom. And an intoxicating freshness as if all this had never been breathed before.” (68). The concept of place is presented through the lens of the system which has nothing to do with either of them personally as they are just irrelevant and powerless in colonialism era where origin, race, country of birth dictate your lifestyle and condition your chance for success. Wide Sargasso Sea writes back and present the complexity of social injustices which lead the individual to his or her worst lengths. The infinite source of post colonial subjects, themes, interpretations, perspectives, and its originality challenge the way of reading and understanding the contexts as well as encourage to thinking critically.

McLeod, J. (2000). Beginning Postcolonialism. Manchester University Press.
Rhys, J. (2000). Wide Sargasso Sea. Penguin Books, ePub.

Wide Sargasso Sea self-consciously reflects upon writing, power, and knowledge. The symbolics and concepts presented in prose and novels are popular and can shape new tendencies and definitely did especially in 19c when written stories had a strong influence on the society. Jane Eyre’s representation of Jamaican mad wife, Bertha Mason, is highly connected to her country of...

Born in 1967 in Matautu Tai, Upolu, Sia Figiel has pursuit her later education in New Zealand and in the United States of America. Her artistic expression through writing and painting has been highly recognised and awarded what enabled her to become a full time author (Benson & Conolly). In her second publication The Girl in The Moon Circle (1996) published soon after her first volume, the main protagonist Samoana Pili, also known as “Ana”, age of ten, lives in the fictional village of Malaefou and tells the story of the aggression and sexual abuse from adults that they experience. Samoan society is characterised by the tendency of collective approach in ways of narrative expression which favourites groups over individuals (Henderson 323). Samoan teenagers are encouraged to communicate as a part of this community even though the violations experienced by young people are their personal tragedy they suffer from alone. Therefore, as noticed by Wendy E. Cowling (29) “men are not always particularly estimable, while women have to be strong, and strong-willed, or they would not survive emotionally.” Sia Figiel raises these complexities by Samoana, who thinks of love as of the concept strictly related to being a member of the group with responsibilities towards its members:
And I felt sad for her because she was not living. But rather existing. And a sad existence at that because I didn’t feel like she did anything with love. Alofa. The virtue that makes you forget about you and you think of others first. (12).
Through the collection of Samoana’s memories which refer to incest, domestic violence, rape, alcoholism, and abuse, we learn the power of strength between the sisters and the sentimental affection she has towards her father. We see how attached she is too her culture, represented by Faga, the grandmother. The experience of brutality and Tufa’s miscarriage teach her to become stronger and resilient.

Cowling, Wendy E. “Island Lives: The Writing of Sia Figiel (Samoa) and Celestine Hitiura Vaite (Tahiti).” Junctures: The Journal for Thematic Dialogue, vol. 6, no. 12, 2009, pp. 29-41.
Figiel, Sia. The Girl in The Moon Circle. Mana Publications, 1996.
Henderson, April K. “The I and The We: Individuality, Collectivity, and Samoan Artistic Responses to Cultural Change.” The Contemporary Pacific, vol. 28, no. 2, 2016, pp. 316-345.
Teaiwa, Teresia K. "Figiel, Sia (1967-).” Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English, edited by Eugene Benson, and L. W. Conolly, Routledge, 2nd edition, 2005.

Born in 1967 in Matautu Tai, Upolu, Sia Figiel has pursuit her later education in New Zealand and in the United States of America. Her artistic expression through writing and painting has been highly recognised and awarded what enabled her to become a full time author (Benson & Conolly). In her second publication The Girl in The Moon Circle (1996) published soon after her...

A Bird in The House is a collection of stories particularly relevant to study from the perspective of recent events in Canada due to the discovery of the 215 children mass grave. The post colonial reality is observed and narrated from the perspective of a young girl Vanessa. She comments on the events from her childish point of view however relates to them after all as an adult women reflexively coming back to the childhood of her memories.
One of the concepts highlighted in the stories is undoubtedly family values such as ”the McLeods do not tell lies” (48) which appear regularly and form a strong relationship between its members. The distinction between people to upright and downright is based on the belief that happiness comes from hard work. There is no doubt that the whole family is closely bonded and love each other dearly. Narrator, however, through child’s voice, sarcastically comments on clan’s mottos when Vanessa notices their pathos: “it did not seem to me that any of us were going to lead very interesting lives” (50). Vanessa describes her family with affection yet she remains objective and draws her own conclusions based on what she sees.
Each of the stories conveys a meaningful message in relation to family, friendship, war, and love simultaneously touching very difficult subjects such as racism and indifference. The white protagonists in the story would compare themselves to indigenous people with no understanding of genocide’s trauma. As they come from wealthy families, they most usually have a privileged position in comparison to less fortunate people. It seems that the only person who could try to put himself in Piquette’s position is Ewin. When Vanessa says: “Piquette might have been the only one, after all, who had heard the crying of the loons” (120), she realises the social inequalities which pushed a divorced and helpless Métis mother of two into addiction and poverty what results in tragic death. In this context, Margaret Laurence presents prejudice in forms of racism and how the settler’s mindset and ideology blurs the image of actual situation. Through the pompous slogans and dogmas, the community prevents themselves from feeling excessive emotions in their families but as well as avoids reflexions about people out of their circles.

Laurence, M. (1993). A Bird in The House. The University of Chicago Press.

A Bird in The House is a collection of stories particularly relevant to study from the perspective of recent events in Canada due to the discovery of the 215 children mass grave. The post colonial reality is observed and narrated from the perspective of a young girl Vanessa. She comments on the events from her childish point of view however relates to them after all as an...

The horrific Duvalier regime lasting from 1957-1986 had as its aim to break women’s spirit, deprive them from their ability to vote and basic human rights changing females to “enemies of the state” (Francis 78). This dark period degrading women as people allowed criminals and other assaulters to hurt innocent people. Edwidge Danticat’s novel analyses many aspects and forms of gendered violence on various platforms. The physical forms of violating woman’s body in the novel constitute rape and “testing” which has a lifelong consequences on ability to trust, love. Edwidge Danticat illustrates the tragedy of individual story in order to metaphorize the suffering of millions of women who during Duvalier’s regime were humiliated, raped or murdered. In Breath, Eyes, Memory, Sophie’s mother is most probably raped by one of the Tonton Macoutes. The traumatic experience forces her to leave her newborn child and move to New York. Her nightmares and anxiety keep her in constant pain and fear what finally leads to her mental instability.
Furthermore, the narrative intensively yet beautifully elaborates on the complexities of mother daughter relationships. The short story which belongs to one of the Sophie’s memory treasures is the one when her mother, while “testing”, tells her about two inseparable lovers Marassas, who would constantly admire and keep each other company. Martine says that their bound was so strong because they were so much alike and so much is the connection between a mother and daughter: “The love between a mother and daughter is deeper than the sea” (85). The lack of affection and demonstrations of unconditional love from her depressed mother makes Sophie at times aloof and lonely in society. She feels abnormal and abandoned, deprived of love and attention as she feels that she is “not allotted the same rights that are seemingly inherent to everyone else” (Hunt 129). Breath, Eyes, Memory is the novel which honours all mothers and sometimes difficult choices they had to make. The story accentuates the importance of empathy, memory, and love as stronger than violence, loneliness, and death. Edwidge Danticat, in her interview from 1994 for NJN Public Television says:
Part of it is my story but the greater part of it is the story of a lot of women who are in my family, women that I know from other places. I draw from a lot of different stories so it’s not; in some ways it is my story but… it is a greater story than my own. (2:39)
By quoting painful and dramatic stories in her novels, she represents oppressed women who everyday make attempts to live normal life and accept their past. I find Edwidge Danticat’s novel as one of the most uncompromising and honest narrations which are touching in an intense and emotionally challenging way.

Danticat, Edwidge. Amber Edwards’s interview with Edwidge Danticat for State of The Arts. YouTube, uploaded by NJN Public Television, 30 Jan. 2018, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeBghUVZ6Cg
Danticat, Edwidge. Breath, Eyes, Memory. Abacus, 2009.
Francis, Donette A. “Silences Too Horrific to Disturb: Writing Sexual Histories in Edwidge Danticat's Breath, Eyes, Memory." Research in African Literatures, vol. 35, no. 2, 2004, pp. 75-90.
Hunt, Michelle. “Women as Commodities in Danticat's Breath, Eyes, Memory and Morrison's The Bluest Eye.” Pennsylvania Literary Journal, vol. 8, no. 2, 2016, pp. 120-149.

The horrific Duvalier regime lasting from 1957-1986 had as its aim to break women’s spirit, deprive them from their ability to vote and basic human rights changing females to “enemies of the state” (Francis 78). This dark period degrading women as people allowed criminals and other assaulters to hurt innocent people. Edwidge Danticat’s novel analyses many aspects and forms...

Sia Figiel’s stories place women in a first place as the ones experiencing injustice and finding their ways to cope with pain and isolation individually. She illustrates the hardship of belonging, trauma, physical and emotional violation, and gender inequalities. The strength of the protagonists underlines the necessity of speaking out the truths and sharing stories from one’s own perspective listening to one’s own heart, feelings, and body. In her novels and collections of poems, through eyes of children and teenagers, this Samoan author elaborates on the “strict social taboos around the expression of female sexuality” (Ramsay 4), severe consequences of disobedience, constant perils of sexual harassment and physical threats, the necessity of vigilance, and resilience.
Where We Once Belonged, awarded with Commonwealth’s Writer Prize, constantly raises much debate among Samoan society by touching multiple important subjects such as violence and rape. The perspective of Alofa, which means “love”, at times relates to the glamourised concept of eroticised love common in western imaginary of South Pacific, in order to subsequently illustrate how uncompromisingly different is the actual reality (Benson & Conolly).
The composition of Sia Figiel’s novels attempts to unveil the feelings and emotional insight into prepubescent and teenage girls confronting sexual abuse in their environment and aloofness in adults’ world. Violence against children and women is a prevalent problem in Samoa where authors are on spotlight as they elevate their concern regarding subjects deemed by the society as private (Figiel qtd. in Cowling 34). Additionally, there is a popular belief that violence is acceptable to certain extent if does not bring any serious complications (Boodoosingh et al 39). Where We Once Belongs illustrates how aggression and double standards for women are the part of community’s everyday life. On the first pages of the book we learn that children are often the persons of interest for local predators: “Boys paid her money just to smell her panties, grown men paid her money, too, just to smell her panties and bra” (12).
Christian values and purity are always one first place as children are expected to be humble, quiet, and obedient. Any attempt to break the rules of moral purity are severely punished with physical brutality in order to protect the family’s honour and reputation. Girls are in constant fear of not only sexual assault itself but as well of the stigma and punishment that might come after. In a strongly structured and patriarchal community they stand a small chance of having the opportunity to tell their story and have the right to defend it.
Furthermore, Sia Figiel’s compositions accentuate the role of storytelling when dealing with post trauma. Sharing one’s story might bring a relief however sometimes her protagonists are not able to find out if speaking out the truths would release them from pain.

Boodoosingh, Ramona, et al. “Research Briefing: Violence against Women in Samoa.” Women’s Studies Journal, vol. 32, no. 1-2, 2018, pp. 33-56.
Cowling, Wendy E. “Island Lives: The Writing of Sia Figiel (Samoa) and Celestine Hitiura Vaite (Tahiti).” Junctures: The Journal for Thematic Dialogue, vol. 6, no. 12, 2009, pp. 29-41.
Figiel, Sia. Where We Once Belonged. Kaya Press, 1999.
Ramsay, Raylene. “Indigenous Women Writers in The Pacific: Déwé Gorodé, Sia Figiel, Patricia Grace: Writing Violence as Counter Violence and The Role of Local Context.” Postcolonial Text, vol. 7, no. 1, 2012, pp. 2-18.
Teaiwa, Teresia K. "Figiel, Sia (1967-).” Encyclopedia of Post-Colonial Literatures in English, edited by Eugene Benson, and L. W. Conolly, Routledge, 2nd edition, 2005. 

Sia Figiel’s stories place women in a first place as the ones experiencing injustice and finding their ways to cope with pain and isolation individually. She illustrates the hardship of belonging, trauma, physical and emotional violation, and gender inequalities. The strength of the protagonists underlines the necessity of speaking out the truths and sharing stories from...

“Miłość w czasach zarazy” bawi, wzrusza, skłania ku refleksji i przypomina o kruchości egzystencji, sile determinacji oraz nieubłagalnym przemijaniu czasu. Życie doktora Urbino oraz Florentino Arizy powiązane jest miłością do pięknej i wyniosłej Ferminy Dazy. Swoimi zabiegami o jej uczucie reprezentują dziewiętnastowieczne odzwierciedlenie odmiennych światopoglądów i filozofii uwarunkowanych romantyzmem lub postępem naukowym. Ich miłość jest ukazana na wszystkich etapach “w młodym i starczym wieku, platoniczna i erotyczna, prawowita i pozamałżeńska, efemeryczna i wieczna, dziecięca lecz wzniosła” (Moraña, 1990, 2). Podczas gdy mąż Ferminy Dazy jest zafascynowany nauką, Ariza nie może powstrzymać się od melancholijnych imaginacji o nieskończonej miłości i oddaniu. Obaj stoją nad przepaścią ryzyka, jakie niesie ze sobą uprzedmiotowienie innych ludzi oraz ich uczuć. Poddając się swojemu losowi w kategorii ideałów epoki, bohaterowie stają się ubezwłasnowolnieni (Booker, 1993, 189-191). Realizm magiczny obrazuje ich życie codzienne w groteskowy sposób odmalowując niezaprzeczalną prozę życia i jego nijakość. Gabriel García Márquez proponuje znacznie więcej, niż opowieść o miłości. Kształtując stopniowo rozwój wydarzeń angażuje oraz zachęca do krytyki i śledzenia zależności w posiadaniu, mocy sprawczej oraz władzy. Wpływy mody oraz polityki europejskiej są widoczne na każdym kroku we wkraczającej w nową epokę Kolumbii, kontroli i kłótni w małżeństwie, zarówno jak i w licznych relacjach seksualnych Florentina Arizy. Opowieść jest niezwykła również ze względu na opis starości oraz miłości, która kwitnie w tym wieku co często jest tematem pomijanym w popularnej literaturze pięknej. Pisarz był blisko związany ze starszymi członkami swojej rodziny i znał ich najlepiej a w trakcie pisania “Miłości w czasach zarazy” sam zbliżał się osiągnięcia wieku sześćdziesięciu lat (Martin, 2012, 94-95). Twórczość G. G. Márqueza to niezapomniana lektura przeplatająca humor z głębokimi przemyśleniami nad przemijalnością czasu i uczuć lecz również historyczne studium i krytyka fin de siècle.

Booker, M. K. (1993). The Dangers of Gullible Reading: Narrative as Seduction in García Márquez Love in The Time of Cholera. Studies in 20th Century Literature, 17(2), 181-195.
Martin, G. (2012). The Cambridge Introduction to Gabriel García Márquez. Cambridge University Press.
Moraña, M. (1990). Modernity and Marginality in Love in the Time of Cholera. Studies in 20th Century Literature, 14(1), 27-43.

“Miłość w czasach zarazy” bawi, wzrusza, skłania ku refleksji i przypomina o kruchości egzystencji, sile determinacji oraz nieubłagalnym przemijaniu czasu. Życie doktora Urbino oraz Florentino Arizy powiązane jest miłością do pięknej i wyniosłej Ferminy Dazy. Swoimi zabiegami o jej uczucie reprezentują dziewiętnastowieczne odzwierciedlenie odmiennych światopoglądów i...

Recent social movements and actions #stopasianhate underline the necessity of eliminating harmful race stereotypes. In her novel, A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, Jessie Tu unveils the superficial and derogatory character of international labels. By accompanying the main protagonist Jena Lin, the reader becomes familiar with the sexist remarks and predicaments young women confront on daily basis:
He carries on with the same racist, sexist rhetoric through the three entrees. He talks about women the way one might talk about nut milks. What’s the latest trend? Which one is lowest in fat content now? Cashew? Almond? Macadamia? Hazelnut? (95).
Remembering her early twenties, Jessie Tu says: “I was so desperate to be valued and seen by those people in power (white, straight men)” (2020, 28), which clearly defines the enormous pressure on young Asian women in western world. In the posh and blasé environment of A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, the characters seem to constantly redefine their identity and value adjusting it what is desired. Ambitions blur replacing the meaningful relationships within the family and friendship. In the interview, the author describes Jena Lin as “struggling to find herself in the world and feeling like she doesn’t know how to use her power as a young woman and sort of exercising her sexual capital” (West Words, 2020). Young woman explores the possibilities of exploration through sexual experiments, her attitude represents the millennial depression in face of unlimited opportunities and fulfilled aspirations in a young age.

Tu, J. (2020). A Lonely Girl Is a Dangerous Thing. Allen & Unwin.
Tu, J. (2020). Shelf Reflection: Jessie Tu. Kill Your Darlings, Jul-Dec, 26-29.
West Words. (2020, July 31). Writing Western Sydney: The Readings. Jessie Tu reads from A Lonely Girl is A Dangerous Thing [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0OQBPpvL8s&t=40s

Recent social movements and actions #stopasianhate underline the necessity of eliminating harmful race stereotypes. In her novel, A Lonely Girl is a Dangerous Thing, Jessie Tu unveils the superficial and derogatory character of international labels. By accompanying the main protagonist Jena Lin, the reader becomes familiar with the sexist remarks and predicaments young...

Lektura była zdecydowanie nietypowa, bardzo romantyczny, niewyraźny obraz wydarzeń przywodzi na myśl sen lub marzenie. Efekt nierzeczywistości oraz oscylowanie między porównaniami, wspomnieniami a zdarzeniami, pomimo całego swojego uroku sprawia, że bardzo ciężko nadąża się za akcją powieści. Nie spodziewam się zajrzeć w przyszłości do żadnej z innych twórczości tego autora. Czytanie tej steranej i nużącej książki zajęło mi prawie trzy miesiące.

Lektura była zdecydowanie nietypowa, bardzo romantyczny, niewyraźny obraz wydarzeń przywodzi na myśl sen lub marzenie. Efekt nierzeczywistości oraz oscylowanie między porównaniami, wspomnieniami a zdarzeniami, pomimo całego swojego uroku sprawia, że bardzo ciężko nadąża się za akcją powieści. Nie spodziewam się zajrzeć w przyszłości do żadnej z innych twórczości tego...

Bardzo trudna lektura, ponieważ angażująca i zachęcająca by brać sprawy w swoje ręce być odpowiedzialnym za swoje czyny. Nawiązanie do II wojny światowej, współczesnych bohaterów, wielkich mówców ale również problemów takich jak znęcanie, napaść seksualna, gwałt, agresja jest przykre i sprawia, że każdy przypomina sobie o podstawowych moralnych wartościach, o których czasem można zapomnieć w życiu codziennym z dala od cierpienia innych.

Bardzo trudna lektura, ponieważ angażująca i zachęcająca by brać sprawy w swoje ręce być odpowiedzialnym za swoje czyny. Nawiązanie do II wojny światowej, współczesnych bohaterów, wielkich mówców ale również problemów takich jak znęcanie, napaść seksualna, gwałt, agresja jest przykre i sprawia, że każdy przypomina sobie o podstawowych moralnych wartościach, o których czasem...

Histeryczna, nerwowa, przesadzona, nienaturalna, często nudna. W odróżnieniu od literatury popularnej, która skłania ku refleksji o wartościach ponadczasowych i podniosłych, T. Jansson porusza przyziemne i nieatrakcyjne tematy dotyczące złości, próżności, zazdrości, dumy, zgryzoty i depresji.
Co więcej, struktura każdego z opowiadań jest niemalże taka sama, wszystkie gromadzą
wyświechtane zwroty typu: nigdy nie umiała, od zawsze wiedziała, nie wiedząc czemu spojrzała a kończą się dziwacznymi konkluzjami, ktrorych znaczenie nie jest zbyt skomplikowane ale sama wartość estetyczna jest problematyczna. Wszystkie te zabiegi czynią doświadczenie przebrnięcia przez opowiadania płytkim i niepotrzebnie dramatycznym przeżyciem.

Histeryczna, nerwowa, przesadzona, nienaturalna, często nudna. W odróżnieniu od literatury popularnej, która skłania ku refleksji o wartościach ponadczasowych i podniosłych, T. Jansson porusza przyziemne i nieatrakcyjne tematy dotyczące złości, próżności, zazdrości, dumy, zgryzoty i depresji.
Co więcej, struktura każdego z opowiadań jest niemalże taka sama, wszystkie...