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Issue: Issue No. 16: Winter 2025

This issue of the Dawson English Journal was published in May 2025.

Who Are You?: Identity and Poststructuralism in Catherine Lacey’s Biography of X, By Maura Tepperman

Who Are You?: Identity and Poststructuralism in Catherine Lacey’s Biography of X, By Maura Tepperman

ABOUT THE AUTHOR I am a graduating literature student, and I plan on studying acting next year. If I’m not tap dancing, playing piano or running, you’ll find me banging my head against a wall trying to find the perfect word to use in my essay or novel. Written in my class called The Novel, this essay is heavily inspired by my Literary Theory and Criticism course, which introduced me to the convoluted wonders of poststructuralism and beyond. –Maura Tepperman…

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Polarization of the Oppressed: A Marxist Critique of Identity Politics, by Noémie Bélisle-Gervais

Polarization of the Oppressed: A Marxist Critique of Identity Politics, by Noémie Bélisle-Gervais

ABOUT THE AUTHOR As a political science major, the Marxist idea of class struggle resonates strongly with my understanding of  systemic oppression. I was introduced to class struggle theory through the anti-capitalist and feminist nonfiction literature assigned in Felix Fuchs’ class, notably the Combahee River Collective Statement and the manifesto Feminism for the 99%. “Polarization of the Oppressed: A Marxist Critique of Identity Politics” is my first literary review on the relationship between class and identity politics from a Marxist…

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Shit Shows: Haunting and Abjection in Rhymes for Young Ghouls, by Gregory Chae

Shit Shows: Haunting and Abjection in Rhymes for Young Ghouls, by Gregory Chae

ABOUT THE AUTHOR I am an Arts and Culture student in my last semester of studies at Dawson. I had only a mild but sustained interest in the horror genre before taking Jay Shea’s Reading the Classic Horror Film. Ever since, horror theory irrevocably ‘haunts’ the lenses through which I read any media, and even the ways I have come to contextualize my queer and social identities. I believe there is an incredible emotional intelligence and philosophy behind understanding the…

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Misogyny, Abuse, and Culture in Biography of X, By Melissa Jabrayan

Misogyny, Abuse, and Culture in Biography of X, By Melissa Jabrayan

ABOUT THE AUTHOR I am an 18-year-old Armenian-Canadian English Literature student who’s currently enrolled in my last semester at Dawson. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with her two older sisters, watching the Montreal Canadiens play, and reading character-driven novels. In my essays, I attempt to fuse together my interest in political and social issues and my literary analysis. I plan to continue to study literature in university, and hope to become a professor one day. –Melissa Jabrayan…

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Feigned Madness, The Mousetrap, and Ophelia’s Role in Hamlet: Shakespeare’s Vision of Life as a Stage, By Maya Kaci

Feigned Madness, The Mousetrap, and Ophelia’s Role in Hamlet: Shakespeare’s Vision of Life as a Stage, By Maya Kaci

ABOUT THE AUTHOR I am a Dawson Pure and Applied Science student in my second session, and I recently arrived in Canada from Algeria. While my academic pursuits revolve around STEM, I have always nurtured a deep passion for literature and the artful play of language. My Amazigh heritage gives language a deeper meaning not just as a means of communication but as a connection to history and identity. The Amazigh language, with its rich oral tradition and unique script,…

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