~Knowledge, Power, and Forbidden Truth When I first began researching the material culture behind The Name of the Rose, I focused mostly on how medieval books were physically made: parchment, vellum, inks, scriptoria, and libraries. But the deeper I went into Umberto Eco’s world, the more I realized something important. In the novel, books are…
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How Medieval Books Were Made: Libraries, Power, and Knowledge in The Name of the Rose
Medieval books and libraries When I started researching The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco, I became unexpectedly fascinated by the physical reality of medieval books. Modern readers, including myself, often treat books as ordinary objects. We buy them cheaply, stack them on shelves, underline passages, or abandon them halfway through without much thought….
The Hidden Power Structures Inside The Name of the Rose
~Mapping Power Structures inside The Name of the Rose When I first reread The Name of the Rose, I approached the medieval Church with a very modern assumption. I imagined a simple hierarchy: corrupt authorities at the top, obedient monks below, and a giant institutional machine driven mostly by money and power. But the deeper…
Life Inside a Medieval Abbey: Monks, Knowledge, Poverty, and Power in The Name of the Rose
Life inside a medieval Abbey, Monks, Knowledge, Poverty, and Power in The Name of the Rose When I started reading The Name of the Rose, I thought I was reading a medieval murder mystery. Instead, I ended up investigating life inside medieval abbeys and monasteries, theological conflicts, manuscript culture, inquisitors, poverty movements, and even medieval…
Did Christ Own Property? The Real Conflict Behind The Name of the Rose
One of the things that makes historical fiction so interesting is this strange tension:What is real, and what only feels real? When I started reading The Name of the Rose, I realized very quickly that I couldn’t just follow the mystery. There was something deeper happening beneath the surface, something historical, something theological, and maybe…
The Uncut Identity: A Sartrean Autopsy of Jay Gatsby
Blog Summary This essay explores Jay Gatsby’s tragic quest for identity through a Sartrean lens, framing his meticulously curated life as an “uncut book” that prioritizes potential over lived experience. By tracing his movement from the yellow stasis of self-deception to the red actualization of mortality, the analysis reveals how Gatsby’s “greatness” lies in his…
Arendt, Foucault, and the Liquidation of the Self in Orwell’s 1984
Blog Summary This analysis explores how Orwell’s 1984 functions as a “laboratory of the soul” by synthesizing Hannah Arendt’s theories of social isolation with Michel Foucault’s mechanics of disciplinary power. It argues that the Party succeeds not just through outward violence, but by systematically dismantling the individual’s inner dialogue and replacing it with a state-authored…
The Digital Panopticon: A Foucauldian Analysis of Dave Eggers’ The Circle
Blog Summary This essay explores Dave Eggers’ The Circle through a Foucauldian lens, illustrating how modern surveillance has evolved from Bentham’s physical Panopticon into a digital “benevolent” prison. By rebranding transparency as a moral and medical necessity, the platform transforms users into docile bodies who willingly participate in their own continuous monitoring and social normalization….
The Frozen Panopticon: Frankenstein, Foucault, and the Arctic Sublime
Blog Summary: This essay explores the Frankenstein Arctic Panopticon, where the frozen landscape functions as a naturalized architecture of total visibility and moral accountability. By applying Foucault’s theories of discipline and the “medical gaze,” it reveals how Victor’s irresponsible withdrawal from his creation transforms the creature into an omnipresent guard. Ultimately, the narrative serves as…
Animal Farm and Foucault: The Architecture of the Invisible Cage
Blog Summary In this cross-disciplinary deep dive, we peel back the layers of George Orwell’s Animal Farm using the philosophical lens of Michel Foucault. While the story is often read as a simple allegory of the Soviet Union, we explore how the pigs’ real power lies not in their whips, but in their control over…