Panopticism‟ in Adibah Amin‟S Selected English Prose Writings

A STUDY OF „PANOPTICISM‟ IN ADIBAH AMIN‟S SELECTED ENGLISH PROSE WRITINGS BY FARAH AKMAR BT AHMAD ZAKI A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Human Sciences in English Literary Studies Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences International Islamic University Malaysia JULY 2017 ABSTRACT This thesis aims to illustrate Adibah Amin‟s critical observations and narrations of the influence of social conditioning and normalisation on people‟s thoughts and behaviourin both volumes of As I Was Passing (2007) as well as in Glimpses: Cameos of Malaysian Life (2008). This is achieved through three objectives: first, highlighting her representation of the procedures of panopticism, which include spatial distributions, coding of actions, accumulation of time and combination of forces; second, identifying her representation of the instruments of panopticism, which involve hierarchical observation, normalising judgement and examination; third, addressing the four panoptic characteristics fabricated out of the abovementioned procedures and instruments, namely cellular, organic, genetic and combinatory. To pursue these three objectives, the thesis employs Michel Foucault‟s formulation of „panopticism‟, a theory of social conditioning and normalisation by way of disciplinary techniques and mechanisms. While Adibah Amin‟s humorous style of writing is what frequently renders her English anecdotes interesting, this should not be the blanket description defining her works as it will eclipse her astute and critical observations of people‟s routines, tendencies, norms and idiosyncrasies. Adibah Amin has revealed in her selected narratives that people are prone to be both the object and the effect of conditioning and normalising procedures and instruments. It is hoped that this thesis will give Adibah Amin the recognition that she truly deserves and make people aware of the various serious issues that she deals with in her narratives, albeit with humour. ii ملخص البحث ABSTRACT IN ARABIC حٓذف ْزِ انذّساست إنى حٕضٍح يﻻحظاث أدٌبت أيٍٍ انُقذٌّت ٔسٔاٌاحٓا نخأثٍش انخكٍّف اﻻجخًاػ ًّ ٔانخطبٍغ ػهى أفكاس انُاط ٔسهٕكٓى فً كﻻ انًجهذٌٍ: ػُذيا كُج يا ًّسا ، ٔكزنك فً نًحاث َقٕش يٍ انحٍاة انًانٍضٌّت. ٔقذ ححقق رنك ِيٍ خﻻل ثﻻثت أْذاف: أٔﻻً، حسهٍظ انضٕء ػهى حًثٍهٓا ﻹجشاءاث )بإَبخٍسٍسى( انخً حشًم انخٕصؼٌاث انًكاٍَّت ٔحشيٍضْا، ٔحشاكى انٕقج، ٔانجًغ بٍٍ انقٕاث. ثاًٍَا؛ ححذٌذ حًثٍهٓا ﻷدٔاث )بإَبخٍسٍسى(، انخً حُطٕي ػهى انًشاقبت انٓشيٍّت نخطبٍغ انحكى ٔاﻻسخجٕاب. ثانثًا؛ يؼانجت خصائص )بإَبخٍك( اﻷسبؼت انًهفقت يٍ اﻹجشاءاث انًزكٕسة أػﻻِ ٔأدٔاحٓا، ححذٌذًا ًْ: انخهٌّٕت، ٔانؼضٌّٕت، ٔانجٍٍُّت، ٔانخجؼًٍّت. ٔححقٍقًا نٓزِ اﻷْذاف انثﻻثت، حسخخذو اﻷطشٔحت صٍاغت يٍشال فٕكٕ نـِ "بإَبخٍسٍسى"، ًْٔ َظشٌت نهخكٍف اﻻجخًاػ ًّ ٔانخطبٍغ يٍ خﻻل حقٍُاث ٔآنٍاث اَضباطٍّت. فً حٍٍ أ ٌْ أسهٕب أدٌبت أيٍٍ انفكاًْ فً انكخابت ْٕ يا ٌجؼم حكاٌاحٓا اﻹَجهٍضٌّت فً كثٍش يٍ اﻷحٍاٌ يثٍشة نﻻْخًاو، ْٔزا ﻻ ٌُبغً أ ٌْ ٌكٌٕ ٔصفًا شايﻻً ٌحذد أػًانٓا؛ فإ ٌَّ رنك سٕف ٌخفً يﻻحظاحٓا انحادّة ٔانُقذٌّت يٍ سٔحٍٍ انُاط، ٔاحجاْاحٓى، ٔيؼاٌٍشْى ٔخصٕصٍاحٓى. ٔقذ كشفج أدٌبت أيٍٍ فً سٔاٌاحٓا انًخخاسة أ ٌّ انُاط ػشضت ﻷ ٌْ ٌكَٕٕا كﻻ يٍ انًٕضٕع ٔأثش انخكٍٍف ٔحطبٍغ اﻹجشاءاث ٔأدٔاحٓا. َأيم فً أ ٌْ حًُح اﻷطشٔحت انحانٍت اػخشافًا ﻷدٌبت أيٍٍ ﻷَٓا حسخحقّ حقًّا، ٔأ ٌْ حجؼم انُاط ػهى بٍُّت يٍ يخخهف انقضاٌا انخطٍشة انخً حخؼايم يؼٓا أدٌبت أيٍٍ فً سٔاٌاحٓا، ٔإ ٌْ كاٌ يغ انفكاْت. iii APPROVAL PAGE I certify that I have supervised and read this study and that in my opinion; it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a dissertation for the degree of Master ofHuman Sciences in English Literary Studies. …………………………………….. Mohammad A. Quayum Supervisor I certify that I have read this study and that in my opinion it conforms to acceptable standards of scholarly presentation and is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a dissertation for the degree of Master ofHuman Sciences in English Literary Studies. …………………………………….. Siti Nuraishah Ahmad Examiner …………………………………….. Farizah Jaafar Examiner This dissertation was submitted to the Department of English Language and Literature and is accepted as a fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master ofHuman Sciences in English Literary Studies. …………………………………….. Mohd. Ridwan Abdul Wahid Head, Department of English Language and Literature This dissertation was submitted to the Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciencesand is accepted as a fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master ofHuman Sciences in English Literary Studies. …………………………………….. Rahmah Bt. Ahmad H. Osman Dean, Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences iv DECLARATION I hereby declare that this dissertation is the result of my own investigation, except where otherwise stated. I also declare that it has not been previously or concurrently submitted as a whole for any other degrees at IIUM or other institutions. Farah Akmar Bt Ahmad Zaki Signature…………………....………. Date …….………………. v COPYRIGHT INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY MALAYSIA DECLARATION OF COPYRIGHT AND AFFIRMATION OF FAIR USE OF UNPUBLISHED RESEARCH A STUDY OF ‘PANOPTICISM’ IN ADIBAH AMIN’S SELECTED ENGLISH PROSE WRITINGS I declare that the copyright holder of this dissertation are jointly owned by the student and IIUM. Copyright © 2017Farah Akmar Bt Ahmad Zakiand International Islamic University Malaysia. All rights reserved. No part of this unpublished research may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder except as provided below 1. Any material contained in or derived from this unpublished research may be used by others in their writing with due acknowledgement. 2. IIUM or its library will have the right to make and transmit copies (print or electronic) for institutional and academic purposes. 3. The IIUM library will have the right to make, store in a retrieved system and supply copies of this unpublished research if requested by other universities and research libraries. By signing this form, I acknowledge that I have read and understand the IIUM Intellectual Property Right and Commercialization policy. Affirmed by Farah Akmar Bt Ahmad Zaki ……..…………………….. ……………………….. Signature Date vi DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to my beloved parents vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my supervisor, Prof. Dr. Mohammad A. Quayum, for his willingness to accept me to be his supervisee. I am truly privileged to be under the tutelage of such a reputable scholar of literature. I am indeed grateful for his patience and understanding, and most importantly, for seeing and believing in my abilities and potentials. I feel honoured to have him guiding my thesis writing journey for he has definitely helped me become not just a better writer, thinker or student, but a better human being. I would also like to thank several experts who were involved in reading, proofreading and validating my thesis. I am thankful for their input and feedback, which have highlighted my strengths and flaws, thus improving my writing skills. Many thanks to IIUM staff members who helped me directly or indirectly throughout these years. Finally, I would like to thank my family members, especially my parents, who were tremendously supportive of my decision to re-do my thesis. Their understanding and patience were undeniably significant and impactful. Additionally, many thanks to Nadia and Aishah for continuously encouraging me to persevere and give my best. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ........................................................................................................................ ii Abstract in Arabic ........................................................................................................ iii Approval Page .............................................................................................................. iv Declaration ................................................................................................................... v Copyright ..................................................................................................................... vi Dedication .................................................................................................................... vii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... viii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1 1.1 Overview..................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background of the Study ............................................................................ 1 1.3Statement of the Problem............................................................................. 4 1.4 Significance of the Study ............................................................................ 7 1.5 Research Objectives.................................................................................... 8 1.6 Literature Review ....................................................................................... 9 1.6.1 Biography .......................................................................................... 9 1.6.2 Review .............................................................................................. 11 1.7 Theoretical Framework ..............................................................................

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