In Greek mythology the beautiful Narcissus glimpsed his own reflection in the waters of a spring and fell in love. But his was an impossible passion and, filled with despair, he pined away. Over the years the myth has inspired painters, writers, and film directors, as well as philosophers and psychoanalysts. The tragic story of Narcissus, in love with himself, and of Echo, the nymph in love with him, lies at the heart of this collection of essays exploring the origins of the myth and some of its many cultural manifestations and meanings relating to the self and the self's relationship to the other. Through their discussion of the myth and its ramifications, the contributors to this volume broaden our understanding of one of the fundamental myths of Western culture.

Lieve Spaas is Research Professor of Arts and Culture, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Kingston University and has worked in social anthropology, French literature, and francophone film.

What kind of connotation does the word 'father' have in everyday language? How have states and governments defined and manipulated the paternal role? What is a 'father-figure'? What can literature tell us about absent or overbearing fathers? How far is the cultural construct of fatherhood linked to biological paternity, and what is biological paternity? These are some of the questions explored through the chapters in this book, which together offer a fascinatingly complex view of fatherhood across the centuries.

Robinson Crusoe explores Defoe's story, the legend it captured, the universal desire which underlies the myth and a range of modern re-writings which reveal a continued fascination with the problematic character of this narrative. Whether envisaged as an heroic rejection of the old world order, a piece of pre-colonialist propaganda or a tale raising archetypal problems of 'otherness' and 'inequality', the mythic value of Crusoe has become a pretext over many centuries for an examination of some of the fundamental problems of existence. This collection of essays examines, from a wide range of critical and philosophical perspectives, the cultural manifestations of Robinson Crusoe in different centuries, in different media, in different genres.

Robinson Crusoe explores Defoe's story, the legend it captured, the universal desire which underlies the myth and a range of modern re-writings which reveal a continued fascination with the problematic character of this narrative. Whether envisaged as an heroic rejection of the old world order, a piece of pre-colonialist propaganda or a tale raising archetypal problems of 'otherness' and 'inequality', the mythic value of Crusoe has become a pretext over many centuries for an examination of some of the fundamental problems of existence. This collection of essays examines, from a wide range of critical and philosophical perspectives, the cultural manifestations of Robinson Crusoe in different centuries, in different media, in different genres.

In Greek mythology the beautiful Narcissus glimpsed his own reflection in the waters of a spring and fell in love. But his was an impossible passion and, filled with despair, he pined away. Over the years the myth has inspired painters, writers, and film directors, as well as philosophers and psychoanalysts. The tragic story of Narcissus, in love with himself, and of Echo, the nymph in love with him, lies at the heart of this collection of essays exploring the origins of the myth and some of its many cultural manifestations and meanings relating to the self and the self's relationship to the other. Through their discussion of the myth and its ramifications, the contributors to this volume broaden our understanding of one of the fundamental myths of Western culture.

Introduces the reader to the rich film production of the French-speaking countries outside France, commonly called Francophonia, comprised of Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec, the Caribbean, the Maghreb and many sub-Saharan countries. Brings together films that might otherwise be divided by questions of race, gender, genre, period or national boundary. Individual countries, film-makers and films are treated separately in order to emphasise their specific identities or those which are represented in their films. Provides detailed analysis of key films within the historical context allowing for further comparative study of an unusually diverse corpus of films. -- .

Paternity and fatherhood: is there more than an etymological difference between these two apparently synonymous terms? What do we understand by "paternity" and "fatherhood?" These crucial questions lie at the heart of this collection of essays selected from the humanities and social sciences. As an anthropological document, this book offers compelling evidence to support the premise that there is a profound difference between the biological reality of paternity and the cultural construct of fatherhood. At the same time, the theories of Freud and Lacan provide a background for many of the author's critical explorations of a kaleidoscope of literary texts, legal documents, case histories, painting and letters. Through their discussion of the relations, attitudes, emotions and values generated by the paternity/fatherhood distinction, the essays in this collection broaden our understanding of how dichotomy has evolved in Western societies and offer insights into its manifestations in some post-colonial cultures.