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153888

The Revival of Radio Drama: A Narratological Analysis of John Dryden’s Pandemic (2012) and Martin Millien’s COVID39 (2020)

Article

Last updated: 22 Jan 2023

Subjects

-

Tags

العلوم الإنسانية

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine Radio Drama as a rich art form with distinctive qualities that could address serious issues and have a far-reaching influence on listeners. The resurgence of Radio Drama can be attributed to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic; however, there are a plethora of outstanding plays that tackle significant subject matters and are worthy of study. The researcher attempts the following questions: Can Radio Drama be considered an art form per se? Can Radio Drama be as influential as stage drama? The researcher compares two radio dramas: John Dryden's Pandemic (2012) and Martin Millien's COVID39 (2020). The first play predicts the future and visualizes the stages that have led up to the outbreak of a deadly pandemic across the world, and the latter tackles the mental, psychological, and socio-political repercussions of COVID-19 after the lapse of 20 years. To provide a theoretical framework for the plays under study, the researcher employs the theory of narratology and draws upon the works of Elke Huwiler who was the first to apply the latter theory to Radio Drama. The researcher proves that both Dryden and Millien through their compelling radio dramas unravel the social and political problems in connection with the pandemic. Dryden, on the one hand, unveils the unscrupulousness and indifference of governmental officials which act as determinants of the pandemic outbreak. On the other hand, Millien unfolds the incessant discriminatory experiences of racism in the United States of America.

DOI

10.21608/jssa.2021.52774.1223

Keywords

Keywords: Pandemic, COVID-19, Radio Drama, Narratology, Acoustic signs

Authors

First Name

Hend Mohamed Samir

Last Name

KHALIL

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

THE BRITISH UNIVERSITY IN EGYPT

Email

hend.khalil@bue.edu.eg

City

Cairo

Orcid

0000-0002-1288-0928

Volume

22

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

22625

Issue Date

2021-01-01

Receive Date

2020-12-08

Publish Date

2021-01-01

Page Start

26

Page End

53

Print ISSN

2356-8321

Online ISSN

2356-833X

Link

https://jssa.journals.ekb.eg/article_153888.html

Detail API

https://jssa.journals.ekb.eg/service?article_code=153888

Order

3

Type

المقالة الأصلية

Type Code

653

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

مجلة البحث العلمي في الآداب

Publication Link

https://jssa.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

-

Details

Type

Article

Created At

22 Jan 2023