Christopher Mansour
Christopher Michael Mansour currently lives in Barrie, Ontario and has diverse interests ranging from World Mythology to Modern North American literature. Chris holds both an Honours degree and a Master of Arts in English from York University in Toronto. He is a regular contributing writer at Suite101 and Orato.com. His article on Alistair Macleod's Island was recently listed on Australia's Inside Break, a public educational website created by the New South Wales libraries that, amongst other disciplines, fosters in students an appreciation for the role of literature as both art and social commentary. His article is listed on Inside Break's 2009-2012 English-Extension syllabus.
Of particular interest to him are the psychological and archetypal connections of the oral tradition. During his Masters degree, he presented a research paper that explored how Native Canadian storytellers were able to conceive an oral tradition relying on the same techniques of composition utilized by European oral epic poets such as Homer and the Beowulf composer. The Native storytellers were, remarkably, able to do this without any contact with European civilization until the late-Renaissance.
Christopher is known for his political letters to the editor that have appeared in local newspapers including The Barrie Examiner and The Orillia Packet. His first ebook, Human Physics, an anthology of short fiction, is now available at The Seashell Books. He is currently working on a forthcoming anthology of literary criticism to be published shortly.
Latest Articles
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The Haunted Mind as Psychodrama
The speaker's dream offers a terrifying insight into human nature while probing the origins of sin and its theological implications.
Nov 28, 2009
- Christopher Mansour
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Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Haunted Mind
With its bizarre juxtaposition of thoughts and ideas, surrealist art often evokes the mental conflict between conscious desire and subconscious yearning.
Nov 25, 2009
- Christopher Mansour
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Time and Space in The Haunted Mind
Like myth, literature often depicts dreams as the gateway to the spirit world. Trapped within a surreal world, the dreamer confronts a most unsettling revelation.
Nov 25, 2009
- Christopher Mansour
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Nathaniel Hawthorne's Roger Malvin's Burial
Nathaniel Hawthorne's tale juxtaposes the strikingly similar codes and expectations of a war-like, heroic society against the equally rigid moral demands of Christianity.
Nov 4, 2009
- Christopher Mansour
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Classism in My Kinsman, Major Molineux
Classism and social hierarchy are rarely discussed in criticism of Hawthorne. In the tale, an ugly reality of class discrimination simmers beneath revolutionary fervour.
Oct 1, 2009
- Christopher Mansour
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Nathaniel Hawthorne's My Kinsman Major Molineux
"My Kinsman, Major Molineux" examines the psychological dimensions of power and dictatorship upon colonized subjects. Published in 1831, it still offers stark insights.
Sep 28, 2009
- Christopher Mansour
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The Malevolent Witch
Popular beliefs of the Early Modern era solidify the witch's presence in history for centuries. Yet, despite her malevolence, some find an appeal that belies the horror.
Sep 9, 2009
- Christopher Mansour
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Conceptions of Witchcraft
The Church tolerates magic during the early Christian era (AD 1-1000). But in 906 a.d, it lays the foundation for a religious persecution lasting until 1800.
Sep 2, 2009
- Christopher Mansour
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The Witch in Literature
She is elusive and enigmatic. Both feared and loved, the witch embodies the human struggle to manipulate creation itself.
Sep 1, 2009
- Christopher Mansour
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The Birth of Greek Tragedy
The lofty themes of Greek tragedy, namely fate and destiny, man and gods, wrongdoing and consequence, originated in the myths.
Aug 8, 2009
- Christopher Mansour
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