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The self on the wane: understatement, making-faces and #nofilter selfies versus three autobiographical poems

Author Affiliations

  • 1Advanced Media Institute, Cyprus

Res. J. Language and Literature Sci., Volume 7, Issue (2), Pages 10-16, May,19 (2020)

Abstract

Three types of "non-flattering" selfies, contrary to the beautiful ones that most people are accustomed to posting, are considered in this paper: "understatement selfies" that employ a strategic presentation of oneself downplaying their abilities in anticipation of objections from followers, friends etc.; "making-faces selfies" that temporarily undermine one's image but from the safe side; and "#nofilter selfies" that expose non-flattering sides of oneself, reflecting the need to encompass reality instead of ever-beautiful constructed images. These are then compared in pairs with three autobiographical poems from Greece and Turkey, in the framework of comparative literature: Kostas Varnalis's "Minature writing" (with "understatement selfies"), Georgios Souris's "The sketch of me" (with "prank selfies") and NazimHikmet's "Autobiography" (with "#nofilter selfies"). The comparison confirms the equivalence of the pairs, notwithstanding the differences that exist. Additionally, the process leads to an awareness of the different levels of reality with which communication and literature are concerned.

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