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The image of Mel Gibson and Hugh Jackman (as Wolverine) in the Mad Max and X-Men franchises represents traditional heroic action masculinity. This chapter explores the roles of female action heroes in defying patriarchy and subverting action film genre stereotypes in male-dominated franchises. In contrast to past characterisations of Max, Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) provides both a departure to the role of Max as the male saviour seeking vengeance, by focusing on Imperator Furiosa and offering space for a portrayal of femininity characterised by inclusivity and tolerance. In Logan (2017), the decay of Wolverine is central to the narrative. Rather than the portrayal of an immortal hypermasculine hero in the previous X-Men films (with emphasis on men in X-Men), a new female mutant Laura assumes his mantle. In this context, I consider the gender roles and depiction of women in these films, and how they may be read as offering a futuristic vision of utopia in dystopian narrative worlds.

In the distant future, the social and economic systems build by the patriarchy are crumbling, causing an environmental crisis and divisive society, where people who are different (mutants) are hunted down. Mad Max: Fury Road and Logan both offer an alternative depiction of women and girls, providing new perspectives to navigate an uncertain dystopian world through fierce female warriors Furiosa, and mutant girl Laura. Ultimately this chapter demonstrates that survival in the post-apocalyptic and dystopian worlds represented in Mad Max: Fury Road and Logan may be achieved via a subversive feminist solution/utopia to the crisis of masculinity.

Digital texts are increasingly widespread and research is needed on how students use digital texts, particularly in school-based classwork. The purpose of this study is to challenges persistent myths about young people’s affinity with digital tools by investigating the factors that condition or limit the ways students interact with and respond to digital web-based texts.

Two 12th grade English classes, 21 students in all, produced written responses to a digital text. Following a preliminary analysis of student writing, 7 students, representing diverse reading backgrounds, were interviewed. Content units were used as a unit of analysis for both interviews and written data. Following open coding, 14 initial codes were condensed into 3 categories, namely, routines, tools and beliefs.

This study suggests that for students to see digital textual resources as significant, they must be guided to engage with these features. Classroom routines, the tools used in teaching and learning reading and the beliefs students hold about their school-based reading can restrict student uptake of digital features of texts. Instruction must be adapted to include teaching on digital texts.

Students interact with digital texts daily, yet explicit teaching on reading digital texts presents particular demands. This study contributes to understanding the challenges faced by students and teachers when they grapple with texts in different forms.

THE ROLLING of bright metal sheet strip and foil requires that the highly finished rolls should be lubricated. Originally a drip feed was used, just sufficient to maintain an oil film, but as the output required from mills rolling at high speeds has increased there has been an almost universal adoption of flood cooling by means of a light mineral oil with additives. These additives are usually natural fatty substances like lanoline, vegetable or coconut oil or chemical additives in the form of complex higher alcohols. The additives are chosen largely according to the advice of oil suppliers and are usually compounded with the oil before purchase but occasionally may be blended to the preference of the mill manager as a result of his own experience. In many cases the exact mixture is regarded as a trade secret, a situation which may complicate the problems of filtration.

Mr N. McPherson, General Manager, has been appointed a Director of Aluminium Corporation Ltd, which is a subsidiary of the British Aluminium Company Limited, of Norfolk House, St. James's Square, S.W.I.