The Comprehension of the American Dream in “Death of a Salesman”

Introduction The phenomenon of the American Dream appears vague and indeterminate in the American literature. In a broad sense, this term indicates both material and spiritual values of the American citizens. It is a complex of various ideals, inherent for the Americans since their childhood. The American Dream is a...

The True Meaning of “Dulce et Decorum Est”

Dulce et Decorum Est is a poem written by Wilfred Owen in 1917 and then published in 1921 after the author’s death (Muttaleb and Hamadneh 3). Its title is the reference to Horace’s words, who once said, “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.” In his poem,...

Laura: Illusion and Reality in the Play “The Glass Menagerie”

Tennessee Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie portrays a world of illusion to the reader as an escape from the difficulties of reality. Amanda, Laura, and Tom suffer from alienation and the inability to find their place in society, which forces them to focus on their own inner world. Despite being...

Analysis of “The Handmaid’s Tale”

The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel in a dystopian style written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood and was published in 1985. The set is based on the near-future state called Gilead, which has dethroned the United States government. The new state is strongly patriarchal, where the main character, a woman...

Independent Child Hero in Coraline Novel by Gaiman

Introduction The book Coraline mainly focuses on courage among children, as depicted by Neil Gaiman. Neil Gaiman’s children’s novel, Coraline, is about a tale of a child and mother, belonging, and the variances between reality and fantasy. After Coraline moved into a new apartment located in a remote area, she...

Delia’s Tenacity in the Short Story “Sweat” by Hurston

“The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him ” (Matthew Henry’s Commentary: Verses 21–25)....

Jack Turner, the Song of the White Pelican

Identity encompasses the unique signature that differentiates different works of literature. Essentially, this identity can be utilized to differentiate different works originating from different authors. Jack Turner is an author that has created an identity for himself, by not only writing interactive works on wildlife but also incorporating various figures...

Character Analysis Papi Behavioral Traits

Introduction Autobiographical works often cause public resonance and critics’ interest due to the personal nature of such stories and unique plots that took place in authors’ lives. Junot Díaz can be cited as an example of a writer whose books are largely imbued with the narration of personal experiences. His...

Man-Nature Resistance in Faulkner’s “The Bear” and Frost’s “Mending Wall”

Introduction In literature, the theme of man-nature relationships is common and delivered in a variety of ways. In the majority of cases, people see nature as a protagonist because, despite multiple intentions, it is hard for a person to gain control over natural processes and changes. It is also important...

The Importance of Literature in Society

The emergence of books once revolutionized the teaching process, allowing people to transfer knowledge indirectly, making it more accessible. People can develop new skills independently of others or learn more about the world by merely reading the material on a topic. Written history invites a reader to imagine life before...

The Role of the Goldfish in “The Secret Goldfish” by David Means

Introduction The authors of short stories have to work hard and use their best writing skills to present interesting ideas within a limited amount of words. It is not enough to choose several characters and raise a topic that appeals to the reader. In the majority of cases, the success...

What Do Hamlet and Oedipus Have in Common?

Hamlet by Shakespeare has similar elements in its plot and main characters with Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. This essay aims to show the common features of Oedipus and Hamlet, the main characters of eponymous plays. Both texts are tragedies; this genre largely defines the main characters of respective works and...

The Story “Everything Is Far from Here” by Christina Henriquez

Separating the mother from her son is one of the most powerful techniques that Henriquez uses to demonstrate the horror of American immigration policy. The confusion and fear of the woman captured by guards are presented vividly and acutely, and the very topic of separation hurts the reader’s consciousness significantly....

Jane Austen and Her Accomplishments

Jane Austen was born on 16th December 1775 and died on 18th July 1817 at the age of 41. She is considered to be among the world’s greatest novelists and she is mainly known for her six major novels which portray the British manners, customs, and beliefs of landowners near...

“The Coming” by Daniel Black

Introduction Little attention has been devoted to the captured Africans’ experiences during the Middle Passage when they were shipped across the Atlantic to be sold into slavery. More importantly, few texts have attempted to capture the African spirit of resistance during the long journey from the shores of West Africa...

Women in Senegal in Bâ’s “So Long a Letter” Novel

Representing a strictly patriarchal society, where the rights of women are heavily infringed upon, postcolonial Senegal is one of the places where women suffer particularly harsh injustices. In her semi-autobiographical novel, “So Long a Letter,” Mariama Bâ depicts the struggles of Senegal women in a disturbingly vivid and realistic manner,...

Viewpoint and Narration in Lusus Naturae by Atwood

The concept of the point of view in the narrative is useful in evaluating and critiquing stories. Each author selects it depending on different factors. This essay seeks to use the point of view to evaluate the story Lusus Naturae by Margaret Atwood, a tale of an outcast with whom...

The Poem “Loose Woman” by Sandra Cisneros

“Loose Woman” poem by Sandra Cisneros is the last poem in the collection that presents her vision of herself and women in general. In this poem, it is possible to recognize a woman who speaks about how others perceive her, calling her a beast, bitch, and macha. The main character...

Racial Tensions in “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison

Introduction “Recitatif” is a short story written by Tony Morrisson, which depicts the experience of Twyla and Roberta. The story uncovers many themes, including child neglect and racial tensions of the era. The plot development allows seeing the relationship between two childhood friends and the different life experiences and views...

Byron, Keats, and Shelley: The Era of Romanticism

The poetry of the Romanticism era shares quite a few characteristics defined by the time in which it was produced, yet each author also left their own unique imprint on the poems created at the time. Three of the most prolific Romantic poets of the time, namely, Byron, Keats, and...

“A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner and “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by O’Connor

Introduction Moral corruption is one of the central themes of Southern Gothic. This literary genre frequently features characters that are not merely flawed but thoroughly debased to the point of being grotesque. In their pursuit of intensely personal obsessions and vices, they persistently violate both social norms and conventional human...

Magical Realism in “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” is a brilliantly written short story that leaves the reader with questions about society, acceptance, and sacrifice. The way the author has delivered the content normalizes its fictional side and makes it uncertain whether presented events have occurred. This essay...

“Sitt Marie Rose” by Etel Adnan

The majority of people view other cultures from the perspective of their own one, which can partially be referred to as ethnocentrism. When it comes to such cultures as the Lebanese one, ethnocentrism is peculiar to almost all the people who regard modern society as equal and non-discriminatory. Sitt Marie...

‘Girl Powdering Her Neck’, Poem by Cathy Song and Painting by Kitagawa Utamaro

Introduction Every poem expresses a certain idea presented by the poet. It could be a personal thought or a story. Sometimes a poem describes a certain scene with certain events. In this case, the poet draws an image. Many poems have paintings to describe their events. The painting helps the...

“Joseph Andrews” by Henry Fielding

“Joseph Andrews” was the first published novel of the English writer Henry Fielding, as well as one of the first novels in the English language. The book was published in 1742 and defined by its author as a ‘comic romance’. It presents the adventures of Joseph Andrews and his friend...

The Role of Women in A Doll’s House

The play A Doll’s House was written in 1879 by Henrik Ibsen, a Norwegian writer born in 1828. It spread to the rest of Europe during the revolution period and sparked off a controversy because of his portrayal of women through the character Nora. The thesis of this essay is...

“Midaq Alley” Novel by Naguib Mahfouz

Introduction The novel “Midaq Alley” by Naguib Mahfouz is a novel with many characters that live in a poor neighborhood called Midaq Alley during the Second World War. Among the protagonists are Umm Hamida, a marriage broker and bath attendant, her daughter, who was pimped by Ibraham Faraj; Hussain Kirsha,...

The Work of William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare is believed to have been born on 23rd April 1564 in Stratford near London. Though little is known about the life of this great actor and renowned writer, his parents John Shakespeare and Mary Arden are assumed to have taken him to a grammar school where he read...

English Literature. Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”

Introduction Jonathan Swift was popularly known as a satirical writer during his era. Aside from being a poet, essayist, and a political pamphleteer, he became the dean of Saint Patrick’s in Dublin. Swift was born on the 30th of November, 1667 and died on the year 1745. Most of his...

Anne Sexton’s “Cinderella” Analysis

Introduction Many people take pleasure from reading fairy tales, whose endings are normally happy and which depict the triumph of “the good” over “the evil”. Anne Sexton is among the writers, who have a non-traditional vision of fairy-tales, as she creates her own interpretations of fantasy narratives. As Sexton is...

Sexual Violence in The Handmaid’s Tale by Atwood

Introduction The Handmaid’s Tale narrates about the events in the Republic of Gilead, a State, which was proclaimed on the territory of the contemporary USA after nuclear, biological, and chemical pollution, which made the most citizens infertile, and after the terrorists killed the president and all the members of Congress....

Settings in “Richard III” Play by Shakespeare

Introduction Literature is a priceless heritage of humanity that provides people with an opportunity to understand people’s nature, their motifs, ideas, fears, and beliefs. Being an effective way to convey messages, novels, stories, or poems contributed to the increased attention to the events in history that were significant for the...

Future in American Science Fiction Short Stories

More than any modern genre of fiction, science fiction is predominantly written with a social purpose. Such a goal is rarely to explicitly to predict the future, especially since in many cases the predictive features of science fiction are at best mediocre. While in hindsight, it is easy to select...

Women in Barn Burning by William Faulkner

At first glance, Faulkner’s artistic world appears to be emphatically masculine. It is filled with sullen, stern male characters doing rough and hard work, but at the same time, there is a certain place for female characters in his prose. “Barn Burning,” Faulkner’s short story of a mendicant American family...

“Because My Father Said” Short Story’s Analysis

The story “Because My Father Said He Was the Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ at Woodstock” opens with Victor, the story narrator, recalling his father’s past life, how he was thrown to prison for assaulting a Private member of National Guards during a peaceful demonstration....

War Theme in O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”

The short story The Things they Carried portrays war and its impact on young soldiers, their life dreams and expectations, hardship, and fears. This short story can be seen as a reflection of the events which took place during the Vietnam War. O’Brien gives an insightful analysis of the deep...

Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery: Imagery, Foreshadowing, & Symbolism

Introduction Shirley Jackson possesses a well-known reputation for dark fiction writing. She specializes in imparting fear by mixing the rational with the irrational and the unfamiliar with the familiar. Some of her famous works include “Just an Ordinary Day” and “The Haunting of Hill House.” Her masterpiece, however, remains the...

A Good Man is Hard to Find & The Story of an Hour: Compare & Contrast Essay

Introduction A human being is a very complicated structure with a set of different qualities. A single quality does not represent whether a human being is good or bad. However, this quality can give a push to make a negative or positive opinion. Though what is good for one person...

“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Introduction The Great Gatsby is a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which was first published in 1925. The work is a recognized classic of American literature with the characteristic idea of that era – a dream that transforms into a tragedy eventually. Detailed characters and the irony of human relationships...

Interpretation of Symbols in “Young Goodman Brown” a Story by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Introduction “Young Goodman Brown” is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne depicting the eternal battle between good and evil. It is a tale of a young man walking through a gloomy forest with an elderly companion to perform a wicked deed. Throughout the journey, the main character, Goodman Brown, doubts...

“The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry” by Bloom

Introduction The book The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry presents a detailed model for understanding poets’ artistic styles and their precursors. Since its publication in 1973, it has remained a source of argument or debate among literature students and educators. This short essay gives a personal reflection of...

Pride and Social Struggle in Maupassant’s “The Necklace”

Introduction Guy de Maupassant is one of the most prominent writers who enriched French literature with a plethora of brilliant short stories. One of his most famous short stories is built around the main character’s distorted self-identity. This essay will provide a brief summary of The Necklace that will cover...

The Story of Wildflower

Introduction All that travelers knew, was that the Emerald Forest was about 350 kilometers north of Prague. Pilgrims from all across the world, who were lucky enough to hear of that magical place made sure to invest all their efforts and pay that forest a visit. Many folks would hear...

Essay Modes in “Nutcracker.com” by David Sedaris

An interesting way of looking at the quite radical alterations that information technologies in general and computer usage, in particular, have brought into people’s lives, Nutcracker.com by David Sedaris features nearly every essay mode that there is. Despite keeping their storytelling style consistent and their narration even, the author manages...

Anne Bradstreet’s Poem “Contemplations”

In the literary scholarship, Anne Bradstreet’s poetry is usually discussed as Puritan and feminist. Therefore, Bradstreet’s poems should be considered as unique representations of the revolutionary female vision that combines the discussion of religious ideas and the discussion of a woman’s place in the world. “Contemplations” is the most vivid...

Anne Bradstreet’s Contemplations

In literary scholarship, Anne Bradstreet’s poetry is usually discussed from two perspectives: the Puritan views in her poems and the feminist views, as it is represented in the author’s works. Thus, the uniqueness of scholars’ discussions is in their suggestions that Bradstreet can be viewed as both a Puritan and...

Chinese Intellectuals’ Moral Dilemma in Dafu’s “Sinking”

Introduction Sinking is a chef-d’oeuvre piece of classic literature written by Yu Dafu. The story revolves around an alienated and depressed nameless protagonist whose life is sinking and he cannot seem to rescue himself. However, the author’s subtle message addresses a crisis that many Chinese intellectuals have continued to face...

War in “Maus” by Spiegelman and “Persepolis” by Satrapi

War is a term that has been used for a very long time. People have been fighting for centuries over land, resources, religion, and political expansions. It is almost a necessary evil that human beings continue to create despite their negative outcomes. Some of the infamous wars include the First...

The Battle of the Sexes in the Miller’s Tale

Introduction The Miller’s Tale is a humorous story about an old rich carpenter, his wife and two clerks. The latter two keeps seducing the carpenter’s wife in order to get her to bed. Among the various themes in this story is cuckoldry. The term cuckoldry refers to a man whose...

Slavery in the Novel “Satyricon” by Gaius Petronius

In the ancient Rome, slavery was common, and it was highly significant for the growth of the Roman society and its economy. Apart from participating in manual labor, slaves were also tasked with several other domestic services, with others engaging in skilled professions. However, slaves from Greek were highly educated....

Analyzing Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”: Themes and Interpretations

Everyday use is an allegorical story that intertwines the African heritage and the modern world practices. Written by Alice Walker the story focuses on the lives of the African Americans who struggle to keep the African legacy amid a world engrossed with diverse cultures. Therefore, the narrator struggles to reveal...

“Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism” a Book by Bell Hooks

Introduction Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism is a book that was written in 1982 by Bell Hooks and was titled after the Sojourners Truth’s speech, Ain’t I a Woman. The writer is a feminist theorist, a cultural critic as well as a writer. Her work is a...

Richard Wright’ and Langston Hughes Literature Comparison

Richard Wright and Langston Hughes are the writers that were very concerned about the racial issues in the society of the United States of America. Both of the authors use their talents to address the problem of racial differences and the outcomes they cause. Hughes and Wright emphasize the equality...

“Ode to a Day in the Country” and “The Day My Mother Died” Comparison

Poetry is an effective form of communication. Literature students read and compare poems from different eras in order to understand their similarities and differences. This contributes to the knowledge of an array of issues that exist in societies such as culture, religion, and media. This paper outlines comparative literature of...

Octavia Butler’s Kindred: Essay Example

Kindred Essay: Introduction “Kindred” is a novel written by Octavia Butler, American writer who created an extraordinary combination of science fiction events and the issue of slavery. The book was published in 1979 and became popular in no time because it discusses the problems that are on the front burner...

William Shakespearean Comedy “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (henceforth referred to as MND) is one of the most popular Shakespearean comedies, most frequently performed on stage. The play has undergone numerous changes since 1595 when William Shakespeare penned it. The play has been performed on stage as a musical, or ballet, and off course...

Literature: “On being brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley

Introduction The poem “On being brought from Africa to America” by Wheatley elicits mixed reactions from readers. Wheatley was a slave Negro girl. She lived between 1753 and 1784. She spent her childhood years with a wealthy Boston family. However, unlike other slaves, her masters taught her how to read...

Brian Turner’s What Every Soldier Should Know Poem Analysis

Introduction What Every Soldier Should Know is a short poem in which Brian Turner explores the problems between soldiers of different cultures and worldviews. He reveals how people’s lives change throughout the war and what consequences can await any soldier or civilian. War invariably ruins many people’s lives, and when...

Home, Belonging and Displacement in “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison

Introduction In Toni Morrison’s novel “The Bluest Eye,” the concept of home is explored and depicted in various ways, revealing the complexities and challenges of finding a sense of belonging in a racially divided society. Set in the 1940s in Ohio, the story develops around a young African American girl,...

The Cultural Significance of Mark Twain’s The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

Introduction Mark Twain’s The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is a classic example of American literature. Written in 1865, it is a humorous tale based on a real-life event in a small town in California. The Local Color Realism Perspective From the perspective of regional/local color realism, this work...

Race and Class in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Larsen’s Passing

Introduction This essay aims to compare two novels that are significant to American culture: Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Nella Larsen’s Passing. In many ways, these novels share a similar story and a common range of social issues. First, these novels describe the events during the so-called “Roaring Twenties”. It...

Literary Devices in “Lord of the Flies” by Golding: Symbolism and Allegory

Introduction Literary devices allow readers to interpret a piece of writing on multiple levels leading to an immersive and engaging experience. These devices can be seen in a wide range of literary works, including novels, poems, plays, and short stories, and their use helps to make these works enduring and...

The Play “The Tempest” by William Shakespeare

I intend to focus on the master-slave relationship in the history of drama and colonialism in The Tempest. The reason for selecting this area is that it is extensive and explanatory because, unlike other genres, it was written to be understood and appreciated without the opportunity to re-read it. My...

Themes in Pale Horse, Pale Rider by Porter

Introduction Pale Horse, Pale Rider is a semi-autobiographical novella by Katherine Anne Porter that chronicles the story of a young woman, Miranda, who survives the 1918 influenza epidemic and World War I. Miranda is a newspaper columnist suffering from a sense of impending doom and the inability to connect with...

The Plague by Albert Camus: Novel Analysis

Albert Camus is a classic of French literature, his works are recognized as the finest examples of the genre. Camus considered himself an existentialist, like Franz Kafka, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Thomas Stearns Eliot. Still, Camus’s prose differs due to his great optimism, and the lack of a tendency to...

“On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Wheatley

Introduction Phillis Wheatley was the first female African-American writer who was published. When transported from West Africa to America, she was sold into slavery. Later the family that purchased Wheatley assisted her; the woman learned to read and write and mastered several languages. Wheatley’s poems frequently investigate her Christian values,...

What Is Shakespeare’s Definition of Love: Sonnet 116

Introduction In Sonnet 116, William Shakespeare attempts to define love, in his eyes appearing, as an unwavering union between two people. Similarly, in his other sonnets, the poet addresses the question of love with utmost romanticism and passion. Shakespeare uses metaphors and other literary devices to convey his ideas to...

“The Monkey’s Paw” by William W. Jacobs

One of the most powerful and captivating characteristics of short stories is the author’s possibility to cover significant themes and lessons in several pages. William W. Jacobs wrote his “The Monkey’s Paw” about one family’s day and night at the beginning of the 20th century. Today, as several decades ago,...

Othello by William Shakespeare: A Sympathetic Character

Every work that was penned by William Shakespeare – one of the greatest writers of all time – is unique in its own way: they all have their own specific culture, atmosphere, and, of course, characters. For instance, Othello – a tragedy supposedly written in 1603 – is considered to...

Characters of Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson”

The story chosen for analysis is the work of Toni Cade Bambara “The Lesson”. The author’s main argument is that the black population has the highest level of child poverty among all racial groups in the United States. Toni Bambara conveys her point of view through the story of Sylvia...

Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” With the Consideration of His Personal Experiences

Introduction Returning to the completed writing and considering its primary characteristics is necessary for creating a comprehensive understanding of the work. My chosen novel, The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, is an intriguing piece that regards the subjects of surreality, human alienation, and betrayal within the story of Gregor Samsa. The...

Love Affairs in The English Patient by Ondaatje

The English Patient is based on the love story between the mysterious English patient who later turned out to be Hungarian Desert Adventurer László, and Clifton’s wife, Katharine Clifton in the years before the Second World War. Burnt badly after an amnesia-stricken aviation accident, Almásy is taken to a fortuitous...

Shirley Jackson’s ‘The Lottery’ Critical Analysis

Introduction The Lottery is a widely known short story written by Shirley Jackson. The narrative revolves around an ancient tradition of randomly choosing a member of the village and stoning them. The story provides provocative insights into the themes of conformity and social wrong. The current paper attempts to critically...

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou

Introduction Contemporary American literature is largely dominated by white male authors. These authors are limited in their empathy and imagination by their own experiences and inherent privilege that comes with being on the top of the social hierarchy. Therefore, they were unable to authentically portray the lives, thoughts, and experiences...

“The Kite Runner” a Novel by Khaled Hosseini

Definition of friendship from the novel Friendship is the mutual attachment and mutual affection that people who are friends share. In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, readers can see different levels of friendship. For example, friendships between Baba and his sons, Baba and Khan, Hassan and Amir,...

“The Hero’s Journey” Essay by Jessica Klein

Introduction Motherhood is the socio-psychological and biological state of a mother’s woman, arising under the influence of her physical and social relations with the child. This definition describes motherhood in scientific terms, whereas each woman can depict it differently, relying on their experience (Emecheta 3). From isolation to bustle, from...

The “Angels and Demons” Novel by Dan Brown

Angels and Demons is a perfect narrative for those readers who love fast-paced storylines and drama. Imperatively, this is a fantastic thriller by Dan Brown, the same author who wrote Da Vinci Code. The story has a protagonist, Robert Langdon, who is an iconology professor. In addition, the narrative is...

Olympic and Funeral Games in “The Iliad” by Homer

Homer’s Iliad is a full-scale artistic discovery made in the cradle of world culture — Ancient Greece. This is one of the first epic poems in the history of mankind. In the analyzed chapter, the topic of funerals and the Olympic Games in honor of the burial of an ancient...

Okonkwo’s Character Analysis in “Things Fall Apart”

In his work Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe chronicles the tale of Okonkwo, a strong and respected member of the Igbo society in Nigeria. Achebe uses language and style to develop him into a complex and multi-faceted character. He is presented as someone who is both strong and fragile, self-assured...

Reasons Why Shakespeare Still Matters

Shakespeare is a great playwright who created unfading and ageless works that have fascinated readers worldwide throughout the centuries. The secret of Shakespeare’s fame lies in the fact that, in his works, he raised such issues as love and hate, loyalty and betrayal, and truth and lies that are still...

Perez’ What Home Is Poem vs. Walk’s The Flowers Story

When poetry and prose are compared, it is sometimes difficult to find common ground in tone, theme, and syntax. However, for Ashley Hope Perez’s “What Home Is” and Alice Walk’s “The Flowers,” which are a poem and short story, respectively, the connection can be built in terms of these three...

The Story “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens

Introduction The spirit of Christmas is the story’s central theme, which gives us an insight into Victorian England. Ebenezer Scrooge, a narrow-minded, selfish man who loathes Christmas was hard on the people who worked for him. Christmas ghosts visit him, allowing him to glance at himself as a man who...

“History and Topography of Ireland” Book by Gerald of Wales

Introduction The Norman vision of the Irish has primarily shaped the attitude of the English toward them. This is evidenced, in particular, by the manuscripts of Gerald of Wales, a clergyman whose ancestors were both Normans and Welsh. Gerald was descended from the Norman Lord Marcher, who was actively involved...

Importance of Female Characters in Hamlet

Introduction Gender relationships are always complex and associated with concepts like power, responsibility, and concession. William Shakespeare is one of the authors whose works are intended to change the audience’s opinions on common events and expected feelings. His Hamlet is not just a story of a man who loses his...

“Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway

Introduction Ernest Hemingway was a master of short, expressive prose. Moreover, he considered his “best prose” to be the story of a man who never gives up – “Old Man and the Sea.” The harmony of man and nature can be considered one of the main ideas in this work....

Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: Dolores Umbridge

Introduction The wolf in sheep’s clothing is a traditional trope born from the same-named fable that teaches that appearances can be deceiving. The fable tells the story of a wolf wearing a sheep’s skin to blend with the rest of the sheep and lure an innocent lamb to make a...

Women in “Beowulf”, “Inferno”, and “The Nun’s Priest’s Tale”

Female characters who played a prominent and crucial part in events occur in the books of different times regardless of the real position of women in society. The authors gave them extraordinary powers, strength, and influence on others’ actions and decisions. For instance, Wealhtheow from Beowulf demonstrated how the Germanic...

The Use of Symbolism in John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”

The purpose of this paper is to analyze symbolic meanings behind the main characters of John Steinbeck’s novella “Of Mice and Men”. Symbolism is a common trope used in the narrative, which is done via representation of a larger idea through smaller means. Symbols are diverse and can take the...

Annette Baier’s “The Need for More than Justice”

Introduction Justice is a quite vague concept that is perceived and utilized by people differently. Due to its ambiguity, it sometimes leads to misunderstanding and dissonances. Annette Baier explains that men and women perceive the world divergently and have varied values, which leads to considerable differences in their attitudes and...

Fate in Beowulf and Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Introduction An Old English poem Beowulf was written by an unknown author approximately at the end of the VII century. It is an epic with alliterative verses in the Germanic glorious story genre. Macbeth is a drama play written and composed by William Shakespeare, who was a prominent English author....

“Nisei Daughter”: Secret of Mixed Cultural Identity

Introduction The Issei, Nisei, and Sansei experienced many hardships in identity formation as being connected with two cultures: Japanese and American. One of the most popular resources reflecting the culture and problems the Japanese experienced is the Nisei Daughter memoirs. Using the biographical format, Kazuko Monica Itoi describes her own...

Biotech, Corporate Power, and Democracy: Oryx and Crake

Introduction It is important to note that Margaret Atwood’s book titled Oryx and Crake is a post-apocalyptic story with a heavy focus on the preceding events, which are deeply reflected in the current trends in areas, such as biotech, corporate power, and the erosion of democratic norms. The plot explores...

The Mayan Story “Rabbit and His Cap of Antlers”

The major lesson learned from the Mayan story Rabbit and His Cap of Antlers is that people have a hard time letting go of their material possessions, even in the spiritual world. From the story, we learn that the rabbit, which represents a Mayan, is an assimilated fellow who also...

Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”: Analysis of the Plot

A plot is a series of events in a story. The plot in the short story “A Rose for Emily ” is well–developed. A plot must be chronological or non-chronological; chronological means the events happened in order of their occurrence. Non-Chronological implies that there were regressions into the past from...

Symbols and Romanticism of Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”

Introduction Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is one of the most prominent works written by Mark Twain. The novel addresses one of the most crucial issues of the society of Twains times – slavery and describes the life of people living along the Mississippi River. Undoubtedly, on one side, the Mississippi...

Humor and Horror in Poe’s “The Cask of the Amontillado”

Introduction In works of literature, authors rely on several stylistic devices to convey their message. One of Edgar Allan Poe’s literary devices in “The Cask of Amontillado” is the combination of horror and humor. Poe is a witty author who uses literary elements like point of view, place, and word...

Absence in War by Candlelight by Daniel Alarcon

In his story, Daniel Alarcon, raises an important topic and conveys the secret of all immigrants from disadvantaged countries. The author says: “leaving is no problem. It’s exciting actually; in fact, it’s a drug. It’s the staying gone that will kill you. This is the handed-down wisdom of the immigrant.”...

Native American Poems’ Comparative Analysis

Introduction Unfortunately, much of human history consists of the events of one group of people conquering another and erasing the culture of the defeated nation, so the latter submit. Thankfully, the latter does not always happen, and sometimes the culture of those who lost replaces that of the invaders, or...

Recognition in Sophocles’ ”Oedipus Rex” and Homer’s ”The Odyssey”

The Purpose It is a rather well-known fact that ancient tragedies were written in compliance with certain rules and components. One such component is anagnorisis, which is translated from Greek as recognition. The recognition scene is the one where the main character learns something extremely important and makes a startling...

The Theme of Faith in the Novel “Hey Nostradamus!”

Introduction The theme of faith is a rather unpopular central choice for Douglas Coupland’s literary works. The author is popular with practical themes of life, death, and love in his past writings, such as Generation X: Tales of an Accelerated Culture and City of Glass. In the current novel, Hey...

Theme of Sexuality from Both Fiction and Non-Fiction Context

Sexuality is a significant aspect of a person. It is never about who he or she has sex with or how frequently they have it. It is basically about one’s sexual feelings, ideas, interests, and behaviors towards other people. Both fiction and non-fiction contexts depict differences in matters of sexuality....

Structure of Langston Hughes’ Harlem Poem

“Harlem” was a poem work written by Langston Hughes in 1951, a time when jazz and blues music was emanating. He wrote the poem to explore the consciousness and lives of the black people in Harlem (Duki 162). The composition took another path of addressing the continuous experience of the...

“An Adventure With Teddy Roosevelt” by Jerome Alden

An Adventure with Teddy Roosevelt by Jerome Alden is set in the United States in the early twentieth century. During this period Theodore Roosevelt, the country’s 26th president, attempted to run for a third term as president in 1912. Having already been a leader of the United States twice and...

The Knight Character in “The Canterbury Tales” by Chaucer

The Canterbury Tales in regard to the Middle Ages The Canterbury Tales are generally perceived by many as a prominent contribution to medieval literature. Indeed, it represents a fully-fledged depiction of a social stratification of that time, as well as the linguistic peculiarities and features of people’s robes. Thereby, it...

An Analysis of ”Robinson Crusoe” and ”Pride and Prejudice”

For the most part, Daniel Deoe’s Robinson Crusoe tells a story of a man who lives on an island where the class of a person does not matter. Nevertheless, the concept of the middle class still plays a significant role in the book and its narrative. Robinson’s father is a...

“Bears” Short Story by Matthew MacKenzie

Trying to adapt the format to a traditional theater seems ridiculous, game-moving through different landscapes, clever avoidance of trackers, and genre demands when production and audience are trapped. How simulating the heightened tension is commonplace for a limited number of people time? How the main message and theme are delivered...

Communism in Dave Eggers’s “The Circle”

Dave Eggers’s The Circle is a novel about a same-name web organization that offers innovative products and services to ordinary citizens. Even though the literary piece considers the American context in the present time, it introduces some dystopian principles because the organization, the Circle, has a few features of a...

Language as a Tool in John Updike’s “A&P”

Thesis John Updike uses language as far more than a narrational or beautifying tool in his short story “A&P”; instead, he employs linguistic tools such as metaphors and colloquialism to enrich his characters and provide a riveting analysis of the many social trends at war in 1960s America. Introduction John...

Social Classes and Discrimination in “A Rose for Emily”

Introduction A Rose for Emily by William Faulker is among the best 20th-century stories in American literature. It is his first published work in a magazine due to its influence on society. The author presents his story in a mid-20th century community in South America. The story occurs in a...

“To Live in the Borderlands Means You” by Gloria Anzaldua

Poems can be a successful and interesting avenue to explore new ideas, as well as to comment on the daily necessities of life and its various events. In particular, ideas can be utilized very efficiently in communicating meaning across individuals and being used for their informational value. For the purposes...

“Let America be America Again” Poem by Langston Hughes

“Let America be America Again” by Langston Hughes is a poem dedicated to the author’s pain about an impossible American dream. The dream of a virtuous republic, which America has not still reached, but achieving this dream is a goal of every generation (Gorski, 2019). The author tells about what...

Old, Middle, and Early Modern English Literary Periods

Introduction At the dawn of human history, humankind was able to transfer information only in the oral form. However, the invention of writing more than five thousand years ago changed the way information was spread through human societies. Since then, both oral and written formats of information transfer have coexisted....

Tragedy: Special Features of the Genre

From ancient times, people composed stories to entertain themselves and to teach others certain lessons. Over time, genres appeared to which each story could be assigned, which significantly facilitated the process of creation of new art since writers now had certain templates to build upon. Tragedy has always been recognized...

“Dwellings” Rhetorical Techniques Analysis

Linda Hogan’s piece “Dwellings” argues that the places inhabited by people are always in motion and going through continuous modification and change unlike the thinking of homes being solid, stable, and, motionless. Hogan’s work is written in an optimistic tone as the author uses language to explain and explore the...

“Recitatif” by Toni Morrison Analysis

Introduction One of the primary purposes of literature is to deliver meaningful messages through artful images and plots. While some literary works may have a mostly entertaining function, some pieces prove to be seminal in the broader context of topical issues of society. Toni Morrison is one of the authors...

“The Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion

How the setting (time and place of the novel’s events) has impacted the beginning of the plot The plot and course of the story are significantly shaped by the initial events of time and place. The author, Joan Didion, and her late husband, John Didion head to the hospital to...

Hedda Gabler’s Relationships with the Men in Her Life

Introduction Hedda Gabler is a play written by ‘the father of modern drama’, Norwegian playwriter Henrick Ibsen, in the last half of the 19th century. The play reveals the lifestyle and thoughts of a desperate housewife, who is limited by Victorian values. He has to marry a man without loving...

Walt Whitman as a Democratic Symbol

Introduction Walt Whitman was a poet that changed it all for the field of poetry across the United States and beyond its borders. He did not identify himself with any other poet while also conveying the idea that an ideal poet should never stay above anyone else. Walt Whitman’s audacity...

“When You Are Old” Poem by William Yeats

One of the most famous works of William Yeats is “When You Are Old,” which is the poem addressed to a woman Yeats loved. The poem can be summarized as a plea with strong arguments. The author urges the woman to think of the future as not to regret her...

The Evolution of Tragedy: From Greek to American

Drama is one of the most vital forms of art and may be considered as the heart of literature. It developed simultaneously in Ancient Greece, China, Japan, and other countries, and since then a significant number of theatres, tragedies, comedies, and dramas were created (“A brief history of tragedy,” n.d.)....

The Main Themes in “Dead Men’s Path”

Introduction Various paths of presenting leading ideas can be implemented in literary writings. Understanding the themes discussed by the author and underlining the primary examples behind them is an exceptionally prominent topic of discussion. Chinua Achebe’s Dead Men’s Path offers a negative example of an authoritative figure’s disregard towards the...

Elizabeth Bishop’s “One Art” Poem Analysis

Poets and writers use numerous literary devices, ways of building rhyme, and rhythm to convey the message of their compositions to readers. Elizabeth Bishop is also one of these authors as her poetry is filled with various elements to create form and context for sharing her personal experience and ideas....

“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker: Précis and Critique

“Everyday Use” is a short story authored by Alice Walker and published in the year 1973. The story in the book is narrated by an African American woman known as Mama. Mama and her two daughters Maggie and Dee live in the Deep South. The story brings out the existing...

Conflicts in “Girl” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”

The stories with the girls as the main protagonists grew popular during the last couple of decades. They traditionally represent the problems girls usually meet during their lifetime (typically, teenage or young adult years). In “Girl” and “Where are you going, where have you been,” there are two protagonists with...

“The House of Mirth” by Edith Wharton

In her book “The House of Mirth”, Edith Wharton addresses several values that play an important role in the society of those days. One of the values, she discusses in detail and from different angles, is the value of responsibility to family and marriage. In the following paper, the influence...

“Car Crash While Hitchhiking” by Denis Johnson

Introduction A reliable narrator is a speaker in the story or test who can be trusted. It means that it can also be a person who has values close to the values of the author of the novel and can offer it to readers and other individuals. Thus, the discussed...

Science Fiction as “Literature of Change”

Science fiction as a genre of modern literature is organically integrated into the public worldview, in the humanitarian culture of the 20th and early 21st centuries. It responds to a new type of “creative person,” as it is directed towards the future, contributes to the building of social projects of...

The Analysis of “Race” by Karen Gershon

Every poem is unique in the way it portrays emotions and experiences that have already been reported in the literature. For instance, it may employ different tropes to create a lasting impression. The narrator’s personality, their perspective, is another important tool that allows conveying the message of the poet. This...

Olds’ “Sex Without Love” and Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” Poems

Introduction The two poems “Sex without Love” by Sharon Olds and “Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy that will be investigated in this essay explore different themes. Yet, they have much in common, which allows them to be analyzed together. The first poem depicts the two lovers united in the act...

“Night” by Elie Wiesel

Night by Elie Wiesel is one such book where the main character is forced to go through hardships in order to become a different person. It describes the difficult life of a Jewish boy who had to experience a horrifying experience of hunger, violence and losing someone he loves. Since...

Response to George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”

Introduction Animal Farm written by George Orwell during World War II is one of the prime examples of an allegorical novel. The images of animals presented in the book personify social vices and attract readers with realism and similarity to history, which are shown openly in the plot. Despite the...

A Raisin in the Sun by Hansberry: Literary Analysis

The realities of the historical and literary processes of the second half of the 20th century convince both literature scholar and usual readers that the strugscholars civil rights, the rise of Black movement understood broadly, was merging with the left-wing literary movement, animated by critical moods, and a deep-seated rush...

Gloria Anzaldua’s “To Live in the Borderlands”

The borderland is a special subjectivity and self-awareness of the one who cannot cross the border but lives inside its rift. In her poem “To Live in the Borderlands,” Mexican-American frontier philosopher, poet, writer, and Chicana theorist Gloria Anzaldua describes the experience of people inhabiting the space between several different...

Robert Frost’s Poem “Mending Wall”

“Mending Wall” is a popular poem written by Robert Frost which attracts the reader’s attention due to the importance of the theme covered in this poem. The author touches upon one of the most important philosophical themes connecting with the nature of human existence and the relationships between people. Robert...

Troy Maxson and Realism in “Fences” Play by Wilson

Introduction Readers cannot always pinpoint elements of fiction that makes it different from reality, which is reflective of the mastery some writers have in terms of constructing a compelling work of literature. Apart from the storyline, characterization has the ability to engage readers and make the story realistic and relatable....

“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood

Introduction The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel where Margaret Atwood pictures a scenario of one way in which the world could develop. The story is set in a fantasy version of a near-future New England, in a regime resembling totalitarian theocracy. In this world, women have no rights or...

“The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

The poem I chose for this essay is “The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy. It was written in 1902, and published at the time of the Second Boer War between the British Empire and combined forces of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State. The poem examines...

Euhemerism Theory and Myths Across Cultures

Introduction to mythology Myths are the basis of our cultural construct. Myths are based on gods and heroes who narrators of myths insist should be emulated. Myths provide insights about the cultural past of modern society. Theories of mythology Euhemerism The euhemerism theory explains how myths are actual accounts of...

Rewiew of “The Illegal” by Lawrence Hill

Character Growth in Three Parts The first part of the novel introduces the protagonist, Keita Ali, who has to flee his homeland to earn money for his family’s ransom. In this part, the readers learn that he feels alienated from his motherland and tries to fit in. The next section...

“Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes

I have never read anything more touching than Thank You, M’am by Langston Hughes. There are just two main characters in this story: an old woman Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, and a young boy, Roger, who appeared to be a pickpocket. The last tried to still Mrs. Luella’s purse...

Tayama Katai’s the Quilt the Ancestor of “I-Novel”

Introduction At the end of the nineteenth century, Japanese literature experienced many striking moments. In particular, in the late 60th, it endured the most deplorable declines under the governance of Emperor Meiji. The famous authors were doomed to resort to writing books about formless and meaningless gossips. So far, having...

Hero’s Journey in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

The concept of the hero’s journey has been a driving concept throughout Western literature for centuries. It is plainly evident in some of our earliest and most cherished stories, such as the legend of King Arthur in his earlier years, and can even be traced through Beowulf, the earliest piece...

Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes: Poetry Comparison

Introduction Within a single lifetime, the United States has gone from a nation that openly and legislatively discriminated against a group of people based upon their race through the upheaval of the Civil Rights Movement to a society that elects a man of mixed races to the highest office available....