Social and Economic Inequality in Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson”

Introduction Imagine a world where a simple trip to the toy store can change a child’s perception of society and class. Toni Cade Bambara’s ‘The Lesson” offers just that: it tells the story of a group of underprivileged children who receive an eye-opening lesson from a well-intentioned but confrontational teacher....

Milton’s “Paradise Lost”: Free Will and Divine Justice

Introduction John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost is a timeless classic exploring the idea of the will and ways of God. It relates the account of Adam and Eve’s fall, banishment from the Garden of Eden, and final salvation. Through his characters and themes, Milton explores and reflects his views...

The “Merchant of Venice” Play by Shakespeare

The play “Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare is a well-known play that often features in professional and amateur theatrical performances. The play is expansive, and reading through all of it often makes the overarching plot escape in the details. Summaries of the play are available for performers to understand...

The Poem “Enlightenment” by Natasha Trethewey

Natasha Trethewey is an American poet and a two-time United States Poet Laureate. She is the author of six poetry collections, one of which, Thrall, was published in 2012 and earned critical praise and the public’s love. With her ekphrastic poetry, Trethewey charts the intersections of social and personal history...

Literary Research on Oscar Wilde “The Importance of Being Earnest”

Great Britain, in the nineteenth century, was a nation whose laws forbade homosexuality. Consequently, men were reluctant to develop strong bonds with other male counterparts since they would be persecuted. Despite homosexuality being illegal, Oscar Wilde defied this law in pursuit of happiness and created sexual relationships with other men....

The Poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodor Roethke

The poem My Papa’s Waltz touches on the intricate relationship between a child and a socially irresponsible father. It is difficult to say whether this work was written under the pressure of one’s negative memories or in impulses of inspiration. However, Theodor Roethke conveyed with precise accuracy the image of...

The Short Story “Red Dirt Don’t Wash” by Roger Mais

Roger Mais’ short story, Red Dirt Don’t Wash, has its setting in Jamaican society but follows the American style of narratives. The story is about a farmworker, Adrian, who is in love with a woman, Miranda. Adrian always stares at her as he admires her prowess in kitchen work and...

The Poem “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman

The theme of the fullness of life, to which the character aspires and which he sings as an integral component of earthly existence, is one of the main ones in the poem by Whitman. The poet speaks of his desire to leave his mark on the earth and encourages the...

The Short Story “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin

Introduction To introduce the paper, it is feasible to state that in his short story Sonny’s Blues, author James Baldwin tells the story of African American musician with addiction problems. The author chooses a narrator complete Sonny’s opposition: his nameless brother, who works as a math teacher, follows the rules...

Creation Myths of the World by Leeming, D. A.

These two stories possess identical elements, as they present stories regarding the creation of the world and life in it in accordance with different cultures. The theme from the stories that I would like to explore is cooperation in the process of creation. The deity does not perform the act...

Analysis of Atonement by Ian McEwan

The novel Atonement by Ian McEwan is a romantic war tragedy metafiction that follows Cecilia and Robbie’s lives as the protagonist. They experience conflicts trying to fulfill their dream of eternal love and separate, shutting down all their achievements. McEwan intertwines irony and symbolism to explore the theme of love...

Symbolism and Morality in Hawthorne’s ‘Young Goodman Brown’

Symbolism in the story The introduction of symbols throughout the story is a literary technique frequently used by various authors. By incorporating particular signs and objects into the surrounding environment, it becomes possible to allude to specific details that specify the characters’ traits or their behavior, leading to a better...

Symbolism in Toni Morrison’s “Sula”

Introduction Toni Morrison is one of the most renowned American writers famous for her exploration of controversial topics in a humorous and solemn manner. Her novel Sula is one of the brightest illustrations of the author’s style, and it is a story that can hardly leave a reader untouched. One...

Symbolism in Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar

Introduction Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar is a novel about a young writer herself. It reflects multiple life events: her sufferings, mental breakdown, and the attempt to fix her with glue. The story narrates Esther Greenwood, the book’s protagonist, getting an opportunity to study at a prestigious university. Writers various...

“Good Country People” by Flannery O’Connor

Like many other stories addressing the complexity of human nature, Flannery O’Connor’s “Good Country People” introduces a complex moral issue under the guise of a seemingly simple ethical problem. By showing how evil can assume the disguise of morality and, thus, affect unsuspecting people, O’Connor proves that both experiences, when...

Gender Norms in A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen

Considering the core themes of A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, the following research question has been formulated: “What were the norms and expectations pertaining to gender in nineteenth-century Norway?” The question is essential to explore as the play is set to expose the limited roles of women during the...

“One-Dimensional Man” by Herbert Marcuse

We may distinguish both true and false needs. “False” are those which are superimposed upon the individual by particular social interests in his repression: the needs which perpetuate toil, aggressiveness, misery, and injustice. Their satisfaction might be most gratifying to the individual, but this happiness is not a condition which...

Death in “The Book Thief” Novel by Markus Zusak

The narrator of Liesel’s story in The Book Thief is The Death, who describes the events happening in the human world from his perspective. He shows a variety of characteristics in different situations, including being sympathetic, cold-hearted, and haunted. When describing the death of little Werner, Liesel’s brother, The Death...

A Good Man Is Hard to Find by F.O’Connor

The ideas of good and evil are considered to be crucial during an extended period. So many people find it very difficult to distinguish where true good or true evil may be. Those, who want to learn more about these two issues, have to read such wonderful work by O’Connor,...

The Story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London

Introduction The essay provides a great interpretation of the story To Build a Fire by Jack London, focusing on nature’s indifference and human overconfidence. As described in the paper, nature is unpredictable and untamable, which is also a source of its power over people. The essay starts with an exciting...

“The Library of Babel” by Jorge Luis Borges

Introduction Jorge Luis Borges is a talented writer and a gifted personality who has created many wonderful and influential literary works. Perceiving the library in the context of his multifaceted picture of the world, Borges wrote a significant work, “The Library of Babel.” This narrative focuses on the description of...

Vonnegut and Kafka: A Plea to Change Perspective on Life

Introduction The literary works by Franz Kafka, “The Metamorphosis,” and Kurt Vonnegut, “Slaughterhouse-Five,” show that the abilities of the person to change their destiny are limited in many cases, and the individual can only submit to the circumstances to preserve psychological sanity. The lines from Kafka and Vonnegut illustrate the...

The Great Gatsby: Illusions in Human Existence

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is often analyzed from the point of view of opposing dreams and reality, the spiritual and material world, and the inconsistency of the genre diversity of the novel. The Great Gatsby is usually viewed as a characteristic novel for its era, the main...

The “To Build a Fire” Short Story by Jack London

Jack London is a realistic American writer whose story To Build a Fire was written in 1908. Despite the theme of the confrontation between man and nature, naturalism is not an end in itself for the writer. The realism of the description is a feature of Jack London’s style, with...

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...

Miller’s Death of a Salesman vs. Ibsen’s A Doll’s House

Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman are successful dramas produced in 1879 and 1949, respectively. Due to their relevance to contemporary challenges, both writings have garnered high praise from critics and are debated by academics worldwide. Despite being created in various eras and nations,...

Writing Style of Amy Tan in “Mother Tongue”

Introduction It is important to note that the author uses the strategies of logos, ethos, pathos, and kairos to convince the reader of the arguments in the essay. At the beginning of the essay, the author uses ethos because she immediately states that she is not a researcher of the...

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...

Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness by Kenzaburo Oe

Kenzaburo Oe, the author of the book “Teach us to outgrow our madness,” has displayed several ways to uphold our passion and original vision for things. A fascinating account of the 1964 Christmas Eve party at Yukio Mishima’s house, where Nathan first met Oe and fellow novelist Kobo Abe, serves...

Salem Witch Trials as a Metaphor for McCarthyism in Miller’s The Crucible

The literature is a powerful tool for provoking the thought process by various means. One of those mediums is a political analog, seen in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible. By focusing on the events that happened in the late 17th century in the United States, during the Salem Witch Trials,...

The Poem “The United Fruit Company” by Pablo Neruda

Worker rights are a contemporary issue whose depth and importance were similarly relevant in previous centuries. Pablo Neruda utilizes his poem, ‘The United Fruit Company; to satirize the actions of Latin American leaders in the twentieth century, specifically as they associate with foreign international corporations. Their suppressive actions favoring imperialistic...

Neglect and Psychosis in Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper

Introduction In modern civilizations, the rising fear of solitude among women is undermining social order. There is a need for assistance, especially among women with domestic obligations. This essay investigates the relationship between insanity and neglect as described in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper. The primary objective is to...

Perception of War in A Farewell to Arms by Hemingway

A Farewell to Arms, an Ernest Hemingway novel, has a distinctive anti-military rhetoric. While the war is not directly condemned, its atrocities are described vividly, showing that something wrong is happening. Its main character, Frederic Henry, is an American lieutenant serving in the Italian Army ambulance during World War I....

Humanism in Jean-Paul Sartre’s Nausea

Jean-Paul Sartre dismisses the understanding of humanism that fails to acknowledge the importance of individual choice. Based on the rejected philosophy of humanism, people may take others’ credit for their personal accomplishments since they share humanity, thus, making others’ achievements their own. He critics the previous understanding of the concept...

The Short Story “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

A heart seeking love and burdened by traditions can open a doorway into madness. The given review and critique will be focused on a short story, “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, written in 1930. The plot revolves around a town in the state of Mississippi with central characters...

The Short Story “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie

Introduction In the short story “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie, cultural imperialism is one of the central themes. This term generally refers to the process when one dominant culture spreads and absorbs the values, beliefs, and lifestyles of smaller communities. For instance, when the prevailing American...

Analysis of Elizabeth Bishop’s “In the Waiting Room”

Pulitzer Prize awarded and one of the most important poets of the twentieth century – Elizabeth Bishop – is the author of “In the Waiting Room”. This poem was published in 1971 and starts with setting the time and place of the story. Little Elizabeth came to a dentist’s appointment...

“The Sociological Imagination Analysis”

Mills’ purpose in The Sociological Imagination was to unify two distinct and intangible ideas of social existence, namely the concepts of person and society. As a result, he coined the term “sociological imagination,” produced an authoritative book on it, and defined it as the profound perception of the link between...

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing” by Maya Angelou Review

Introduction Novels reflect real life and integrate different aspects of human development through figurative language that reflects human development. This paper focuses on the story I Know Why the Caged Bird Sing by Maya Angelou in general and Maya’s character in particular. Maya is the narrator and the main character...

“A Tale of Two Cities” by Dickens

Introduction Tales are fictional stories that normally tend to offer details concerning the way a given community is behaving or performing its duties. Various authors have developed specific ways of presenting their views. One of the good examples of such authors is Dickens, who is currently recognized as one of...

“Désirée’s Baby” by Kate Chopin: Themes and Symbols

Désirée’s Baby, a short story written by Kate Chopin, depicts a woman’s life with unknown origins in Louisiana. The dramatic story includes her Southern husband, who exiles her from home because of her African – American origins. Chopin utilizes various symbols to raise themes of racism, hypocrisy, love, and woman’s...

Shakespeare’s “King Lear” Play: A Long Analysis

Introduction The works by William Shakespeare are characterized by tragic humanism and both internal and external conflicts. His plays can be considered the pinnacle of the evolution of English drama that significantly influenced the development of world literature and culture. In this regard, Shakespeare’s King Lear embodies the main attributes...

Milton’s “Paradise Lost” Poem Interpretation

Introduction John Milton’s Paradise Lost is a poem based on the Old and New Testament, about the oust of humanity from the garden of Eden and the fall of Satan from heaven. The 1667 edition of this poem was divided into ten books and was written using the blank verse...

What Is Destiny? Literary Works Answer

Introduction Destiny is something that is to happen or has happened to a particular person or thing. In addition, destiny can be potentially characterized as the unknown and inevitable future or a predefined condition and life path. Someone can think that destiny is unavoidable that has to happen, but, to...

Antagonist in “Fences” Play by August Wilson

Fences is a fascinating story and a play written by August Wilson in the 20th century, exploring the evolving African American experience and racial relations. The playwriter depicts the story of African American character, Troy, earning a living by collecting garbage. Troy Maxson is not only the protagonist of the...

Owl Eyes in “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald

Introduction Owl Eyes is a minor character from Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby”. While only being present a few times in the story, his character is important to the overall message of the book and to the reader’s understanding of its characters. The audience first meets him in Gatsby’s...

Evil in Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Introduction An author’s main objective while composing a literary work is to communicate a specific message to his audience. Factors such as historical occurrences, political ideologies, and global economic status are among the factors that influence an author’s message. One such work written at a historical time described as the...

Review of “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Introduction The short story Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a metaphorical narration created to express the process of taking vital decisions in life. The author uses such literary elements as setting and symbolism to convey the essential ideas related to the themes of faith, hope, sense of living,...

Humor and Horror in The Cask of Amontillado by Poe

The Cask of Amontillado is a story that combines horror and humor. The author does that in order to make the story not so horrific for the reader, as the comic effect Poe creates throughout the story alleviates the terror of Fortunato’s death. The humor typical of The Cask of...

Human Development Psychology

The Notebook is a romantic novel authored by Nicholas Sparks in 1996. The novel is told in two versions; first, when Noah reads the notebook to a woman by the name Allie. He reads to her how Allie and Noah fall in love young; they are separated for years but...

Famous Poems: Themes and Critique

A.E. Housman’s poem “To an Athlete Dying Young” is about a record-breaking athlete regarded as a legend. The poem’s tone abruptly changes, causing the reader to realize that the athlete has died. The poem is notable for its themes of the bitterness of death at the pinnacle of greatness. Housman...

Robert Browning’s “Porphyria’s Lover”: Gender and Power Dynamics

The interaction of partners in a relationship is connected with the construction of specific power dynamics. Recently, gender roles have shifted, and a somewhat unusual dynamic may be built between two people based on a woman’s dominance or mutual assistance and approximately equal roles. However, such a variety of force...

The Feeling of Lost in Hemingway’s “Soldier’s Home”

Introduction Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) was one of the most popular and successful American writers of the 20th century and is now considered a modern classic. His novels and stories revolve around bullfighting, big game safaris, and war. Ernest Hemingway is probably one of the best and most influential short story...

Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” Critical Analysis

The Story of an Hour by American author Kate Chopin is a feminist literary classic. The story, which was first published in 1894, depicts Louise Mallard’s conflicted reaction to learning of her husband’s death. From there on, the protagonist experiences complex and contradictory feelings on the matter, most of which...

“Fires of Jubilee” by Stephen B. Oates: Overview and Main Idea

Introduction Slavery in the United States has always been a controversial issue and the books which explore it help people to better understand the topic. At the same time, there are books which cover less popular themes but have a considerable significance today, and the work by Stephen B. Oates...

The Tell-Tale Heart Story by Edgar Allan Poe

“The Tell-Tale Heart” is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe. While reading it, I did not see any signs of difficult language or complex structure. One might imply that it is relatively easy to read then. However, this is when the story’s comprehension comes to mind. Psychedelic in...

Analysis of Choragos from Sophocles’ “Antigone”

In “Antigone,” Choragos symbolizes Creon’s counselors. They were supposedly meant to advise the monarch and represent the community complaints. In truth, his rage made them completely ineffective. The counselors should be held in the same regard by the monarch as Tiresias, the blind man. They are comprised of city leaders...

Morality Through the Lens of Kate Chopin’s “The Storm”

Introduction Kate Chopin’s short story “The Storm” depicts an unsuccessful union between the protagonist Calixta and her partner Bobinot. The story describes an adulterous sexual affair between Calixta and a former friend, Alcee, during a storm. Although Chopin explores these issues from a conventional perspective, she adopts a rather unbiased...

Message to Men and Women in Glaspell’s “Trifles”

Trifles is a play written in 1916 by Susan Glaspell. It is categorized as feminist literature for highlighting how women are positioned in society as unimportant. The play carries a message for both males and females because it contrasts the women and men characters. It revolves around the murder of...

Violence and Generational Trauma in There There by Orange

“He did what? I’m sure that’s not true, he is not that type of person. I’ll talk to him and see what really happened.” The majority of sexual violence cases often go unreported in the United States. This may be due to society doubting the victim when they come forward...

Poems “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “My Papa’s Waltz”

In the poems “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes and “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, metaphors and allegories are used to add depth to the descriptions. “The Negro Speaks of Rivers” by Langston Hughes is an allegorical depiction of the history of the black race. In the...

“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...

Eudora Welty’s Short Story “A Worn Path”

Eudora Welty’s short story, A Worn Path, narrates the journey of an African American woman while using various elements of literature. The story emphasizes geographical elements that inform the audience about the location of the action and historical elements that suggest a period of historical events. The author also mentions...

The “Old Boys, Old Girls” Story by Edward Jones

According to Rolston (2018), Edward Jones’s stories, mainly Old Boys, Old Girls, reflect how institutions and social circumstances shape the life and struggles of the African American male ex-convicts. Indeed, by portraying the life of Caesar Matthews, Edward Jones’ stories give insight into the African-American individuals’ criminal record complicate their...

Modernist and Postmodernist Techniques and Themes in McEwan’s “Atonement”

An example of free indirect style in Atonement by Ian McEwan can be found in chapter six as the author describes the acts and thoughts of Emily Tallis. The author takes on Emily’s thoughts and expressing that she considered it important not to provoke the pain in his head lest...

Symbolism and Irony in Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston

Sweat is a short shorty written by Zora Neale Hurston. It centers around the marital conflict between a hardworking Christian washerwoman, Delia, and her abusive and unfaithful husband, Sykes (Hurston). After 15 years of marriage, Sykes is attempting to evict Delia out of their common household to move in his...

Willson’s “Fences”: Where Masculinity Is Born

August Wilson’s Fences is a play built on the difficulties of understanding the characters. It concentrates on the characters’ ideas of right and wrong, honor and dignity, and how to live life. Strong male characters are revealed in Troy, the main character, and his son Cory, who transcends the fences...

Naomi Shihab Nye as an Author of Poetry

The video features the award-winning author of poetry, Naomi Shihab, Nye, reading from her work of adult and children poetry that includes 19 varieties of Gazelle such as Fuel, Poems of the Middle East, and Red suitcase. Her collection features a variety of poems about the Middle East and Palestinians...

Loss as a Transformative Experience in Alice Dark’s “In the Gloaming”

Writers have tackled the theme of tragedy and loss for as long as there was literature itself, contemplating the many different aspects of this hard yet omnipresent experience. In this respect, Alice Elliot Dark’s “In the Gloaming” is hardly a ground-breaker, as it is definitely not the first piece of...

“Joy” by Smith and “Peculiar Benefits” by Gay: Comparative Analysis

Certainly, for a better understanding of any information, one should not only describe or analyze but also compare. Thus, two essays were selected for the current analysis, which would be analyzed and compared in the context of its genre, choice of authors, and conventions. Primarily, one should note that the...

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark: Analysis

William Shakespeare and his works occupy an honorary place in world literature. At the same time, the play The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, briefly referred to as Hamlet, is one of the most famous. The plot reveals complex themes of revenge, mortality, deception, madness, and other issues. The...

Racism in “Being Brought From Africa to America” and “A Letter From Phyllis Wheatley”

Phyllis Wheatley, the first African American to publish a book of poetry in 1773, was the author of the poem “Being Brought from Africa to America.” Wheatley represents the start of a long tradition of African American poets. She described her African ancestors as non-Christian (“Pagan”) and believed that she...

Social Conditions During “If We Must Die”

McKay wrote the sonnet “If We Must Die” in 1919. The audience for this poem was the Black community that was suffering violence due to white supremacy. Even though slavery had been abolished decades earlier, Black people still experiences social injustices. McKay urges his kinsmen to be courageous in the...

Sin and Punishment in Dante’s Poem “Inferno”

Introduction Notably, Dante discusses how souls are tormented, implying a symbolic link between sin and punishment. He intended to illustrate the concept of damnation and present examples of individuals suffering damnation as a result of the way they lived and the choices they made; ways and choices that were violent,...

Analysis of “The Song of Roland” Poem

Introduction Based on the poem The Song of Roland and its significance and relevance, French literature from the eleventh to thirteenth century is a crucial concept and topic for literature studies. The work is based on old French epics of the “chanson de geste” type and was composed in the...

“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman: Literary Analysis

In writing the short story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” Gilman describes the protagonist and narrator, a young woman giving in to a mental disorder upon giving birth. Through the symbol of the yellow wallpaper on the house walls, the author conveys the mental health state of the protagonist throughout the narrative....

The Theme of Social Pressure in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” is a novel, created by Ken Kesey in the middle of the 20th century. The actions described in the book happen in Oregon psychiatric hospitals, and in general, this work of literature is devoted to the exploration of the human mind. It includes opposition...

Analysis of Shakespeare’s Play “Romeo and Juliet”

Introduction Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is one of the most classic and exemplary works in the tragic play’s genre. The greatest poet skillfully and masterfully revealed in his creation the theme of love and freedom of choice, the problems of anger, revenge, and unforgiveness, as well as the piece of...

“Silver Water” by Amy Bloom: Main Character, Plot, and Themes

The book Silver Water by Amy Bloom revolves around a girl, Rose, who becomes mentally ill at an early age. The theme of the narration is that of mental illness and how it has a significant impact on the patient’s life and that of their family. It also shows that...

Marital Abuse in The Trifle by Glaspell and The Poof by Nottage

Introduction The Trifle and the Poof are written by Susan Glaspell and Lynn Nottage, respectively. The Trifle was written in 1916, while the Poof was done in 1970. In both plays, the authors depict a culture where women are abused by husbands who later die due to domestic constraints. In...

Play “Fences” by August Wilson Analysis

Introduction “Fences” is an American play composed by playwriter August Wilson in the year 1985. The play examines the progressing African-American life experiences related to cultural practices and races among other themes. It is important to analyze the play fences and understand how different perceptions of the characters regarding their...

American Writers and Their Writing Styles

American writers set themselves apart from their European counterparts due to their varying writing styles and focus on the continent’s development. One could determine that an individual is an American writer if their stories indicated a plot of decline. Writings such as The Great Gatsby begin on a high note,...

Poetry Assessment: The Main Elements

Introduction The assessment of poetry is generally conducted with regard to the essential elements that it incorporates. They include characters presented by the narrator and their audience, dialogues, image, setting, themes, voice, style, and tone, and the consideration of corresponding techniques can demonstrate their importance for the message. Hence, poems...

The Character of Miss Emily in Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”

Introduction Miss Emily is an especially complex and interesting character who is undoubtedly worth deep consideration. In his short story, “A Rose for Emily,” William Faulkner introduces the woman who deserves sympathy despite multiple negative personal qualities. Even though readers do not know how Emily herself perceives her life and...

Comparison of “The Birthmark” and “The Fall of the House of Usher”

Both stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Allan Poe are written in a gothic style which means they keep a reader in tension and fear engaging in a plot full of drama and tragedy. Both writers were finding major issues of the time and disclosed them within their works. One...

Working-Class Resistance in Updike’s A&P

A&P is a short story by the American writer John Updike published in 1962. It recounts an episode from the life of Sammy, a cashier working for the local A&P grocery store during the summer to help provide for his family. He contemptuously observes and narrates the inner life of...

Credibility Analysis of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight“

Background Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is one of the most well-known examples of the classic Medieval Arthurian romances. While the poem’s author is unknown, historians and literary scholars have speculated that it was written by the same Gawain-poet who wrote other narrative poems, including Pearl, Cleanness, and Patience,...

“The Bell Jar” by Sylvia Plath: Plot and Thesis

Introduction In The Bell Jar, Sylvia Plath authors a story about herself. The life of Esther Greenwood, who aspires to be a poet, is depicted in The Bell Jar as she tries to realize her ambitions via education, using Ladies’ Day magazine as a starting point. She chose a month-long...

Themes of Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” Story

Starting as a rather serene and slow-paced story, Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” gradually spirals into a rather frantic pace with a blood-curdling revelation at the end. Apart from an unexpected and frankly horrifying twist, “the Lottery” incorporates believable and relatable characters and a rather peculiar plot. However, its themes are...

“The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” by Sherman Alexie

Introduction “The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven” is a collection of interconnected short stories by Sherman Alexie, who published it in 1993 and added two new levels in 2003. It contains 22 short stories with the same characters, Native Americans living on the Spokane Indian Reservation. The book’s...

‘My Mother Enters the Work Force’: Rita Dove’s Perspective on Motherhood

Rita Dove seems to have an intimate understanding of motherhood and the responsibilities ascribed to motherhood. In the poem, Dove provides strong diction and the female point of view to express the life of being a mother and a wife. In the first stanza, Rita Dove arrays motherhood as a...

Similarities Between “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman and “The Story of an Hour”

Introduction Traditionally, women were viewed as less equal, which led to them fighting for their rights. Through different amendments touching on equal rights for women, everything seems to be changing whereby women are now holding prestigious positions alongside men. Besides that, they are receiving almost similar treatment like men. Literature...

Justice as Prevailing Theme in Dante’s “Inferno”

The history of the world’s culture has seen a colossal number of seminal works of art and literature. However, even the list of the most renowned cultural achievements demonstrates certain works that hold special significance, and Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy is one such piece. This 14th-century poem has become fundamental...

Secondary Sources on “A&P” Story by John Updike

Introduction A&P by John Updike is a short story describing an incident at a supermarket. The main character, Sammy, is a representative of the typical middle class who works in the store as a cashier. When three girls in bathing suits enter, disturbing the peace in this establishment, Sammy decides...

“The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen

These days, people still love and cherish fairytales written by Hans Christian Andersen. Therefore, they keep empathizing with the characters’ feelings and even lamenting their tragic fates. One may easily remember “The Little Mermaid” as the most poignant story about one-sided love ending in everlasting woe. However, the author killed...

Lynn Nottage’s “Sweat” Play Production

‘Sweat’ is a magnificent attempt to express the feelings of unionized workers in a Pennsylvania steel town in 2010, whose wages are slowly being cut by the company, falling for the savings promised by NAFTA. It was exciting how the brutal bosses and their inhuman system of capitalist competition forced...

Close Reading and Analysis: Layli Long Soldier’s “38”

Layli Long Soldier’s “38” is an interesting case of writing in many respects. First and foremost, while it mostly follows the grammatical and syntactical conventions of formal English, it emphasizes these choices specifically and explains their meaning instead of leaving them “as is.” Apart from that, even though the text...

“Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban”: Book and Movie Comparison

In 1997, over the span of one night, Harry Potter took the world by storm when the book sold 11 million copies within 24 hours of its release: 2.7 million copies in the UK and 8.3 million in the US. And as of 2021, More than 500 million copies of...

“The Drama Trifles” by Susan Glaspell

“The Drama Trifles” is a play by Susan Glaspell that focuses on gender, isolation, and justice. The drama primarily centers on the oppression of women, which is a common issue in many communities. In this case, the male character in the play wants to gather evidence of Mrs. Wright’s crime,...

“Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House” by Audre Lorde

The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house is Audre Lorde’s provocative admonishment, and it is a warning that Black and other academics of color should heed. Lorde uses dismantling the master’s house as a metaphor for intersectional systems and structures of oppression that produced and perpetuated health inequality...

Love in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Hurston

Introduction Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zara Neale Hurston is a novel about Janie Crawford, an African-American female. Even though the literary piece depicts post-slavery Florida, meaning that people like Janie experienced many social issues during that time, the book focuses on her inner experiences. In particular, it centers...

The Conversion of the Jews by Philip Roth

The short story ‘The Conversion of the Jews’ by Philip Roth and was published in 1958 is about a thirteen-year-old freethinking Ozzie Freedman and his struggles. The story shows how the boy deals with the crisis in his faith at the Hebrew school. Ozzie is a young man who is...

The Book “Speak” by Laurie Halse Anderson

In Speak, the author, Laurie Halse Anderson, illustrates the idea that people can recover after trauma and become stronger. The writer utilizes the first-person point of view to show the path protagonist goes through to her transformation. The first-person point of view is the type of narrative in which events...

“iGen” by Jean Twenge

The first chapter of Twenge’s book is titled “In no hurry: Growing up slowly.” The primary theme is that the iGen is taking longer to become adults. Essentially, Twenge is convincing the readers that, comparing to the previous groups, people who were born between 1995 and 2012 remain dependent on...

Chapters 1-5 of “Soar!” Book by T. D. Jakes

In the first chapter, T.D. Jakes describes what drives his vision and the ability to do so much. He credits much to his upbringing and the example set by his father, maintaining an attitude of a ‘hustler’ and work ethic. At the same time, Jakes believes that hard work is...

Abigail’s Responsibility for The Tragic Events in Salem

There are many evil characters in the play The Crucible, but Abigail Williams is the most prominent. Not only is Abigail unkind and malicious, but the character will get what she wants regardless of the consequences. Despite being a pathological liar, Abigail will try several options to achieve her ambitions...

Who Is the Monster, or Who Are the Monsters, in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley?

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is a good representation of human evils in literature. The main question concerned is who should be considered a monster: creative insane scientists or people around us. It is difficult to emphasize black and white characters because the situation differs from the classical villain-hero scenario. Each character...

“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe Analysis

Introduction The poem “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe narrates the experience of a young man. He loses the woman he loves because of the angels’ envy and claims to keep his feelings for her forever (Poe). By the end of the story, the main character concludes on the impossibility...

Love in “Romeo and Juliet” Play by William Shakespeare

“Romeo and Juliet” was written by William Shakespeare about two young people deeply in love. It is set in Italy during the 16th century, and it has been one of the most debated narratives. Love is an archetype that is evident across the piece. The story relates to my chosen...

Woody Holton’s “Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution”

Woody Holton’s book Unruly Americans and the Origins of the Constitution discusses the historical events and economic factors that played the central role in the development of the Constitution. Particular attention is given to the economic issues, class conflicts, the role of popular protests, and the decisions of the Founding...

“Child of the Americas” by Morales

Child of the Americas is a poem focused on one’s multicultural ethnic background, where the main character’s identity became multifaceted and complex. The author is well-aware of the general heritage she possesses, and she is not inclined to dismiss any aspect of her history. The poet fully understands that her...

“The Misfits” Characters Analysis

The Misfits depicts a group of friends rejected by others, known as the Gang of Five, despite having only four members. They are Bobby, Joe, Skeezie, and Addie, the only girl in the circle. Each has a distinct personality and certain reasons for being ostracized, and later the quarter joins...

Psychological Journey of Raskolnikov in Dostoevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”

Crime and Punishment appear to be one of the most widely spread novels of Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky. Despite being created at the end of the 19th century, it is extremely popular both in the author’s native country and outside its territory. All the plot is articulated on the random...

Reinforcement of Sexist Stereotypes in Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”

Introduction Jane Austen’s work occupies one of the leading places in British literary history and remains relevant from the Victorian era to the present. The novel “Pride and Prejudice” describes the love story of a young lady Elizabeth Bennett and an aristocrat Mr. Darcy, developing in the complex context of...

Analysis of Justice in “The Oresteia”

Justice is a concept studied by all the ancient peoples: Scandinavians, Goths, Europeans, and Greeks. The nature of revenge and whether it is just to kill somebody as an act of vengeance is a central issue of the trilogy The Oresteia. Throughout the novels, the concept of fairness evolves onto...

Review of “Young Goodman Brown” Book

An American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote “Young Goodman Brown.” The story’s setting is 17th century New England, which was predominantly Puritan. Hawthorne bases his work on the criticism of puritanism and its central premise that all people are responsible for the original sin. “Young Goodman Brown” is a literary criticism...

Body, Pain, Self, and Sexual Desires as Themes in Poetry

The human body has always been an important topic for people. Its representation and attitude to it changed throughout the history of humanity, and the literature belonging to different epochs proves it. Writers tried to respond to topical ideas and speak about the topic from different perspectives. One of the...

Review of Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”

The short story written by Kate Chopin in 1894 raises essential feminist issues. Despite the short form of the literary work, it successfully and powerfully conveys the deprivations American women of the end of the nineteenth century experienced due to the dominantly patriarchal society in which they lived. Meticulously using...

Technology and Humanity in “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley

Introduction Dystopian fiction is gaining popularity due to its deeply reflective nature and futuristic perspectives on the social order. “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley is a dystopian fiction novel written and published in the early 1930s. It presents a society living in the so-called World State, where a strict...

Imagery in “Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allan Poe

Annabel Lee is the latest poem by Edgar Allan Poe, which elaborates on the death of a young woman. There is no consensus in research and art literature on who is the protagonist of Annabelle Lee’s poem. The subject of the death of a beautiful woman is often touched upon...

The Theme of Love in “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” by Victor Hugo

Introduction As noted in the plan mentioned above, this work is an analysis of the novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo. It will present the results of a study of the past writer, narrative, characters, and various opinions related to the work. Also, this paper explores the...

Grendel as a Personification of Evil in “Beowulf” Poem

Beowulf is a famous epic poem that was created between the end of the 7th and the first part of the 8th century. At that time, the Anglo-Saxons were already experiencing the emergence of feudal ties (Heaney 1). The poem, however, is characterized by an epic archaization and depicts reality...

Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” Analysis

Woody Guthrie composed “This Land Is Your Land” in 1940 with the hope of proving the Americans to diverse views. The poem is well known, and it is considered the nation’s patriotic anthem. While the composition is supposed to promote patriotism, some of the song’s stanzas contradict the tune’s intended...

“Order of Things: An Archaeology of Human Sciences” by Foucault

Argument The central argument that Michel Foucault puts forward in the Order of Things: An Archaeology of Human Sciences is that relevant points of history, knowledge, and humankind come in a specific order. By discussing the order, the author points to a series of assumptions that make up the relevant...

“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...

“Why Readers and Writers Are So Fixated With Dystopian Visions” by Atwood

Introduction Dystopian literature is a popular form of fiction today, which explores the possible unfavorable outcomes for humanity in the future. This paper is a rhetorical analysis of Margaret Atwood’s essay “Why readers and writers are so fixated with dystopian visions,” in which the author discusses the reasons behind such...

Position Paper About the Play “Fences”

Introduction In the current research paper, the main aim is to answer the question of which conflict does August Wilson uses most to drive all the other elements of the story in his play “Fences.” To address the problem adequately, the following plan is followed. First of all, a brief...

The “Hills Like White Elephants” Short Story by Ernest Hemingway

The given analysis will primarily focus on Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants.” It is a short story about a man and a woman who are having a conversation at a Spanish train station and waiting for their train to Madrid. The key theme abortion, where a male character wants...

Interplay of Literary Elements in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

Introduction In literary works, many elements strengthen the position chosen by an author, improve storytelling, and provoke critical thinking among readers. According to Mays, “the language of poetry is often visual and pictorial,” which makes poems dependent on specific words and their creative meanings (834). Metaphors, allusions, flashbacks, similes, and...

Love and Poverty in My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke

Theodore Roethke is a renowned American writer whose poetry is figurative and melodic. My Papa’s Waltz is one of the most known poems by the poet, and it deals with a moment in a boy’s life. The relationship between the father and the son is the primary theme of the...

Symbolism in “Death of a Salesman” Play by Arthur Miller

The play “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller is a story of a salesman, Willy, who is trapped by his daydreams. The story revolves around flashbacks of Willy’s dreams and reality, which reveal a lot of symbolism about Willy’s failure to fulfill the American dream. In the “Death of...

Frankenstein: A Child in the Form of the Monster

Introduction Frankenstein is the most famous piece of literature by Mary Shelley. The novel tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist, who decided to make a living creature on his own. He successfully coped with the task, but the obtained result was terrible, which made Frankenstein reject his artificially...

John Updike’s “A&P”: Literary Analysis

Introduction John Updike’s short story “A&P” is narrated from the perspective of a teenager Sammy, who belongs to a working-class family but strives to join the privileged part of society. The work is built around the three main motives: division of social classes, conservatism versus liberalism, and consumerism versus romanticism....

Pip in “Great Expectations” by Charles Dickens

Introduction As the title suggests, the novel ‘Great Expectations’ is about the expectations of a young man as he moves into the harsh cruel world of reality outside his home. His tryst with destiny, first at the hand of a golden hearted criminal, Magwitch, and then at the hands of...

“Mexicans Begin Jogging” by Gary Soto

Introduction In his free verse poem “Mexicans Begin Jogging,” Gary Soto addresses the issues related to the employment conditions of Mexican Americans. The story of illegal factory workers who have to run when the police arrive for inspection explicitly demonstrates the existence of ethnic problems in society caused by disparities....

Winterson’s “Written on the Body”: Feminist Text

Introduction A distinctive feature of Written on the Body would be an attempt to go beyond the main idea and significantly expand the range of problems and relationships. The work, thanks to the skillful pen of the author, is filled with subtle and vivid psychological portraits. It seems reasonable to...

Symbol of the Black Cat in “The Black Cat” by E. A. Poe

It goes without saying that there are multiple symbols in the short story “The black cat,” written by an outstanding American writer Edgar Allan Poe. As a matter of fact, the symbol of the black cat may be regarded as the most significant, and its changes throughout the story support...

Shakespeare’s Poem Explication: “Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?”

Introduction Shakespeare belongs to the most renowned and ever-relevant poets for English, and his works are rich in themes, innovations, and framings. Those familiar with the poet on a superficial level could say that love is Shakespeare’s forte, and they would not be entirely wrong. Poet has many romantic works,...

“The Iliad” as a Primary Source for Historians

Any science is based on the analysis of evidence regarding diverse phenomena, individuals, or events. Historians try to unveil the secrets of the past by extracting information from different types of sources, including specific objects, documents, pictures, people’s accounts, and even literary works. Although the literature is associated with fictional...

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by Thomas Sterns Eliot

Introduction The poem The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock by Thomas Sterns Eliot is full of imagery that is used by the writer to create a specific atmosphere and affect a reader. The work introduces a speaker who is full of various fears and feels miserable and useless. The...

“Alien” Short Story by Riley Brett

Introduction Alien presents a short science fiction regarding a strange individual being returned to Earth after supposed abduction by a UFO. Told from the perspective of a blogger that encounters and connects with the man by accident, the short story offers a lighthearted but also tragic narrative of someone being...

The Novel “Hoot” by Carl Hiaasen: Domestic and Adventure Fiction Traits

American fiction has a plethora of notable representatives whose works left a significant mark in the genre. It would be reasonable to claim that Carl Hiaasen is among these writers. Hence, his books might always be considered as a relevant and pertinent theme to discuss. Plenty of scholars have recognized...

Immortality Through Fame in the Epic of Gilgamesh

The Epic of Gilgamesh is a depositary of themes that continue to fascinate readers and make literary critics argue about their expediency. The main hero’s desire for immortality is grounded both in the fear of decay and the man’s arrogance. Anticipating the failure of his struggles to find the secret...

“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe: Review

“The Raven” is one of the most well-known poems by Edgar Allan Poe. This work of art can be seen as a hymn to remorse and emotional distress. The story starts with a description of a man who is “weak and weary” whose negative emotions and despair intensify with every...