Themes in Beowulf: Annotated Bibliography

Introduction Bravery – Beowulf is the most famous poem among the works of the Old English literature. It is the epic creation telling the readers about the strongest and the bravest of the English warriors of all times. The plot of the poem is concentrated around the life and the...

Heroes and Cowards in “Oedipus Rex” and “Death of a Salesman”

Introduction In the two plays, “Oedipus Rex” and “Death of a Salesman” there are many parallels. One major parallel is courage and cowardice. The main characters of both plays are classic tragic men, and the themes center around the wisdom to see the truth and the courage to face it....

“One Hundred Years of Solitude” by G. G. Marquez

The focal point of the paper is to explain how “One Hundred Years of Solitude” by Gabriel García Marquez can be regarded as a biblical allegory and what this reveals about Marquez’s views on religion. For this, the first measure would be to understand the biblical allegory presented in the...

Big Brother in the “1984” Novel by George Orwell

Introduction In Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell explored the topic of governmental overreach and totalitarianism. The novel has been classified under the genre of dystopian political and social science fiction, which means that the themes explored by the author were characterized by a focus on the society that is contrary to...

Abner Snopes and Major de Spain as Figures of Authority in Faulkner’s Barn Burning

In Barn Burning, Faulkner manages to explore different themes related to family, authority, violence, and justice. Told from the perspective of a child conflicted by his moral obligations, “Barn Burning” illustrates the dichotomy between two exertions of power – Abner Snopes and Major de Spain. Even though Abner as the...

Masculinity in Shakespeare’s “Antony and Cleopatra” Play

Introduction “Antony and Cleopatra” is one of Shakespeare’s most dramatic plays; however, it has not been staged nearly as many as plays such as Hamlet or Macbeth because it is such a hard play to produce due to its enormous variety of content. However, the mere strength of the characters...

Antagonists in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”: Analysis

Introduction Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, the work of the unknown poet written approximately in the late 14th century, contains multiple topics for a discussion. The poem is referred to as an alliterative verse and medieval romance. Special interest of the work is the notion of the magical creature...

Women in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a 14th century poem by an unknown author, describing the adventures of the knight Sir Gawain, nephew of King Arthur. The work continues the tradition of Arthurian chivalric romances and most fully reveals Gawain as a character (Florschuetz 158). In addition to the...

Ibsen’s A Doll’s House: Plot Analysis Essay

Introduction The play A Doll’s House by Henry Ibsen depicts a class conflict and accumulation of wealth, family relations, and the role of marriage. The events reflect the economic and social problems of society and the role of money in the life of the characters. From the very beginning, A...

Beowulf, The National Epic of the Anglo-Saxons

Introducion An epic is a long, narrative poem written in a noble, dignified style and telling of exploits perfumed by great heroes. It differs from other narrative poems in that it has greater dignity and sweep and presents more lifelike characters, Beowulf, the national epic of the Anglo-Saxons, relates how...

Social Life in Canterbury Tales vs. Pride & Prejudice: Compare & Contrast Essay

Introduction Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen belong to two different remarkable periods in English Literature. Chaucer was born in 1334 and Austen in 1775. The birth of the English language and literature in the fourteenth century provided a proper atmosphere in England for the growth of new trends and tendencies...

Shifting Gender Norms in Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits

The questions of gender equality and the role of women in family and society are central for Isabel Allende’s novel The House of the Spirits that was first published in 1982. Although Allende describes the life of her characters without directly naming the Latin American country they live in, it...

Willy Loman’s Character in “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller

Introduction In his play the Death of a Salesman, the author narrates a story of Willy Loman’s desperate searching for happiness and recognition. Though aiming for self-realization and professional success, the protagonist, undergo neither spiritual transformation nor liberation as the plot progresses. Instead, readers observe the personal failure of the...

Class & Race in Chesnutt’s “The Wife of His Youth”: A Study

The construct of class and race can have a considerable impact on the life choices of individuals. In “The Wife of his Youth,” Charles Chesnutt describes the story of Mr. Ryder, a prosperous African American with light skin which meets his wife, Liza Jane, after a long period of being...

Rian O’Doherty’s “Inside the White Cube”

Introduction The book comprised O’Doherty’s famous essays “Notes on the Gallery Space,” “The Eye and the Spectator,” and “Context as Content,” published in 1976 in Artforum magazine. It also includes the article “The Gallery as a Gesture,” published ten years later. In these writings, the author explores the social and...

Billy Collin’s “The First Dream”: The Use of Self Expression in Poetry

Billy Collin’s poem The First Dream is clearly an expression of the feeling one has when one tries to explain an abstract experience. In Collin’s case, the abstract experience is a dream. Arguably, people tend to distance themselves from mystery as human beings tend to prefer real-world occurrences that can...

The Theme of Love in Ancient Egyptian Poetry

Different cultures and eras have their own perceptions of love that they eloquently communicated through various creations of literature, including poetry, epos, and philosophical pieces. Symposium by Plato is remarkable in this regard because concepts recorded in this work can be traced in multiple poems composed in distinct regions, centuries...

The Role of Sacrifice in Idiots First, The Origin of Stories, and Yo!

Introduction The topic of sacrifice has been a subject of numerous works of literature since it refers to the range of qualities and actions that people do in order to bring good to others. Discussing sacrifice in the literary context is seen as beneficial because the acts of selflessness are...

The Dangers of Capital Punishment: Atavism and Arbitrary Condemnation

Introduction The concept of capital punishment is a highly controversial and widely discussed subject. The article discusses the topics of atavism, arbitrary condemnation, and sanctioned violence. The author makes an attempt to argue that capital punishment can be abused in someone’s interest because the victim will no longer have a...

Flannery O’Connor: “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”

Introduction “A Good Man is Hard to Find” was published in 1953 and may be considered a compelling narrative about the importance of personal religious and moral integrity. Flannery O’Connor, the short story’s author, remains an influential American writer who honed a uniquely grotesque style that brought to life realistic...

Religion & Hypocrisy: “The Summoning of Everyman”

Introduction The Summoning of Everyman is a medieval morality play that is more often referred to as Everyman. When called by Death, Everyman cannot persuade anyone, Beauty, Kindred, or Worldly Goods, to go with him. Only Good Deeds agree to accompany Everyman to his grave. The present paper discusses the...

“The Age of Innocence” the Novel by Edith Wharton

Introduction The novel The Age of Innocence written by Edith Wharton presents a critical or even satirical description of the social norms and values adopted in the upper-class society of New York at the end of the nineteenth century. In particular, the author focuses on such a concept as innocence,...

“The Chrysanthemums” by John Steinbeck

In his short story, The Chrysanthemums John Steinbeck describes a person who at one point understands that her life lacks meaning and value at least in the eyes of other people. The protagonist Elisa Allen feels that her life is deprived of emotional and intellectual intimacy. To some degree, this...

A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Literary Analysis

Brief introduction of the short story “A good man is hard to find” is a story that talks about a family that is killed by a social criminal named Misfit. The main characters are the Misfit and the unnamed grandmother. It depicts human beings as untrustworthy creatures; it is consistently...

From a Villain to a Victim and Back: Othello and Iago

Introduction: Among Villains and Victims Of all the complex and thought-provoking Shakespearean plays, Othello must be the most complicated and enticing one. Offering a plethora of three-dimensional characters and developing an intriguing plot, the play conveys the author’s idea of the battle between good and evil and offers specific, unclichéd...

Lessons Learned from “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad

Marlow left for Africa specifically to Congo in the service of the Belgian company occupying Congo as its protectorate (Conrad 3). However, when Marlow was presented with the map showing the Belgian empire, he raised concerns with the effects of imperial presence in Africa. For instance, the Congolese viewed the...

“Crescent” and “Arabian Jazz” by Diana Abu-Jaber

Introduction The Arab American writers have always employed several literary components and literary devices that reflect the true history and traditional values of Arabs living in America. The literary works of Diana Abu-Jaber in her two novels, Crescent and Arabian Jazz are some of the most important Arab American novels,...

Cinderella Fairy Tale in Narratology and Feminism

Introduction Children’s literature can be defined as that form of literature that is designed for readers and listeners of about twelve years or below. Barry (2009) is of the view that children’s literature can be viewed from four perspectives. The first perspective defines children’s literature as that form of literature...

Shakespeare’s Macbeth vs. Tolkien’s Smeagol: More in Common Than Not

The characters of Macbeth and Smeagol/Gollum in the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings seem at first glance to be drastically different characters. Macbeth is a relative of the king, in line for leadership. Smeagol is a cut-throat of dubious, possibly Halfling origins with none but himself and his...

Eliezer’s Faith Struggle in “Night” by Wiesel

Introduction Elie Wiesel exhibits his struggle in religion and faith in a unique manner. As a Jew, Eliezer was brought up to be a staunch believer in God. However, the same is not evidenced throughout the book. Eliezer grows up believing that God is absolute and omnipresent. He is a...

Strife in Love Chapter in Lawrence’s “Sons and Lovers”

Introduction In Lawrence’s “Sons and Lovers”, when approaching the title of chapter eight, ‘Strife in love’, it is evident that we will encounter incidents of love in the chapter, that love will be dominant therein, but looking at strife in its independent contextual meaning, then, the kind of love in...

The Histories by Herodotus: Meaning and Purposes

Introduction Herodotus’ Histories, a multi-volume literary composition, is not a historical work in the modern sense of the genre. Describing the events that took place over the course of the Greco-Persian Wars serves as the major theme in the book, yet along the way, the author also creates a thorough...

Second Person Narrative in The Fall: A Unique Perspective

The point of view an author chooses to use when writing is often an integral choice to make in describing a story (Hawke 1). The most common points of view used by writers are first person, second person, and third person. Although they affect different aspects of writing, they are...

Women’s Oppression in The Yellow Wallpaper

The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is one of the best examples of Gothic literature. Being considered as the scary writing at the times when the story was written, however, some time passed and the story has been interpreted from different perspectives involving various angles of consideration. A close...

“Mastery, Tyranny, and Desire” by Bernard Trevor

Introduction Mastery, Tyranny, & Desire is a book written by a historian Burnard Trevor and published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2003. The book addresses the subject of slavery, white privilege, and abuse of power by white plantation owners in Jamaica in the 18th century. The author...

Petrarchan Woman in Wyatt’s and Marvell’s Poems

Renaissance poetry has become influential in many ways. While not being followed directly, it has been incorporated in many areas of art and served as a source of inspiration to several generations of poets. A great example of this is Francesco Petrarch, whose poetry of the early Renaissance was both...

Life-Death Contrast in Flannery O’Connor’s Stories

Introduction The present paper is a review of two stories written by Flannery O’Connor – A Good Man Is Hard to Find and The River – regarding their depiction of the concept of death. The two readings incorporate the concept of death in very different ways, and it is apparent...

Gender Roles in “Herland” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Introduction The book Herland written by an American writer Charlotte Perkins Gilman tells about young men who randomly got into an unusual place where only women lived. The way of life of local inhabitants was completely different from a standard order. These women have special laws for raising children; they...

“The Way to Rainy Mountain” by Navarre Scott Momaday

The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday is a literary work that stands out based on a variety of elements and features. The purpose of this work was for the author to connect with the readers by means of communicating a unique autobiographical story that was far more...

The Glass Menagerie and Portrait of a Girl in Glass

The Glass Menagerie was the first successful play written by Tennessee Williams in 1945. It brought the author great fame and success and alleviated him to the ranks of America’s most esteemed and regarded playwrights. This play introduced the genre of a “memory play” to the theater, characterized by the...

Behavior in “The Slipover Sweater” by Jesse Stuart

There is no use denying the fact that people are different and they all have their tastes and styles of behavior. This fact makes our life more interesting as one can never know what awaits him/her and how a person will react to certain actions. The story The Slipover Sweater...

The Laramie Project: Exploring Themes of Identity and Community in Kaufman’s Play

The Laramie Project was supposed to highlight and unfold the story of how a town responds to tragedy, controversy and worldwide media attention. The citizens gave a chronology of events and how they were able to combat the disaster. The paper would discuss the unfolding events and their consequences in...

Canto III in The Divine Comedy by Dante

Introduction Canto III describes Dante’s first acquaintance with Hell and the interpersonal changes that occur in the pilgrim’s inner world as a result. This part demonstrates to the pilgrim the sufferings of those people who did not strive hard during their earthly life to make the right choice between the...

The Things They Carried: The Main Characters and the Underlying Themes

This essay discusses a famous novel about the war in Vietnam called The Things They Carried. It also gives a piece of background information about the writer, Tim O’Brien. In the essay, there is a discussion of the main characters and the underlying themes. The author analyzes some of the...

“The Romance of the Forest” a Novel by Ann Radcliffe

Despite being set in a particular time and place, Radcliffe’s story actually transpires in a space of imagination and feeling; it is the moral and emotional state of her characters that form the focus of the author’s attention, with a Cinderella plot underpinning their journey of towards discovery and reward....

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman

Summary Authored by Anne Fadiman, the book, The Spirit catches you and you fall down, unfolds the drama of clashing epistemologies. The book narrates a story of a “family whose second youngest daughter (Lia Lee) struggles with illness having been diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy” (Guerrero, Laughrea, McVicker, & Bradley, 2002,...

Characters of Katherine Min’s “Courting a Monk”

Introduction Courting a Monk is a distinctive example of the Asian-American short stories. It is one of the most recognizable works of Katherine Min, an author famous for her ironic depiction of the cross-cultural issues together with the deep analysis of the psychological growth and evolving of the characters in...

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Introduction The problem of the relationship between humans and technology is often discussed nowadays. In the 20th century, when Philip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? was published. This problem was no less important than now. Many post-apocalyptic novels depicted the horrible future that could follow the future...

The Struggle of Elie Wiesel in “Night”: An Insightful Reflection on Humanity

Introduction The book shows Eliezer’s struggle with faith in God. This theme is quite dominant throughout the story. For instance, other characters like Akiba Drumer, among others lose faith in God. In the face of fiery problems, God seems silent on them. Moreover, Jews in concentration camps wonder why their...

Eliezer’s Love for Family and God: A Deep Dive

Introduction Eliezer loves both his family and God-given his strict reverence to the Jewish tradition. However, he seems to love God more than he loves his father. This is evident when he defies his father’s wish by studying Cabbala. However, as trouble surfaces, he tends to lose faith in God...

Analyzing Themes and Character Development in Jane Austen’s “Persuasion”

It is often argued that politics in our democratic societies consists of various parties offering their ideas on the market and individual people deciding which ones of those ides they like best. However, in practice, persuasion plays an immense role in shaping people’s belief systems in a way that corresponds...

“In Cold Blood” by Truman Capote

Truman Capote in his book In cold blood has created allocated the main character varied strengths and intolerance. This is the main character and he is known as Perry Smith. In general Perry Smith has been described as having a disproportionate body with a heavy muscular torso and broad shoulders...

“Paradise Lost: Book II” by John Milton

In general, the British literature highlights Satan’s convincing tactics on the two characters in the story. The two characters faced several problems, and through the text, we see that Satan is convincing them to choose the death path to avoid any more suffering. The opening line of the literature is...

Robert Frost’s Symbolism: Philosophical Issues in Poetry

Touching upon various ethical and religious issues, contemporary authors define the concepts of physical versus spiritual life and transcendence. It is important to consider all the symbols and the context of the previous works of the writer or poet and his/her life experience for decoding all the messages of the...

“Uphill”, “At the Border” and “Dreams of Suicide”

Mysterious and catching poetry has captivated people’s hearts and minds for centuries. Poetry widely uses various literary devices, such as allegory, allusion, metaphor, etc., which contribute to its expressiveness. The poem “Uphill” explores the theme of a spiritual journey in an allegorical form. “At the Border” is another poem using...

Homeric Worldview’ Main Features – Greek Mythology

The Homeric worldview resembles the orthodox Greek perspective (Cunningham & Reich 39). The Homeric conception of the world characterized a flat and rounded disk of land enclosed by an endless ocean stream. Based on the above representation, it was believed that the earth’s plateau was amid Oceanus. The sun, the...

Eliezer and His Father: Relationship Reinforced in Marion Wiesel’s “Night”

Marion Wiesel’s book titled “Night” has done a commendable job not only in documenting historical truths about some physical events that happened during the Holocaust, but also attempting to create an emotional picture of the grotesque events experienced by individuals during that time. The book avidly demonstrates how the most...

Hamlet by William Shakespeare: Summary of the Play

Introduction The play begins with Prince Hamlet going back home for his father’s funeral. The prince feels depressed when he finds out that his uncle, Claudius, had already remarried Gertrude, his mother. Claudius immediately becomes the king after the death of King Hamlet, yet Prince Hamlet is the right heir...

“The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde

Welcome to our The Importance of Being Earnest essay sample! Here, you’ll find the analysis of the story’s main themes and comedy elements. Get ideas for your essay on The Importance of Being Earnest with our essay sample. The Importance of Being Earnest Essay Thesis Statement Oscar Wilde had written...

Cultural Identity and Comfort Strategies in Janice Shinebourne’s Red Bean Cakes

Seeking Familiarity in a Foreign Culture In the title “Red Bean Cakes: New York and London” by Janice Shinebourne, the setting shows that people look for familiar aspects in a foreign culture to combat unfamiliar surroundings. Adaptation of people to an unfamiliar environment can significantly depend on their personal qualities. Thus,...

White Wolf’s Role in Systemic Oppression and Identity in Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience

Character Analysis: Description, Motivations, and Conflicts Besides the main character, White Wolf is the most interesting person to discuss in “Welcome to Your Authentic Indian Experience” by Rebecca Roanhorse. He is elusive, ever-changing, and complex, perfect for representing Jesse’s interactions with the outside world. While he is introduced as a...

Loneliness and Desire for Connection in “Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield

Theme of Loneliness and the Desire for Connection The protagonist of “Miss Brill” spends every Sunday watching people at the park and seeing herself as a part of their lives, underscoring the movie’s central themes of loneliness and the desire for connection. Recurring words and phrases highlighting Miss Brill’s observation...

Orwell’s Insight Into Imperialism in “Shooting an Elephant”

Introduction George Orwell’s essay “Shooting an Elephant” is a masterpiece of English literature, which has been analyzed and discussed by scholars and critics worldwide. The piece is a reflection on the author’s experiences in Burma as an imperial police officer, during which he had to kill an elephant to keep...

Critiquing Social Norms Through Literary Devices in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”

Introduction Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” is a haunting short story that critiques the gender roles and societal expectations of the late 19th century. The author employs various literary devices throughout the story to convey her message. Setting the Stage: Confinement, Gender Roles, and the Narrator’s Perspective The novel’s...

Eugene Gant’s Romantic Quest in Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe

Introduction Eugene Gant’s odyssey in Thomas Wolfe’s “Look Homeward, Angel” is a quintessential Romantic journey, replete with the zeal for personal discovery and the yearning for transcendence that characterizes the American Romantic movement. This bildungsroman, or coming-of-age narrative, mirrors the Romantic ethos through its protagonist’s intense internal struggles, the passionate...

The Irony of Trifles in Susan Glaspell’s Play

The Significance Behind the Title: Why Trifles Reflects the Play’s Core Message The title “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell is a poignant choice that reflects the underestimation of women and their concerns by the male characters within the play. The term “trifles” refers to things of little importance or value. Throughout...

Nora’s Struggle in A Doll’s House: A Victim and Perpetrator of Circumstances

Introduction It is hard to disagree that most situations and people cannot be considered entirely good or bad and right or wrong. Numerous perspectives reveal other sides and angles, and an individual seen as an immoral hypocrite becomes a victim of certain circumstances. Thus, in Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll’s...

Nature, Knowledge, and Free Will in Shelley’s Frankenstein and Milton’s Paradise Lost

Introduction John Milton’s Paradise Lost and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein are two important literary works that explore how man interacts with his environment. Frankenstein examines man’s quest for knowledge and its effects, whereas Paradise Lost investigates his fall from grace and his endeavor to return to paradise. Both Shelley and Milton...

Rhetorical Devices in Writing by Orwell, Didion, and Vonnegut

Introduction The art of persuasive writing, a blend of creativity and technique, often relies on rhetorical devices such as pathos, ethos, and logos. George Orwell’s “Why I Write,” Joan Didion’s “On Keeping a Journal,” and Kurt Vonnegut’s “How to Write With Style” exemplify the mastery of these devices to connect...

Preserving Indigenous Identity in Wagamese’s Indian Horse

Introduction Literary works have great power, which can draw readers’ attention to the most critical and disturbing problems. An example of such a work is a novel by Richard Wagamese called Indian Horse. This work touches on a relatively large number of topics, including unfulfilled dreams, the influence of alcohol...

Nancy Mairs: A Pioneering Voice in Disability Rights and Feminism

Introduction Nancy Mairs is a renowned author and disability rights advocate whose work has been recognized for its frankness and willingness to tell her story to increase recognition in the disability community. Despite several severe disabilities, this person has achieved excellence in education and has become a prominent author. Mairs...

Ideas in “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” by Hemingway

Introduction A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is a powerful short story written by Ernest Hemingway that evokes a lot of melancholic thoughts in the reader. Many readers of Hemingway are familiar with his talent for creating short but emotionally rich stories with deep meaning. The themes and ideas Hemingway explores through...

Racism and Discrimination in Smith’s Poems

Racism and racial disparities are among the significant issues in the world today. The social concern goes back to the enslavement period when white supremacy was a lifestyle. Although the issue has lessened with time, racial disparities are still evident in many sectors such as the justice system, film and...

Achilles and Aeneas Discussion

According to Greek mythology, Achilles is also called Achilles and mainly refers to a Trojan War hero who is considered the greatest of all all-time among the Greek warriors. As a result, he was regarded as a central character of Homer’s Iliad as displayed in mythology. On the other hand,...

Visual Elements in Frankenstein Novel by Shelley

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is one of the famous novels which influenced the development of the science fiction and horror genres. Numerous generations of readers were inspired by it and appreciated the atmosphere created by the author. Thus, Frankenstein: The Graphic Novel represents the story from another angle using specific...

Round Character in “Young Goodman Brown” by Hawthorne

According to Meyer, round characters often display the inconsistencies and internal conflicts found in most real people. The term is used in fiction to portray lifelike figures who exhibit multifaceted and complex personalities. They often possess dimension and depth and undergo personal development as the story progresses. Round characters have...

The Novel “Emma” by Jane Austen

Introduction Jane Austen’s book titled Emma is a novel focusing on romantic misunderstandings and youthful hubris. Initially published in 1815, the book entails events in the fictional Highbury country village that explores the difficulties and concerns of women during Georgian-Regency England. The book is a comedy that highlights social status,...

“Thinking as a Hobby” Book by William Golding

The three statuettes in the headmaster’s office that Golding writes about are a miniature of Rodin’s Thinker, a miniature of Venus de Milo, and a statuette of a crouching leopard. In Golding’s view, the statuette of Venus represented the third grade of thinking. While it is a symbol of beauty...

A Rose for Emily: The Theme of Tradition

Many people at some stage of their lives and almost all nations at certain points in history encounter the dilemma related to their cultural traditions. On the one hand, it is widely agreed that the new challenges necessitate new solutions that should eventually substitute the older ‘ways’. On the other...

“The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea” and “First Encounters” Interpretation

Introduction Primary and secondary sources in history are essential because they allow researchers to establish the course of certain important events. They serve as evidence to analyze the past and either confirm or refute different hypotheses or theories about it. Sources that are commonly considered unique and highly important for...

The Novel “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi

Introduction Persepolis is a novel by Marjane Satrapi, published in 2003. The novel explores many important themes such as family life in the context of the Iranian Revolution, political tension, expectations, cultural differences, and others. This book consists primarily of graphic representation, so the novel received the status of a...

Themes of Violence in “The Lottery” Story

In the short tale, The Lottery, violence is portrayed as a plea to tradition and social order. The narrator shows that while the people seem to be keepers of tradition, the irony associated with their devotion is their inability to remember its details. That is the reason why “no one...

Faith and Violence in the “Night” Memoir by Elie Wiesel

Night by Elie Wiesel is a 1960 memoir that recounts the author’s experience with his father during the holocaust in concentration camps between the years 1944 and 1945. Wiesel depicts horrifying actions committed by people and thereby establishes a number of themes prevalent in his work. Overall, the thesis of...

“The Death of Ivan Ilyich” by Tolstoy

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Tolstoy is a novella presenting a chronicle of the illness and death of a judicial official Ivan Ilyich, preceded by his life story. Through the description of how Ivan Ilyich experiences the approaching end, Tolstoy conveys the message of spiritual salvation. In The Death...

Atmosphere of “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin

Introduction James Baldwin’s short story “Sonny’s Blues” makes a reader thoughtful of the major issues many people have to face in their lives. Family, challenges, failure, recovery, and every person’s stamina are addressed in this literary piece. Due to the limits of the form, the author has to choose every...

Act II of “The Seagull” Play by Anton Chekhov

There are a number of themes that are prominent throughout Anton Chekhov’s “The Seagull”, a majority of which can be seen in the second act of the play. In particular, an apt reader can identify a running idea of love, the self and its perception, as well as appreciation of...

Analysis of “Anyone Lived in a Pretty How Town” by Cummings

“Anyone lived in a pretty how town” is a part of the poem’s collection written by Cummings. The poem represents a small society of people who lead ordinary life following the traditional cycle, such as getting married and creating a family to achieve something significant. The poem has two main...

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner: An Analysis of Homer Baron’s Character

In William Faulkner’s short story A Rose for Emily, Homer Baron plays the second fiddle to the main character who is Emily Grierson. Even so, Homer cannot be described as being a minor character or an antagonist in the story. Homer, as portrayed in the story, suits that of a...

Fear in “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

In his story, Young Goodman Brown Hawthorne uses the character’s journey into the forest as an allegory for his disillusionment with puritanical faith. Goodman Brown, although fears the forest because of the Indians who may be behind each tree, still considers it as the habitat of the devil. He is...

Corrupting Force of Power: The Tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare

Introduction The lust for power influences people’s decisions, their ability to think soberly and act on the basis of principles. The tragedy Macbeth by William Shakespeare for whom the desire for power becomes decisive in the loss of humanity. Macbeth Macbeth’s actions to gain power begin with the assassination of...

“Oryx and Crake” by Margaret Atwood

Modern society is increasingly concerned about the problems of environmental destruction, which are the consequences of human activity. Although many works have been written in the 21st century describing the possible catastrophic results of long-term human impact on nature, Margaret Atwood in Oryx and Crake does it from a new...

Morality: Interpreting Good and Evil in Beowulf

Introduction The confrontation of good and evil is a common theme in fictional literature. The author uses narration to introduce heroes and villains to readers, prompting them to elaborate on the morality and justification of the character’s actions. In the case of Beowulf‘s characters Beowulf and Grendel, the distinction between...

Feminist Perspectives in ‘Trifles’: Analyzing Susan Glaspell’s Play

Introduction When it comes to producing a theatrical play, it is director’s responsibility to be in charge of the whole concept, while its component artistic and technical elements are usually brought to life with the help of actors, designers and technical team. The collaboration of the contractors is the key...

“There Will Come Soft Rains” Story by Ray Bradbury

Although Ray Bradbury has created many engaging narratives, a particularly intriguing text written by the author is There Will Come Soft Rains. The story concentrates on a house that, hour by hour, performs various duties to serve its inhabitants (Bradbury, n.d.). Nonetheless, the reader gradually realizes that there are no...

Is Shakespeare Still Relevant Today?

The human experience is complex and multi-faceted, encompassing many emotions, experiences, and qualities. Throughout history, writers and artists have attempted to capture what it means to be human, exploring the universal qualities that connect us all. During the Renaissance in Elizabethan England, a time of significant cultural and societal change,...

Retelling “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson is the author of the short story “The Lottery,” written in 1948. All citizens of a small village gather in the square between the post office and the bank. It is a warm and sunny morning of June 27th, so it is high time to organize the lottery,...

Discrimination in Charlotte’s Web Book by White

Charlotte’s Web, written by E.B. White, is a children’s book and is often seen as an innocent story of a piglet named Wilbur, who made friends with a spider named Charlotte. However, when analyzing the story closer, one can see that it transcends a simple narration and illustrates discrimination, which...

Money and Wealth in Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”

Introduction It is hard to disagree that one of the key topics in Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby is money and its role in people’s lives. All key characters in the book are relatively rich, but it is possible to find similarities and differences in how they perceive...

Carnival, Memory, Identity & The Dragon Can’t Dance by E.Lovelace Review

According to the Russian theorist Mikhail Bahktin, a specific type of holiday is optional in all historical festivities. The most crucial is an emerging force preserved in it and contributes to the flight from the capture of “official culture,” such as the state, the church, or other suppressive systems. In...

Gender Inequality in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, “A Rose for Emily”, and “Trifels”

Introduction This research paper focuses on analyzing three texts: A Rose for Emily, written by William Faulkner, The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Susan Glaspell’s Trifles. All of the above works are prime examples of classic feminist literature and demonstrate the problem of gender inequality from a historical...

The Heroic Quest in “Sundiata” and “The Popol Vuh”

Introduction A heroic quest is when the protagonist of a story travels to faraway lands to pursue vital life goals that will benefit them individually or a group of people. One of the literary works that share the theme of the heroic quest is Sundiata by Djibril Tamsir, originally published...

Melville’s Bartleby vs. Kafka’s The Hunger Artist

Introduction The two literary works by Melville and Kafka contain several important similarities that have to be considered when making any conclusions regarding the contents of the two stories. First of all, it can be noted how Frantz Kafka and Herman Melville utilize a similar language for their respective stories...

Grandmother in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by O’Connor

Introduction In A Good Man Is Hard to Find, Flannery O’Connor explores such themes as family, prejudice, and finding grace, showing that human compassion could have transformative power. The juxtaposition between the two main stereotypical characters, the Misfit and the grandmother, is used to transfer the key message that in...

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,...

Shakespeare’s “Sonnet 116” Review

A sonnet is a special kind of poetry expression dedicated to the inner workings of the heart and mind. They explore what it implies to give love using a wide range of emotions and various tools. To define true love, William Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 first explains what it is not...

“The Lady With the Dog” by Anton Chekhov

Introduction “The Lady with the Dog” is one of the most famous short stories by Anton Chekhov. This Russian author is famous for his prose works that perfectly address and describe such essential issues as mood, character, feelings, and settings. Numerous international critics and experts highly appraise Chekhov’s short stories...

Dark Romanticism: Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown & Poe’s The Black Cat

The dark romanticism that characterized nineteenth-century New England writers is an integral part of classic horror literature. Typical representatives of this genre include such writers as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Edgar Alan Poe. The demonization of man and the predominance of psychological horror over the supernatural must be considered as the...

“The Fires of Jubilee” by Stephen B. Oates: Review

Introduction “The Fires of Jubilee” by Stephen B. Oates is an accurate, reliable source of Nat Turner’s biography regarding specific historical fragments – the Civil War and the Slave Rebellion. This text is one of the best examples of how this historian can be savvy on this topic. “The Fires...

Legacy of Love: Elie Wiesel’s Exploration of Father-Son Ties

Elie Wiesel’s memoir Night presents one of the most prominent works of Holocaust literature, which captures the author’s experience in Nazi concentration camps. One of the central themes in the Night is the development of the relationship between Eliezer and his father. Moreover, the father’s role as a caregiver in...

Literature Notebook Entry for “Dracula” by Bram Stoker

Introduction Dracula is a major character in the story because the novel has the same name. Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray are also important characters due to the way they contribute to the advancement of the novel. Dr. Abraham Van Helsing is another major character who is involved in the...

Everyday Use Short Story Analysis

Introduction Everyday Use is a short story written by American author Alice Walker. The narrative revolves around an African-American family and the conflict they face, primarily the schisms created by money, materialism, and greed. The set of characters is relatively narrow (Mama, Maggie, Dee, and Hakim-a-barber), but can showcase a...

Gambling Addiction in “The Power of Habit”

Gambling addiction has been haunting people for years. It is too difficult to give up the opportunity to make easy money because it seems to every gambler that his day will come and he will win a substantial sum of money. This craving for an easy life without worries and...

Fiction Elements in Chopin’s The Story of an Hour

In 1984, Kate Chopin published a short story titled “The Story of an Hour”. The name of the narrative alludes to the period of time during which Louise Mallard, the protagonist of the story, first finds that her husband, Brently, has passed away. Later on in this story, Brently discovers...

Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”: A Psychological Approach

The novel “The yellow paper” discusses the limitations imposed on women by society and domestic life and shows what impact these limitations may have on a person’s psyche. From a psychological point of view, doing nothing can lead to all kinds of psychological deviations as the desire for self-realization is...

Roald Dahl: Biography Main Points

Roald Dahl is one of the renowned authors. Dahl was named after a Norwegian scientist. Roald spent his boyhood in Oslo, Norway. His father died when he was four. Roald Dahl: Life Dahl’s initial school was Llandaff Cathedral School. Roald finished his education at Repton. Roald became Shell Petroleum Corporation...

The Short Story “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor

The novel A Good Man is Hard to Find was first published in 1953, and this work perfectly captures Flannery O’Connor’s style and writing technique. Her atmospheric writing does not leave anyone indifferent. Flannery O’Connor in “A good man is hard to find” uses literary elements such as description of...

“The Mysterious Stranger” Novel by Mark Twain

“The Mysterious Stranger” by Mark Twain is a novel revolving around humanity and its greatest sins. Introducing Satan as one of the main characters, the author reveals the lack of morals as one of the main shortcomings affecting everyone. Through his words, Twain describes the sins and problems the majority...

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,...

“Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” by ZZ Packer: Plot, Key Themes, and Topics

The collection of short stories Drinking Coffee Elsewhere is, in itself, an exploration of the role of race and ethnicity in modern American society and literature. By employing the lens of a specific narrator for each story, Packer makes them more personal, filled with the experiences of a living, breathing...

Selfishness and Individualism in O’Connor’s “A Good Man…”

Introduction “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is a Southern gothic narrative that reflects the realities of the American South in the 20th century. According to the literary theory of cultural studies, the author’s background significantly affects their writing, and “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” is a...

Characterization and Irony in “A&P” by John Updike

A&P is a comic short story written by John Updike in 1961. The story tells about a cashier guy in a store who was shocked by the appearance of three young female customers who came to the store in swimsuits. After the manager, as the main hero thought, disgraced girls...

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...

Lying in “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

In human life, lies are found in various forms and for many reasons. However, often, if not always, deceiving other people leads to lying to oneself. Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace,” tells about the senselessness of the pursuit of pretentiousness and brilliance of high society, which can turn out to...

“Where Tourists Don’t Go” and “Saving Work” by Yanique

Two stories by Tiphanie Yanique, namely “Where Tourists Don’t Go” and “Saving Work,” were selected to identify the inherent conflicts. Religion is a recurring theme in both narratives; race and ethnic identity are at stake. “A church is burning down” begins “Saving Work” (Yanique 41). Both white American ladies, Diedre...

Characters in “Two Kinds” Story by Amy Tan

Introduction Literature has undergone several dynamic shifts as a field relating to how information is conveyed and structured in a written piece. Character choice is a vital step in narration as it determines the length, style, tone, and literary devices used. In essence, in any work of literature, the relationships...

“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...

Chinua Achebe’s Life, Igbo Culture, and Things Fall Apart

Introduction All literary works are created within a specific historical era characterized by distinct beliefs, cultures, and experiences, which shape the artists’ story, perspective, and style. Published in 1958, Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart (TFA) mirrors the everyday socio-cultural context of the Igbo people as they struggled with the complexities...

The Heroic Qualities in “Sundiata” by Pickett and “Popol Vuh” by Goetz

In literature centered on the heroic quest, the heroic character often becomes an embodiment of the most important ideas and perceptions of the society of the corresponding period in which the literature piece was written. Through defining the culture, the societies and nations established their moral values and virtues, contributing...

“The Montgomery Bus Boycott and the Women Who Started It” by Robinson

Robinson’s Involvement in the Women’s Political Council As the first member in her household to finish college, Robinson accomplished her aspiration to become a teaching assistant. She tutored for five years in Macon, Georgia, while receiving her master’s degree from Atlanta University. She also studied English at New York’s Columbia...

Plot, Themes, and Characters of “Othello” by Shakespeare

Introduction Othello is a tragedy about heavy and terrible trials that the sublime and deep love of two beautiful people underwent. The noble Moor – Othello – who absorbed the culture of the Italian Renaissance, an experienced warrior, wounded by years and suffering, turns out to be powerless before the...

Marxist View of “Mary Poppins” Novel by Travers

Mary Poppins can be viewed from the point of view of Marxism as there are aspects such as social class, bourgeoisie, and proletariat. Earp (2021) notes that this piece is rife with hidden socialist ideas. The central figure, nanny Mary Poppins, is a representative of the proletariat. Chimney sweep Bert...

“Voices in the Park” Picture Book by Anthony Browne

Picture books use not only verbal but also visual means to build a story, including codes, structure, and narrative. William Moebius (1986) suggests looking at different codes in order to understand how text and pictures interact to create meaning. According to the researcher, positioning, perspective, framing, line, and colour can...

God’s Anthropomorphism and Divinity in Homer’s Poem “Iliad”

Introduction Homer’s epic poem Iliad is one of the most influential literary works in western literature, and it is a detailed description of the values, norms, and beliefs of Ancient Greece. The author depicts the Greek pantheon of gods and their multiple interactions with people. One of the major peculiarities...

Lessons From Memoir “Night” by Elie Wiesel

In “Night,” Elie Wiesel describes the suffering of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. After reading this book, I realized how strikingly different the perception of the horrors of this period was between Jews and people of other nationalities. The fact is that in ordinary life, we do not think...

Moral Catastrophe in “Les Misérables”

Introduction The moral concept of Les Miserables corresponds to Hugo’s view of life as a continuous alternation of light and darkness. Hugo raises the theme of crime as one of the terrible vices faced by the characters. Is it possible to justify a crime that is entirely in the throes...

Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe’s Detective Stories

The genre of detective stories comprises a long history of the evolution of formats and themes. In today’s cultural environment, such works are highly popular as authors continue to extend the limits of the genre. Nevertheless, in spite of the abundant history of detective stories, many of their elements can...

Climate Change in “The Parable of the Sower” by Butler

Octavia E. Butler wrote a novel in 1993 that has gained popularity in the academic spectrum. It is a post-apocalyptic knowledge literature novel that addresses climate modification and socioeconomic inequalities (Iossifidis, 2020). Several people have ventured into the novel and strived to learn about the Earthseed area she created by...

The Connection of Good and Evil in Tricksters Characters

The paper is devoted to analyzing the two characters of the Scandinavian and Greek myths: Loki and Prometheus. The psychological approach contributing to assessing and comparing particular characters’ behavior is used for the analysis. The ancient myths are the essential resource of knowledge that can help examine the behavior and...

The Book “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For” by Henry David Thoreau

Most people believe they should organize their lives and make decisions. They continue choosing colleges, enhancing skills, and earning a living. In his “Where I Lived, and What I Lived For,” Henry David Thoreau breaks all rules and proves it may be enough to live a simple life and be...

Causes of Violence as Depicted in Literature

Violence is the intentional use of physical power to threaten or cause harm to oneself or another. The essay features How to Read Literature like a Professor by Foster Thomas, The Things They Carried by O’Brien Tim, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, and Mallam Sile’s works to illustrate the theme...

“Guests of the Sheik”: Kinship System

The book Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village raises the topic of relationships and existence in the society of people in El Nahra. The subject of interaction between men and women is emphasized. While having different daily activities, men try to have complete control over women....

Edwidge Danticat’s “Brother, I’m Dying” Themes

Introduction In her memoir published in 2007, Edwidge Danticat tries to gather the whole picture of her broken family’s life: when Edwidge was four, her mother left the children with their uncle in Haiti to join her father in New York. At the age of twelve, Edwidge reunited with her...

Cinderella’s Love Story by Charles Perrault and the Brothers Grimm

Introduction The Cinderella Tales are one of the most popular types of fairy tales known today. The most popular ones seem to be Charles Perrault’s Cinderella and Aschenputtel by the Brothers Grimm, although both versions are essentially different. For example, the Grimm story is known for its cruelty, while Perrault’s...

Oedipus and Hamlet – Resilience in Tragedy

In Greek mythology, Oedipus, the king of the land of Thebes, portrays a king who brings disaster to himself and to the people he governs by killing his father and making his mother his wife. In search of the truth, Oedipus cares less about the danger his actions are about...