The Poem “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

In her poem “Girl,” Jamaica Kincaid explores a mother’s struggle to explain to her child the place of women in the social structure. The author’s aims are clear from her feminist actions, her relations with her family, and the poem’s format. This short fiction aims to demonstrate how women support...

“The Martian” by Andy Weir: Critical Review

Introduction The Martian is among the greatest science fiction novels Andy Weir published on his website in 2011. The book attracted a significant audience appreciation, making it among the New York Times Best Sellers. Andy Weir’s lifelong interest in science fiction inspired him to write The Martian. The novel’s review...

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,...

Women’s Worldview in “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell

There is a saying that differences between men’s and women’s perceptions make them appear as beings from different planets. The differences may not seem evident in everyday activities and interactions. The theater allows viewers to observe the distinct worlds of men and women. Trifles is a one-act play written by...

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...

The Role of Colors in the Superman Comics

Comics rely heavily on such a visual element as color. This is due to the fact that this aspect helps to fulfill many different tasks that the author faces when creating a work. So, the color helps to convey the characters’ mood and the narrative’s general atmosphere. Thus, this response...

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...

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...

“Under the Influence” by Scott Sanders

Scott Sanders uses various literary techniques and skillfully manipulates his vocabulary to produce the necessary conciliatory tone across his essay “Under the Influence.” Analogies and tropes are some of the most frequently utilized literary devices in “Under the Influence,” although the book contains numerous other literary devices. Sanders’ syntax plays...

Alienation in the Works of Hemingway and Faulkner

The themes of loneliness and alienation are shared among all writers of the Lost Generation. The desire to find a home and return to everyday life after the war influenced the styles of Hemingway and Faulkner. Similar life experiences encourage writers to depict events in dark tones, full of ambiguity...

A Transformation in “Trifles” Play by Glaspell

Glaspell’s proper dramatic debut was her second play, Trifles (published in 1916), which genuinely revealed her range as an artist. Written at the request in a short time, in cramped circumstances, it is surprisingly devoid of any traces of its forced birth. The author uses emotion manipulation technique to play...

The Victorian Age Through the Prism of Satire

The Importance of Being Earnest belongs to Oscar Wilde’s famous high-society comedies. The author, breaking the canons of entertainment theater, brings to the stage a satirical mockery of the mores of his contemporary bourgeois society and invites the audience to laugh at the surrounding reality. Wilde, a lover of passage...

Millay’s “I, Being Born a Woman and Distressed”

Blazing the trail for a new philosophy is always a challenge; however, the task becomes excruciating when the idea in question is as unpopular as the concept of feminism at the dawn of its development. Edna St. Vincent Millay was one of the few American poets who managed to skewer...

“The Ode with a Lament”: Main Idea and Problems

Pablo Neruda is a Chilean poet, politician, and diplomat, and the author was born in 1904. As the recipient of several literary prizes, Neruda’s contribution to literature has been significant. Pablo Neruda is the creative pseudonym of the author, which has changed several times. Financial difficulties were the main problem...

The “Goblin Market” Poem by Christina Rossetti

Introduction Authors often put their ideas and ideals into their works, and Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” utilizes literary devices to share her vision on religious beliefs. God is present in all Rossetti’s works, as her world views are heavily influenced by the Church (Şirket and Alban 27). The literary devices...

Women in Odyssey, Antigone, and Epic of Gilgamesh

Introduction The role of females in different societies and at different times is one of the most discussed topics nowadays. Although now the world is close to gender equality, thousands of years ago, the role of a man and a woman distinguished drastically, and a person was treated due to...

Character Analysis in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice

Shylock – the hero of W. Shakespeare’s comedy The Merchant of Venice – is a Jewish pawnbroker. Shylock lends money to the merchant Antonio on the security of a pound of meat from his chest and seeks to execute an agreement concluded between them in court. Plays about Jews were...

The Story “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell

The theme of relations with nature has always been important for society. The attitude and understanding of this concept have been changing along with the development of society and technologies. The idea of the individual as a part of the world was replaced by the belief that human beings are...

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...

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...

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Skloot

Referring to The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, the Lacks family should be compensated financially for the HeLa cells. The first reason the process should happen is the need to develop insurance medicine and guarantee the protection of people from diseases and their consequences. The issue of...

Social Class in the Greed Poem by Philip Schultz

Philip Schultz is one of the renowned poets who used his work to portray various issues that affect the stability of a given nation. In the poem Greed, he portrays how different individuals make decisions that contribute to the instability of the nation (Poetry Foundation, “Philip Schultz”). The poet refers...

“With the Old Breed” Lessons for Modern Marine Corps

Introduction The memoir book With the Old Breed: At Peleliu and Okinawa, written by Marine Eugene Sledge, reveals some details of the Pacific Theater during World War II. As part of the Marine Corps, the author survived heavy battles, suffered the loss of comrades, and made his conclusions about the...

Erich Maria Remarque’s ‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ – Anti-War Classic

Introduction “All Quiet on the Western Front” is an opposition book set throughout World Conflict I that draws on Remarque’s own experiences in the war to portray the era’s more considerable disenchantment. William Pfeiler is a critique who thinks that this novel is a world sensation (Pfeiler). The book is...

“Great Ideas Why I Write” by George Orwell

In his article, George Orwell details his childhood and early dreams of becoming a writer. He talks about his first poems and plays and how hardy and quick he was as a writer in his youth (Orwell, Great Ideas Why I Write (Penguin Great Ideas)). For George Orwell from childhood,...

“A Good Man Is Hard to Find”: Characters and Writing Style

“A Good Man is Hard to Find” is the most famous short story by Flannery O’Connor included in a collection of ten tense stories, filled with supernatural horror and fraught with the explosion, filigree combining realism and absurdity. Those accustomed to a more optimistic view of surroundings, the obligatory “happy...

Review of “Stranger” by Georg Simmel

The Stranger is an essay written by Georg Simmel in 1908 in which the author explores the sociological meaning behind the term and the concept of the stranger. In his explorations, the author studies the concept through different lenses of philosophy, economy, and through his relations and position in the...

“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” Poem Analysis

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is an anonymous poem written in England in the second half of the 14th century. It narrates about the adventures of one of the most popular characters of medieval literature (Smith, 2018). While the poem proclaims the chivalric ideals, its plot is based on...

Complex Claim: “Sonnet 18” by William Shakespeare

Sonnet 18 is one of Shakespeare’s most famous and best-known works. Some people like this poem because of the opening romantic phrase: ”Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” (Shakespeare line 1). Every avid romanticist knows by heart this comparative metaphor and uses this literary comparison towards their beloved....

Octavia E. Butler’s Kindred Book Analysis

Octavia E. Butler’s book Kindred illustrates how significant one’s surroundings can be in molding one’s beliefs and behaviors. One’s environment is made up of situations and connections, and the most important is speech. Dana’s civilization differs substantially from Rufus’s world, and so the approach these individuals use and perceive words...

Themes and Techniques in Literary Passages

Introduction Literary techniques are essential in advancing the meaning that an author intends to portray. The passage Book of Songs (B) is a poem whose main theme is grief and sorrow. The poet used comparison in several instances to reflect the theme of grief. Another passage titled The Works of...

Shakespeare’s “Othello”: A Venetian Tragedy of Love

Introduction William Shakespeare is the master of tragic plays, among which Othello, Macbeth, and King Lear are central. In this case, a tragedy narrates a plot about a good person losing their true sense of self due to mistakes in judgment or a character defect in unusual circumstances. In contrast...

Analysis of Othello Speech With Brabantio

It is important to note that identifying rhetorical situations and strategies is critical in order to comprehensively understand the underlying message behind a character’s speech. The key elements of such an assessment involve purpose, audience, speaker, and occasion, where the rhetorical strategies can be centered around pathos, logos, or ethos....

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...

“The Vanishing Half” by Britt

The Vanishing Half is a multi-generational, multi-geographic story that jumps back and forth between the 1950s and the late 1990s, and from Mallard, a small, light-skinned community, to New Orleans and the Northern States. The novel covers, among others, the topics of colorism and the ways in which it affects...

Analysis of Three Poems Written by African Americans

Literary works created by African American writers during the era of angry social complaints against racial profiling share many similarities in terms of structure and themes. This interrelationship has resulted in literature characterized by expressive social insight, providing informative evaluations of American histories and identities. Moreover, the black American literature...

Angelitos Negros by Andres Eloy Blanco Review

The United States is a country rich in cultural diversity and differences in ethnic communities, due to this fact, it has repeatedly faced racial, ethnic, confessional and social problems, which are still perceived very acutely in our time. Discrimination, racial segregation, racism, nationalism led to acute social conflicts, which in...

Literary Analysis of “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor

Bailey and his wife, together with the three kids and their grandmother, decided to visit Florida. During this time, The Misfit had escaped from prison and was on the run. Along the way, the grandmother recognizes a childhood plantation, and she yearns to visit it (Flannery 2). She convinces Bailey,...

Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart”

Edgar Allan Poe is a well-known master of macabre stories, saturated with Gothic atmosphere, madness, and decay. One example is “The Tell-Tale Heart,” similar to other authors’ works, such as “The Black Cat,” because of the murder and concealment motif. However, the story is distinctive insomuch as the wrongdoer is...

What Is Shakespeare’s Definition of Love?

William Shakespeare, an English poet, and playwright wrote “Sonnet 116.” It was most likely written in the 1590s, during English literature when sonnets were famous, although it was not published until 1609. Although Shakespeare’s sonnets were not well received during his lifetime, “Sonnet 116” has become one of the most...

Romanticism in Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”

Mark Twain’s famous novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer illustrates the Romanticism tradition in depicting the characters. Even though the romantic literature was in a state of collapse at the time of the novel’s writing, Twain preserved the inherent image for this movement. The dreams and desires of the main...

Review of “Othello” by Shakespeare

“Othello” is one of the most unique and outstanding works of the great William Shakespeare. There are actually more profound, complex, thought-provoking topics behind the author’s main idea, which lies on the surface. So, the main characters and their stories of the work are known to everyone, even if they...

Analysis of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Introduction Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery is a short story that tells about a fictional village where people are gathered for an annual lottery, in which all the villagers take part. The lottery has been held for many years as a tradition, and the tickets are drawn to select one person...

Freedom in Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried

Generally acknowledged as one of the most preeminent pieces of Vietnam War Literature, Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried portrays the raw and sincere image of war through short linked stories completely refrained from political aspects. Although there is no defined storyline in the book, it is compensated by the...

Help for Kya in Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

Where the Crawdads Sing is a modern novel created by Delia Owens in 2018. The author narrates the story of a girl who has to learn how to live independently at a very young age. At the beginning of the story, she lived in a rundown shack in the marshlands...

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...

Life Influences and the Works of Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Introduction Literature has existed for centuries, teaching, admonishing, and highlighting social issues. Every piece of literature is unique, from the source to the intended message to the audience. In every case, authors are motivated to compose their works by several circumstances and life experiences. Although some authors may not directly...

Environment in “Royal Beatings” Short Story by Alice Munro

Alice Munro’s “Royal Beatings” is a story that describes the life of a poverty-seeking society and families at the time of the Great Depression. The main characters of the tale Rose, her father, her stepmother, and her half-brother, present the image of the average family occupied by all hardships of...

“My Life as a Muslim in a West’s Grey Zone” by Lalami

In “My life as a Muslim in a West’s Grey Zone”, Laila Lalami discusses the treatment of Muslims not involved in terrorist organizations in the West. She explains that Muslims who do not support the actions of ISIS are referred to as a grey zone. However, the attitude towards this...

Review of “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

The story of “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan narrates about a Chinese girl who finds it hard to recognize her identity, who is in disagreement with her mother who believes that she can achieve great things in the USA. Her mother motivates her to be a musical expert, to challenge...

“The Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman

Introduction The Song of Myself is a 52-part poem written by Walt Whitman in 1855. In the poem, the speaker praises the human body for its ability to join with self and nature. This union between the body and self provides a religious experience for the speaker and all humanity....

Desdemona and Lago’s Conflict in “Othello” by Shakespeare

In this passage, there is a conflict between Desdemona and Iago over women’s nature, which ends with the victory of a rational and objective way of thinking. The woman argues with the man and is indignant at his feeble mind. Although she does not have so much experience in life,...

Spencer’s “One Day I Wrote Her Name” Sonnet Analysis

This work presents the 75th sonnet by Edmund Spencer and belongs to the sonnet cycle “Amoretti,” which can be translated from Italian as “admiration.” Spencer’s poetic speech is distinguished by its originality both in terms of national coloring and its form and symbolism. It is an example of an English...

Male Characters in “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen

The Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen created the play A Doll’s House in 1879. The play’s central theme is the position of women in society; contemporaries perceived the drama as a feminism manifesto. However, the problems of A Doll’s House are not limited to the women’s issue: it is about the...

Analysis of Sonnet 75 by Edmund Spencer

Sonnet 75 was written by Edmund Spencer, a famous English writer who popularized special sonnets named after him. This poem has a typical Spencerian structure that includes three interlocked quatrains, early Volta, and a couplet that provides a solution. It has a more complex rhyme system than the typical English...

Formation of Gender Identity in “Fun Home” by Alison Bechdel

Throughout Alison Bechdel’s tragicomic Fun Home, the author demonstrates her and her father Bruce’s opposing views on the concept of sexuality. Their different definitions of the significance of gender roles cause tension in their formation of sexual orientations in the presence of each other. The distinct ways in which they...

Adelita and Cinderella Characters’ Comparison

The story of an orphaned girl with a tough life meeting a prince who falls in love with her is universal, and different cultures have their own interpretations of it. Thus, Cinderella, which is inherent to the English tradition, and Adelita, which belongs to the Mexican tradition, share the same...

United States Colonialism in Sherman Alexie’s “Evolution” Poem

Introduction Postcolonial theory claims that the members of decolonized cultures develop a specific postcolonial identity, shaped by the unequal power dynamics of their colonial past. This identity is based on the collective trauma and exists in response to the oppression the identity holders had experienced in the darker parts of...

“Creon in Antigone”: Analysis

The tragedy is named after the main character. Polyneices, brother of Antigone, the daughter of King Oedipus, betrayed his relatives Thebes, took part in the Campaign of the Seven against them, and died in the struggle with his brother Eteocles, the defender of the homeland. King Creon forbade the traitor...

American Gothic Novel “Wieland” by Brown

Wieland as a Gothic Novel Wieland is a great example of an early gothic novel. The gothic elements of its storytelling and narratively play an irreplaceable role and critically frame the main points of the discussion. To be precise, the use of the more supernatural elements is used as a...

Technology in Burning Chrome by William Gibson

Introduction William Gibson’s story Burning Chrome depicts an advanced but soulless society where most technological advances are portrayed as distorted by commercialization and human mechanization rather than improving the quality of life. However, the main characters are depicted as completely dependent on technology. Technology is not only a global achievement...

Analysis of “The Lottery” Story by Shirley Jackson

The famous short story The Lottery, written by the American writer Shirley Jackson was published in 1948 in The New Yorker. The work caused a great stir among the population that still not recovered from the sufferings of World War II (Sar and Pradika 2). The feeling of anxiety, masterfully...

Mark Twain’s Satire in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

In his work, Mark Twain extensively used satire, which is defined as the intentional humorous exaggeration and irony, mostly aimed at exposing people’s stupidity and failings. In the books, stories, and essays, Twain sought to shed light on the stupidity and hypocrisy of people around him, specifically to ridicule the...

How Significant are the Symbols? in “Barn Burning” by William Faulkner

“Barn Burning” is a story that revolves majorly between a father and a son. Snopes tends to burn his landlord’s barns down, and the son had to testify in court. Having to choose between staying true to oneself and betraying the person one cares about is one of the hardest...

The New Colossus Poem by Emma Lazarus

Anthology The New Colossus is a famous poem written by Emma Lazarus in 1883 (Lazarus 2000). I chose that poem as it has an interesting history behind it and is related to one of the most well-known sites in the US. The unique aspect of its history is that the...

Friendship and Good Life in “Song of Myself” Poem by Walt Whitman

The poem “Song of Myself” is an epic work of literature as the poet dedicates it to celebrating himself. An interesting aspect of the poem is its length and its free verse nature. It is divided into fifty-two sections, with each part introducing a slightly new concept about celebrating oneself...

The Outcasts of Poker Flat Short Story by Bret Harte

Human nature, as complicated and mysterious as it is, has been a subject of artists’ expression since the old days. However, frequently, the peculiarities of existence become rather modified in order to create a “wow” effect on the recipient. Driven by the idea that people’s life may be thrilling with...

Satire in “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz”

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz is a satirical novel written by Canadian writer Mordecai Richler, which describes Duddy Kravitz’s life. The main character, a Jew from Montreal, Quebec, tries his best to become rich, not paying attention to all the sacrifices made for this purpose. The author of the novel...

The Moral Strength and Failure of Relationships in “Young Goodman Brown”

Introduction Morality does not exist in a vacuum; moral beliefs, judgments, and acts are only possible within the context of interpersonal relationships. The various forms of human relations can at once reflect and influence morals. Throughout his writing career, Nathaniel Hawthorne pays close attention to the questions of morality. Hawthorne’s...

Lies vs. Truths in Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Othello”

Different people may subscribe to different types and levels of beliefs due to cultural-religious or social factors. Some of these beliefs may not be straightforward altogether in terms of the meaning and truth they carry, but people may tend to stick to them. What exactly this means is that a...

The History Behind “On Being Brought From Africa to America”

In the Poem “On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Phillis Wheatley, an in-depth interpretation will show that Wheatley contrasts dark vs. light imagery, and her use of language highlights race and religion. Furthermore, the author uses an ambivalent representation of the African race using the perspectives of white...

Mystery, Morality, and Miracle Plays – “Everyman”

Introduction The medieval theater originated in the deep layers of folk culture. Its roots are associated with ancient ritual games, folklore, and the creative work of wandering actors. Their performances gave viewers a cheerful spirit and amused them. Actors and jugglers made fun shows where everyone was ridiculed. Some of...

Those Winter Sundays Poem by Robert Hayden

The Poet Robert Hayden wrote the poem “Those Winter Sundays” depicting a Person remembering the love of his father that he failed to understand when he was young and returned with cold indifference. The protagonist is shown to be lamenting his past relationship with his father. The claim that the...

Manifestations of Faith in 16th-Century Writers’ Famous Works

Introduction Universal ideas about life, love, and religion are evident in the works of numerous writers. Many literary pieces represent the author’s thoughts on these subjects, which might correspond or contrast depending on the professionals’ views. The topic of religion was a prominent theme for various writers of the 16th...

The Triumph of Death: A Prominent Theme in Gothic Literature

No species is more deserving of accolades than humans for consistently executing the dual role of creating problems and solving them. While some challenges predate humanity, many wrongs people seek correct are artificial. Mired in the endless maze of thanatophobia, the fear of death, people have grown overly preoccupied with...

Jealousy and Its Examples in Literature

Introduction Jealousy occurs when a person longs for something they do not possess, whether it is a relationship, talent, or a material object. People may choose to control the natural reactions regarding this feeling or exhibit them freely regardless of the consequences. Jealousy could occur toward other humans, dead or...

Ambiguity of Goodness in O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”

In the chef-d’oeuvre story, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, O’Connor presents an ambiguous definition of goodness. The characters in the story including the Grandmother and the Misfit live by different moral codes, with each insisting that he or she is good. The Misfit murders and entire family, but...

Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man Is Hard to Find”: The Role of The Misfit

A Goodman is Hard to Find is a short story created by Flannery O’Connor back in 1953. It should primarily be mentioned that this literature piece is very interesting to read because it makes the readers think about the main characters and their distinguishing features, and apply the identified ideas...

Edwin Arlington’s “Richard Cory” Poem Analysis

Introduction The author skillfully springs a surprise on his unsuspecting audience when Richard Cory violently ends his life. The ironic contrast created highlights certain facts about life. For instance, it is virtually impossible to identify events happening within a person by looking at external features. In addition, the people society...

“I Am Malala” by Malala Yousafzai: Review

I am Malala, or also known by its full title as “I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban”, is an autobiographical book by Malala Yousafzai. It has won at both Specsavers National Book Awards, and the 2013 Goodreads...

Comparing the Archetype of Satan in The Chronicles of Narnia and His Dark Materials

Introduction It is impossible to imagine the world without literature and its advancements. It is so because all peoples create some writing pieces, meaning that this field has many universally acknowledged features. Archetypes are one of them, and Carl Jung developed this term to denote a pattern or model that...

Strength in One’s Convictions in Shakespeare’s “Othello”

Introduction Strong convictions pave the way for great actions. In his play Othello, Shakespeare explores the extent to which characters display strength of conviction when confronted with societal expectations from them by developing ideas around constructs such as objectification of women, prejudiced pride, and warped masculinity. The struggles of the...

Prejudice and Lost Innocence in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”

\Frankenstein’s monster is, perhaps, one of the most sympathetic characters in the pantheon of monsters that have become emblematic of the horror genre. Although modern readers are unlikely to find the novel quite as chilling as their predecessors did, “Frankenstein” raises quite several disturbing themes that still hold relevance for...

“Song of the Humming Bird” by Graciela Limon Review

This essay will review the book of Graciela Limon ‘Song of the Hummingbird’, which describes the story of the Aztecs’ fall told from the perspective of a Huitzitzilin, a Hummingbird. The main point of the book is in uncovering the similarities and differences of Christian and pagan culture. Moreover, it...

“The Other Two” Short Story by Edith Wharton

In the short story “The Other Two,” Wharton describes a husband, Mr. Waythorn, whose wife Alice has two divorces. At first sight, it seems that Alice is miserable because she marries and divorces in strive for social prestige. Nonetheless, it is essential to notice that Wharton depicts the upper class’s...

“The Man to Send Rain Clouds” by Silko

This narration is told in past tense by a third person by storyteller who knows everything. As a result, the readers can understand the point of view of the Catholics and the Native Americans. The narration’s title explains the belief of Pueblo that the dead people come back as rain...

The Play “The Merchant of Venice” by W. Shakespeare

Introduction The play The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare contains distinct elements of comedy although it depicts issues of grave importance in the society today. For this reason, some scholars consider it a tragedy while others regard it as a tragic-comedy. However, the comic aspects present in the play are...

The Book “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

Most people would likely agree that preserving one’s cultural heritage is a meaningful and worthy pursuit. However, people also tend to disagree on what is the best way to proceed with it. Maintaining African American cultural legacy features prominently as a theme in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use.” The author uses...

The Turn of the Screw through Psychoanalytical Lens

In his chef-d’oeuvre novel, The Turn of the Screw, Henry James underlines the psychoanalytical premise that the unconscious mind significantly controls and directs the conscious mind of humans. An unnamed governess, the narrative’s protagonist, qualifies Sigmund Freud’s notion that the normal human mind, in most cases, cannot rationalize its thoughts,...

Montresor’s Trial Case

The Prosecuting Attorney’s Closing Argument Your Honor, the case presented to the court today is one of paramount malice and sadism. It is obvious that the defendant has planned the cold-blooded murder of the plaintiff conscientiously and thoughtfully. Firstly, Mr. Montresor exploited the victim’s proneness to enjoy high-quality alcoholic beverages....

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...

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

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

Marxism and Socialism in “Mending Walls” Poem by Robert Frost

Introduction The poem “Mending Walls” by Robert Frost, written and published in 1914, narrates a story originating from rural New England and talks about a fence between two industrious farmers’ estates that separates their properties. It is worth noting that the wall is rebuilt every spring, and one of the...

Self-Referentiality in Jorge Luis Borges’ “Blindness”

“Blindness” is an essay written by Jorge Luis Borges in 1977. In this work, much attention was paid to self-referentiality because the author’s experience is extremely important to support his writing (Block de Behar, A Rhetoric of Silence 279-281). To understand the purpose of this essay, it is critical to...

The Glass Menagerie: The Roles of Amanda and Society

Autobiographic works do not only help understand the author’s writing better but also do it credibly and convincingly. The Glass Menagerie is a memory play by Tennessee Williams, in which he recollects life challenges his family had to face. This paper aims to prove that the social environment, rather than...

Hemingway’s Lessons in “The Old Man and the Sea”

The Old Man and the Sea is the last complete work published by Ernest Hemingway, a genius author who won both the Pulitzer Prize and the Nobel Prize in a matter of a couple of years. His novella about an old fisherman named Santiago is an example of the masterful...

Struggles in ‘Immigrant City’ by David Bezmozgis

Introduction The hardships of settling in another state are not known to many people. Most of the population does not have to immigrate and adapt to new conditions; hence, it is informative to learn about the process from the perspective of a person who had to. The paragraph from the...

An Analysis of Hamlet by Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most important plays in the history of literature, and its main character’s behavior deserves thorough studying. Throughout the book, his state of mind changes and evolves, and it is key to understanding his actions and interactions with other characters. It is essential to analyze...

The Story “Where Are You Going, Where Have Your Been” by Joyce Carol Oates

Joyce Carol Oates utilizes her fictional story, “Where Are You Going, Where Have Your Been,” to present the reader with a thrilling narrative that revolves around the controversial life of Connie. The main character in question is a 15-year old girl. She can be described as a vain, as well...

Literacy Narrative: “Make a Wish”

I vividly remember the day I realized life was too short and unexpected not to wish for more. It was April, and I sweet-talked my mom to take me to the amusement park on the weekend. I was eight years old, and I had never been to the amusement park...

Henry’s Perspective on War Changing in Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms”

Harsh realities of war may make many people question their views, and literary characters are not an exception to this rule. Henry from Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms is initially eager to play his part in the war, but then is almost executed for no fault, and this lack of...

Response to George Orwell’s “Animal Farm”

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

The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Book of Genesis, The Divine Comedy

Literary art began to develop in ancient times, many centuries before our era. People recorded the events they experienced, described natural phenomena that they saw, and passed on their wisdom to future generations. Later, they started adding fantasy to literary works to make them more interesting and let impossible become...

“One Thousand and One Nights”: The Frame Story

Frame story (a frame narrative or a frame tale) is a widely popular literary technique used in storytelling and even cinematography because it helps involve readers’ attention in several stories within the whole narration. An excellent example of this method is One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of folk...

The Poem “Loose Woman” by Sandra Cisneros

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

“The Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway

Introduction Hemingway’s The Soldier’s Home is a story of a war veteran who faces the dilemma of choosing between being a welcomed member of his old social circle and staying true to his morals and ideals. When the book’s main character Krebs returns to his hometown, he is forced to...

The Impact of Greek Philosophers on Current Life

Many scientists agree that Ancient Greece is the cradle of European civilization. Its philosophers, scientists, and poets greatly contributed to the development of Greek culture. Modern philosophical thought would be impossible without the works of Aristotle, Plato, and numerous philosophical schools. Dramatic art would have been different if, at one...

The Namesake’ by Jhumpa Lahiri: Compare and Contrast

Introduction Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake expresses a complex combination of the emotions and feelings of the main characters who are trying to understand their places in society and identify themselves. The author shows an immigrant father, Ashoke, and his son, Gogol, who, despite different upbringings and cultural affiliations, go...

“I, Too” by Langston Hughes

Introduction By “I, too sing America” the author means that he also sings the anthem of America as he is a full-fledged citizen of the country, has the right to be a patriot, and can be proud of his homeland. Hughes “sings” and tries to convey the main idea of...

The Exploring Freud’s “Uncanny”

Argument The main argument laid out by Freud in The Uncanny is that there is strangeness in the ordinary. Psychoanalysts rarely investigate the subject of aesthetics understood as a feeling of the qualities of feeling. However, the uncanny interested Freud as something belonging to all that is terrible, which arouses...

African-American Narration in Walker’s “Everyday Use”

Introduction The short story titled “Everyday Use” is written by Alice Walker. “Everyday Use” portrays the different understanding of African-American history. For some, it is a part of their daily lives, while for others – something they learn about from books and college lectures. The three main characters – Mama,...

“The Return of Martin Guerre”: Book Analysis

“The Return of Martin Guerre” is a book that creates certain controversies in the understanding and analysis of people and historical events. It supposes alternatives that were not possibly considered at the time and raises doubt as to the correctness of the decisions that were made. It also makes the...

“The Man He Killed” by Thomas Hardy

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

Gender Conflict in “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston

It is worth noting that the work of Zora Neale Hurston called “Sweat” brought up a gender conflict as the main subject for discussion. In particular, this short story reveals aggression and sexist oppression against black women by black men. In this story, the husband attempts to kill his wife...

Author’s Microcosm in “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan

Although Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” is a fairly short story, it manages to wrap the reader completely in its narrative and recreate the microcosm of the author’s life by using a myriad of intricate details. Tan incorporates quite many descriptive details in the text, primarily, adjectives and adverbs, to add...

The Maintenance of Solidarity in Ousmanes’ “God’s Bits of Wood”

Introduction “God’s Bits of Wood” is a book that was released in 1960 just when Senegal had achieved independence. This probably has a historical significance i.e. a strong theme that stresses on unity is emphasized probably because of its importance by then, specifically so when it come towards building the...

Shakespeare: “Romeo and Juliet”, the Development of Juliet as a Woman

The style of thinking, reasoning as well as acting changes with time during the process of development. Playwrights have resolved to address the changes or experiences that one encounters during his/her development. For instance, William Shakespeare in his Romeo and Juliet illustrates the process of development through Juliet, the hero...

Love Obstacles in Betty Keller’s Tea Party

Betty Keller’s essay Tea Party is one of her best works. It demonstrates the talent of the author as far as the reader may observe how many themes may be covered in such a short story (Betty Keller). This essay is like a hymn to the remote love between two...

Different Points of View

First person point of view uses a personal approach and generally employs the pronoun “I” or “we”. It is less formal, and often contains some personal opinion, though it may be supported with evidence. First person viewpoint may be used in most types of essays. However, the aim of the...

“A Door into Ocean” by Joan Slonczewski: Human Cultures Collide

No one wants to die. Understanding this fact is what enables a connection between seemingly opposite human viewpoints. Taking this extreme into consideration is most important now in struggles with the environment, because these struggles mean life or death for generations to come. “A study published in the journal Science...

Oral Histories of China’s Revolution by Jicai Feng

The book Ten Years of Madness: Oral Histories of China’s Cultural Revolution by Jicai Feng depicts political situation in China during the period of 1966-1976. The author presents information about the decade in the form of interviews (the book contains about 100 of them). This form of narration both demonstrates...

Fathers in Faulkner’s Barn Burning and Barreca’s Nighttime Fires Comparison

In the story Barn Burning by William Faulkner and in the poem Nighttime Fires By Regina Barreca we encounter fathers who react to their situation using fires. Their need for revenge against society affects their families as they become involved. The fathers are disappointed by society and fire helps them...

Symbols & Themes in The Necklace by Maupussant

Introduction The narrative opens with an exposition of the protagonist. The author describes the persona’s background as being one of discontentment characterized by envy for a better life. (Maupassant 4). However, the persona is only able to dream of her objects of envy as her life provides limitations. The opening...

“The Odyssey” Analysis by Richard P. Martin

Odyssey is a Greek poem attributed to Homer; and is an essential aspect within the contemporary western principle. In this epic Odysseus had traveled to fight the Trojan War and due to his return, suitors tried to convince his wife Penelope that he had died in the war so that...

Love in ‘Great Expectations’ by C. Dickens

Introduction The loneliness and isolation of a person can only be redeemed by loving others and this is fully supported in the novel Great Expectations. Throughout the storyline, we find Pip, the protagonist, being encircled by love and rejection, or hate and affection. The aspect of love in this text...

“The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe

Introduction The story Red Death was written by Edgar Allan Poe. The story is about Fight of prince Prospero against red death, the plague which affected the country. The prince and his companions try to escape from the plague hiding. They stay inside the seven differently decorated rooms. A new...

Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri

Introduction Written by Dante Alighieri in the fourteenth century, The Divine Comedy is considered to be one of the most captivating epic poems in literature. Dante’s Inferno paints an edgy and imaginative vision of the Christian afterlife by combining classical Christian influences with a classic touch of Renaissance culture. The...

“Crimes Against Logic” by Jamie Whyte

Jamie Whyte is considered to be the author of the book Crimes against Logic reflecting the bogus arguments of journalists, politicians, priests, and many other offenders. The author tried to represent a number of logical fallacies faced in everyday life; he managed to provide a cutting and witty guide to...

Racism in “Native Son” by Richard Wright

We live in time when the legacy of racism in America is now being assumed a thing of the past, with more and more people adopting interracial tolerance as the integral component of their existential mode. In its turn, this prompts many contemporary social scientists to suggest that, as of...

Characters in A Doll’s House: Analysis

The play A Doll’s House has several instances of restrictions in life that mainly applied to women who lived in the 1870s. Ibsen demonstrates specific gender roles and tags to his advantage to show the distinction between absolute and conditional love. In his imagination, Ibsen combined with the drama the...

Lydia in Pride and Prejudice: Character Analysis

The novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen is considered to be a masterpiece of classical literature that has gone a long way due to the vivid presentation of the conflicts and interaction of the characters of the protagonists, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. These characters have been the subjects...

The Transition of a Woman in Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”

“The Story of An Hour” by Kate Chopin (1894) tells us the transition of a woman from shock to grief to joy and then again to shock within a span of an hour or so. But it should be mentioned in the initial stages that there is no change of...

Nature of Name in “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri

Introduction In most cases our backgrounds characterize us, for instance, where we grew up, our beliefs as well as traditions, the forms of education we acquire and the friends we make. It only becomes a problem when your background clash and as a result we are left torn between the...

“The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

Introduction In her short story The Management of Grief, Bharati Mukherjee describes the feelings of a person, who has lost her family. The author shows how the main character Shaila Bhave tries to overcome this tragedy. Apart from that, she compares her reaction to that of other people, who have...

The Song of Roland and The Odyssey Comparison

Both these epics of contain themes that fascinate us and keep us enchanted through the centuries. The basic plot of the two epic poems is the oldest theme in the history of literature, that of good vs. evil. However, we find that through the centuries there has been a change...

Similes in The Odyssey – Greek Literature

Introduction The ancient Greeks had a worldview that established a close relationship between the world of the gods and the world of mortals, typically expressed as a close relationship between the natural world and human activity. This was because it was felt the will of the gods was expressed through...

Symbolism in O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night

In Eugene O’Neill’s play “Long Day’s Journey into Night”, the playwright presents the inner workings of a dysfunctional family long before the term dysfunctional became a buzzword of American psychology. The play, written in 1941 but not performed until 1957, is set in 1912 in the predominantly Irish Connecticut home...

Comparison of Machiavelli and Don Quixote

Introduction Both Machiavelli and Don Quixote can be said to have contributed greatly to the period of the renaissance. In their different settings, they both seem to uphold the same views on the concepts of providence, prudence, fortune, and virtue. Don Quixote, in his madness, actually manages to defend the...

Derek Walcott’s “Egypt, Tobago” Poem

The history of writing this poem is not widely known, but it is stated, that it was written in the surroundings of the Egyptian oasis, as such clear and detailed images of the scenery may be attained only after immersion into the atmosphere of the Egyptian surrounding and feel the...

Alliteration in Thomas Hardy’s “The Darkling Thrush”

Thomas Hardy’s “The Darkling Thrush” is one of the most well-known poems written on the borderline of the 19th and the 20th centuries. The poet employs a variety of rhetoric devices in the piece, but the most prominent of them is alliteration. Hardy’s use of this rhetorical device helps to...

Settings in “Richard III” Play by Shakespeare

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

Father-Son Relationships in Barn Burning by William Faulkner

‘‘Barn Burning’’ by William Faulkner provides a comprehensive look at a typical family relationship as it existed in the XIXth-century America and was affected by history, traditions, and society. The story depicts both emotional and ethical aspects of a young boy’s struggle to behave appropriately with his father. 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...

The Troy Film Inspired by Homer’s Iliad

Introduction Great works refer to the collection of all things, the creation of a man by himself. This refers to putting the full and entire faculties and his future expectations to the public this clearly indicates a person’s will or his way of thought. Great work may be based on...

The Canterbury Tales: The Knight’s Tale Analysis

The Canterbury Tales is a book authored by Geoffrey Chaucer (1342 to 1400). The author was well known as a diplomat in the Royal Service, best known for his contribution to the world of literature in the form of writings on various subjects. His work has been notable for the...

In-depth Analysis of William Faulkner’s Short Story “Barn Burning”

William Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” (first published in June 1939 in Harper’s Magazine) is a short story that is notable for underlining the problem of class conflict as well as for reflecting on family dynamics and the role fathers play in the lives of their children. The story is told from...