Achilles’ Dilemma Whether to Pursue Life or Glory

According to the ancient Greeks’ heroic code, since death is inevitable in the long run, every hero will fight, whether the glory goes to them or to other people. When the emissaries are sent to Achilles, he rejects the offer given to him by the king, explaining his plans to...

Behavioral Genetics in “Harry Potter” Books

Introduction In the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling entraps her audience into the wizarding world with the many different details instilled in each book. People who read the series always ask about how this insane plot came across her mind naturally, so descriptive and creative to no end, including the...

Rama and David as Heroes in “The Ramayana”

The stories of heroes have been broadly presented in literature since ancient times. Heroic characters tend to display various human traits focusing on their strengths and abilities to conquer enemies and overcome difficulties. In Indian literature, prince Rama from the book of The Ramayana appears as a particular example of...

Humanism in Jean-Paul Sartre’s Nausea

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

The Play “The Glass Menagerie” by Tennessee Williams

The Glass Menagerie is a memory play since memory molds and inspires both its structure and its substance. The play is narrated by Tom and is based on his memories (Williams and Walker 59). The writer has exceptional flexibility of tradition in a memory play. Tom says that the writer...

Character Portrayal in Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily

The story’s main character is Emily Grierson, a lady who lived with her father until his death. Before the demise of her father, she was asked not to marry. The event breaks her heart since she understands she does not have anyone else with whom to share life. When she...

Racial Issues in Othello and Their Relevance

Introduction The topic of discrimination on various grounds, including racial ones, is not new. People who differ in skin color and culture often become outcasts in society. The very existence of a divergent person gives rise to a societal conflict. Shakespeare’s Othello deals with such a confrontation, showing the viewer...

The Necklace’s Protagonist: Mathilde’s Struggle for Identity

Many works of literature explore life and raise diverse discussions. For instance, The Necklace encourages conversations on the importance of wealth. The story follows the experiences of M. and Mme. Loisel. One day, the couple receives an invitation to a fancy ball (de Maupassant 19). Mathilde, the wife, borrows a...

An Epistolary Device and Its Role in Literature

The assigned literary device is called epistolary, and the Literary Devices website defines it as follows “Epistolary is a literary genre pertaining to letters” (LiteraryDevices Editors, 2014). So, the use of the literary device contains a wide range of works from journals and newspapers, meaning the genre can be observed...

Appearance and Reality in Good Country People

Her statements are so vague and evident that they are almost meaningless, except for expressing a general philosophy of resignation. The fact that she cannot recognize them as cliches show how little time she spends thinking about her beliefs. Just as Mrs. Hopewell seems to want to change the image...

The Series of “Harry Potter” by Joanne Rowling

Introduction The works of the British novelist Rowling collectively referred to as the Harry Potter series, are classified as fantasy. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley are all enrolled at Hogwarts School in the novels. Major plot points revolve around Harry’s battle against the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who...

Symbolism in Petals on the Wind by V. C. Andrews

In Petals on the Wind, the second novel of V. C. Andrews’s trilogy, the story dwells on the life of Chris, Cathy, and Carrie after they manage to escape the attic and move to Florida. However, while at some point, everyone is convinced that going back to the place of...

Neoliberalism: “Neuromancer” vs. “Blade Runner”

Neoliberalism in the 1980s espoused globalization and deregulation of economies, which encouraged open markets and corporate development. Consequently, the themes in popular cyberpunk literature showed the extrapolated effects of neoliberal policies, as shown in the novel “Neuromancer” and “Blade Runner” film. Themes include technological development and the idea of consciousness....

Analysis of Arthur Miller’s Play, “The Crucible”

Arthur Miller’s play, “The Crucible,” is inspired by the McCarthyism hysteria which occurred in the 1940s and 1950s due to the inconsistencies in the Salem witch trials. The play is based on extreme behavior when people had hidden agendas and dark desires (Li 116). Thus, the word McCarthyism means making...

The “Steel Magnolias” Play by Robert Harling

In the play Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling, the main characters are a group of women who have been friends for almost a lifetime. Each of them has their style of friendship; they all strive to help and support each other. While they are all good in their way, the...

“Good Omens”: A Book and a TV Series

Introduction Good Omens is a novel about the birth of Antichrist who is supposed to bring the apocalypse and end times to Earth. It is striking how much time the series writers have devoted to the book’s details that are critical to the narrative. The book and the series are...

Themes of Knowledge and Family in Shelley’s Frankenstein

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a narrative that brilliantly illustrates life, death, desolation, vengeance, ignorance, and the fundamental human sin of behaving like God. The primary purpose of Shelley’s writing of this narrative is to demonstrate how futile it is for humans to play God, no...

“Pride and Prejudice”: Chapter 60

In one of the final chapters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the narrative dwells on the reflections about Lizzy and Mr. Darcy’s upcoming marriage, relationship, and their stance on love and class. The chapter is devoted to both the new perspective of the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy...

The Wind That Shakes The Barley by R. D. Joyce

The Wind That Shakes The Barley, written by Robert Dwyer Joyce (2021), explores the theme of the sacrifice young men had to make during the Irish rebellion of 1798. The ballad captures the viewpoint of a Wexford boy who, by joining the rebel movement, had to ultimately refuse the love...

The Poem “Easter, 1916” by William Butler Yeats

The Easter Rising of 1916 is one of the critical moments in the history of Ireland. Although the goals of the uprising were not achieved, and it ended extremely abruptly and harshly, this event was the most significant act of Ireland’s defiance since 1798. The significance of these actions is...

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

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

Legends and Mysteries of Venice

Venice Venice city is termed the haunted city because of the legends, mysteries, and stories about it. It is the most romantic location in the entire universe to some people. The place has a sparkling marketing spiel with cuddly pictures of canals and gondolas in which lovers profess their compassion...

The Story “The Good Earth” by Pearl S. Buck

Pearl S. Buck’s story The Good Earth raised several significant problems in China. Exploitation, a desire for riches, family troubles, and contempt for elder Chinese culture are among the conflicts that the protagonists confront throughout the novel (Gupta 90). Wang Lung faces several challenges as he attempts to escape poverty....

Analysis of The Odyssey and Its Impact

Homer’s Odyssey gives readers a heroic narrative about a protagonist on his quest to home from war. The protagonist Odysseus is far from flawless, and the reader explores his personality while he faces various opponents and his stupidity. The epic delves into themes of fate, revenge, humanity, and ferocious powers....

Dante’s View on Crime and Punishment

Chevigny, Paul G. “From Betrayal to Violence: Dante’s Inferno and the Social Construction of Crime.” Law & Social Inquiry, vol. 26, no. 4, 2001, pp. 787–818. JSTOR, Web. This paper by Chevigny considers contemporary grounds for crime classification. Notably, the notion that the seriousness of crimes is founded in the...

The “Middle Passage” Poem by Robert Hayden

The Middle East is regarded as the cradle of civilization, whereas Africa is the cradle of humankind. Approximately 60,000 years ago, Homo sapiens started leaving northeast Africa, crossing the Middle East and populating Eurasia (Hawley para. 1). The African region has a long and eventful history, one of the most...

Ulyssean Influences on The Wars by Findley

Introduction The Wars is a novel written by Timothy Findley about a young Canadian, Robert Ross, who takes part in World War I. The story follows his journey, starting with the death of his beloved sister, which makes him enlist, ending with his death. The narrative moves between people who...

Pride, Wisdom, and Memory of “Semá:th Xo:tsa” by Silver, T. C.

Semá:th Xó:tsa: Sts’ólemeqwelh Sxó:tsa or Great Gramma’s Lake a children’s book written by the Reach Gallery Museum in collaboration with Stó:l partners, tells the story of Sumas Lake’s draining from an Indigenous perspective. The book reveals the history and essence of culture, the very spirit of the Sumas people, reflected...

Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado

Annotated Bibliography Elhefnawy, Nader. “Edgar Allan Poe’s The Cask of Amontillado.” The Explicator, vol.7, no. 2, 2018, 103-105.  Nader Elhefnavi explores the Cask of Amontillado, emphasizing the importance of understanding Montresor’s motives. The retelling of the murderer’s events does not reveal what he felt or thought (Elhefnawy 103). This type...

Frederick Douglass on Power of Written Language

Frederick Douglas blames the recognition of an independent, free, and hypocritical commitment to government loyalty as an inhuman mockery. He often refers to the fact that not all people living in America have the equal freedoms that every American should have. The author writes in an autobiographical style, referring to...

What Does Chaucer’s Characterization of the Monk in the Prologue Suggest?

The Canterbury Tales is a famous collection of stories about pilgrims, their adventures, and religious and social lessons created by Geoffrey Chaucer at the end of the 14th century. Many characters perform their special roles and make contributions to the plot development in a variety of ways. The Monk was...

War in “What Were They Like?” by Levertov

An American writer Denise Levertov wrote the poem “What Were They Like” for her collection “The Sorrow Dance,” released in 1967. This work is a symbol of protest against the Vietnam War, in which the American army took part. The poet portrays the immediate future of the Vietnamese people, destroyed...

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...

“My Year of Magical Thinking” by Joan Didion

Summary of the Narrative The book “My Year of Magical Thinking”dives into memories of Joan Didion’s life with her husband John and their daughter. She becomes fixated on a phenomenon she refers to as magical thinking and consistently reviewing the events leading up to John’s death’. She consistently reads and...

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...

Role of Women in Literature and Art

Introduction The role of women in literature and art is a topic explored by various critics, creators, authors, and people throughout the years. Due to the way society has developed, some types of people have found themselves to be at a significant disadvantage in the ways others are used to...

Sin and Punishment in Dante’s Poem “Inferno”

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

Connie and Arnold in “Where Are You Going…” by Oates

Introduction It is important to note that the story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Joyce Carol Oates addresses a wide range of critical and key topics, such as narcissism, deception, manipulation, and reality versus appearance. The given analysis will primarily focus on the deceptive interactions between...

Literary and Psychological Prowess of Shakespeare’s “Othello”

Shakespeare’s literary and psychological prowess went undetected primarily since he was ahead of his time. Because of this, people in Elizabethan society had no idea that people might be afflicted with mental illnesses, let alone have them depicted in a play! Othello, Shakespeare’s play, was plagued by bizarre behavior issues....

Homo Deus Summary: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Harari

The given annotated bibliography will focus on the book titled Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow written by Yuval Noah Harari. The writing is an outstanding piece of humanity’s future possible development and challenges, which need to be overcome in order to achieve the primary objectives. The book is...

A Poem “Howl” and a Song “It’s Alright Ma”: A Comparative Analysis

Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” is the most famous and vital piece of the beat generation. Bob Dylan’s song It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) opened an entirely new genre of the song in the music industry. Comparing a literary work and a musical one, critics define them as dark masterpieces. The...

Identity in McBride’s “The Color of Water”

Introduction Looking for a place to fit in and have an identity is a ubiquitous quest. Self-identity correlates with the individual or self: essentially what makes us human. Most people find belonging and comprehension of the self within societies of culture, race, or religion while others find it hard to...

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

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

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

In the distant 1949, Arthur Miller wrote one of the essential tragedies in American literature named The Death of a Salesman. However, while describing Willy Loman, the main hero, the author illustrated the essential obstacle of the whole middle class. The tragedy is presented ambiguously due to the refutation from...

Feminism in Works of Sylvia Plath, Lorrain Hansberry, and Anne Sexton

Introduction The rise of feminism in the twentieth century has brought a slew of literature from women who felt empowered by the ongoing changes in society. The struggles of the poets of that time are apparent in the works of many women whose works focus on both personal experiences and...

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...

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

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

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...

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

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

Topics of “Song of Myself” Poem by Walt Whitman

Song of Myself is a part of Walt Whitman’s book Leaves of Grass. Throughout the course of his life, Whitman continuously revised this poem, and today it is considered to be one of his most well-known works. This poem reflects on a wide range of topics, such as transcendental experiences,...

“The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs

Notably, the Monkey’s Paw by W. W. Jacobs tells the story of the family who receives a monkey’s paw from a friend, fulfilling the owner’s three wishes, which always lead to dire consequences. Through the story, the reader may notice Jacobs wanted to warn readers to be careful with their...

Alice Walker’s Short Story “Everyday Us”

Introduction Everyday Use is one of Alice Walker’s most well-known works. The tale was first published in 1973 as part of the author’s collection of short stories, In Love and Trouble. The plot revolves around “Mama,” an African American woman who lives with one of her kids, Maggie. She describes...

Reading “Everyone Knows You Go Home” by Sylvester

The first five chapters of the story Everyone Knows You Go Home contain themes devoted to knowledge about family, love, immigration, and maturing. Edges of comprehension are framed as characters’ very own accounts and are uncovered to both the reader and the encompassing characters. One of the topics in the...

“The Most Dangerous Game” Story by Richard Connell

The short story by Richard Connell called “The Most Dangerous Game” quickly grabs a reader’s attention with its action-filled scenes. However, there are more mature topics within the story that highlight a question regarding the exceptional value of life and the error of black-and-white worldviews. This essay will analyze the...

Modernist Novel “Nightwood” by Djuna Barnes

Nightwood is a well-known novel by Djuna Barnes, who had to spend time in Paris in the 1930s living with lesbians to develop the novel’s content. Nightwood was published in 1936, but it took a long time to be regarded as her literary masterpiece. Her book has been considered one...

Suicide and Homicide in Sophocles’ “Antigone” and “Electra”

Introduction Sophocles, who is usually considered one of the best minds of his time, was an influential person in Athens and was elected to important government posts. He was also famous in the literature field, having written 123 works, of which only seven have survived, including the tragedy Antigone. Sophocles...

Feed, M. T. Anderson’s Novel Issues

Feed, M. T. Anderson’s novel, shows how technology, accessibility to goods and services, and the world of free entertainment make society morally starving. The work, written in 2002, is relevant nowadays as all the principles and behavior patterns observed there can still be noticed in today’s community. Besides, this book...

“Do Not Go Gentle in to That Good Night”: A Psychoanalytical Perspective

Dylan Thomas’s villanelle named “Do Not Go Gentle In To That Good Night” is an instance of valuable, from a psychoanalytical point of view, piece of literature. The work contains deep and meaningful imagery, which contributes to the dismal but fascinating atmosphere created. Potentially, this work evidences the presence of...

Home, Journey, and Identity in Children’s Books

The genre of children’s books might appear to be rather unsophisticated and plain to the uninitiated. However, on closer inspection, the world of children’s literature will reveal that it has no boundaries for imagination and, therefore, can stretch across the themes and subgenres hat no other type of literature can....

Junot Diaz’s Literary Works: The Theme of Racial Superiority

Junot Diaz is among the most artistic, literary writers of all time. Diaz has won many awards for his creative writing, including the innovative 2008 Pulitzer award for best fiction literary works. Diaz’s literary works mainly focus on racial issues, prejudice, Dominican attitudes and immigrant assumptions on U.S culture. Diaz...

The Trauma of the Vietnam War

Introduction The Vietnam War, which took place from 1955 to 1957, has been the subject of many artworks of different forms, ranging from movies to paintings and literary works. While many of them focus on the experiences and heroism of soldiers, a Vietnamese-American writer Le Thi Diem Thuy focused on...

Poem “Next to of Course God America I”

“Next to of course god America i” is one of the greatest poems in the history of America, and every reader always defines different meanings of the story, making it multifaced and mesmerizing. It is important to read the poem several times to understand its main essence, get a different...

Analysis of “The Little Book of Restorative Justice”

Definition of the Concept of “Restorative Justice” At the present time, there are different approaches to justice, although restorative justice is considered one of the most effective ones. In fact, this model is based on the idea that it is crucial to arrange a meeting between the victim and the...

Literary Criticism of Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”

Introduction During his lifetime and after his death, William Faulkner was widely discussed both by the public and scholars. The latter’s contributions to the reception of this author were primarily connected to the discussion of the characters in his novels and stories, and, in the case of “A Rose for...

“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...

“Nothing Like It in the World” Book by S. Ambrose

Steven E Ambrose’s Nothing Like It in the World tells the story of the first transcontinental railroad. It follows the project’s history chapter by chapter, from choosing the route for the future road to driving the last spike in Utah. Concluding with the brief assessment of the road’s importance, the...

“To His Coy Mistress” by Marvell

“To His Coy Mistress” by Marvell is a carpe diem poem that calls young women to enjoy the pleasures of life. There are many literary devices used by the author to make readers believe in his philosophy. I want to note two devices that are metaphor and simile. Metaphors appear...

Attributes of Gods: Similarities and Differences

Gods and various divine deities were always an object of interest in all times. The phenomenon of an unknown past explains this; contemporary people did not witness any of the Gods, and it encourages even more interest towards these creatures. Fortunately, now almost every human has access to the sources...

Use of Logic in Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles”

Trifles, a work by Susan Glaspell, follows the structure of a common murder mystery but includes elements of social commentary and issues of great value. It can be summarized as a murder of a husband by a wife and the two connected yet individual investigations that follow. The story’s unique...

Hayden’s and Roethke’s Poems Comparison

The poem Theodore Roethke is a retrospective look of the poet himself on his childhood and evokes ambiguous emotions. While there are clear indications of somewhat rude behavior, the end lines indicate that the boy was still clinging to him (Roethke, 1942). Thus, the question for discussion is how exactly...

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...

Espaillat’s “Bilingual-Bilingüe” & Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays” Poems

Family relations, in particular between parents and children, are often complex and ambiguous. Moreover, the connection established with the mother and with the father also contrasts. Most modern adults were probably closer to mothers who took care of the home well-being, while fathers worked daily for the benefit of the...

Greek and Roman Tragedy. Euripides and Seneca

Euripides Euripides was a Greek writer who wrote about women and mythological themes like Madea and Helen troy. He was considered to have a great contribution to the Greek creation of new comedies. Life and Career Euripides was born in or about 484. He was well educated, attending the lectures...

Spanish Social Poetry Overview

It seems reasonable to say that Spanish social poetry of the middle of the twentieth century may be characterized as poetry of tragic sound. This is visible from the very titles of poetry collections of those years; for example, La Soledad Cerrada by Gabriel Celaya, Tierra sin Nosotros by Jose...

Summary of “Paul’s Case” Story

Paul’s Case by Willa Cather is a short story full of temperament lessons. It is a narration of a few months’ events in Paul’s life. Paul is a student at Pittsburg High School, who prefers theater and music to class. The story begins when Paul is suspended from school; he...

“Deaf Like Me”: A Book Report

Introduction Hearing impairment affects effective communication between the deaf and other community members. The book Deaf Like Me by Spradley, T. S. and Spradley, J. P. presents a learning journey between parents and their deaf child (Spradley & Spradley, 1985). The book was published in 1985, but its context depicts...

“The Broken Spears”: The Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs

“The Broken Spears” is a fascinating and captivating book that provides an engaging and graphical account of the annihilation of Mexico by the Spanish. The book provides a more expressive and human perspective of the events of the military confrontation between the Spanish and Aztecs (Leon-Portilla 1992). This literary text...

Langston Hughes’ Poem “Dream Deferred”

Poetry often has a way of reaching into the deepest elements of the human soul to expose the underlying natural desires and emotions that are frequently otherwise suppressed in ‘polite’ society. It does this by both appealing specifically to human emotion and by remaining sufficiently general to have broad common...

The Cultural Relevance of Post-Colonial Literature

Introduction Literature as a form of art scopes a wide array of topics that reflect personal struggles and social issues. The concepts of culture and traditions often get intertwined with the characters who are bound by various social and gender constructs. The post-colonial literature seeks to cover these topics more...

The Plot, Character Development, and Motif in “Kindred” and “A Raisin in the Sun”

Introduction There are many essential elements that authors should consider when writing a novel or a stage play. They should build the plot carefully, offering the readers action and mystery, and develop the characters, showing their distinct personalities and motivations. This essay will consider Octavia Butler’s Kindred and Lorraine Hansberry’s...

Themes of Religion, Sexuality: “Salvation” by Langston Hughes

In the short story “Salvation,” Langston Hughes talks about the concept of faith through a child’s lens who loses his belief in Jesus due to the compulsion of surrounding people. Young Hughes did not get up to be saved as others did, but he remained in his seat to see...

William Blake’s Influence on Modern Counterculture

An accomplished painter and poet, William Blake, is an influential figure of the Romantic age, which was characterized by people’s reactions to the changes occurring in Europe. His two prominently famous publications, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell and Songs of Innocence and Experience, are among the artistic endeavors espousing...

The Short Story “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” by Raymond Carver

Love is probably the most discussed and misunderstood concept of human relationships. From early childhood, people learn that it is an essential component of life. Yet, very few really understand the complexity of love. Sometimes, people are ready to accept and forgive some extremely inappropriate behavior because of the belief...

Building British Identity Across History in “Saint Erkenwald”

Literature addresses historical themes for a variety of purposes, especially since it often provides for fascinating plots and thought-provoking parallels. Medieval English literature was no exception to this rule, and authors of the Middle Ages utilized the topics related to the past to achieve their artistic purpose. “Saint Erkenwald,” A...

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...

Edgar Allan Poe’s Works and Their Characteristics

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the greatest American writers. Numerous poems and short stories are still being studied, and new facets and hidden meanings are being discovered. The life of the writer was not happy: early orphanhood, life failures, as well as the death of his beloved were significantly...

Review of “The Veldt” Story by Ray Bradbury

Like most of Ray Bradbury’s works, the story The Veldt is written in the fantasy genre. The plot develops in the most ordinary family of Hadleys: mother, father, and two children. They live in a modern smart house called “The Happylife Home” that does all the work for them (Bradbury...

Dangers of Mob Mentality in ”The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Introduction The short story The Lottery is one of Shirley Jackson’s most famous works. Its concept revolves around an annual draw in a small village. Although the lottery is usually associated with a winner getting a grand prize, in the story, it is a process of selecting a victim for...

Individualism in “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut

One of the fears described in dystopian fiction is the loss of individuality. People become uniformed cogs in an oppressive society, so the government could completely control them. Therefore, individualism can contribute greatly to maintaining freedom and independent thinking. In Harrison Bergeron, the author shares his vision of the future...

Poem Analysis William Shakespeare

Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare can be viewed as a message from a man to his beloved women. The speaker talks to a girl describing her beauty and her importance to him. For this reason, the tone is solemn, inspirational, and at the same time, it is full of warmth...

The Meaning of “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Shirley Jackson wrote “The Lottery” as a short story, and it was published on June 26, 1948, in The New Yorker. The first readers of the story were surprised by it because, in the past, works of the magazine were not identified as fiction or as events happening in real...

Interpreter of Maladies: The Plot of the Story

Interpreter of Maladies is included in the collection of short stories of the same name. The plot of the story is built around the trip of the couple Das and their children – Indian immigrants of the second and third generation, who grew up in America – to the Sun...

Twain’s and Hemingway’s Short Stories Comparison

A short story is an impactful and fundamental literature genre, as it utilizes essential stylistic qualities to convey a message. “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” is a short story by Ernest Hemingway about a late night at a cafe where an old man is drinking. The plot centers around the discussion...

Jack Updike: Biography and Writings

Brief Biography John Updike was born on March 18, 1932, in Reading, Pennsylvania. He spent his early childhood in Shillington, Pennsylvania, where his father taught math to high school students. Updike’s mother was a novelist, from whom he inherited such passion for writing. During their high school years, John Updike...

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,...

Position Paper About the Play “Fences”

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

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

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

On Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas”

Ursula Le Guin’s short story “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” in allegorical form addresses the topics of exploitation and social injustice. It describes a city where the happiness of many depends on the suffering of a child, which mirrors the structure of many modern societies founded on exploitation....

“The Thousand and One Nights”: Technique Embedded Narration

Embedded narration, or story within a story, is a technique widely used in The Thousand and One Nights. This approach implies the inclusion of extra-plot elements in the text that are not directly related to the plot but discuss the main topic. In most cases, the embedded narration is a...

Who Moved My Cheese: A Fable’ Review

‘Who Moved My Cheese?’ is an entertaining little fable about two mice in running shoes and two little people looking for cheese. Cheese is a metaphor for any good thing that someone might want: a lucrative career, a comfortable life, or a loving family. The important thing is that everybody...

The Great Gatsby as a Reflection of American Culture

The Great Gatsby by Francis Scott Fitzgerald is considered one of the cult books of the 20th century. The protagonist, Jay Gatsby, was the forerunner of an entire literary dynasty of rich personalities with a mysterious past. The novel, which draws the reader into the atmosphere of a continuous holiday,...

Women and Men in the Play “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell

The play Trifles depicts a profound disagreement between two types of attitude and performance. The play’s research exposes a significant contrast between female and male actions, based on a different perception of the environment. As Holstein claims in her paper, “the difference in initial perception ultimately leads to the creation...

Tennyson’s “Charge of the Light Brigade” and Wilmot’s “The Disabled Debauchee”

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Charge of the Light Brigade” and John Wilmot’s “The Disabled Debauchee” are two pieces of poetry belonging to different eras and styles. The poems have little in common, diverging in the most fundamental aspects. The first text is written in the nineteenth century to celebrate heroic deeds,...

“The Nature of Schooling” by Doris R. Entwisle Rewiev

The Nature of Schooling is an essay addressing the issue of economic inequality and its impact on children’s educational achievements. Entwisle, the author, argues with misinterpretation of the critical studies on the issue that were understood as proof that knowledge is more genetically related than based on environmental factors. She...

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...

Edmund Spenser’s Sonnet 75 Analysis

Edmund Spenser firstly published sonnet 75 in 1595, and it was devoted to his second wife, Elizabeth Boyle. The verse was a part of the book Amoretti and Epithalamion, which included love poems and a wedding song. In his work, Spenser presents a straightforward idea that love is immortal and...

“The Laughing Man” by Chief John Gedsudski

‘The Laughing Man’ is a fictitious story told by Chief John Gedsudski to the Comanche Club members, a twenty-five-member group of baseball players, in between breaks from their regular sports. The Laughing Man was an only child to a rich missionary couple, abducted in childhood by Chinese bandits. His parents...

“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe: Review

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

Francis Scott Fitzgerald’s Jazz Age Perception in “The Great Gatsby”

Introduction Great works of literature remain in history for a variety of reasons. Some of them represent a particular era masterfully, leaving the reader with strong, vivid impressions. This objective is attained through accurate use of specific symbols, strengthening the work’s relation to a particular epoch, and contributing to its...

“The Art of War” by Sun Tzu vs. “Othello” by Shakespeare

Classics are literary works that are considered the gage and main point of reference for their era or a particular genre. Previously, this term referred to certain authors of ancient literature, and later it was used to refer to all ancient Greek and Roman literature. This concept is now used...

Character Analysis of “Othello” by Shakespeare

At first glance, Othello seems simply a tragedy of jealousy, just as Macbeth is a tragedy of ambition. It is easy to imagine that Shakespeare decided to explore several exciting and dangerous passions and warn the audience against them. However, the ideas ingrained in the play seem to be broader...

Historical Setting. Roofy’s Book Analysis

Historical Background The book of Ruth is set during the time of the Judges, as a family from Bethlehem moves to Moab to avoid famine. The nation of Moab, along with Ammon, had its genealogical roots in Lot’s intercourse with his daughters (Gen. 19:30-38). After the Exodus, the Israelites returning...

Odyssey. Influence on World Literature

The Odyssey is a world literature masterpiece, one of the two epic poems written by Homer. It was composed around the 8th century BC, and its plot focuses on Odysseus’s journey home after the Troy’s fall. This essay aims at analyzing several peculiarities of The Odyssey that show its significance...

The Tragedy “Hamlet” by Shakespeare: Evidence of Religious Beliefs

The Tragedy of Hamlet is among Shakespeare’s notable plays which have been performed across the world. In the tragedy, the ghost of the King of Denmark tells his son, Hamlet, to avenge his death by murdering the new king who is Hamlet’s uncle. Hamlet pretends to be mad, envisions life...

The Epic of Gilgamesh: Gilgamesh and Enkidu

Despite the endeavors of Gilgamesh and Enkidu to be similar to gods, the two heroes overestimated their power and neglected the fact that they were both mortals, which led to tragic consequences. By the end of the epic, it becomes evident to Gilgamesh that every human being is bound to...

Mental Health in “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Nowadays, mental health is a significant concern in the United States, as more and more people become affected by psychological conditions. However, the discourse around this topic, especially that of schizophrenia, has existed for a considerable time. The main characters of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper and Edgar Allan...

Plays “A Raisin in the Sun” and “Trifles”

Society’s influence on people and their way of life has two outcomes: liberating or oppressing them. It all depends on which standards one accepts at any given time. Most women live unsatisfied lives full of oppression in patriarchal societies that believe in male dominance and female inferiority in marriage. This...

Who or What Is Responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s Deaths?

Romantic love stories typically end with a blissful moment, but it is not the case in Romeo and Juliet, the author of which preferred a tragedy rather than a happy ending. William Shakespeare puts a different vision of a love story by writing his most famous play Romeo and Juliet....

The Depiction of Tragic Love in Poe’s “Annabel Lee”

Introduction Love, especially tragic love, appears to be a common theme in Romanticist literature. As a poet of this literary movement, Edgar Allan Poe contributed to the tendency with “Annabel Lee.” Its central themes are the youthful love and death of a beloved woman. The text seemingly became one of...

Death in John Donne’s and Percy Shelley’s Sonnets

Death is a controversial topic for many people since its perception varies from person to person. Some see it as liberation from earthly shackles while others dread it and try to postpone the final moment of life for as long as physically possible. Nonetheless, human lives are finite, and at...

White Slave Owners and the Tyranny of Slavery in Phillis Wheatley’s Poetry

Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral is the first published volume of poetry written by an African-American author Phillis Wheatley (Mulder et al.). Published in 1773, Wheatley had an opportunity to speak out on the tyranny she and her race faced from day to day. Without any fear, she...

“Know Your Why” by Ken Costa

This book has comprised several simple truths that help an individual to figure out their main purpose in life. It is addressed to those who burn out at work spending numerous hours doing things they do not enjoy. Those activities do not bring them closer to the desired future. The...

Axe and Bermuda Triangle Overview

Among numerous contemporary writers, Carmen Boullosa occupies a specific place due to her fascinating use of metaphors and textual objects to convey deep underlying meanings. She is famous for many novels dedicated to the pressing problems of Mexican and American society. Still, she admitted in her interview that she had...

The Namesake: Comparison of Ashima and Gogol

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri is a novel that demonstrates all the difficulties of adapting a person to a new cultural environment, as well as the search for his or her identity. The older generation has its problems because they need to accustom to the differences of the new culture...

“Murder on the Orient Express” by Agatha Christie: Interpretation

Setting The first part of the book focuses mainly on the theme of identity and introducing the characters. The identity of the main character, Poirot, is not presented in the first chapters. Perhaps, the author used this method to emphasize his detective capabilities instead of merely stating his talent. Poirot...

“Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison

Stylistic convergence is an essential component in any prosaic text system and serves as the most indicative means for expressing the author’s feelings and emotions. Expression with the joint use of individual stylistic devices is superimposed on the interpretation of another, and the overall stylistic effect as a result of...

Oedipus and Hamlet Characters’ Comparison

The plays, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and Hamlet by William Shakespeare was written centuries apart but they share common themes, specifically that of a tragic hero, as shown by the protagonists in these two chefs-oeuvres. Both Oedipus and Hamlet seek to avenge the death of their fathers, but in the...

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...

A Child in Whiteness: The Snowy Day by Ezra J. Keats

The Snowy Day by Keats Ezra J. is one of the pioneer writings among stories for children that depicted an African American child as the main central character. The story was published during the Civil Rights Movement era by an author of Jewish heritage. Although it is a children’s book,...

The Necessity of Self-Contemplation

Introduction While modern technology and social media have done wonders in terms of connecting people, it can be argued that this integration has come at the price of one of our least celebrated necessities. Time strictly devoted to oneself is time spent analyzing beliefs, values, and the purpose one takes...

“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Araby” by James Joyce

The main characters in “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Araby” by James Joyce are people of different ages and backgrounds. However, there is a certain similarity between the events that happened to them as well as their reaction that was triggered by the need for readjustment. Both characters...

“The Bean Trees” by Barbara Kingsolver

Barbara Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees is one of the most popular and urgent literary works nowadays. It touches upon burning issues of the modern society such as the conflict between ethical and legal, racism, adoption laws, homelessness, multiculturalism, kidnapping, depression suicide, the conflict of nature and nurture etc. We are...

“The Sorrow of War” by Bao Ninh Review

Introduction The book The Sorrow of War is a narration of one of the Vietnamese soldiers who narrowly escaped a massacre that left almost all his colleagues dead. As he went back to the Jungle of Screaming Souls, Kien, the narrator, remembers how his 27th Battalion was obliterated by the...

“Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut Review

Persuasive Essay The preeminent role of literature in society’s development cannot be doubted. Through reading, people obtain valuable means of developing a sense of beauty and imagination. Moreover, the reader can visit many places which he or she might never be able to see in reality. However, the most crucial...

Juxtaposing Fences and Girl

In his famous play Fences, August Wilson reveals one of the central themes that were of great importance for African American citizens in the 1950s, and during the whole history of the country as well – the theme of racial discrimination. The short story Girl by Jamaica Kincaid also touches...

The Title of the “Run” Novel by Ann Patchett

Run by Ann Patchett is a piece of fiction writing. The book deals with the life of an American family of a former mayor of Boston, Bernard Doyle, who recently lost his wife, Bernadette. Ann Patchett has chosen a very symbolic title for the novel, Run, for all the characters...

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...

“King Leopold’s Ghost” by Adam Hochschild

The world history is incredibly rich with dreadful outrageous events that loom through centuries and make us wonder whether limits to human brutality exist. In his best-selling novel King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa Adam Hochschild depicts the flawlessly elaborate atrocities of a...

Hamlet as an Enjoyable and Exuberant Play

Introduction William Shakespeare was a renowned English writer, poet and dramatist. Shakespeare had a number of plays to his credit. Also, his works influenced quite a number of writers such as Charles Dickens, Herman Melville and a host of others. (Charles 602) This essay will focus on pointing out how...

Themes in Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms”: The Cruel Reality of War

Although there were numerous prerequisites and indications of a military crisis approaching the world in the early 1910s, World War I swept the humankind into massive bloodshed and introduced it to chaos. “A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway deserves to be titled as the most prominent of prose pieces...

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...

Defamiliarization in Tristram Shandy

As it is well-known nowadays, a special artistic technique is meant under the term “defamiliarization”. Its main meaning is that the audience is forced to perceive the suggested things and actions from a distance, in an unfamiliar way, as if they were strangers there. The technique is aimed at the...

Two Passages From ‘The Devil on the Cross’ by Ngugi

First passage In this passage Wariinga who is the main protagonist in this play talks about her material and emotional problems. In this case, it can be argued that Wariinga had been abandoned by her lover, which resulted in her emotional problems. From the passage, it can be argued that...