The Bus Driver Who Wanted to Be God

A metaphor of journey has been an important tool for many writers to explore characters, themes, and story of a work of fiction. Mark Twain’s “Tom Sawyer” is a vivid example of the journey structure as a way to explore society with all of its flaws. Etgar Keret uses a...

“Sitt Marie Rose” by Etel Adnan

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

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 Canterbury Tales: Chaucer’s Views on Social Mores

In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer constructs a rich portrayal of medieval society and social mores. Chaucer’s world is vibrant and populated with archetypes that seem to fit neatly in social and moral categories. The knight is of high moral stature and chivalry, the prioress is “gentle” and “piteous.” The characters...

Lysistrata and Medea: The Women That Were Born to Rule

Some people say that men are born to rule, while women must stay at home and raise children. Even nowadays, this idea is very popular with a lot of people, mostly men, but some women as well. However, women’s role in the society has been well discussed and grounded enough...

“Invisible Heart” by Robert Russel: Economic Concepts and Romantic Elements

The Invisible Heart: By Robert Russel The book combines fiction and economic realities found within society. It combines Romance and ideas of economics. The author uses the book to radiate economic polemic in the form of an imaginary tale. The whole book is about a romance story that is intertwined...

Jane Austen’s Literary Heroines

Introduction Jane Austen is generally accredited to be one of the most widely read and accepted writers in the world of English literature. Effective use of realism, indirect speech, and crucial social criticism is very common in Austen’s writings. Austen has a deep insight into the family dynamics and she...

Bonny George Campbell Ballade Review

Bonnie George Campbell is a very good child ballade that you actually do not understand when at childhood so deeply and thoroughly as you do when being a grown-up. Partially, because there are those words you do not understand and partially because adults apply more personal life experience. Overall, it...

“One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” by Solzhenitsyn

The novel ‘One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich’ written by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn is considered to be a prominent work of Russian literature dedicated to the disclosure of life in Soviet labor camp experienced by the protagonist Ivan Denisovich. It is necessary to underline the fact that the author...

Founding Brothers by Joseph Ellis

Author The author, Joseph John Ellis was born in 1943 and is currently professor at the Mount Holyoke College of History on the Ford Foundation. He wrote the Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation in 2000 and received the Pulitzer Prize in History in 2001 for it. He received his PhD...

Ernest Hemingway and Shirley Jackson Writing Style

Introduction The current paper contains a discussion of the writing styles of two American writers Ernest Hemingway and Shirley Jackson whose works are now considered the classics of American literature. Some writers are influenced by others with a view to the chosen topics, manner of presenting facts and settings, the...

“The Red Convertible” by Louise Erdrich: Symbolism

As the title shows, “The Red Convertible” is the main fulcrum of the story and the entire plot is built around it. It is used as a symbol of happiness with its color ‘red’ denoting passion and life. At the beginning of the story, the car belongs to both Lyman...

Time Machine in The Olive Tree by Aldous Huxley

Introduction Aldous Leonard Huxley was born in the year 1824 and died in the year 1963 at the age of 69 years. He was born in England but spent several years in United States in his latter life from 1937 till his death. He was a humanist and in later...

Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes: Poetry Comparison

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

Cultural Satire in John Gay’s Beggar’s Opera

The Beggar’s Opera is the first of a new form of opera that was developed by John Gay in the early 1700s as a reaction against the superficiality of the popular Italian opera and its effects upon his culture. This form of entertainment came to be known as the ballad...

Sacagawea: Biography and Book Critique

Introduction The stories about Indian people are always fascinating and mysterious. It does not matter whether they concern the way of life of Indian tribes or explore the life of a separate person, they do it in a way that the readers forget about everything that surrounds them and give...

Kate Chopin: Early Feminist Writer

There are many early feminist writers who wrote prolifically in the late 19th century up to the early phase of the 20th century. In this study the focus will be on early feminist writers that came from the South. This means that they are female writers who are not only...

Gaius Valerius Catullus’s Poetical Works

Gaius Valerius Catullus was Roman poet that lived in the 1st century BC. His works are still popular among the readers due to their liberalism and in-depth perception of love. Catullus was also famous for his “angry love poem”. Catullus creative but short life (84-54 BC) was devoted to the...

Literary Analysis of “Summer” by David Updike

It has been very truly said that “To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven…” (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8). Seasons play a vital role in the ever changing moods of a person’s life and they even portray the different phases of life, from youth to middle...

The Theme of Change in Poetry

“Omnia mutabantur, mutantur, mutabuntur” as the Latin proverb has it. Antiquity has supplied us with perfect food for reflection since ancient literary sources are the treasury of wisdom, just as the sayings that have lived during centuries to supply humanity of the present with eternal wisdom. Everything changes. It is...

Gettysburg Battle. “Lost Triumph” by Tom Carhart

There are many books on history written by different historians and scholars, and even by those people who are of little touch with the discussed issue. Some historical events have contradictory nature because of a lack of information that was not properly documented. Such events are doomed to provoke different...

“Nathan the Wise” Play by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing

Nathan the Wise is a dramatic work by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing which is outstanding for its close relation to the epoch of the Enlightenment. It is an outstanding German play in five acts that discloses most of the ideals of the era. The theme of rationality in relation to religion...

Death Concept in “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickenson

Emily Dickinson’s poem “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” is surprisingly touching in its depiction of the courtly way in which Death personified escorted her to her final rest. The six stanza poem tells the story of a woman’s experience of death, but rather than being the horrifying thing...

Poet of Nature – Thoreau

Many things about a poet’s life can be observed in the poetry he writes. Over the years, their environment, lifestyle, and beliefs become reflected in their poetry. Henry David Thoreau was a factory worker, essay writer, and teacher before he was a poet. He was also a Transcendentalist and an...

Chris McCandless’ Behavior in “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer

The closer analysis of the character of Chris McCandless, in Jon Krakauer’s novel “Into the Wild”, points out to his personality as such that can hardly serve as a “role model” for young people, due to the fact that McCandless’ “pro-nature” stance appears to have been an intellectual by-product of...

Coelho’s Biographical Representations in “The Alchemist”

Introduction Paulo Coelho is one of the most famous novelists of the world of today (Coelho, 2009). This Brazilian author wins a lot of respect for his talent of making people think of the simplest issues they have never thought of before, even when those issues directly touch their lives...

Byron and Browning: “Don Juan” and “Andrea Del Sarto”

Lord Byron is a romantic poet and Browning is a Victorian poet. Byron is a nihilist and pessimist. Browning, on the other hand, is known for his robust optimism. However, both are very great as poets. Their poems deal with various aspects of love, and their capacity to depict the...

“The Author to Her Book” by Anne Bradstreet

Criticizing and evaluating a particular literary work is not an easy task. In doing so, the analysis of such works is addressed toward the reader to whom this work might be interesting. In that sense, such an evaluation is rarely done by the author of the work, where the author...

Lady Lazarus by Sylvia Plath from the book Ariel

Introduction Poems at most always appear enigmatic for ordinary readers. They remain just a puzzle of words that at most must have been written by madmen and women who had nothing better to do. But for the many who have come to understand and appreciate the importance of poems for...

Discussion of the Poem’s Context “Wulf and Eadwacer”

“Wulf and Eadwacer” is an Anglo-Saxon poem found in the 10th century Exeter Book and famous for its difficult interpretation. I believe this poem is essentially an expression of wife and mother’s grief. In the very beginning, it is made clear that by its context and emotional mood, “Wulf and...

Gothic in “A Rose for Emily” and “Young Goodman Brown”

Introduction Given the fact that stories “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner can be thought of as such that sublimate the particularities of authors’ Romanticist worldview, it would be logical, on our part, to expect strongly defined Gothic elements being present in...

Cinderella’s Stepsisters As Saviors

The story of Cinderella has been told in most cultures but the European version is the best known, partly because that version has been modified as times changed. It is mostly read as a rags-to-riches story of a virtuous girl who gets her just reward in this life rather than...

The Unique Writing Style of William Faulkner

Introduction William Faulkner is regarded as one of the leading authors of 20th century American literature (Lombardi). Listed among his many works are the book “As I Lay Dying” and the short story “A Rose for Emily,” both of which depict several similar features that are typical of the author’s...

The Role of Women in “The Things They Carried”

Introduction While looking at Tim O’Brien’s book and what the author implements in it according to the role of women, one can surely guess of an unfair attitudinal background represented by men being involved in Vietnam War. This point is emphasized in many episodes where women were blamed and criticized...

The Bell Jar: Critical Analysis

Nowadays, many literary critics tend to discuss the semantic meaning of Sylvia Plath’s novel “The Bell Jar” from strictly environmentalist perspective – that is, they refer to Esther Greenwood’s mental inadequateness as the result of novel’s protagonist being exposed to America’s “male chauvinistic” socio-political realities in time when women’s ability...

The Role of Women in Pride and Prejudice

The Role of Women During the 19th century, one major priority of women was marriage. In most cases women married for attraction and social status. It was hardly for true love. At times cases of happiness within the marriage context was purely based on whether the female was beautiful and...

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place: Critical Analysis

The short story by Ernest Hemingway titled A Clean, Well-Lighted Place is a bright example of the psychological literature in which all sins of human beings are revealed. In this story, Hemingway manages to illustrate the eternal differences between human beings through the short dialog of two waiters in a...

Foreshadowing in ‘a Good Man Is Hard to Find’ by O’Connor

Flannery O’Connor(1925-1964) is one the most acclaimed American short story writers of the twentieth century. She was born in Savannah and brought up in Milledgeville, both in Georgia. With 31 stories and two novels to her credit, she died at the age of 39, almost 12 years after she was...

Death of a Salesman: Critical Analysis

Every literary genre is unique and marvelous in its way, but the genre of drama stands apart from other genres of literature, as it possesses certain features that are characteristic for it only. These characteristic features of drama will be analyzed in this work using the example of an outstanding...

The Role of Love and Women in Great Gatsby and the Sun Also Rises

Introduction Love is inextricably linked to women in both Fitzgerald’s “Great Gatsby” and Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” so much so that a serious discussion of one cannot be complete without the other. Daisy Buchanan and Brett in both books respectively are the agents that symbolize love, or the absence...

“Bad Leadership” by Barbara Kellerman

Introduction The book under consideration is called “Bad Leadership” and is written by Barbara Kellerman (US: Harvard Business Press 2004). The book is a kind of warning for those who blindly follow the false leaders and are unable to differentiate the qualities of a full-fledged leader. In addition, the book...

Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare’s Othello

To begin with, from ancient times a theme of inner feelings and conflicts maintained in a man’s soul and mind excite many people by the psychological nature of individuals who urge to find out a specific devotion and predestination in life. Here the extent of dramatic conversations appeared. This gave...

General Prologue to a Contemporary Version of The Canterbury Tales

Much is said and written about the unique, unprecedented, historical situation the world is in today. The so-called new type of warfare, terrorism, the economic and different environmental-related concerns are among the things that make this world situation seem unprecedented in history. This story is about the voyage to the...

Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey — Comparison & Critique

The Iliad and the Odyssey are two of the oldest pieces of Western literature in existence today. They are canons of the west’s literary past even now and have a large following. The stories of both have been repeated countless times and used in cultural references and in making big-budget...

Analysis of Ferlinghetti’s A Vast Confusion

In a way, this poem is a verbal collage, a vast confusion of created mind images used to convey a mood, a message or just an observation. The poet uses images and sound, movement and symbols to tell us about what he believes. The poem reminds one of the short...

Blood in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula” Novel

Introduction The Victorian age is at once identified generally as a time of nostalgic perfection and rigid oppression. It is the age of change and social advances as well as the age of the strict social structure and a severe regard for the customs of the past. During the later...

Sophocles’ Oedipus the King and Rita Dove’s “The Darker Face of the Earth”

Rita Dove’s “The Darker Face of the Earth” is a poet reading that narrates the Oedipus drama, fabricated in terms of the African-American experience of slavery. Oedipus the King’s reading is enriched with the beauty and richness of ancient images and distress dynamics of Greek myths. The transcendent power drawn...

Family Members in “Without My Cloak” by Kate O’Brien

Introduction In different epochs and changeable cultural values, different restrictions are put by the society on its members. In that sense, absolute freedom of choice was not a term that was known for any ordinary person in any chosen time or space. The main issue of contradiction is to what...

“Half Slave and Half Free: The Roots of Civil War” by Bruce Levine

Introduction The American Civil War, also known as the War Between the States started at 1861 and ended in 1865. It was a civil war in the United States of America when the Southern slave states declared about their desire to get separated from the United States and formed the...

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...

Education in “Mansfield Park” by Jane Austen

Introduction In the modern world today, the term education is viewed differently than in the past centuries. This versatile word today was limited only to one aspect, which is mostly meant the process of gathering information. However, education was considered. Differently, a statement the audience can authenticate reading novels that...

Theme of Judgement in the “To Kill a Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee

Introduction To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee is one of the most vehement novels that break the tradition of ‘ part pour l’art’ and proceeds to provide some strong lessons. Racism and classism are one of its major themes, and in course of exploration of such a theme,...

How Sympathetic Is Heathcliff’s Character in Wuthering Heights?

The story of Heathcliff, an enigmatic and vengeful ‘Byronic hero’ of Wuthering Heights, unravels in front of the reader as the novel progresses. The gypsy-like child faces the challenges of growing up as a hated outsider within his own adopted family, developing into a bitter and, ultimately, miserable man. Heathcliff’s...

Symbolism in Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights is a tragic novel written by Emily Bronte. Today, it is presented as classical literature and does not lose its relevance. Along with the popularity of the book, a tragic love story between Catherine and Heathcliff remains one of the most notable stories for readers around the world....

Gender & Feminism in A Doll’s House

Ibsen’s drama ‘A Doll’s House’ appears to be influential literary work, as it revises and reconsiders traditional male and female roles and reveals the threats underlying gender discrimination. The author definitely portrays courageous and goal-oriented women, who struggle with the challenges of the androcentric society and find their niche in...

Feminism in Antigone: Term Paper

It is difficult to identify as to who was the first feminist in the world and as to when the feminist movements had started, but majority of such movements can be traced during the last two centuries. However, there have been women feminists who have proved their abilities in this...

Sophocles’ Antigone: Critical Analysis

Introduction The play Antigone is one of the best Greek dramatic works depicting life style of society and human relations between people. Antigone of Sophocles can be characterized as an astonishing achievement of world literature in which people are crushed by the entanglements of law whichever way they turn. Antigone...

“East of Eden” by John Steinbeck

The main message of East of Eden seems to be that the individual has a moral and spiritual obligation to discover for themselves whether they have acted for the good or the evil. This is stated outright by the narrator in Chapter 34, “There is no other story. A man,...

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...

Arabian Nights: The Tale of the Husband and the Parrot

Introduction The Arabian Nights have always been viewed as the staple of the Arabian folklore and a source of wisdom on which the Arabian philosophy is based. However, apart from addressing the general notions of justice and the battle between the good and evil, the collection of tales also examines...

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...

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

Introduction The novel All quite on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque was one of the first novels in modern European literature to present another side of the war which was rarely disclosed earlier in literature. Earlier war was mostly presented as a heroic glorious and patriotic event, described...

Beowulf, The National Epic of the Anglo-Saxons

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

Ideas & Message in Pride and Prejudice: Reflection Essay

Pride and Prejudice: Reaction Paper Introduction Jane Austen is one of the most classical female authors in the Western literary canon, most famously known for her famous novel Pride and Prejudice. Originally published in 1813, this novel defines classic Regency fiction and is attributed to being a novel of manners,...

A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Critical Analysis Essay

Introduction Flannery O’Connor is the brightest representative of the Southern Gothic in US literature. Her prose is filled with violence, erupting evil and dark features of a human being, and many stories shockingly end on a note of horror. “A Good Man is Hard to Find” first appeared in a...

Benjamin Franklin vs. Jay Gatsby: Character Comparison

The Great Gatsby deal with contradictions present in a romantic figure, certain troubling discrepancies between appearance and reality which that figure reveals under critical scrutiny. The main character can be compared with Ben Franklin as he possesses the same qualities and virtues. Similar to Ben Franklin, Gatsby value knowledge and...

Racism Against Afro-Americans in Wilson’s “Fences” Play

Fences is a play by August Wilson, an American playwright, a Pulitzer’s laureate, who wrote about the life of African Americans in different periods of the 20th century. He chronicled the African-American experience through a series of 10 plays. In the 1950s, the South was still officially segregated, and in...

“The New Automaton Theater” by Steven Millhauser

Introduction It should be noted that Steven Millhauser is a writer and author of many popular works that raise important philosophical and moral questions. He uses the images familiar to every individual and creates a small world, a micro-universe, into which the reader is immersed from the first lines. The...

Are We Rome? Lessons for America from Ancient Rome’s Fall

Introduction The book Are We Rome? The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America gives a detailed analysis and comparisons between the United States and the Roman Empire. The author’s main subject matter revolves around the practices and developments recorded in the United States that have the potential...

“The Glass Menagerie” the Story by Tennessee Williams

It is important to note that there are significant similarities between Amanda and Jim, and Jim and Tom in various regards. Jim O’Connor is introduced by Tom as a person with a successful past but who undergoes daily struggles in the main timeline of the story. It can be compared...

“Epilogue” Poem by Robert Lowell

Analysis It is worth noting that Robert Lowell was a poet who did not use rhyme and rhythmic units to give his writings traditional sounding. Many of his works can be regarded as experimental poetry, and the author resorted to his creative method to produce the necessary impression on the...

Heritage in Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use”

Introduction Literary plots in which national identity and commitment to traditions are described are fascinating works that make it possible to immerse oneself in other cultures and their features. Alice Walker’s story Everyday Use is an example of such a genre, and despite its humor and irony, the essence of...

‘The Last Night of the World’ by Ray Bradbury

‘The Last Night of the World’ is a short story by Ray Bradbury written in a genre of speculative fiction. It presents an evening dialogue between spouses who are drinking coffee and watching their daughters play on the rug. It is an entirely ordinary evening except for the dream they...

“The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Le Guin

The article that resonates with me the most is the short story by Ursula Le Guin under the title “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas.” In an exciting combination of descriptive narrative and directly referring to readers, the author manages to convey a complicated twofold message. On the surface,...

“The Lottery” the Short Story by Shirley Jackson

Introduction Shirley Jackson was an American author who was born in 1919. Over the course of her career, she completed more than two hundred short stories, as well as several novels and memoirs. Her literary career began during her education at Syracuse University, where she wrote for the literary magazine....

Father-Son Dynamics in Homer’s “Odyssey”: A Deep Analysis

Introduction Being one of the most famous Ancient Greek plays, “Odyssey” has entered the realm of global culture, having left its mark on countless artworks and generations of readers. The poem addresses a large variety of themes, yet the father-son dynamics is one of the more subtle ideas integrated in...

August Wilson’s “Pittsburgh Cycle”: Music and Family

The Pittsburgh Cycle The issue of race was especially problematic for the U.S. in the early 20th century due to the legacy of the rampant racism that plagued the previous era of U.S. sociocultural development. The challenges faced by African American people in fighting against oppression and promoting equality were...

Social Problems in Wilson’s “Fences” Play

In 1985, the American playwright and Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson published the play Fences. This work was published as part of the ten-part Pittsburgh Cycle, which recounts the complexities of African-American life in different decades of the twentieth century. Fences is a theatrical play that raises acute social problems...

The Dangers of Capital Punishment: Atavism and Arbitrary Condemnation

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

Mathilde in “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

Introduction The Necklace is a short story written by French writer Guy de Maupassant at the end of the 19th century. In the story, the main character Mathilde Loisel lives a humble life of a middle-class housewife believing that she is meant to be rich. She borrows a diamond necklace...

Injustice. “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Dr. King

Introduction Martin Luther King is regarded as one of the most influential thinkers and fighters for Civil Rights in the USA. His “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is one of the numerous examples of this activist’s effective addresses to people. In this piece, Dr. King responds to white religious leaders who...

Religion & Hypocrisy: “The Summoning of Everyman”

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

Protagonist of “The Stranger” Novel by Albert Camus

Introduction Meursault is the name of the protagonist of Albert Camus’s novel “The Stranger.” He is a French Algerian man living and working in Algiers, and the book describes his life and his journey that eventually ends in his execution for murder. Meursault’s key trait is his detachment from the...

Heroism in “A Lesson Before Dying” by E. Gaines

Introduction/Thesis When it comes to writing a novel, authors must first make sure that the would-be produced literary work will have what it takes to prove discursively relevant. This, in turn, can only be accomplished if the novel’s themes and motifs are consistent with the prevailing socio-cultural climate, on the...

Exploring Play and Game Structures by Sicart & Fullerton

Introduction This essay is a review of two chapters from books by Miguel Sicart and Tracy Fullerton. The first chapter talks about the definition of play, and the second describes the structure of a game. The goal of the review is to find two interesting points in each chapter and...

Philosophy of the “Good Life” Concept in Agamben & Armitage

The main idea that is being promoted throughout the book Homo Sacer by Giorgio Agamben is that, ever since the dawn of history, people never ceased being unconsciously aware of the fact that there is a qualitative difference between the notion of a ‘bare (primeval) life’, on the one hand,...

“The Age of Innocence” the Novel by Edith Wharton

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

Plato’s Philosophy: Soul Immortality and the Cave Allegory

Introduction Plato was one of the outstanding Ancient Greek philosophers. Most of his teachings were based on his conception of the ideas, which explained human nature, life, soul, relationships, and the state. Plato expressed his philosophy in the dialogues, among which the Phaedo and The Republic take a very important...

A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Literary Analysis

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

Literary Devices in “A Good Man is Hard to Find” by O’Connor

Flannery O’Connor’s short story A Good Man is Hard to Find has always attracted the attention of various critics since this literary work can give rise to various interpretations. Moreover, it is possible to identify various themes that the author explores, for example, one can mention religion or social change....

Contrasts and Details of “The Cask of Amontillado“ by Edgar Allan Poe

Introduction Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” was first published in 1846, and it is widely recognized today as the best or one of the best short stories written by the author. It contains a story of revenge taken by an insidious and dark man named Montresor on his...

Machiavelli’s The Prince and Its Modern Importance

Introduction Machiavelli’s “The Prince” is a powerful masterpiece that presents the best leadership concepts. This political treatise was written by Niccolo Machiavelli. According to many scholars, “The Prince” was the first political text to examine the issue of leadership ethics (Machiavelli 27). The book presents meaningful arguments that are applicable...

Family and Society in Tartuffe by Molière

Tartuffe was first performed in 1664. The play is about a beggar by the name Tartuffe, and Orgon’s family, which has taken the responsibility of helping him (Moliere 3). Tartuffe is a good man, according to Orgon, and this is the reason why he decides to help him. He even...

Sex without Love: by Sharon Olds

Literature has always served people to convey their feelings and emotions. It is a very powerful remedy which helps authors show their attitude towards some issue and make people think about it. That is why it is obvious that much attention in the literature is devoted to the issue of...

Cultures in Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss

Introduction This paper is a review of the article, Kiran Desai’s The Inheritance of Loss: Elements of American Dream and Globalization by Andhra Chandramani and Bala Reddy, which bases its discussion on the book, The Inheritance of Loss, by Kiran Desai. The article is mainly an analysis of what the...

“Waiting for the Barbarians” by J. M. Coetzee

Critical Observations Asked about the barbarians and why they seemed disgruntled, the following was Colonel Joll’s response: I will say nothing of the recent raids carried out on them, quite without justification, and followed by acts of wanton cruelty, since the security of the Empire was at stake, or so...

“Fences” a Play by August Wilson

Introduction One of the main themes in The Fences is the theme of parenting. Both Troy’s and Bono’s sad recalls offering background for considering the similarities and dissimilarities of the generations unraveling Troy from Cory and Bono from Lyons. The one feature Troy appreciated was a sense of accountability, and,...

Captain Nemo on the Lost Continent

In the twenty thousand leagues under the sea, Nemo comes out as a captain who does not value the chain of command. He believes in himself and thinks that his decisions are his visions. In chapter nine of part two, he shows up in the submarine only to exit with...

Ben Jonson’s Comedy “Volpone”

Abridged Production History The history of British dramaturgy cannot be discussed without mentioning Ben Jonson’s comedy Volpone, as such that represents a particularly high dramaturgic value. In its turn, this can be partially explained by the fact that the themes and motifs, contained in this play, did not only correlate...

“The Unbearable Lightness of Being” a Novel by Milan Kundera

Ever since Milan Kundera’s novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being was published in 1984, it became instantly popular with the readers. And, as of today, critics’ opinions as to what attracts readers to this particular novel vary rather substantially. Whereas; some critics explain novel’s popularity by the sheer progressiveness of...

Sexual Energy in The Changeling and The Revenger’s Tragedy

Introduction: Relevance of the Topic to Early Modern Literature Although most of the early modern English plays seem innocent to the present-day audience, in fact, exploration of sexuality, ranging from playful and comic to tragic and taboo, was one of the most popular topics among playwrights. Sexuality in the early...

“The Bean Eaters” by Gwendolyn Brooks

The subject of the Poem The poem The bean eaters deals with a seemingly simple subject, which is a scene of two old people having dinner and eating beans. However, a closer look at the narrative will show that it addresses an array of social issues, poverty being the main...

“The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” a Novel by Mark Twain

Introduction Classical children’s literature is full of examples of outstanding works that have become a cultural treasure and are still being discussed with interest today. One of these well-known works that are known to almost everyone in the book “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” written by the famous American writer...

“The Secret Miracle” by Jorge Luis Borges

A short story The Secret Miracle by Jorge Luis Borges is written in the genre of magic realism and contains such characteristics of this genre as a mix of unreal events and reality and emphasis of mystery that can be found in usual life. Being in jail, Jaromir faces the...

“Grief” a Poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Writing about poems is always interesting and challenging. The analysis of Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s poem is not an exception. On the one hand, it is a real challenge to understand the meaning of each word in the poem and the intentions of the writer. On the other hand, it is...

“The History of Love” by Nicole Krauss

Prompt How does the theme (love) provide a deep sense of interweaving between individuals otherwise unknown to one another? Introduction An eminent philosopher once said that human is a social animal. Indeed, people are rooted in society from the moment of their birth. They develop inside its ties, its relations,...

“Liberty and Power” a Book by Harry Watson

Author’s Argument Harry Watson’s “Liberty and Power” is a masterpiece focusing on the political changes and events that characterized Antebellum America. According to the author, the Jacksonian ideology played a critical role towards reshaping the political future of the United States. The targeted historical period led to the establishment of...

Shakespeare’s Sonnets from Magnusson’s Perspective

In this essay, Lynne Magnusson addresses the conventional standards concerning Shakespeare’s sonnets and the image of a high-status beautiful lady who is usually associated with his lyrical poetry. The author argues that a beloved “he” becomes the quintessence of personal feelings, including the sexual desire and emotional attachment to a...

Madonna of the Burning Bush: XV Century Masterpiece by Georges Trubert

The painting titled “Madonna of the Burning Bush” is one of the illustrations in The Book of Hours. It was made in XV century by Georges Trubert, who was a famous painter and had few apprentices who followed his style. We can see a number, 154, in the right upper...

Lucille Clifton’ Poems Comparison

Introduction Lucille Clifton is noted for her outstanding ability to say very much using very few words. Her poems are full of life and passion, though hardly any exclamations are used. She uses simple means to express powerful ideas. Proclamation of the need for racial and gender equality, a hymn...

“Disgrace” a Book by John Maxwell Coetzee

Introduction John Maxwell (J. M.) Coetzee is a well-known novelist who received numerous awards and recognition for his outstanding works. He is also a linguist and translator who contributed to the field of literature. Today the author represents two countries as he moved from South Africa to Australia at the...

Awkward Scene in The Castle of Otranto by Walpole

Introduction One awkward scene in the novel was where Manfred stabbed his own daughter Matilda when she was out with Theodore at St. Nicholas church. Manfred was in love with Isabel, but he thought that she loved another man called Theodore. As a result, Manfred had deployed a man to...

Elie Wiesel’s Night: Ghetto and Concentration Camp Horrors

Elie Wiesel revealed his experience in the ghetto in his novel Night. He portrayed the horrors of the war years and the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps. The author shares his thoughts and deepest emotions. The book is a very intimate confession of a person who tried to come...

Modernism in Hemingway’s “Big Two-Hearted River”

Introduction Big Two-Hearted River, a short story written by Ernest Hemingway and first published in 1925, tells the readers about the feelings, thoughts, and perceptions of Nick Adams, the story’s main character, that he had during his visit to the river. The text contains virtually no significant events and no...

“Hills Like White Elephants” a Story by Ernest Hemingway

“Hills Like White Elephant” by Ernest Hemingway is told mainly in the form of a conversation between the couple and even though the words are not actually said, it becomes obvious that the girl in the story is about to get an abortion. The main theme of the story centers...

Literary Themes in Sherman Alexie’s “What You Will Pawn I Will Redeem”

Nowadays, it is not a shame to interact with homeless people, provide them with help, and offer free food and support to improve their lives. Unfortunately, even the most mettle supporters cannot prevent the development of such bad habits like alcoholism, drugs, or low finance. Sherman Alexie is a successful...

“Schoolsville” a Poem by Billy Collins

The Introduction: The Author’s Humorous Tone First of all, I would like to point out that the poem Schoolsville reminded me of my own school life. Of course, it is obvious, that the writer Billy Collins used expressive language devices to impress the readers. In other words, his speech is...

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by William Shakespeare

The play, A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Shakespeare is characterized by comedy, farce and humor that are present throughout the play. It is mainly based on love, magic, mistaken identity and the sudden reversal of relationships. Act I begins with a scene where Duke Theseus is conversing with his bride....

Revenge in the Play “Hamlet, Prince of Denmark”

Introduction Hamlet is a character used in the play, Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, to depict the theme of revenge. In the play, Claudius and Gertrude kill Hamlet’s father, the king, due to the quest for power. The murder of the king motivates Hamlet to commence his revenge mission. Evidently,...

The Theme of Reflection in the Poems

Introduction The poems, “When I Consider How My Light is Spent” by John Milton and “Sad Steps” by Philip Larkin, provide a reflection of how individuals can utilize their lives, especially from their youthful period through into their old age. The poems highlight the lives of individuals during their youthfulness...

Water Buffalo Days: Growing Up in Vietnam by Nhuong

The book Water Buffalo Days: Growing Up in Vietnam by Nhuong tells the story of a young boy in a central village in Vietnam. The boy has an unlikely companion by the name Tank, a water buffalo. The water buffalo sends the bullies packing whenever they harass Nhuong. The buffalo...

Octavia Butler’s Kindred: Essay Example

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

Comparison: Through the Tunnel by Doris Lessing and Araby by James Joyce

Summary James Joyce’s story in Araby was written in 1914. The story sketches the glamor of new love and the end of innocence throughout the story. The story is narrated in first person. The boy, the narrator, is mocked by mere narcissism. Thus, he comes to the realization that what...

Literary Analysis of Elie Wiesel’s “Night”: Themes of Loss and Survival

Introduction Father-son relationships have never been easy, and Wiesel’s novel is the exact manifestation of the given fact. Although the novel touches upon several issues apart from the given one, and the family dilemmas are not the focus of the novel, it is quite peculiar to watch the evolution of...

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert Literature Analysis

Introduction Madame Bovary is the novel written by the outstanding French author Gustave Flaubert. The novel is considered to be one of the masterpieces of the world literature and one of the most famous works of its author. The novel is interesting for its rich plot telling about the fortune...

The Future of Reading

Introduction It should be known that e-books and online blogs are definitely going to have an effect on the future of reading books and libraries. This is based on the popularity of e-books and online blogs that has been intensifying in recent years. E-books and online blogs will definitely have...

Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World

Introduction Income inequality is a perennial problem that characterizes societal growth in many countries. It refers to the unequal distribution of wealth across different social and economic groups. The concept connotes different social indicators such as social opportunities, life expectancy, and equity (among others). People have varied opinions about its...

Conflict in A Rose for Emily Essay Example

The critical theory by Lois Tyson offers a literary analysis of the psychoanalytic theory whereby it seeks to explain individual character depicted in an individual who is lacking in terms of character and moral standing in his or her actions. The short story A Rose for Emily takes on a...

Analyzing the Genre of Romantic Comedies: Key Themes and Cultural Impact

Introduction Comedy is one of the techniques used by play writers to express opinions, views, and judgments. Through comedy, the audience is able to access information that would be difficult to explain using conventional communication means. Some scholars view comedy as an intellectual tool that helps writers express their intellectual...

“Trifles” by Susan Glaspell Literature Analysis

The short story by Susan Glaspell is full of flat and round characters. There is a reason why the authors crated both flat and round characters. This is a typical formula used by writers. This is because there is not enough space to develop characters and for readers to empathize...

“The Creature From the Black Lagoon” by Lois Banner Literature Analysis

In her essay The creature from the black lagoon, Lois Banner has picked up the theme of whiteness and try to give it meaning based on the life of the popular 1930’s public figure that was Marilyn Monroe. To this end, Banner has divided the concept of whiteness into five...

“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe Literature Analysis

In the novel “Things fall apart” by Chinua Achebe, the clash between Christianity and traditional animism religion held by the people of Umuofia is highlighted. Upon the arrival of the white missionaries, who later set the way for colonization, the Igbo people practiced their traditional culture which was seen as...

“The Day of the Locust” by Nathanael West Literature Analysis

Nathanael West’s novel, The Day of the Locust, depicts the story of the lives of people who live in the fantasies of their dreams. They dream of a life full of luxury with lots of money to crown their happiness, yet such a life seems unachievable. This creates a phenomenon...

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin and A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell

The world’s literary interest to female psychology and changes in attitude to women has been changed over time. Looking back at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, specific attention should be paid to the works dedicated to studying women’s psychology and mental health...

Literary Analysis of “A Rose for Emily” by W. Faulkner

An American writer William Faulkner is famous for his short stories which described events taking place in the so-called Yoknapatawpha Count, which is recognized to be a non-existent city. Thus, one of his short stories, namely A Rose for Emily is an issue which is to be discussed below. The...

Challenges of Learning English for Immigrant Children

In the story, Mother Tongue, Amy Tan, the author, highlights the problems that children raised by immigrant parents go through as they grow. Having born just a few years after her parents settled in California from China, Tan grew in an environment where spoken English was different from the conventional...

“Forget Shorter Showers” and “Waste Not, Want Not”

The discussions about the environment and people’s direct impact on nature differ considerably. Many writers and researchers admit that every person has an ability to stop making environmental harm but does not know how to use it properly. The current paper aims at discussing two powerful works, Jensen’s “Forget Shorter...

“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte

Ian Watt argues in his critical text The Rise of the Novel that the novel was the first literary work to use personalized authentic names for its characters. Watt insists that traditional writers used names that implied some behavior or qualities, and, therefore, were not authentic. According to him, such...

Religious Influences on Transformation of History in Homer’s Epics

The connection between Homer and the fields of history and archaeology has been a subject of ongoing examination and debate. Academics have sought to derive historical truths from the Homeric poems, treating them as a reservoir of insights into past societies. Nevertheless, the poems are not mere historical records or...

Familial Dysfunction and Resilience in Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here

Introduction Most unusually, the idea of familial dysfunction takes center stage in Kevin Wilson’s book Nothing to See Here. The narrative centers on the lives of individuals who encounter peculiar situations, such as the spontaneous combustible behavior of two excited toddlers. Despite its whimsical appearance, the story offers a potent...

Heroism and Futility in Tennyson’s “The Charge of the Light Brigade”

Introduction The Battle of Balaclava was a crucial event in the Crimean War, which lasted from 1853 to 1856. This battle proved futile for the British and resulted in significant casualties for the army. For poets, it was common to glorify sacrifice and bravery, particularly when these led to victories....

Love, Loss, and Human Experience in James Joyce’s “Araby” and “The Dead”

Introduction James Joyce is widely regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. His work has been studied in great detail, and his two short stories, Araby and The Dead, are among his most renowned. Both stories explore themes of love, loss, and the human experience....

Social Issue in Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds” Short Story and Its Modern Relevance

Introduction Jing-mei, a Chinese-American female in Amy Tan’s short tale “Two Kinds,” struggles to define her identity in a world that continuously enforces cultural and societal expectations. The story takes place in San Francisco in the 1950s and 1960s, when many Chinese immigrants were struggling to adjust to a fresh...

Renee’s Identity and Sexuality in Thomas Glave’s Commitment Novel

Introduction Thomas Glave’s Commitment is a powerful novel that explores love, desire, identity, and social justice. The book is a series of interrelated stories that chronicle the lives of a group of individuals as they face personal and political issues. Glave’s work is both poetic and brutal, delving unflinchingly into...