Work in Walt Whitman “I Hear America Singing”

Introduction Walt Whitman presents an idyllic vision of American life through “I Hear America Singing” (1860). The piece of poetry covers every corner of the nation introducing the reader to all sorts of works, from housewives to farmers to show makers. As the audience makes an imaginary journey traveling through...

The Novel “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy

Introduction Although nowadays, in the 21st century, the threat of global war is insignificant, many other dangers have appeared that humanity did not worry about before, including human-made, information, and ecological catastrophes. The theme of the apocalypse, in this context, is of mounting concern to society, reflected in the development...

“Goblin Market” Poem by Christina Rossetti

Introduction The Goblin Market is a poem published in the 18th century by Christina Rossetti. The poem unfolds the story of two sisters, Laura and Lizzie, who enter the Goblin market when men are selling their fruits in the streets. The fruits represent sexual activities advertised by the merchants in...

Technology in Burning Chrome by William Gibson

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

Lynn Nottage’s “Sweat” Play Production

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

Ancient Mesopotamian Religion and Its Influence in ”The Epic of Gilgamesh”

Introduction All ethnic groups, especially in ancient times, had their heroes and iconized characters. In ancient Mesopotamia, such a hero was Gilgamesh- a warlike and wise king bent on immortality. The found tablets with the story of his life can be identified as the first memorial of literary skill. It...

“The Devil and Tom Walker” Short Story by Washington Irving

There are many different negative features that are common for people of all times, be it the eighteenth or the twenty-first century. Greed, indifference, anger, corruption, immorality, and the readiness to sin for one’s own benefit destroy humans and everything good in society. To show the full horror of the...

Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley: The Change of Status Quo in Literature

Anne Bradstreet, born in 1612 in England, was married to Simon Bradstreet and graduated from the University of Cambridge at 16. A couple of years later, after moving to America and having eight children, she became one of the first poets in the American colonies. Phillis Wheatley Peters was a...

A Man of the People by Chinua Achebe Review

The literary canon concept is used to describe the most valuable and influential texts of a particular time. The current paper argues that a short story “A Man of the People” written by a Nigerian novelist, Chinua Achebe, should be included in the literary canon to be taught as part...

Harper Lee and “To Kill a Mockingbird”

There are numerous various books in the world, and some of them are products of pure imagination while others reflect real life. Often authors implement some aspects of their lives into their works, and one such example is Harper Lee and her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. To understand the...

“The Handmaid’s Tale” Fanfiction by Margaret Atwood

Introduction This paper is a fanfiction of the Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. It explores a different story that the novel could have written about when Ofglen and her underground resistance movement are introduced into the account. The Meeting When Offred met Ofglen, she would not have expected that she...

King Arthur in “History of the Kings of Britain” by Geoffrey of Monmouth

King Arthur is the legendary hero of the Britons from the book “History of the Kings of Britain,” a cycle-forming character in British epics and chivalric novels. Geoffrey of Monmouth endowed his literary character, King Arthur, with an abundance of contradictory traits, a vivid and memorable personality. Thanks to his...

Tragedy: Special Features of the Genre

From ancient times, people composed stories to entertain themselves and to teach others certain lessons. Over time, genres appeared to which each story could be assigned, which significantly facilitated the process of creation of new art since writers now had certain templates to build upon. Tragedy has always been recognized...

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...

Analysis of “The Portrait of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde’s book The Portrait of Dorian Gray has constantly been mentioned everywhere in the world. This is understandable because the book presents a hedonistic worldview that was completely new back then. One of the quotes to be analyzed in this essay goes like this, “None of us can stand...

“War Dances” and “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” by Sherman Alexie

Sherman Alexie’s short stories “War Dances” and “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” describe the life of Native Americans who have to deal with vices and vulnerabilities in everyday life. Their values ​​and suffering have different causes, but they are similar due to the degree of pain projected onto daily...

The Outcasts of Poker Flat Short Story by Bret Harte

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

“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...

Independent Child Hero in Coraline Novel by Gaiman

Introduction The book Coraline mainly focuses on courage among children, as depicted by Neil Gaiman. Neil Gaiman’s children’s novel, Coraline, is about a tale of a child and mother, belonging, and the variances between reality and fantasy. After Coraline moved into a new apartment located in a remote area, she...

Gender and Communication in “Modern Family” by Lloyd

Television shows present gender and communication in a multitude of different ways, which either positively or negatively affect their viewers’ perspectives on many critical issues. They may promote various stereotypes and encourage people to conform or destroy biases and inspire individuals to be independent. It is essential to understand how...

Measure for Measure by Shakespeare. Documentary Critique

Measure for Measure is one of Shakespeare’s most controversial plays, as it raises politically sensitive topics such as justice, morality, and corruption. The collision of power, religion, and sex can be perceived utterly differently over the course of time. Even though many literary critics have tried to find the pitfalls...

Literary Heritage of Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf Virginia Woolf is regarded as one of the key English writers of the 20th century who shaped the modernist tradition. She became a narrative pioneer, being the first who discussed topics of gender, feminism, and freedom from the standpoint of a woman. Another innovation that she has implemented...

Good Books for Children: “The Hobbit”

Quality literature is an integral component of a child’s upbringing for a range of reasons. First of all, reading develops vital skills, such as literacy, logic, and imagination. Children with an early affection for good books are likely to demonstrate better school preparedness and learning outcomes. At the same time,...

Comparing and Contrasting Sonnet 103 with Echo and Narcissus

Shakespeare permeates his lyrics with amazing metaphors and comparisons to express love and feelings. The metaphors used in Sonnet 103 and Echo and Narcissus by Shakespeare also present the reader with an indirect description of the sublime romance. On the other hand, the romance in these two works is, in...

Review of “Spare Change” Story by Teresa Zsuffa

“Spare Change” by Teresa Zsuffa is a story that tells about a short episode from the lives of two women, but it reveals several important themes and motives. The main thesis of the story is the idea that people should not give in to their bias but be kind to...

21st Century Ideals of Revolution From Shelley’s “Prometheus Unbound”

Introduction Percy Bysshe Shelley’s Prometheus Unbound combines the literary forms of lyrical drama and poetry to recreate and reanimate a classical mythological story. In the opening episode of the play, Jupiter, Shelley’s symbol of religious and political tyranny, punishes the heroic Prometheus for stealing fire from heaven and giving it...

Plot of “The Secret Agent” Novel by Joseph Conrad

Introduction The purpose of literature is to be thought-provoking and to convey strong messages. Even fictional stories demonstrate a certain degree of connection to the issues present in real life. Such works of literature are often filled with profound symbolism, which invites the reader on a philosophical journey through the...

Mystery, Morality, and Miracle Plays – “Everyman”

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

Review of “Young Goodman Brown” Story by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Introduction The story Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a fascinating piece that focuses on guilty conscience and different issues faced by people in the community. The story involves Brown, who leaves his wife, Faith, to meet a man in the dark forest he identifies as the devil. Authors...

Transcendental Ideas in Frederick Douglass’ Memoirs

One of the seminal literary works revealing the theme of historical legacy is The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, written as the memoirs of a dark-skinned American slave. The book proper consists of eleven chapters describing, in chronological order, childhood, the stages of learning to write, the periods...

“Neighbors” Short Story by Raymond Carver

The story of the Millers presents fascinating attributes of families in contemporary societies. In many instances, people tend to copy what their fellows are doing with a perception that these other individuals have a better life, just like the Millers admired the Stones. Although Bill is portrayed as an outgoing...

The Differences Between Conducting a Literature Review and Reviewing the Literature

Reviewing literature to solve an identified problem is different from conducting a literature review to search for a gap in knowledge. At the same time, their common features of both types of literature reviews. On the one hand, the purpose of both types of research is to discern what is...

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

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

Symbolism in “Dante’s Inferno”

It is difficult to diminish the notable unpredictability of Inferno to a short rundown of significant images. The story includes Dante going from the external levels of Hell into the most profound areas where Lucifer dwells. He encounters the disciplines of various sins and investigates his own feelings and scholarly...

Characterization of Beatrice and Georgiana in Hawthorne’s Works

Nathaniel Hawthorne is a renowned 19th century writer who combined romantic elements with science in his artistic works. For instance, in his stories, “Rappaccini’s Daughter” and “The Birthmark,” he emphasizes similar aspects revolving around human nature and its fascination for perfection (Resetarits, 2012). Hawthorne successfully integrates deep feelings such as...

The Tale of The Ox and the Donkey in Modern Society

Writers have used tales to convey a particular message to the audience. Tales are stories where one is creative, and they can either be factual or fictional. For instance, One Thousand and One Nights was compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age and focuses on what people experience in...

The Gift of the Magi Short Story by O. Henry

All O. Henry’s works are imbued with attention to imperceptible “little” people, whose troubles and joys are vividly portrayed in his stories. The author aims to draw attention to the genuine human values. As a result, the most seemingly deplorable finals of his short stories begin to be perceived as...

Tradition in “Everyday Use” by Walker and “The Lottery” by Jackson

During the semester, several works were studied. “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker and “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson were exciting pieces of literature. The “Everyday Use” is a short story that highlights the plight of African -Americas who were trying to redefine their social, cultural, and political identity. It mainly...

“Back to My Arms”: A Romantic Poem Analysis

Poem – Back to my Arms In the dark of the midnight, Lay me, eyes open, lacking sleep in the night, Thinking, taxing my mind, wandering the valleys, You crisscross thoughts; within my thoughts are alleys, Wanting to see, hold, and have you again as I remember with nostalgia, The...

“Seven Jewish Children” by Caryl Churchill

Introduction The play, which takes approximately ten minutes, was written by Caryl Churchill as a response to the tragic events that took place at Gaza in the recent past. The play, among other issues, shows the extent to which theater is capable of reacting to the global politics. The play...

“Song of the Humming Bird” by Graciela Limon Review

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

“The Other Two” Short Story by Edith Wharton

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

“The Art of Racing in the Rain” and “A Dog’s Purpose”: Comparison

Introduction To be truly happy, an individual should have or, at least, seek a genuine value that makes his or her life full-fledged and gives it a significant meaning. Undoubtedly, one of such worth is unconditional, real, and sincere love that can be manifested in different forms, including friendship, intimate...

“Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” by T. Williams

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is a classical Tennessee Williams’ play that examines the themes of an unhappy marriage, social hypocrisy, sexual repression, and masculinity crisis. It follows an unhappily married couple, Brick and Maggie, as they attempt to navigate the rocky phase of their union, Brick’s alcoholism, and...

“A Narrative of Life” of Frederick Douglass Review

The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass is a detailed analysis of the oppression Frederick Douglass went through before his freedom. In the autobiography, he provides his readers with first-hand information about his encounters that were characterized by pain, brutality, and humiliation. Douglass emphasizes the cruelty of perpetrators and...

Symbol of the Cat in the Story “Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe

The works of Edgar Allan Poe are famous for their gothic style, the penchant for depression and melancholy, as well as sinister motives of imminent death and evil fate. So, in the “Black Cat,” the story of alcoholism, madness, and movement towards destruction unfolds. The cat is the main symbol...

“A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen and the Role of Ladies in Society

The struggles which women have in their daily life are real and universal. Females have been perceived as the subordinate of males who control societies. The role of ladies has always been to follow what the men say, and this has trapped communities in a patriarchal system. In their education,...

Loss Is a Disaster: Bishop’s “One Art” and Kay’s “B” Poems

Emotional pain is one of the unique aspects peculiar to human beings. As social creatures with a strong devotion to people who surround them, people cannot avoid feeling sad or frustrated because of various losses. These might include the death of close people, failures, or the inability to attain success....

Grief and Mourning in ‘Big Fish’ by Danielle Wallace

It is evident that people have mortal bodies, and life is not internal; thus, passing away is a normal and unavoidable process. Nevertheless, such biological and philosophical ideas would be clueless to comfort people experiencing the loss of loved ones. Bereaved individuals usually undergo a hard time of distress, and...

King Leopold’s Ghost by Hochschild: A Reader Response

Looking at most of the recent history from the perspective of cultural change and the key trends in it will help to discover that the legacy of colonialism is imprinted into every facet of cross-cultural interactions. Although colonialism is typically associated with the history of American and the exploitation of...

“Hamlet” by William Shakespeare: Character of the Ghost

The importance of each character in a literary work can be either revealed explicitly by the author or implied by the character’s interactions with other individuals or relations to some events. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there is one character that does exist in the same dimension as all the others. The...

Themes of Oppression and Imperialism in Literature

Joseph Conrad wrote the “Heart of Darkness” to portray a Congo River journey during colonial times. The “Heart of Darkness” shares themes of oppression and imperialism with “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and “The Tempest.” Oppression can be defined as an act of treating a person with no respect for their...

The Sound of the Trees, and the Noise of the People

Robert Frost was a prolific American poet born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco. Although he holds the absolute record for the number of Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry awarded to a single person, Frost struggled to find any recognition in his early years. In fact, he had to work...

Komunyakaa’s “Facing It” and Owen’s “Dulce Et Decorum Est” Poems

An analysis of a poetic work is a great way to appreciate and understand poetry more deeply. Qualitative literary analysis involves considering the author’s use of such elements of poems like speaker, tone, imagery, metaphors, similes, figurative language.This paper aims to discuss two poems – “Facing It” by Yusef Komunyakaa,...

Current Culture in Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk away from Omelas” Story

“The Ones Who Walk away from Omelas” is a fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin. Through the elaborated imagery of reflective narration, the author explores urgent moral issues still relevant to our society. This paper aims to apply Le Guin’s short fiction to the cultural analysis of our modern society....

Unconscious Irony in “Oedipus the King,” by Sophocles

Tragic heroes often embrace unconscious irony, leading to their downfall. In any literary work, it becomes fascinating when some of the characters are self-denial after engaging in different heinous actions unknowingly and later face the consequences after realizing the truth. Denotatively, unconscious irony is when various characters within the play...

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson: A More Positive Ending

“The Lottery” is a famous short story by Shirley Jackson that embodies a great number of themes and encourages readers all over the world to take a critical look at traditions and related problems and think about the sanctity of life in different societies. Having read the ending, one suddenly...

Cultural Identity and Ethnicities’ Integrity Significance in Mora’s Poetry

Pat Mora’s poetry book Chants illustrates the essentiality of heritage conservation and the relationship between different cultures. She is a Mexican American writer who is well-known for her biculturalism style. She puts emphasizes the problem of adaptation of non-acceptance of immigrants of Latin origin in the US. The writer also...

Coming of Age: Choice of Transition and Everlasting Infantilism

Coming of age stories have been prominent in many literary works. Aging and crossing a line between being a child and moving into adulthood is a topic that every single person can relate to. However, growing up is different for everyone and depends on their gender, socioeconomic, and cultural background....

Ashami and Gogol in The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri Comparative Analysis

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri features a story of a Bengali family who settled in the US. The novel focuses on the problems of preserving and pursuing one’s national identity and self-awareness, as exemplified by different generations of immigrants. In particular, the characters of Ashami and her son Gogol are...

“Mother Tongue” by Tan and “Learning to Read and Write” by Douglass

Introduction Mother Tongue by Amy Tan, and Learning to Read and Write by Frederick Douglass are examples of the genre of literacy narrative. In the articles, both authors describe their relations with reading and writing, and their role of them, as well as education in general, in their lives. The...

“Jupiter and Io” by Ovid

Introduction In his poems, which Ovid wrote while being inspired by Roman folklore, he demonstrated the entire mythology of his time. In addition, the author also managed to illustrate through the prism of poetry the life of the people around him. Even though many of his characters are gods, they...

“A Rose for Emily”: Violence and Mental Illness in William Faulkner’s Short Story

Some of the key questions a first-time reader of William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” would ask involve why a sane person would consider sleeping or speaking with the dead and mete violence to their lover. Specifically, in the present-day society, a reader would refer to cognitive psychology to explain...

Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet: Play Analysis

Composed by William Shakespeare, Macbeth is a mental and shocking story of visually impaired aspiration and dangerous, all-expending power. This is a play brimming with detestable goals and horrifying killings. Fabulously coordinated by Dan Hodge and enlivened by the Ghost accounts of Edgar Allen Po, this creation, with its intriguing...

The Great Gatsby: A Book Review and Summary

Scott Fitzgerald is a famous American writer, and most of his works are devoted to the jazz era. He elaborated this term, which means a happy decade between the end of World War I and the beginning of the Depression. This era involves the rebellion of the young generation against...

What Does It Mean to Be Invisible According to Ralph Ellison?

Introduction In the middle of the 1900s, Ralph Ellison created one of his remarkable novels Invisible Man. Each its passage or phrase has a specific meaning and impact on the reader. Still, the first paragraph of any literature work plays a significant role because it sets the tone for further...

Caution and Restraint in Books 17-20 of Homer’s “The Odyssey”

Introduction Books 17-20 of Homer’s The Odyssey concentrate on Odysseus’ arrival to his palace in a beggar’s disguise and the adventures surrounding his unannounced return. There are several critical ideas reflected in these parts of the epic, including loyalty, pride, patience, a strategic approach, and Athena’s involvement. However, it seems...

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

If there is one universal quality that describes humans, it is the unwillingness to confront or accept harsh realities like death, terminal illness, and loss. This human nature is seen in humankind’s attempt to downplay the seriousness of issues through the use of euphemisms, ignoring painful truths, and the use...

Literary Analysis of Ward’s “Sing, Unburied, Sing”

Jesmyn Ward: A Celebrated Author in American Literature Jesmyn Ward is considered an important author in American literature owing to her ability to showcase an intimate and in-depth understanding of language. Ward’s works explore American families and their diverse cultures. All of Ward’s novels are set in the small town...

Post-WWI America in “Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway

The history of literature has seen renowned masters of short stories, and Ernest Hemingway is one of them. “Soldier’s Home” is a classic example of such a story, as it depicts the United States of America in the fallout of the First World War (WWI) through the prism of a...

Oedipus & Macbeth: Comparison

The given writings’ central theme is a fulfillment of the prophecies in a highly tragic manner, where the main characters learn about their demise beforehand and make attempts to either make it the reality or avoid it. In the case of Oedipus, the prophecy is manifested in the fact that...

Changes of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza

Introduction The most profound meanings are texts in which the conflict is expressed implicitly, and occurs inside the character. The story of the knight Don Quixote and his squire Sancho Panza is a brilliant example of how a writer skillfully recreates inner-personal conflicts leading to the radical metamorphosis. Thus, a...

Analyzing ‘Out, Out—’: A Deep Dive into Robert Frost’s Poem

Robert Frost’s poem “Out, Out—” (1916) is a single stanza poem describing the accidental death of a young boy who cuts his hand off when sawing wood. The poem has powerful imagery and rhythmical structure that creates a vivid picture of the accident. When describing the scene, the author uses...

“Gentle Ben” by Walt Morey: Review

Gentle Ben is a novel by Walt Morey set in the Alaskan wilderness. The main character, Mark Andersen, experiences loneliness after the death of his older brother Jamie; however, he finds comfort in Ben – an Alaskan brown bear. A family-oriented adventurous story of a boy’s friendship with a terrifying...

Differences Between Poetry and Prose

Introduction Differences between poetry and prose are highly noticeable even for people who are not knowledgeable in the forms of writing. The most obvious difference between prose and poetry lays in their structures – while poetry may be regarded as properly structured, the prose is more free and natural. Rhythm,...

Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”: Empathy as the Key

Introduction Change is one of the concepts that appear both thrilling and frightening to people at the same time. However, even during the most drastic change, those who can keep their humanity intact are capable of surviving the challenge of transformation and even turning it into something beautiful. Examining the...

Inspiration by Elizabeth Browning’s Love Poetry

Art Creation There is a significant number of topics that are especially loved by both authors and readers and used in literature rather often. Though all of them were being discussed for many centuries, poets can still find ways of expressing their thought and feelings about such themes in unusual...

Symbols and Motifs in Short Stories

“The Birth-Mark” by Nathaniel Hawthorne The main symbol around which the story develops is certainly the birthmark on Georgiana’s left cheek. Initially, the girl seems to be the perfect creation of nature – she is smart, kind, and gorgeous but the mark becomes a trouble for her husband. The birthmark...

The Novel “Skylark” by Dezso Kosztolanyi

“Skylark,” written by an outstanding Hungarian author Dezso Kosztolanyi, is a novel about the change of one senior couple’s life during the impermanent absence of their unattractive and unmarried daughter. At the same time, this work provides essential information about Hungary, especially its political environment, at the end of the...

The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini: Relationships That Change

The Kite Runner is a novel written by Khaled Hosseini in 2003 about the fall of the Afghanistan monarchy because of the Soviet Union’s intervention. Amir, a Pashtun boy who moved to the United States, is the protagonist of the book. This story reveals such themes as family affairs, friendship,...

Feminist Literary Criticism: Shoshana Felman’s Ideas

Opportunities to convey one’s ideas to society through literature are effective tools that allow not only leaving a personal mark on history but also indicating an individual position on a specific topic or issue. However, when taking into account modern social norms and foundations, not all the categories of the...

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...

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

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

Theme in Glaspell’s “Trifles” and Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”

Introduction Words, especially sincere and true ones, are people’s most powerful and influential weapons. They can go deep into humans’ hearts and souls and touch the innermost and most essential parts. Some crucial concepts, including dreams, freedom, equality, fairness, and family, are sometimes so difficult to discuss that persons decide...

Oedipus and Hamlet: Review

Oedipus the King by Sophocles and Hamlet by William Shakespeare belong to the most famous tragedies in the world. Even though the creations belong to different historical periods, they have a few common concepts. The ground for this is that both works explore human feelings, actions, and desires and the...

The Concept of World Literature

Introduction Literature is an important tool in people’s lives because it plays a central role in connecting individuals with larger truths and societal ideologies. It allows people to document their experiences and thoughts, which are then shared with other individuals, and passed from one generation to another; hence, it is...

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

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

The Analysis of “A Note on Mascots” by Brian Doyle

Opening the essay with personal experience proves to be an efficient introduction. The author starts the novel with the story of his first favorite sports teams at the age of two or three. He then jumps to the description of his high school games and the first time paying attention...

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...

Viewpoint and Narration in Lusus Naturae by Atwood

The concept of the point of view in the narrative is useful in evaluating and critiquing stories. Each author selects it depending on different factors. This essay seeks to use the point of view to evaluate the story Lusus Naturae by Margaret Atwood, a tale of an outcast with whom...

“The Soldier’s Home” by Ernest Hemingway

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

“Bang” by Daniel Pena: Review

Daniel Inouye Pena is a Pushcart Prize winner writer of Mexican-American origin. “Bang” was his debut novel that receives major appreciation among American readers. It tells the story of an undocumented Mexican family living in South Texas. The piece addresses the problems related to the current U.S. migrant policy as...

“We Need New Names” by Bulawayo

The main character of We Need New Names is called Darling. The first half of the book follows her in a post-colonial Zimbabwe. Even though the country is officially independent, it is going through dramatic changes and is economically unstable. Later, Darling moves to her aunt living in the U....

Father-Son Relationship in Night

Introduction It is natural that the relationship between parents and their children is usually composed throughout the period of early childhood. Special attention often has to be paid to the father-son relationship because these two male figures may be both prone to covering their emotions. The deep connection between sons...

The Book “A Vindication of the Rights of Woman” by Mary Wollstonecraft

Introduction Mary Wollstonecraft, an 18th-century British author and philosopher, was among the first people who openly drew the public’s attention to women’s rights in society. Her fundamental work, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, explores several important topics, and education is one of them. The situation in this regard...

Shelley’s “Frankenstein”: Analysis of Frankenstein’s Character

The story about Frankenstein and his monster raises many questions. One of these questions is still unanswered. For example, people cannot decide what is more important in making a person, nature or nurture. The monster people were afraid of felt the beauty of the world with its “cheering warmth” and...

“I, Too” by Langston Hughes

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

“Romeo and Juliet” by Baz Luhrmann: Forbidden Love

Introduction The works of William Shakespeare have lived through centuries in order to be awarded the title of unprecedented classics. However, with the major change in the overall perception of society and its behavioral patterns, many creators felt the urge to interpret this classic to mitigate the gap between the...

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

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

Masculinity in “Refresh, Refresh” Story by Percy

Setting is an element of fiction often used by authors to support the ideas and themes presented in a literary work. Setting refers to the place and time where the story takes place and may include social statuses, weather, historical period, and details about immediate surroundings (Elements of Fiction). The...

Racial and Cultural Discrimination of Native Americans

Native in the Twenty-first Century In “Native in the Twenty-first Century,” Susan Power discusses challenges she faced as a Native American and emphasizes that natives cannot be silent any longer. She claims that the culture of Native Americans is being forgotten and history is being rewritten by the dominant society...

“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...

Utnapishtim’s Teaching About Immortality

The encounter between Gilgamesh and Uta-Utnapishtim teaches the protagonist to accept death’s inevitability and stop searching for eternal life. Afflicted by Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh immerses into thoughts about his mortality and seeks Uta-Utnapishtim, who was granted everlasting life after the Deluge. Uta-Utnapishtim advises Gilgamesh to abandon the idea and demonstrates...

Challenging the Rules in “Animal Farm” and “Fahrenheit 451”

All conventional norms established by members of society have a specific purpose and a prevailing ideology as a basis. Generally, rules are created by a hierarchical elite based on an ideology that is either initially shared by the majority as in Orwell’s Animal Farm or eventually imposed on it as...

“The Return of Martin Guerre”: Book Analysis

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

Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal”: Racism

Introduction The main character of Battle Royal, a short story which was written by Ralph Ellison, describes the life of a young black man, who is forced to endure violent acts of racism towards him and other African-Americans. Even though it depicts the events from centuries ago, the issue that...

Laura Wexler “Fire in a Canebrake”: The Incident in the Rural Walton County

Introduction This book is characterized by a horrific mystery that makes it very fascinating and thrilling for the audience. In the book, Laura Wexler gives a detailed insight on lynching, which was so rampant in 1946. As she describes the events that took place, Wexler connects with the readers by...

Poetry and Songs as a Way to Express Emotions

Songs are often viewed as the next stage of poetry transformation, which is reasonable given the additional opportunity for emotional expression that songs offer. Likewise, when viewed through the lens of thematic development, songs may become the tools for expanding the themes and ideas conveyed in poems. The themes of...

“Emotional Intelligence” by Daniel Goleman Book Review

Overview The main reason why intelligent tests were initially conducted was to determine the level of mental ability among students (Matthews, Zeidner & Robert, 2002). However, it is still debatable whether one’s intellectual ability is similar to the IQ ratings. However, it is evident that most people who are perceived...

“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...

“Hidden Intellectualism” by Gerald Graff

Introduction Gerald Graff is a specialist in English language studies and a researcher in the sphere of education. He wrote more than five books covering controversial and complicated topics, such as conflicts between a pupil and a teacher, the problem of diversification of cultural backgrounds, and the negative consequences of...

‘Sacagawea’ by Liselotte Erdrich

‘Sacagawea’ is an excellent biography book intended for children. Liselotte Erdrich is a Native American writer, so she shows a deep understanding of the life and values of a Native American woman, Sacagawea, who has become a part of history. This book is marvelously written and reads like a legend...

“The Clock” by Christian Marclay

Introduction Christian Marclay’s famous The Clock (2010) is a 24-hour video that can be discussed as looped in its structure. The video consists of a variety of clips that represent clocks, and the time a viewer can notice in the film is synchronized with the real time. From this perspective,...

Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

Introduction Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s novel Frankenstein or The Modern Prometheus addresses conventional romantic themes like isolation and beauty of the nature and one can find that the novel discusses the ultimate pain of lose. It is often considered as a humanistic critique of technological development or new scientific inventions. Personal...

“Night” by Elie Wiesel: Eliezer’s Struggle to Keep Faith in God

Introduction The manner in which Eliezer struggles with his faith in God is portrayed throughout the novel. In the beginning, the faith he has in God is strong. This is evident when he asks himself, “Why did I live? Why did I breathe?” (Wiesel). This shows how absolute his faith...

Themes Raised in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Frankenstein is a novel written by British author Mary Shelley in 1818. The novel describes the story of a young gifted scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who created a living creature as an unorthodox experiment. Frankensteins creation occurred to be hideous and, therefore, rejected by the scientist and humanity (Shelley 28). This...

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

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

“Tartuffe” and “The Death of Ivan Ilyich”: Family Dysfunction

Introduction The story “Tartuffe” and “The death of Ivan Ilyich” have expansive themes, which touch on various issues and aspects of society. They expose the evil in unexpected places in society, including evil in religion and within families, where people should love and protect one another besides staying loyal to...

Theme of The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

Introduction Kingsolver addresses various issues in this best-selling novel. Using a young Kentucky woman as the main character, the writer explores several concerns facing middle-class Americans in their daily survivals. A brief overview of the writing points out Taylor Greer as a woman with strong intentions. She had made up...

‘The Friar’ in Canterbury Tales

Introduction The Friar, one of Chaucer’s portraits of what he perceived as a corrupt clergy, can simply be described as a fraud. At a glance The Friar is a religious and pious figure. But a close scrutiny reveals a character different from what he presents to the naked eye. Infact,...

Martin Luther King, “Letter From Birmingham Jail”

Introduction In the late 1950s and the early 1960s, Birmingham, Alabama, was notorious for the harsh segregation policy against black people. In 1963, the Civil Rights Movement started a non-violent campaign to protest against the coeval discriminatory laws. Peaceful marches, sit-ins, and boycotts on segregationist merchants took place in Spring,...

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...

“Oedipus Rex” Tragedy Play by Sophocles

Becoming one of the most well-known Greek tragedies, Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex is a sophisticated playwright masterpiece. Written in 430 BC, exploring so many aspects of the human condition, the play’s themes are applied through the centuries. In the tragedy, Oedipus is ultimately responsible for his demise, even though fate uncontrollably...

Native Americans in the United States: Literature Review

What you Pawn I Will Redeem The narrator of the story by Sherman Alexie is a homeless man Jackson Jackson, a very unusual person with a generous heart, an “After Columbus Arrived Indian” (Perkins 402). He is a heavy drinking homeless Indian man, with bad health, leading a destructive lifestyle;...

“Night” by Elie Wiesel: Struggle to Keep Faith in God

When under serious pressure of life whoever is not broken? Whoever is not shaken, embarrassed and confused? Who will be able to save one’s spiritual heart from a “shipwreck of faith” which is described by Apostle Paul in his writings to the first century Christians? Sort of a “shipwreck of...

Themes in “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy

Introduction In his work, The Road, Cormac McCarthy creates a quintessentially post-apocalyptic scenario, revolving around the plight of a man and a boy, desperately holding on to a wavering yearning for survival and sustenance, in a world turned upside down by the reasons unknown to the reader (Ryan 152). The...

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

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

Mythology in Relation to Historic Events

Mythology is a term derived from Greek and can be broken into two terms, “mythos” which means narrative and logos which relates to speech or in other terms; argument. Mythology can then be defined as the act of studying myths, which are stories that are held to be true by...

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

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

Tayama Katai’s the Quilt the Ancestor of “I-Novel”

Introduction At the end of the nineteenth century, Japanese literature experienced many striking moments. In particular, in the late 60th, it endured the most deplorable declines under the governance of Emperor Meiji. The famous authors were doomed to resort to writing books about formless and meaningless gossips. So far, having...

‘The Rocking Horse Winner’ by Lawrence

One of the most famous short stories of the acclaimed English writer D.H. Lawrence is ‘The Rocking Horse Winner’. The story mainly focuses on a mother, and in other words, we can say that she is the most important character and also the driving force of the story. Though in...

Psychoanalytic Reading of Hoffmann’s and Kafka’s Works

Introduction Ever since Freud’s methodology of psychoanalysis has gained an academic validity, during the first part of twentieth century, it became possible for psychiatrists to get an insight onto the actual roots of their clients’ mental anxieties, which were revealed as such that reside deep in people’s subconsciousness. In its...

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...

Jung Chang’s “Wild Swans”

Jung Chang is now viewed by many literary critics as one of the most prominent Chinese writers. Her autobiographical book “Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China” several social, cultural, and psychological problems. It should be taken into account that this novel is officially banned in China mostly because it unmasks...

Bailey Jon and Burch Mary “How Dogs Learn”

There is much written on the issue of “how to train Dogs”; but there are questions and problems addressed better in this book than in any other book on the same. This review is an analysis of how useful this book is in the practice of Dog training. The book...

R. W. Emerson and N. Hawthorne: Human Nature

Introduction People are different with a view to their intellect and abilities, features and appearance, beliefs and views. Some people have good intentions and make good actions; other people do not seem to be good at all. Nevertheless, good and bad actions and even thoughts can be argued; it is...

“The Bustle in a House” by Emily Dickinson

It is hard to lose a loved one. My father passed away 15 years ago and he died in front of me. What can a person do to cope? No one is prepared for an event as tragic as that. No amount of study and knowledge acquisition can steel the...

“The Color Purple” by Alice Walker

Introduction Learning is the process that determines the further life of every single human being. The more knowledge you have, the stronger you are in all respects. Here, knowledge does not necessarily refer to the scholarly knowledge as such. It encompasses all the possible spheres of the life experience including...

“Sing the Song of My Condo” by Evelyn Lau: Logical Fallacies

Introduction In “Sing the Song of My Condo”, Evelyn Lau in an ironic tone tells a story of a would-be-homeowner, desperately searching for an appropriate flat for about 12 months. Although it needs to be admitted that the writing belongs to the category of fiction rather than argumentative articles, it...

“Mimsy Were the Borogoves” by Lewis Padgett

The short story Mimsy Were the Borogoves, written by Henry Cutter and Catherine Moore, has always been considered as one of the most prominent examples of American science fiction. The main reason, why this novella attracts so much attention of critics is its deep symbolism, and intricate ideas, which the...

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...

“The Storm” by Kate Chopin

On 18th July 1898, Kate Chopin wrote a short story titled “The Storm” which played around the events happening in the life of a woman (Calixta) over a stormy afternoon. Calixta was a typical traditional housewife bundled with the task of taking care of the home while her husband (Bobinôt)...

Sylvia Plath’s Fish in the “Mirror”

Sylvia Plath’s biography provides several important clues as to the meaning of this poem. As a teenager she seemed perfect in every way, blonde, beautiful, intelligent and talented. After attending Smith College she studied at Cambridge, married the poet Ted Hughes and returned to the United States to teach at...

Unhappy Marriage in “The Story of an Hour” by K. Chopin

Choplin’s story is set in a time when many females were supposed to play the role of a housewife and a homemaker. This was a time where roles for females and males were defined by society such as women took care of the house while the man was responsible for...

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...