Wilderness Allurement in the “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer

The cover of the book “Into the Wild” by Jon Krakauer immediately acquaints the reader with the protagonist of the novel. It says: “In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher...

Stereotypes in Ortiz Cofer’s Essay

Discussion When you encounter the term “stereotype” you will remember an individual, or group of individuals being labeled in a prejudiced way either on the basis of race, ethnicity, or gender. When human beings are exposed to too many stereotypes, they make them eventually internalize and believe and conceive them...

“Midaq Alley” Novel by Naguib Mahfouz

Introduction The novel “Midaq Alley” by Naguib Mahfouz is a novel with many characters that live in a poor neighborhood called Midaq Alley during the Second World War. Among the protagonists are Umm Hamida, a marriage broker and bath attendant, her daughter, who was pimped by Ibraham Faraj; Hussain Kirsha,...

“Lysistrata” by Aristophanes and “The Taming of the Shrew” by Shakespeare

Introduction The contest between men and women has always been one of the main struggles in the world. Both, men and women want to take dominant positions in the society. The times were changing and the influence was also different in different times. Matriarchy and patriarchy were present in the...

“The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

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

Rhetorical Scheme in “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck

Introduction Just like any other novel this one utilizes three rhetorical schemes such as emotion, character, and logic. Yet upon closer examination the strongest is emotion or pathos. Steinbeck was able to do this indirectly. Without explaining what he is doing and without being explicit about his goals he was...

“The Knight’s Tale” by Geoffrey Chaucer

In the history of the English literature Geoffrey Chaucer is undoubtedly the biggest poetic name up to Shakespeare, where the best of his works — “The Canterbury Tales” is certainly one of the greatest literary works of the English Middle Ages in which Renaissance features are clearly breaking through. The...

Similes in The Odyssey – Greek Literature

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

Relationships and Dialogues. “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin

Edna Pontellier, the heroine of “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, lives in the United States during the 1800s. During those days, men dominated U.S. society while women were considered inferior to them. The Feminism movement that demanded women should be treated equally as men, having the same political, economic, and...

Phenomenon of Cinderella Tales

Cinderella is one of the most popular characters in the history of the world’s fairy tales. This character could be modified in some ways by certain national cultures and in other ways by other cultures but the very essence of the story about Cinderella has always remained unchanged. It depicted...

Sassoon: Binary Vision and Repression Trench Experience

Introduction and Thesis statement Siegfried Sassoon is regarded as the preeminent war poet of the 20th Century. His works offer graphic narratives of the violence and brutality of war. What is ironic is that his background of wealth and privilege was about as far from the destitution of war that...

Satire in Martk Twain’s Huckleberry Finn

Introduction Satire is one of the tools used by mark Twain to unveil social issues and changing values, new social relations, and self-understand of the main characters. Mark Twain’s satire can be characterized as moralistic and didactic aimed to teach readers. From a natural bent, Mark Twain is always interested...

Cullen’s and Milton’s Poems Review

Introduction The Afro American poets Countee Cullen and John Milton are closely connected with the so-called Renaissance of the African literature. The best known poem “yet, do I marvel” by Cullen is often been misinterpreted and consequently, it was regarded as just one more lament of a defeated soul as...

“The Metamorphosis” by Kafka

In all societies and all epochs, judging individuals by their appearance was a prevalent tendency, which normally allowed creating a first impression about the person, their possible nature, lifestyle, and behavior. However, there is a negative side to such practice, which consists of prejudices against those, who look different in...

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet: Is He Insane?

Introduction The issue of insanity has often been uncomfortable, for the average human being as well as for the writer. It often provides a fascinating subject for drama, as has been demonstrated brilliantly by William Shakespeare as insanity plays a key role in Shakespeare’s tragedy Hamlet. In this play, the...

“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...

Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis” Autobiographical Novel

Introduction Marjane Satrapis autobiographical novel “Persepolis” explores such complicated issues as culture shock and the loss of cultural identity. The book is a unique combination of autobiographical prose and comics. The author successfully shows the world through the eyes of a young girl, the task, which is very difficult to...

“The Tell-Tale Heart” by E. A. Poe Characters Review

In the short story, “The Tell-Tale Heart,” Poe creates a unique image of the main character, a nameless narrator, who commits a crime and kills an old ma. Although this narrator claims to be totally sane, he admits that there never existed a real motive for murder. In “The Tell-Tale...

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,...

The Word “Mateship” in Australian History and Literature

Introduction The term mateship as a specific Australian idiom can include various meanings in its essence. Its meaning can differ from the standard definition of friendship in a way that this form of relation or reference can be used between people who are actually not in friendship. This paper will...

Derek Walcott’s “Egypt, Tobago” Poem

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

Anton Chekhov: A Lifetime of Lovers

Anton Chekhov is one of the most talented dramatists, whose plays are included in the repertoire of theaters all over the world. The depth of the thoughts, expressed in these plays, makes readers and watchers seriously think over world history, relations among people. Chekhov himself once wrote: “We have inherited...

The Theme of Bravery in Antigone: Research Paper

The ancient Greeks, with their pantheon of gods, had deep religious convictions that reinforced many values we continue to hold sacred today, such as honor and loyalty to family and loved ones. Bravery was typically measured by one’s performance in battle or their ability to stand up to strange mythological...

King Lear and Beowulf: Compare & Contrast

Introduction English literature contains wonderful works related to royal families as well as common individuals that teach the readers ethical principles, moral lessons and codes of leading a dignified life on the one hand, and wide-open new horizons of intellect and wisdom to them on the other. The same is...

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

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

Women in Oedipus Rex and Death of a Salesman: Compare & Contrast Essay

Introduction The leading females in Oedipus Rex and Death of a Salesman are submissive characters who are unable to avert the imminent tragedies of the dominant protagonists in both the plays. In fact, both works tell the stories of the tragedies that the women characters themselves have to undergo; however,...

Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman: Character Analysis

Introduction The main action of Arthur Miller’s play “Death of a Salesman” is focused on the final two days in the life of an ordinary man named Willy Loman. At the opening of the play, it becomes apparent that Willy has been losing his sanity, yet he is still somewhat...

Flannery O’Connor Was an Epistle of Hope

Hope is an ambiguous feeling to describe. It is the shining candle in the gloom and the final sprite released from Pandora’s Box to mitigate the swarm of gloom that Pandora inadvertently released. When Flannery O’Connor makes this statement, she speaks with a conviction of a person who knows the...

Science Fiction: Wells’ “The War of the Worlds”

Science fiction and fantastic literature has been fascinating the readers since its very appearing. It is quite natural for people to dream, and imagine either alternative ways of history, or far future. As the discovering of the secrets which are concealed in space and far galaxies, and also the possibility...

Women in Traditional and Totalitarian Societies

Looking into the history of the cultures at large, it becomes evident that all human societies, from the most primitive to the most modern, have been divided into different groups, communities and strata. This stratification is on the basis of caste, class, clan, community, race, region, religion, ethnicity, gender, age...

Women in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”

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

The Troy Film Inspired by Homer’s Iliad

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

Marriage in Pride & Prejudice: Research Paper

Outline The paper deals with the marriage as dealt with in the book by Jane Austen, The Pride, and Prejudice. The book espouses evidence of being inspired by writings of that era. Typically, there are instances when the women’s liberation as visualized by Mary Wollstonecraft and the woman as visualized...

Aggression as a Theme in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

The story compares commonplace details of current life with a barbaric ceremony known as the “lottery”. The setting is a small American town where the inhabitants display a commemorative mood as they meet on June 27 for their annual lottery. After an individual from each family draws a small piece...

Willy & Linda: Family as a Theme in Death of a Salesman

Introduction Death of a Salesman takes place a few years after World War II has ended. America is enjoying a postwar economic boom, but the war has caused a shake-up in American society, changing the way people view business, leisure, themselves, and others. The Lomans live in Brooklyn, a busy...

Death of a Salesman: the Theme of a Small Man in a Big City

Introduction To some extent, the unique social and spiritual image of the United States attracts the constant attention of many people, including researchers and writers. The latter, as a rule, tend to understand and convey the originality of the American society, its past, present, and possible future scenario in their...

The Canterbury Tales: The Knight’s Tale Analysis

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

Comparing Characters from Odyssey, Scarlett Letter, Troy, Hamlet

The topic of this essay is the comparison of different characters from the masterpieces of world literature and movie-making. The heroes from Homer’s “Odyssey”, Hawthorne’s “Scarlett Latter” and movie characters from Hollywood hits “Troy” and “Hamlet” present a real interest for anybody as they display vividly basic features of a...

“Buccaneers of the Caribbean: How Piracy Forged an Empire” by Jon Latimer

Introduction Buccaneers of the Caribbean: How Piracy Forged an Empire is an interesting historical book by Jon Latimer. The author chronicles historical events that occurred during the seventeenth century as buccaneers controlled the Caribbean. The buccaneers were confused with pirates, but they were privateers from France, England, and Holland, authorized...

Wilson’s “Fences” Play and the American Dream

August Wilson is one of the renowned American playwrights who displayed the complexity of the American society. Fences can be seen as one of his most referenced works that dwell upon the challenges of African Americans’ lives in the USA of the 1950s. The play uncovers the story of the...

“Greek Mythology” Article by Cartwright

Introduction The history of Greece is one of the richest ones in the context of cultural heritage, and its features and grandeur are studied all over the world. One of the common areas of the ancient Greek theme is mythology and all those literary works that have survived to the...

The Concept of American Dream in Plays

Introduction The American Dream is a major ideal based on the ideas of liberty and equality of opportunity. It promises the possibility of success and happiness to everyone who works hard to achieve them. However, the American Dream is often presented in art as an impossible or corrupted ideal that...

“The Wife of His Youth” by Charles Chesnutt

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

Girlhood Friendship in Toni Morrison’s “Sula”

The protagonists of the novel Sula by Toni Morrison have chosen the opposite life paths and held different views. Sula lived in a family that did not follow traditional values and, in many ways, challenged social attitudes, while the Nel family pursued conventional and conformal principles. However, the girls were...

The Arabian Nights: The Story Continues

Introduction The Arabian Nights take its readers on an exciting, even though slightly morbid, journey of an endless tale that serves as the main salvation for a woman who faces the threat of constant impending doom. The cunning and resourcefulness of the main character, who also doubles as the narrator,...

Truth & Myth in O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”

Introduction Literature as art aims at retrieving readers’ emotions by conveying accurately created characters, plots, and symbols. In such a way, those who read a literary work obtain an opportunity not only to receive information but also to relive it through the author’s experience. In its essence, therefore, literature cannot...

Old Testament vs. Epic of Gilgamesh: Dreams, Mortality, and Divine Signs

A profound part of ancient literature, dreams have long served as signs, omens, or portents conveying important information about the future. When analyzing the texts of the Old Testament (Jewish Bible) and Epic of Gilgamesh, literary experts concluded that the two books contain interconnected topics, such as mortality, sin, and...

“Moving Mountains” the Work by Erik Reece

“Moving Mountains” is a work by Erik Reece devoted to the exploitation of natural resources in the United States and related human casualties. The article is a part of the collection of essays published by Orion Magazine. In the source, Erik Reece provides a thorough discussion of the unwanted consequences...

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

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

“Death of a Salesman” Dramatic Tragedy by Arthur Miller

Introduction The genre of dramatic tragedy is revealed comprehensively in the play “Death of a Salesman” written by Miller. The main character of the work is Willy Loman, a salesman who is disenchanted with his life and goes through the difficult steps of an internal crisis. Miller represents American reality...

Minnie’s Deed in Susan Glaspell’s “Trifles” Play

Introduction Susan Glaspell’s Trifles is widely accepted as the most shining example of feminist drama. Within only one act, the author manages to evolve a complicated plotline, to describe settings in detail, and, most of all, to represent the life of a woman in the early 20th-century society. Representing such...

Raffles’ vs. Clifford’s Writing Styles Analysis

Introduction The writing style is an essential part of any science. Although the experiment’s results can be assessed with a certain degree of certainty, which excludes bias, the ability to write often determines the way the readers get to perceive certain subjects, be it literature, anthropology, history, sociology, or others....

True Freedom Theme in American Short Stories

Despite the existing variety of stories and authors, all of them have several things in common. The presence of a theme is usually defined as a major idea of a work that can be stated directly and indirectly (Literary Devices, n.d.). In this discussion, three short stories, “The Cask of...

Crowd Impersonation in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Crowd Impersonation in the Story Despite the fact that all the characters of the story in question are vivid, great attention is paid to the crowd as a single organism yielding to common ideas and influence. Decisions made by people demonstrate that the mass consciousness is largely manageable, and correctly...

Gender Equality in Jackson’s “The Lottery”

The issue of gender and relationships between men and women has always been an area for multiple debates and the collision of opposing views. Therefore, being one of the most topical issues for discussion, it has been widely discussed in the literature, and “Lottery” is one of the strongest examples...

Themes in Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Hamlet”

Hamlet is one of the most significant works by Shakespeare. More so, this is one of the most famous plays in the world literature. The author considers various important issues and this makes the play so influential. This play makes people think of some of the most meaningful issues. Some...

“For You Mom, Finally” a Book by Ruth Reichl

Ruth Reichl felt a need to re-title her book from “Not Becoming My Mother” to “For You Mom, Finally” because she finally came to an understanding about who her mother really was and that she had actually grown into the independent and self-reliant woman that her mother had always wanted...

Characters in the Play “Fences” by August Wilson

Introduction Fences, a play by August Wilson, was published in 1986. The play details the African-American experiences and deals with the themes of racism, infidelity, and forgiveness. This paper explores how Cory, son of Troy and Rose, has avoided following in his father’s footsteps and learned to manage his anger...

Amory Blaine in “This Side of Paradise” by Fitzgerald

Introduction One of the reasons why Fitzgerald’s novel This Side of Paradise is being commonly referred to as such that represents a high literary value is that despite having been written in 1920, it contains a number of themes and motifs that relate to the discursive realities of a contemporary...

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

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

Ximen Qing in “Jin Ping Mei” Novel by L. X. Sheng

Ximen Qing was born to a family of a person who sold medical herbs (Roy, 1997). Very often Ximen assisted his father in his shop and as a child he was accustomed to work. Nevertheless, his father was not a very rich man, and since early childhood Qing understood that...

Trauma of Internment for the Nikkei Family in No-No Boy

Introduction John Okada’s No-No Boy recounts the story of challenging cultural identity of a Japanese American young man named Ichiro. In the midst of a bloody conflict with the Japanese, the United States undertook a radical move of creating concentration camps for those of Japanese origin, whilst still requiring these...

“Night” by Elie Wiesel: The Powerful Book

“Night” by Elie Wiesel is a powerful book filled with the tragic psychological development of the main characters and their relationships. Wiesel’s writing’s power is that all the unbelievable events described in the book happened in real. The book describes Elie Wiesel’s experiences, a Jewish man captured by the Nazis...

Symbolism in Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle” Short Story

“Rip Van Winkle” is a symbolic story, its author, Washington Irving, used a fictional and unrealistic event to be able to portray the difference between the same places of America before and during the Revolutionary War. The story of a mysterious situation when a character skips a long period without...

“Daughter of Fortune” Novel by Isabel Allende

Patriarchy in the novel Daughter of Fortune The author uses the text to refer to a society where men dominate and have an exercising authority over women and children (Allende 2). The author demonstrates how Jeremy controls Sommer’s household and describes his character as a rigid man (Allende 4). The...

“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Bierce

In what ways are the condemned man’s perceptions of time and motion distorted as he is waiting to be hanged? Ambrose Bierce uses the stream of consciousness literary style to present some aspects of the story that take place in Peyton’s imagination. Peyton believes that everything has a slow and...

The Idea of Group Harmony: Confucian Lessons from Japan

Introduction The world is characterized by different faiths and beliefs that are guided by specific norms, principles, and notions. Human beings from a given society or nation can study other cultural beliefs in an attempt to identify various best practices that can be adopted to improve their lives or experiences....

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....

Yusef Komunyakaa’s and Sylvia Plath’s Poems Comparison

Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem “Blackberries” and Sylvia Plath’s poem “Blackberrying” are two of the many poems that have utilized the theme of blackberry picking as a plot. Both poems belong to distinctly different eras of American History. Sylvia Plath is a confessional poet while Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem is deep-rooted in his...

Jig’s Character in the “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway

Introduction This conversation shows that Jug has made up her mind to keep the pregnancy. This is quite interesting because she engages in an ironical conversation, which is full of satire. This can be observed through the symbols she uses in the conversation. Apart from this, Jig fakes her innocence...

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...

Symbolism and Racism in Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”

Exploring the issues of the racisms in the book “To Kill a Mockingbird” cannot be separated from the use of symbolism since symbolism has been used as the vessel by which racism is expressed in an indirect manner that allows the reader to explore the meaning behind such symbols, Harper...

Driving and Police Stop in Dramatic Interpretation

“All the world’s a stage,” wrote Shakespeare (Shakespeare, 2010), and that is true even when behind the wheel. Driving is not a solitary activity but involves many interactions, with passengers, fellow drivers, gas station attendants, and, in most unwelcome fashion, for the most part, the highway patrol. The experience of...

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois’ “Of the Coming of John”

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois uses color symbolism in “Of the Coming of John” to reveal the plight of the diverse American population. The author uses opposite colors to point out not only racial differences but also those associated with the opportunities to live a happy life. He refers to...

Women’s Oppression in The Yellow Wallpaper

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

Technological Singularity in Stross’s Accelerando

Introduction Humans have always been fascinated about the future. This fascination coupled together with limitless imagination led to the development of the science fiction genre, both in print and on the screen. The industrialisation period that began in the 1900s inspired a new form of science fiction that mainly dealt...

Chinese Intellectuals’ Moral Dilemma in Dafu’s “Sinking”

Introduction Sinking is a chef-d’oeuvre piece of classic literature written by Yu Dafu. The story revolves around an alienated and depressed nameless protagonist whose life is sinking and he cannot seem to rescue himself. However, the author’s subtle message addresses a crisis that many Chinese intellectuals have continued to face...

“Emma Zunz” a Novel by Jorge Luis Borges

Jorge Luis Borges is a famous Argentine writer, he is well known for his innovative approach and his special view of reality. In his works history, imagination, memories and fiction have equal rights and can all be treated seriously, as if they all were possible. Borges refuses to have an...

“Mastery, Tyranny, and Desire” by Bernard Trevor

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

Female Immigrants in Bell’s “Out of This Furnace”

Many social forces shaped the United States at different epochs. European migration between the end of the 1800s and the middle of the 1900s was the event that cannot be neglected in the American history because it may explain current social inequalities and concerns. Out of This Furnace is not...

Human Interactions in “The Green Mile” by S. King

Summary At the heart of the novel “The green mile” by King is the narration of the interaction between the key characters playing the role of either the jail guards or death row inmates, in a state penitentiary located at Cold Mountain. Although the story was recounted from a single...

Characters in E. Welty’s “Why I Live at the P.O.”

Motivations of the main characters Discovering characters’ motivations may be challenging in Eudora Welty’s “Why I Live at the P.O.” because the reader sees the story from just one perspective: that of Sister, the main character. Sister is not truthful about her motivations even with herself, so she decides to...

Celtic Myth and Occult Thought in Yeats’s Works

Introduction The Irish literary revival touched upon many themes of both ancient and contemporary Ireland. The prominent authors of the period, such as Synge, Yeats, and Lady Gregory used a variety of themes and topics to create a new representation of Ireland in theatre, novels, and poetry. One of the...

“Pierre; or; The Ambiguities” by Herman Melville

Books 1-5 The story told by Herman Melville in his book titled Pierre; or; The Ambiguities that was first published in the middle of the nineteenth century attracts the attention of the readers to a network of conflicts and troubled relationships between the protagonist and other characters. At the beginning...

Satrapi’s “The Complete Persepolis” Graphic Novel Analysis

A graphic novel belongs to the number of genres that allow people to demonstrate their talents of writers and artists simultaneously. Graphic novels present fictional stories that are told with the help of the combination of verbal and graphical means. Even though it is widely accepted that a format of...

“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...

“Fairy Tales and Stories” by Hans Christian Andersen

About Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen (1805-1875) was born in Denmark in a poor family. Interestingly, his father loved books and encouraged Hans Christian to compose fairy tales. At an early age, the author had to start working at a factory to support his family, but then his poetry...

“The Cay” by Theodore Taylor: Historical Perspectives

The Cay is a children’s war novel written by Theodore Taylor. It is a classic story about hard survival in an island engulfed by war. The protagonist in the story is an American boy called Phillip who experiences a harsh reality of war on the coast of Venezuela. A blast...

Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea: Captain Nemo’s Changes

Captain Nemo is a sea researcher, inventor, and owner of the “Nautilus” submarine. This character is the embodiment of a true hero, courageous, decisive, and fair. Aronnax, a French naturalist, is a participant of the marine expedition organized for the capture or destruction of an unknown creature of gigantic proportions...

Exploring How Young Adult Fiction Shapes and Influences Personal Worldviews

In “Darkness too visible,” Gurdon discusses the problem of young adult fiction, which often appears to be too brutal and gory to be introduced to young readers (Gurdon, 2011). As Gurdon (2011) notices, many of the books explicitly use foul language and descriptions of violence and assaults, which can negatively...

Little Red Riding Hood: Original vs. Retell

Comparison of the Different Versions of LRRH Two versions of Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH), including the original written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and the retelling by Charles Perrault, focus on similar themes and have a lot in common. However, regardless of the fact that they describe the same...

“The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man” by James Weldon Johnson

James Weldon Johnson’s The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is a fictional autobiography of a man born from a mixed race family trying to find his racial identity but never fully committing to one. At first, he is unaware of his origins and believes that he is a white boy,...

Barn Burning: Loyalty vs. Justice in Faulkner’s Short Story

This paper is aimed at discussing the topic of the short story Barn Burning written by William Faulkner. In particular, this literary work describes the conflict between a boy’s devotion to his family and his keen sense of justice. This issue can also be described as the necessity to choose...

Robert Frost’s and Virginia Scott’s Poems Comparison

Introduction While at first glance Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and Virginia Scott’s Snow are remarkably different, after careful consideration it becomes clear that there is a striking similarity between the poems’ meanings and messages. This paper aims to compare the poems and discuss rhetorical and...

Madame Bovary by Gustav Flaubert

Charles was married to a young woman. She was his second wife. The first one died. His first wife was a widower. Charles married her because he was unsure of himself. In fact, his own mother was unsure if Charles could survive on his own. Even with impressive credentials and...

Evolution of War Depictions in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”

In the history of literature there were many writers who became the living witnesses of the horrific realities of their times; some of them were Erich Maria Remarque (who was a soldier during World War I), Elie Wiesel and Primo Levi (who survived in concentration camps during the World War...

Hamzanama: Cultural Insights and Heroic Tales

Introduction The work in question is entitled “Hamzanama” or “Dastan-e Amir Hamza.” From Urdu, the title translates as “The Adventures of Amir Hamza” (Lakhnavi & Bilgrami 2012). The book is an old Persian dastan – a heroic story usually told orally. The manuscript is known to be accomplished as late...

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...

“Modern Chivalry” a Novel by Hugh Henry Brackenridge

‘Modern Chivalry’ is an American novel based on Captain John Farrago, who is portrayed as the American frontier Don Quixote. He departs from Pennsylvania to take a “ride” around the world accompanied by his servant Teague presumably to observe human nature. His comparison to Don Quixote is quite justified given...

Angel Island: Immigrant Gateway to America

Introduction People have been wondering about the history of the prehistoric America and the origin of the immigrants. Found in the archives and historical monuments, the historical development of America and its earliest immigration trends to wide and complex (Lee and Yung 2). The pursuit to understand the unique history...

The Book “Man, the State, and War” by Kenneth Waltz

Even though the book Man, the State, and War: A Theoretical Approach by Kenneth Waltz was written as far back as in 1959, it nevertheless contains a number of in-depth insights into what can be considered the main preconditions for wars to occur on a periodical basis. Given the fact...

“Tears of a Tiger” a Novel by Sharon Draper

Introduction Sometimes, the weight of past mistakes feels too heavy for a single person to endure. Sharon Draper’s fictional novel, Tears of a Tiger, is dedicated to exploring this concept. It is a morbid and tragic story of a young man who ruined his life by making just one poor...

Henry David Thoreau and Virginia Woolf’s Essay Comparison

Introduction Henry David Thoreau, an essay writer, social critic and editor, has been considered as the father of the American nature literature. In his book ‘Walden’, Thoreau, a naturalist, provides several short stories that relate to the natural aspects surrounding him. In particular, he uses natural things such as animals...

Character Portrayal: “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

Introduction In his captivating must-read chef-d’oeuvre ‘The Necklace’, Guy de Maupassant presents the story of Mathilde Loisel who happens to be a woman from a humble background who ends up doomed into a life of poverty by her dreams of wealth. Mathilde Loisel is the central character in the story...

Popular Ballad: Bonnie George Campbell

The World of People’s Sorrows It goes without saying that ballads speak to each individual’s heart as they address archetypal points. Thus, Bonny George Campbell focuses on the idea of war and death. People contemplate these two topics at some point of their life. Of course, the balled also speaks...

“Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism” a Book by Bell Hooks

Introduction Ain’t I a Woman: Black Women and Feminism is a book that was written in 1982 by Bell Hooks and was titled after the Sojourners Truth’s speech, Ain’t I a Woman. The writer is a feminist theorist, a cultural critic as well as a writer. Her work is a...

Black Slavery in Barn Burning by Faulkner: Historical Insights

The problem of black slavery described in the story Barn Burning by William Faulkner demonstrates the most significant moments of historical development of the country. Moreover, this novel reminds me another famous story The adventures of Huckleberry Finn written by Mark Twain. The conflict between father and son emphasizes the...

Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson Literary Styles Comparison

Introduction One of the differences between Whitman and Dickinson was the thematic elements that were utilized by the poets. For instance, Whitman’s use of slang and “common” language in his poetry greatly contrasted with Dickinson’s overly formal language, however, this difference in the type of words utilized actually embodied a...

“Othello” a Tragedy by William Shakespeare

Introduction Besides love, the play contains other themes such as conflict, war and jealousy, among others. Moreover, most characters in the play exhibit disjointed feelings for each other. For instance, Iago hates Othello for promoting Cassio over him. Additionally, Othello demotes Cassio for alleged fighting. On the other hand, Desdemona...

The Aeneid, the Iliad and the Odyssey Literature Comparison

The Aeneid is an epic poem written by Virgil. This work narrates the story of Augustus by using the character, Aeneas. The Aeneid is related to Greece and Rome, as the story begins in Troy and ends in Rome. The principal aim of the work is to appreciate the achievements...

Fahrenheit 451: Ray Bradbury’s Dystopian Society

The book Fahrenheit 451 is a novel written by Ray Bradbury reflecting a society that is insensitive to the plight of the minority. The book presents a society where the majority has their way, while the minorities do not have their right. The protagonist of this book is Guy Montag....

The Animals Images in “Disgrace” by John Maxwell Coetzee

Symbolizing animals is an old practice that persists in modern literature. However, making the symbols too obvious is not considered professional. For example, attributing archetypal feline qualities to a woman or parallelizing cats and witchcraft is considered cheap (Hannah 4). Thus, we can configure that labeling a dog with the...

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep Analysis

Introduction Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is a novel that covers Phillip Dick’s analysis of the human state and his pursuit to retire six androids. The story trails John Isidore based on a post-apocalyptic future. The movie Blade Runner assumes the same story line as the novel. The difference...

The Poem “El Gato” by Jimmy Santiago Baca

Introduction Literature acts as a store for people’s culture. It also communicates one’s feelings as it shows how people in society do things. Poems are forms of literature that are essential in modern life. People use poems to express their feelings or happenings that exist and take place in society....

Antigone as a Tragic Hero: Exploring Sophocles’ Masterwork

Introduction One of the reasons why there is indeed the spirit of tragism to the tragedy Antigone by Sophocles, is that the masterwork’s main character (Antigone) fits rather well the pattern of a ‘tragic hero’. In this paper, I will explore the validity of the above-stated at length, while emphasizing...

Comparative Literature: The Significance of “Shitty First Drafts” in Writing

Introduction Derrick Brown’s poem, “Come Alive” dwells on designing arguments when describing an item. Besides, Anne Lamott the passage “Shitty First Drafts” discusses arguments in terms of the ethos, pathos, and logos. Thus, this reflective treatise attempts to identify critical writing issues that these authors identify in relation to the...

Tartuffe, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Way of the World Literature Compare

The success of the tragic comedy genre is confined to such dramatic effects as recognition and reversal. These devices contribute to the complexity of the plot and allow the reader to gain the depth of pity, tragedy, and fear experienced by the main protagonists. In particular, the recognition and reversal...

“Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy and the Concept Feminism

Struggling for rights has always been one of the integral parts of a man’s life, which predetermined the pace of humankind development. It is quite peculiar though that woman started to protect their rights and freedoms relatively not quite long ago. Perhaps, this could explain the rapid growth of the...

“El Señor Presidente” by Miguel Angel Asturias

Introduction El Señor Presidente (Mister President) is a landmark text in Latin American literature authored by Guatemalan diplomat and writer Miguel Angel Asturias (1899 – 1974) as it details the nature of political dictatorship and its impacts on the society. The award winning work, originally written in Spanish, tells the...

Shakespeare’s “Much Ado about Nothing” Literature Analysis

Introduction William Shakespeare was an actor, a poet, and a playwright. He is still one of the most popular figures in the literary field many decades after his demise. His expertise in poetry earned him several titles in the field. For example, he was fondly referred to as the ‘Bard...

Complexities of Father-Son Relationships in Night by Elie Wiesel

Introduction The relationships between a father and a son usually compose in early childhood. However, there are families where father-son love is hidden too deep in their souls that they are unable to see it until something bad happens and only the support of the closest people may help. Reading...

Elie Wiesel’s The Night – Faith in God Literature Analysis

In his book Night, Elie Wiesel explores a variety of themes. One of them is the attempts of a person to reconcile one’s experiences with the belief in God. Eliezer, who is the main character of this work, is on the verge of losing his faith in God as a...

The Name Molly Maguires Were Charged in Court: Coalfield Justice

The book ‘Making Sense of the Molly Maguires’ by Kevin Kenny addresses the industrial capitalism that followed the American civil war. It highlights the bitter disagreements that took place between the Railroad Company and individuals who were mining coal. The company was in full control over the Pennsylvania coalfields in...

British Literature: Heroism in Beowulf, Gawain and Viola

Beowulf, Gawain and Viola It is a common assumption that all heroic medieval literature presents heroism along the main characters to establish and develop their plot. However, there are certain values that the heroic characters must present to earn heroic status. These characters must portray heroic prowess that is presented...

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...

“Skin: Ineradicable Stain Project” by Shelley Jackson

Introduction According to Harris, the gothic genre involves mysteries, horrific scenes, death, and other features that generate fear among the readers (par 1). The style establishes uncertainties in the settings and plots of stories. In most of the gothic genres, death is inevitable. In fact, most of the characters face...

Literary Devices in “Lord of the Flies” by Golding: Symbolism and Allegory

Introduction Literary devices allow readers to interpret a piece of writing on multiple levels leading to an immersive and engaging experience. These devices can be seen in a wide range of literary works, including novels, poems, plays, and short stories, and their use helps to make these works enduring and...

Josephine Baker: A Revolutionary Biography for Young Adults

Introduction Josephine is a biography for young adults about Josephine Baker, an African-American actress and singer who came to renown in 1920s France. Josephine Baker is regarded as a notable African-American lady who demonstrated to the nation that she was a civil rights champion, a French spy during World War...

Themes of Power, Love, and Justice in Shakespeare’s King Lear

Introduction William Shakespeare’s King Lear is a tragic play that audiences have loved for centuries. The plot follows Lear, an aging king of Britain, as he attempts to divide his kingdom among his three daughters. Lear quickly learns that his love for his daughters is not reciprocated, and he is...

Homer’s Odyssey in Ancient Greece’s Reality

Ancient Greece stands out significantly among all other civilizations of its time due to its cultural development. The work of Greek philosophers, scientists, and writers countless times served as an inspiration to a younger ancient Rome, Europe, and consequently the whole world. Such tendency effectively showcases the definition of the...

Genre-Based Perspective of Poem Analysis

Introduction Genre is one of the decisive factors in literature since it predetermines the use of structural, content-related, character-based, and thematic decisions. In this regard, the genre of the sonnet implies the adherence to strict structural rules that allow for the logical development of the message delivered by the poets....

Analysis of Thousand and One Nights Stories

Storytelling as art can speak to humans in a way that numbers, presentations, slides, or data cannot. It is capable of influencing one’s beliefs, thoughts, and values. Through Shahrazads’s effective storytelling techniques, she changes the king’s mind, calms him, and manages to save her and many other women’s lives. Her...

Racial Identity in “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin

This dissertation is fundamental and very informative research that explores the representation of the topic of racial identity in “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin. Since the author also compares this short story to three significant African-American novels, it is possible to say that this source is helpful in identifying the...

The Poem “We Wear the Mask” by Paul Laurence Dunbar

“We Wear the Mask” was composed in 1895 by Paul Laurence Dunbar – one of the first African-American writers who attained national prominence. The poem itself is devoted to the lifestyle of African-Americans of that time. Despite the abolishment of slavery in 1865, racism remained an issue in interracial communication...

Hamlet by Shakespeare: A Play Review

Introduction Hamlet by Shakespeare is a brilliant piece of classical literature that is immortal in its ability to be always relevant. It tells a tragic story about the young prince of Denmark, who is tortured by nihilism and vengeance for his father. Throughout the narrative, prince Hamlet encounters numerous challenges,...

Virgil and Protagonist in Dante’s The Divine Comedy

Introduction The Divine Comedy is one of the most brilliant works of the great Italian poet and thinker Dante Alighieri. This is his last work, which reflects the poet’s worldview. The poem consists of three parts: Hell, Purgatory, and Paradise – and describes the state of the soul that has...

Water, Dystopia, and Violence in “The Water Knife” by Bacigalupi

Introduction It is important to note that Bacigalupi’s book titled The Water Knife is an outstanding piece of dystopian storytelling, where the essential commodity for human survival is made scarce. Water is a major source of value for the three key states involved, which include Nevada, Arizona, and California. Due...

The “La Belle Dame Sans Merci” Poem by John Keats

“La Belle Dame sans Merci” is a ballad written by the English poet John Keats in 1819. The work “La Belle Dame sans Merci” is called one of the English classic poems. Ballad is an example of John Keats’ preoccupation with the concept of death and love themes. The poem...

Dante Alighieri’s Attitude Toward Popes

Dante was a fierce Guelf supporter and stood opposed to the Popes holding the political power in Italy. In Canto 19 of Inferno he states that the Pope Nicholas III is already in Hell, and he is awaiting the arrival of Boniface VIII and Clement V: And he cried out:...

“Road to Perdition” by Max Allan Collins: Case Study Analysis

Summary The author of the book is Max Allan Collins, an American mystery writer. The author is known for the style, namely graphic novels, which, with the help of pictures, immerse the reader into the atmosphere. In addition, when reading Max Allan Collins’s books, it is hard not to notice...

The Short Story “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara

Toni Cade Bambara’s “The Lesson” is a short story, written in 1972 and published as a part of a collection called “Gorilla, My Love”. The story is told from the point of view of a black girl in a poor neighborhood. The story touches on the themes of childhood, social...

Medieval Life Through “The Canterbury Tales” Characters by Chaucer

Introduction Life in the late Middle Ages had numerous characteristic aspects to it. By analyzing the characters of The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer, readers may sometimes identify common attitudes and experiences of that time. In The Canterbury Tales, three characters satirically embody corresponding medieval life aspects: religion’s perception through the...

Black Boys, Black Men, and Hardship in Poems and Short Stories

Poems Hayden, Robert. “The Whipping.” This poem is about, as the title suggests, the whipping of a little boy by his mother, assumingly, or perhaps other female relative. Violently and relentlessly, she strikes him again and again, seemingly habitually, as the narrator hides away from the cries. Hayden refers to...

A Poem “The Great Hymn to Aten”

People can trace the development of world religions through various written sources, historical changes, and mentions in literature. The latter source most accurately reflects not only developmental processes or religious rules but their influence and perception in society. For example, the emergence of monotheistic religions is considered the birth of...

Emily Dickinson’s Poems and Topic of Death

Many poets are excited by the theme of death, seeing it as an existential transition from one state to another. For some poets, as can be seen, death is an emotional blow. Emily Dickinson embraces and admires death and views him as a romantic guide, whereas Dylan Thomas is desperate...

Description of a Narrator in Bartleby, the Scrivener

The narrator describes himself as a lawyer who is unwilling to think more than necessary to do his work well and live a good and comfortable life. In my opinion, such a view makes his life better and much easier, as he has a very positive attitude toward the world....