“Jane Eyre” and “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” Novels Comparison

The comparison and contrast opinion of the two novels (Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy) is made possible by the fact that both authors wrote these books during the same time period. The aspects of the two books can therefore be attributed as...

Henrik Ibsen ‘A Doll’s House’

Introduction Henrik Ibsen’s play ‘a doll’s house’ is intriguing as it provides insight into love and relationships. The author uses several characters to depict various forms of relationships and how each is perceived in the society. From the play, major characters are Nora and Torvald Hermer, Christine Linde, Nils Krogstad...

Rhetorical Questions in Literature: Capturing Readers’ Emotions

Rhetorical questions are a feature of style extensively used in literature to capture the readers’ feelings in any article. It involves asking questions in the course of narration or describing scenarios that raise such questions within the reader’s mind. More complex rhetorical questions are built using other stylistic features. Rhetorical...

“Trifles” by Susan Glaspell Literature Analysis

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

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

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

“The Girl in the Window” by Lane DeGregory Literature Analysis

Nature / Nurture Danielle – Dani was almost seven years old when detectives Mark Holste and his partner were called in to investigate the child abuse case. At only 46 pounds and anemic, this malnourished little girl had seemingly suffered from parental neglect for a long time. Their home was...

Literature Issues in “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer

Introduction One of the reasons why the book Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster (by Jon Krakauer) was able to attain the status of a bestseller, is that, along with being utterly entertaining, it provides readers with the insight into what can be considered the...

Cross-Cultural Analysis of The Tale of Genji and African Epics

The two oral stories – ‘An African Epic’ and ‘The Tale of Genji’ – provide useful accounts of two different ways of life in Mali and Japan. Basically, Oral histories are narratives that people tell about their own pastor about the history of other individuals. They have a befitting place...

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...

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

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

“Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte

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

Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse

Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse is a psychological novel as it contains a lot of Freudian and Jungian undercurrents in its theme. One finds the hero Harry Haller trying to cope up with the many sides of his personality. In fact, Haller suffers from a dual personality. Throughout the novel, the...

Symbolism in The Great Gatsby

This essay sample explores the symbolism in The Great Gatsby. Some of the symbolism examples are the eyes, color, and the valley of ashes. Find out what they represent with the help of our The Great Gatsby symbolism essay sample! Most of the imposing novels have symbols that represent the...

Myth Becomes History by Carol Thomas: Mycenaean Greece, Dark Age, and the Trojan War

Abstract The historical book embarks on an intriguing journey of Mycenaean Greece, Dark Age Greece, and the Trojan War. Carol Thomas explores how mythology developed into contemporary history, highlighting that the Bronze Age and the Trojans were critical to understanding the evolving history of Greece (Thomas, 1993, p. 2). The...

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner: Major Themes and Central Conflicts

Introduction Many stories transcend mere narration of characters’ lives and experiences, focusing on meaningful themes and striving to share various perspectives. One such story is “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, in which the main heroine, Miss Emily Grierson, is shown in conflict not only with herself but also...

Heroic Narratives of Odysseus, Gilgamesh, and Achilles: Comparative Analysis

Introduction The endurance of heroic narratives across millennia attests to their profound resonance within the tapestry of human culture, continually captivating and inspiring audiences, even in our contemporary era. This analytical exploration plunges into the heroic odysseys of three iconic figures from ancient literature: Odysseus, Gilgamesh, and Achilles. The crux...

New Criticism and Its Application to Wayne C. Booth’s Rhetoric of Fiction

Introduction Literary criticism by the formalist movement shifted its approach to emphasize the close reading of literary works as independent art, free of any biographical, historical, personal well-being, or philosophical context. In particular, New Criticism emphasized the aesthetic traits of the text, such as characterization, literary techniques and devices, tone...

Themes of Identity and Racism in David Chariandy’s Novel Brother

Plot and Setting David Chariandy’s novel, “Brother,” is bound by a mysterious aura that elicits a range of emotions. The main themes of the story revolve around family, racial discrimination, belonging, and identity. Through his storytelling prowess, Chariandy aims to show the impact of racial stereotypes on black communities as...

Black Identity and Self-Hatred in Wright’s “The Man Who Went to Chicago”

Introduction The short story “The Man Who Went to Chicago” by Wright offers insight into Richard, a black man in the 1960s, as he changes jobs and encounters new environments. As the narrator takes on each new occupation, he learns more about himself and the world he now lives in....

War Imagery and Poetic Perspectives in Turner and Vang’s Contemporary Poems

Introduction The literature has frequently explored war throughout history, and modern poets are now examining its impact on both individuals and society. The examples are poems “Here, Bullet,” “A Soldier’s Arabic,” and “I Am the Whole Defense” by Brian Turner, as well as “I Am the Whole Defense” by Mai...

Grotesque and Satirical Elements in One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

Introduction In humor, grotesques describe something horrifying, ugly, and distorted. It often refers to art or images intended to be shocking or disturbing in nature. On the contrary, satire is humor that uses irony or sarcasm to ridicule someone or something. It usually targets political leaders, celebrities, or other public...

Judgment, Racism, and Grace in Flannery O’Connor’s “Revelation”

Introduction The short story “Revelation” by Flannery O’Connor discloses the imperfections of the central characters through a simple situation. The author illustrates human vices by implementing different characters and their attitudes toward judgment and racism into the text. Good actions with wrong intentions can have negative consequences. The author illustrates...

Dylan Thomas’s “Fern Hill” Poem and Its Impact on English Literature

Introduction Dylan Thomas is one of the most influential poets of 20th-century English literature. Born in Wales in 1914, he began his career as a journalist and copywriter but soon turned to poetry. Poem Analysis One of Thomas’s most famous poems is “Fern Hill,” written in 1934. In it, he...

Imperialism and Power in Waiting for the Barbarians and African Postcolonial Thought

Introduction The book Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee paints a vivid picture of imperialism and the use of colonial troops to rule over oppressed peoples. The book examines how imperialism affects both the oppressor and the oppressed and raises significant issues regarding the ethics and morality of such...

Family Dynamics in World Literature: Love, Conflict, and Societal Pressures

Introduction Although the family is often idealized as an unbreakable bond filled with love and support, literature provides a more nuanced perspective. The literature’s perspective exposes the complexities and challenges inherent in familial relationships. The literary works selected for this essay delve into the intricate dynamics of family, demonstrating how...

Analyzing Drama and Conflicts in Wanda Coleman’s “I Live for My Car”

Introduction to Dramatic Situation “I Live for My Car” by Wanda Coleman presents a conflict between societal expectations and personal identity, as reflected through the relationship between the speaker and their automobile. In this poem, an object typically seen as a mere tool or possession is elevated to a symbol...

Cultural Relativism and Civilizational Critique in Melville’s Moby-Dick and Typee

Introduction The link between various civilizations and belief systems is one of many topics and concepts that Herman Melville tackles in his complex work, Moby-Dick. “Better sleep with a sober cannibal than a drunken Christian” is one of the book’s most well-known quotes. This remark brings up essential considerations regarding...

Symbolism and Intersectionality in Hurston’s Sweat: Racism, Sexism, and Minority Struggles

Introduction Sweat sheds light on the challenges encountered by minority women who were subjected to discrimination in both society and marriage. Hurston powerfully depicts the repressive circumstances suffered by minorities in America via the experiences of her heroine, Delia Jones, and stresses the need to resolve these concerns. The author...

Timeless Themes in T.S. Eliot’s The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Historical Value of the Poem The poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T.S. Eliot has its roots in the upper-class culture of the early twentieth century. The poem portrays the narrator’s anxieties and frailties, social awkwardness and weaknesses, and strong desire for companionship and love. Nevertheless, the...

Effects of British Colonialism in Aké: The Years of Childhood by Soyinka

Introduction People often hold quite opposing views on colonization and the specific effects that the key historical cases of colonization had on poorly developed areas. Thus, some individuals believe such events are the means of establishing authority over the colonized nations, depriving them of their rights, freedom, established norms, satisfactory...

Gender Roles and Silent Rebellion in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles

Introduction In Susan Glaspell’s play Trifles, the plot intricately weaves with the theme of gender roles and oppression, significantly impacting the exploration of this theme throughout the narrative. The plot revolves around the murder investigation of John Wright, with the male characters focusing on the evidence and legal aspects of...

Exploring Timeless Themes in Milton’s Paradise Lost

Introduction My favorite assigned reading of the week was Milton’s “Paradise Lost.” I enjoyed it so much because of its rich language, vivid imagery, and thought-provoking themes. The epic poem’s significance lies in its exploration of the fall of man, the nature of good and evil, and the complexities of...

Power and Oppression in Animal Farm: Orwell’s Allegory of Soviet Totalitarianism

Introduction There are literature pieces written decades or centuries ago, but the topics they explore are relevant to this day, and George Orwell’s Animal Farm is in this category. First published in 1945, the fable provides a satirical allegory of the 1917 Russian Revolution and its broader implications (Palmisano and...

Religion and Cultural Conflict in Chinua Achebe’s Marriage Is a Private Affair

The Role of Religion in the Story In Chinua Achebe’s “Marriage Is a Private Affair,” religion significantly shapes the characters’ beliefs, actions, and conflicts. The story presents two main types of religious beliefs: traditional Igbo religion and Christianity. These differing religious views cause a rift between the older and younger...

Gender Power Dynamics in Susan Glaspell’s Play Trifles

Personal Reaction to the Play Reading the play Trifles, I was struck by the way the male characters, such as George Henderson and Henry Peters, dismiss the women’s observations and opinions. One observation of the site of the crime that both men and women see but interpret differently is the...

Language and Culture in Daniel García Ordaz’s Poetry

Description of Poems Daniel Garcia Ordaz’s poems are like a colorful tapestry that celebrates different aspects of life, culture, and language. One of my favorites, “These Are a Few of My Favorite ‘Che’s,” is a lively homage to the Spanish language, filled with playful sounds and nods to cultural elements....

Gilgamesh and Batman: A Comparative Analysis of Heroic Journeys

Introduction The epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known works of literature, recounts the transformative journey of a hero in search of immortality. This Mesopotamian hero, Gilgamesh, embarks on a quest that exposes him to various characters who profoundly shape his path. The thesis of this essay is that...

Arranged Marriages: Analyzing Jhumpa Lahiri’s Hell-Heaven and Modern Perspectives

Abstract By presenting the way unfilled love impacts a person, Jhumpa Lahiri makes an attempt to show how important it is to make an alliance between people based on mutual feelings. Through the character Aparna, the author shows how a woman who finds herself in an arranged marriage experiences a...

Shifting Gender Roles in Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath’s Tale

Introduction Geoffrey Chaucer’s portrayal of gender roles in The Wife of Bath’s Tale differs significantly from other sources from that period. The author puts women in charge of judging men’s actions throughout the text. While the story begins with sexual assault that is later dismissed, it contains elements that present...

Sita Sings the Blues: A Feminist Reinterpretation of the Ramayana’s Gender Roles

Introduction The Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic that describes the interactions of many key characters in mythology. Ramayana is an epic narrative from Hinduism that reveals the traditional ideas of the time about courage and duty (The Ramayana: A South Asian Myth and Text, n. d.). At the same...

“Lazy Lawrence: Teaching Children Perseverance, Compassion, and Hard Work”

The goal of Lazy Lawrence is to offer insightful teachings for children’s future success. The narrative teaches children that spending time on things that will help them reach their ambitions is essential. It teaches children the value of inner drive and the necessity of perseverance in the face of adversity....

Elizabethan Conventions in Hamlet: Laertes and Claudius on Avenging Polonius

The Use of Honorifics: Thou vs. You The Elizabethan conventions are a group of signs in the theater indicating belonging to a specific period. The first thing to point out is the language used by the characters of Hamlet. Laer addresses the King, “That I shall live and tell him...

Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”: Satirical Critique of Anglo-Irish Relations and Poverty

Publication Year and Historical Context of “A Modest Proposal” Swift’s 1729 work, A Modest Proposal, satirized the tense Anglo-Irish relationship and the declining standard of living among ordinary people. The Norman invasion in the late 12th century marked the start of 700 years of interaction between the two islands, which...

“The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop: Analysis

Introduction While Elizabeth Bishop’s poem “The Fish” may seem too simple or meaningless, only describing the lyrical hero’s fishing experience, it is actually a quite deep and impactful literary work. The poem illustrates how an ordinary situation can change one’s views or intentions. All living creatures, even different kinds of...

“Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day?” by Shakespeare

Among the sonnets that we read this week, William Shakespeare’s Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day was my favorite. First, I enjoyed the poem due to my devotion in reading Shakespeare’s works. Second and most importantly is the poem’s artistic element and theme that represents the stability of...

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...

The Poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodor Roethke

The poem My Papa’s Waltz touches on the intricate relationship between a child and a socially irresponsible father. It is difficult to say whether this work was written under the pressure of one’s negative memories or in impulses of inspiration. However, Theodor Roethke conveyed with precise accuracy the image of...

Comparing Orwell’s ‘1984’ and Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’

Introduction Two of the most influential novels in the world of dystopian literature, “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley and “1984” by George Orwell, are informative for the analysis of present-day society’s trends. They effectively reflect on the motivation of the governments in introducing policies contrasted by people’s ideas of...

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....

Change Management in Spencer Johnson’s ‘Who Moved My Cheese?’

Introduction In this story, cheese is a metaphor for everything people may want in life, including money, high social status, family, comfort, safety, etc. Unlike the Little People, mice in the story understand that complaining about injustice during change is pointless, as it will not improve any aspects of someone’s...

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 Poem “Song of Myself” by Walt Whitman

The theme of the fullness of life, to which the character aspires and which he sings as an integral component of earthly existence, is one of the main ones in the poem by Whitman. The poet speaks of his desire to leave his mark on the earth and encourages the...

The Iliad by Homer: Interpretation in Art

In the Iliad Homer tells the story of how the murderer was able to repent and remember when he still had a soul. Achilles is presented in the book as an evil that ruined many sons. King Priam sent his son Hector to be the city’s guardian but Achilles killed...

Teju Cole Personality’s in Modern American Society

Introduction Teju Cole is one of the most famous and influential creative personalities of Nigerian origin in modern American society. The range of his hobbies is pervasive and diverse; it is known that Teju is engaged in writing, photography, curation, criticism, and studies and teaches art theory. Nevertheless, the insufficiency...

Female and Male Gender Roles and Sexualities in Feminist Literature and American Nation

Introduction The last two centuries have been and the last 80 years especially can be called revolutionary for Western and global literature, as the female author’s perspective has finally become one of its thematic and genre mainstreams during these times. It was and continues to be a historical age of...

Creation Myths of the World by Leeming, D. A.

These two stories possess identical elements, as they present stories regarding the creation of the world and life in it in accordance with different cultures. The theme from the stories that I would like to explore is cooperation in the process of creation. The deity does not perform the act...

Shirley Jackson’s Story “The Lottery” Analysis

Introduction Shirley Jackson wrote a work that became a precedent for the entire world community. The Lottery’s story caused outrage worldwide, mainly affecting small towns in America. The report describes the ugly side of small-town life during the annual event. Shirley Jackson’s story shows many sins committed by humankind for...

Devices in “Drive Your Plow…” by Olga Tokarczuk

In the book Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, using the main character Janina Duszejko, the author explores the theme of views, misunderstanding, and how they determine personal actions. The story is built as detective and mysterious, but it cannot be considered only from...

The Story “Recitatif” by Toni Morrison

In the story “Recitatif,” written by Toni Morrison, the audience has to make an assumption on the main characters’ race and class while having limited information for it. However, when one of the girls, Twyla, reflects on their differences, in the beginning, she mentions that it is typical for people...

Plot and Themes of “The Cask of Amontillado” by Poe

Every reader of the horror genre knows the name Edgar Allan Poe and his countless works. In 1846, the author wrote one of his most short stories, “The Cask of Amontillado.” In it, the main character, Montresor, recalls how he buried another man alive for, as he believes, insulting him....

Quest for Freedom in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” by Stowe

Introduction Slavery has a long history in America and dates back to more than three centuries ago. Slavery would not pick until the 19th century, marked by many occurrences across different parts of the world. Slow development was experienced worldwide, and technology had not as highly industrialized as it is...

Social Satire and Pilgrimage in Geoffrey Chaucer’s ‘The Canterbury Tales’

Geoffrey Chaucer uses Canterbury Tales to describe different professionals and their perceived stereotypes. Skipper is one of the many characters who narrate their tales as the pilgrimage journey progresses. The pilgrimage journey brings together people working in different industries. Therefore, it presents a perfect opportunity for the author to expound...

Themes of Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”

Theme I don’t mean that he had traded on his phantom millions, but he had deliberately given Daisy a sense of security; he let her believe that he was a person from much the same stratum as herself—that he was fully able to take care of her. F. Scott Fitzgerald...

Plot Map of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Charlotte Perkins Gilman, who is the narrator of the story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” first published it in January 1892 in New England Magazine. At that time the role of women in American society was minimal both legally and socially. The main theme of the book is self-expression and identity; the...

“Walden” a Book by Henry David Thoreau

The life of a person has always been filled with worries and apprehensions, the majority of which do not actually play any important role. Henry David Thoreau provides a brilliant explanation of this argument in his book Walden, or, Life in the Woods. The thing that motivates the author to...

“The Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright

Introduction Written by Richard Wright, “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” is a story that focuses on an African-American farmer who strives to survive the racial frictions in Southern America. This paper analyzes Wright’s method of presenting the thematic characteristics of the story. Wright exposes the positions and conditions...

Wealth and Illusion in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald explores the theme of the American Dream. In particular, the author shows the decline of this ideal and people’s disillusionment with it. This novel provides several examples illustrating this thesis. Much attention should be paid to the characters’ cynicism, their desire for sensual pleasures or...

The Role of Gender in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”

In Charlotte Gilman’s short story The Yellow Wallpaper, one of the characters is Jennie, who is directly influenced by the gender norms and expectations of the time. This story, like the story of this hero, holistically talks about how gender stereotypes and society’s expectations negatively affect the mental health of...

American Dream in Babylon Revisited Story by Fitzgerald

One of F.S. Fitzgerald’s most influential works, Babylon Revisited, has the pursuit of pleasure and the “American Dream” as its central theme. The primary character, Charlie, has a tragic backstory, which the author detailed together with his historical period. The story is considered autobiographical since the author established parallels between...

The “Angels and Demons” Novel by Dan Brown

Angels and Demons is a perfect narrative for those readers who love fast-paced storylines and drama. Imperatively, this is a fantastic thriller by Dan Brown, the same author who wrote Da Vinci Code. The story has a protagonist, Robert Langdon, who is an iconology professor. In addition, the narrative is...

Plato’s Sixth Book of Republic: Divided Line

Introduction Plato’s sixth book of Republic describes the philosophy of the Divided Line. His allegory divides the world into two unequal parts: visible and intelligible. These categories are divided further into two, thus creating a line of the world containing four sections. While the first realm consists of images and...

Wallace’s “Good People” vs. Hemingway’s “Hills…” Stories

“Hills Like White Elephants” is a short story about two characters in a railway station in Spain. The story focuses on a couple having an intense conversation obliquely referencing an abortion. Despite an uncertain outcome at the end, it is clear that the couple is facing an important decision affecting...

Woolf’s Orlando, To the Lighthouse, and The Mark on the Wall Stories

Introduction The author and feminist classic Virginia Woolf, is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in developing modernist literature. Her novels like “Orlando,” “To the Lighthouse,” and “The Mark on the Wall” have stood the test of time because they both entertain and provoke their readers. Woolf...

The Great Gatsby: Illusions in Human Existence

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is often analyzed from the point of view of opposing dreams and reality, the spiritual and material world, and the inconsistency of the genre diversity of the novel. The Great Gatsby is usually viewed as a characteristic novel for its era, the main...

“The Natural Bridge/Rogue River Canyon” Poem by Paul Halupa

Introduction The Natural Bridge/Rogue River Canyon poem by Paul Halupa is an excellent example of metaphor-filled modernist work. The negative tone, jagged narrative, and unconventional tact parallel the profoundly personal experiences or reflections the author has put into the lines. However, the essence of the work has not been turned...

The Use of Satire as Education by Pope and Swift

Introduction Satire is a literary technique that considers the use of any genre and combines sharp humor and critique of a subject to improve its meaning, making authors like Jonathan Swift and Alexander Pope use satire due to many societal problems. By deftly critiquing and making light of society’s concerns,...

Themes of Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark” in Modern Life

Introduction Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, The Birthmark, centers on the relationships between Aylmer, the brilliant scientist and alchemist, and his wife, the beautiful Georgiana. Despite the story’s main focus on Georgiana’s mysterious birthmark, the author explores many themes by explaining the main character’s thoughts and perceptions. Moreover, even though the...

Gender Inequality in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, “A Rose for Emily”, and “Trifels”

Introduction This research paper focuses on analyzing three texts: A Rose for Emily, written by William Faulkner, The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Susan Glaspell’s Trifles. All of the above works are prime examples of classic feminist literature and demonstrate the problem of gender inequality from a historical...

Jacobs’ Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

Introduction The main idea that runs through the entire work of Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, is the idea of the incommensurable suffering of men and women in slavery. In her opinion, a slave woman is not only subjected to all the trials that fall...

The Myth and History Relationship in Homer’s Iliad

Notably, Homer’s Iliad is the oldest extant work of Greek literature. Schein (2022) emphasizes that the artifact is most likely the outcome of extraordinarily sophisticated procedures that involved both orality and writing, resulting in the creation of a fixed manuscript in the late eighth century. In historical terms, the heroic...

Two Spirit in “Johnny Appleseed” Book by Whitehead

Introduction Johnny Appleseed is a novel written by Joshua Whitehead exploring the theme of sexuality and the indigenous nature of people. He writes about a young man named Johny, who is seen yearning to get back to the city for the burial of his stepfather. After some time, Johny becomes...

The God-King Odin Myth on the Hindustan Times Site

Hindustan Times defines myth as an individual’s truth; it may be a “cultural, religious, and national” fact that provides society with a similar perspective to operate inside and binds them. The myth chosen to be written about is the tale of the Aesir tribe’s God-King Odin, who sacrificed greatly to...

Carter’s The Bloody Chamber vs. Stoker’s Dracula

Notably, the gothic genre has some common features regardless of authorial differences and the nature of the artwork. For instance, The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter and Dracula by Bram Stoker were both set in the 20th and 19th centuries, respectively. As a result, The Bloody Chamber and Dracula are...

Madness of Ophelia in “Hamlet” by Shakespeare

Introduction In the tragedy “Hamlet,” a special character causes much admiration and compassion, yet is a very controversial figure. This is Ophelia, daughter of the royal adviser Polonius, who can be called the embodiment of femininity in the traditional sense because she is beautiful, sweet, and uncomplaining (Shakespeare). However, Ophelia...

The Myths of Kali and Callisto: Treatment of Women

In the myths of Kali and Callisto, women are bound by a set of laws in order to be valued. Callisto is fooled and attacked by Zeus, who poses himself as Artemis to entice the vowed maiden into his arms (Callisto in Greek Mythology). Kali sobs because her honor has...

Metamorphic Tales: Daphne and Io’s Struggle Against Patriarchy

Introduction The stories “Apollo and Daphne” and “The Story of Io” from Ovid’s “Metamorphoses”, dated 8 AD, try to explain why certain things happen in the world of humans. In both instances, there are many similarities that unite these two poems. A set of gods who are frequently illogical are...

William Blake’s Poem “Spring”

Summary Poetry is a unique form of art that helps to reflect deep feelings using words. By combining sounds, an author can create a text that sounds unique and memorable. The emotional effect of poetry is linked to aesthetic pleasure, meaning that poems appeal to the ideas of beauty (Wassiliwizky...

Unconditional Fatherly Love in Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays”

Introduction Differences in the perception of life values, manifested in the context of a generation gap, are a common problem raised in literary works. In Hayden’s poem “Those Winter Days,” the poet demonstrates such an assessment by presenting himself as the narrator. In this short poem, he faithfully captures the...

The “Oil” Play by Ella Hickson

Essay Summary In the essay under analysis, the author examines the play Oil by Ella Hickson through the lens of postcolonial ecocriticism and such concepts as environmental activism, place, and borrowed time. The writer introduces the playwright and briefly describes the play, its structure, and style, giving an example of...

The Midnight Gang by David Walliams

Introduction David Walliams employs imagination and humor to highlight the relationship between adults and children at a hospital. The story has irresistible characters and highlights many relatable issues that cannot be forgotten. The author further uses different themes to perfectly present his message. Additionally, his work acts as a clarion...

Neglect and Psychosis in Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper

Introduction In modern civilizations, the rising fear of solitude among women is undermining social order. There is a need for assistance, especially among women with domestic obligations. This essay investigates the relationship between insanity and neglect as described in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper. The primary objective is to...

Literature Notebook Entry for “Dracula” by Bram Stoker

Introduction Dracula is a major character in the story because the novel has the same name. Jonathan Harker and Mina Murray are also important characters due to the way they contribute to the advancement of the novel. Dr. Abraham Van Helsing is another major character who is involved in the...

Coming of Age: Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber by Hemingway

Coming of age has been quite a common topic in literature. Surprisingly, it does not always happen to a person during adolescence. For some individuals, maturity comes in their later adult years after a certain event, whether it is marriage or parenthood. However, in the wake of such situations, others...

“The Sage from Galilee” Book by Flusser & Notley

Summary “The Sage from Galilee: Rediscovering Jesus’ Genius” is biographical literature by David Flusser and Steven Notley. The book was first published in the 20th century and edited later in 2007 as a fourth edition. Currently, the book’s price ranges from $ 18.00 to $ 19.66. The volume explores the...

Gender and Race in Langston Hughes’ Poetry of the Spanish Civil War

Langston Hughes was a crucial figure in the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, which blossomed black intellectual, literary, and creative life in several American cities, particularly Harlem. In the times of the Spanish Civil War, he was a press correspondent. This encounter made a mark on his writing, particularly in his poetry,...

Summary of Sonny’s Blues by James Baldwin

Introduction “Sonny’s Blues” is one of the most compelling short stories that effectively conveys its message to the target audience. The fiction story aims explicitly at telling the story of suffering among the Blacks living in America. The story takes the reader through the tales of two brothers who went...

Gender Equality: Language and Literature

The universal human rights principles propound that every person must be treated equally before the law regardless of their gender. However, gender discrimination is observed every day in various social institutions. Women authors express their dissatisfaction with their societies by telling their personal stories or through narrations based on real-life...

Fiction Elements in Chopin’s The Story of an Hour

In 1984, Kate Chopin published a short story titled “The Story of an Hour”. The name of the narrative alludes to the period of time during which Louise Mallard, the protagonist of the story, first finds that her husband, Brently, has passed away. Later on in this story, Brently discovers...

The “Their Eyes Were Watching God” Novel by Hurston

Introduction Their Eyes Were Watching God novel explores various personal relationships between the characters as a mirror of the society they live in, how the masses relate, the stereotyped relationships between men and women, and what is socially expected of every gender as per the societal norms. Through Janie’s relationships...

Character Analysis of Nora Helmer in Ibsen’s “A Doll’s House”

Henrik Ibsen left a rich literary legacy, including several dramatic works that deal with contemporary issues and seem pretty popular. The issues that he raises in his works are timeless. Worth reading and appreciating. Many stories in Ibsen’s theatrical works are intertwined, which ultimately leads to the disclosure of the...

“A Tale of Two Cities” by Dickens

Introduction Tales are fictional stories that normally tend to offer details concerning the way a given community is behaving or performing its duties. Various authors have developed specific ways of presenting their views. One of the good examples of such authors is Dickens, who is currently recognized as one of...

Existentialism in “The Metamorphosis” and “Donnie Darko”

Existentialism is the philosophical theory identifying a man as the only responsible person for his development. Many pieces of literature and cinematography masterpieces depict a man who dictates his life purpose and decisions by himself, highlighting man’s freedom in actions. Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and Kelly’s Donnie Darko are two examples...

Social Restrictions on Gender Roles in “A Doll’s House” by Ibsen

Many literary works assess various aspects of life, and Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll‘s House explores important social matters. Ibsen was born on the southeast coast of Norway, and his childhood was not particularly easy (Gundersen). His parents were relatively affluent and had five children, with Henrik being the oldest son...

The Novel “To Kill a Mockingbird“ by Harper Lee

Introduction The novel To Kill a Mockingbird was written in the second half of the 20th century and has become one of the cult works of American classics. The author moved the action in the 30s of the 20th century to the provincial area of ​​the country. At the same...

Binary Oppositions in Alcott’s “Little Women”

This study explores how binary oppositions in the personality of Jo March, depicted in Louisa May Alcott’s novel Little Women, deconstruct the character’s writing adventure. This research uses deconstructive criticism to examine Josephine’s material conditions, other characters’ responses to the girl’s writing, and her attitude towards other characters’ stereotypical gender...

Book Summary of Eirik Saethre’s “Illness Is a Weapon”

Introduction Eirik Saethre believes that the illnesses of people can become their weapons. The author sees the rejection of medical advice as a manifestation of a disenfranchised people’s identity. The inhabitants of Lajamanu, a former Australian Aboriginal settlement, face chronic illnesses. Their town is a place where they experience oppression,...

“The Mysterious Stranger” Novel by Mark Twain

“The Mysterious Stranger” by Mark Twain is a novel revolving around humanity and its greatest sins. Introducing Satan as one of the main characters, the author reveals the lack of morals as one of the main shortcomings affecting everyone. Through his words, Twain describes the sins and problems the majority...

Analysis of the Theme of Love in Literature

In world practice, there is probably no other topic, common, provocative, diverse, or centuries-old, as love or its absence. Hence, it is essential to consider how different authors have described love. Hills Like White Elephants, by Ernest Hemingway, depicts the story of a man and a female waiting for a...

The Evaluation of Susan Glaspell’s Trifles

Today, family abuse is a severe problem affecting numerous people throughout the world. Women from developed nations face the problem, meaning that the population of developing countries suffers from the issue even more significantly. That is why there emerge many non-profit organizations that aim to reduce the prevalence of the...

Of Man and The Stream of Time by R. Carson

Introduction In a 1962 speech at Scripps College, Rachel Carson helped kickstart mainstream environmental and conservationist movements. She focuses on how humanity has interacted with nature in historical and modern times. Carson uses her understanding of the man-nature relationship to establish the concept of the former against the latter. Carson...

Women in Odyssey, Antigone, and Epic of Gilgamesh

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

Character Analysis in Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice

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

Fate in Beowulf and Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Introduction An Old English poem Beowulf was written by an unknown author approximately at the end of the VII century. It is an epic with alliterative verses in the Germanic glorious story genre. Macbeth is a drama play written and composed by William Shakespeare, who was a prominent English author....

“A Good Man Is Hard to Find” Story by O’Connor

Introduction “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by O’Connor is a magnificent piece of writing in the genre of Gothic short stories. The work’s narrative concerns a family of Southerners planning to travel to Florida, where a murderous convict has been recently seen. As a result, the family is...

“The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Skloot

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

Afghan Women in Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns

Those who read The Kite Runner expected from the author another inspiring story about male friendship but received a heartbreaking novel about the women of Afghanistan. Khaled Hosseini’s A Thousand Splendid Suns was first published in 2007 and immediately received positive feedback (Dhakal 229). The story represents the period from...

Social Class in the Greed Poem by Philip Schultz

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

“The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” Poem by T. S. Eliot

The poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” by T. S. Eliot is one of the most prominent examples of 20th-century postmodern poetry. Most significantly within the framework of the analysis of this work is what means the author used to convey the meaning. In particular, the reader may...

A Setting as a Narrative Tool in Literature

Setting is a structural element of a work of art that determines the spatial localization of the events described. It can function differently to shape the literary piece in which it is used. It becomes one of the most important categories for the epic genre, where it turns not only...

Analysis of Homer’s Idea of Excellence

The heroism act happens in a moment of crisis where individuals who do anything remotely positive get the label of a hero. In ancient Greek, heroes were individuals endowed with superhuman capabilities, and the heroes were assumed to have descended from the perpetual gods themselves. Courage is at the top...

The Kid Under Apartheid: The Trevor Noah Experience

Introduction Apartheid had a significant impact on all South Africans and many people who traveled to these territories or researched this issue. A well-known anti-apartheid fighter was Nelson Mandela, the former president of South Africa, who spent years in prison. He once said: “Many people in this country have paid...

“The Hero With a Thousand Face”: Quote Explanation

Quote “For those who have not refused the call, the first encounter of the hero-journey is with a protective figure (often a little old crone or old man) who provides the adventurer with amulets against the dragon forces he is about to pass” (Campbell, 2004, p. 63). Context & Explanation...

Evil Humanity in “Night” Book by Elie Wiesel

Introduction “Night” is the first book in a trilogy written in 1960 by the prominent author Elie Wiesel, awarded the Nobel Prize in 1986. This work is based on Wiesel’s Holocaust experience, which he and his father, who died from the beating, got during the Second World War in 1944-1945....

The Novel “Peace Shall Destroy Many” by Rudy Wiebe

Rudy Wiebe’s novel “Peace Shall Destroy Many” surrounds the lives of the pacifist Mennonites in Saskatchewan during World War II. The main protagonist, Thom Wiens (a young farmer living in the most isolated community in Saskatchewan) makes the book fascinating by posing challenging questions. During wartime, local males would either...

Tim O’Brien’s Memoir “If I Die in a Combat Zone”

Tim O’Brien’s memoir If I Die In a Combat Zone narrates his journey months before his deployment into the Vietnam war, combat experience, and journey back to America. He started when he graduated from college in 1968 and received a summer draft notice, but he was reluctant to go due...

War in “What Were They Like?” by Levertov

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

Queer Trauma and Queer Textuality: Research Analysis

Annotated Bibliography Michael, Olga. “Queer Trauma, Paternal Loss, and Graphic Healing in Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic.” Arts of Healing: Cultural Narratives of Trauma, 2020, pp. 187-195. The article discusses how through the loss of her father, the main character of “Fun Home” manages to accept her personality...

The Same Theme and Different Connotations in Stevens and Herrick’s Poems

Introduction The theme of the “seize of the day”, or Carpe Diem, is a widespread theme in English and American poetry. Various poets encourage readers to celebrate life while they are young as it is too short to wait for the right moment. Wallace Stevens and Robert Herrick are two...

John Donne and His Literary Works

Introduction There are many great writers whose literary works still fascinate people and are studied by students and researchers. One such person is John Donne – an Anglican cleric and English writer of the late sixteenth – early seventeenth century. Researchers note that his art “is distinguished by its emotional...

Mark Twain’s Pudd’nhead Wilson – Challenging Stereotypes

The whole plot of Twain’s novel is based on racism and the hypocrisy around white supremacy. David Wilson is a qualified lawyer; when he moves to Missouri, a small town in Downs landing, he is denied equal chances to practice his law skills. The whites view him as a less...

“Voices in the Park” Picture Book by Anthony Browne

Picture books use not only verbal but also visual means to build a story, including codes, structure, and narrative. William Moebius (1986) suggests looking at different codes in order to understand how text and pictures interact to create meaning. According to the researcher, positioning, perspective, framing, line, and colour can...

The “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” Poem Review

An original English chivalric verse, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, was written at the end of the XIV century by an anonymous author and kept in a single manuscript. In verse, the poet generates conflict between Christianity and paganism for the purpose of challenging and examining the very principles...

Don Quixote and Christianity

The novel Don Quixote was written by the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra. The work recounts the incredible adventures of the character of the same name. Don Quixote is a wandering knight with sincere and honest intentions. However, on his way, the hero gets into ridiculous situations, from which...

Rewriting Hamlet by Shakespeare

Shakespeare’s Hamlet is an eternal classic played in theaters worldwide and adapted in movies by multiple screenwriters and directors. One of these films that received an equivocal response from the critics and audience was the 2018 movie Ophelia, directed by Claire McCarthy (Schwanebeck, 2020). It was based on Shakespeare’s original...

Lessons From Memoir “Night” by Elie Wiesel

In “Night,” Elie Wiesel describes the suffering of the Jewish people during the Holocaust. After reading this book, I realized how strikingly different the perception of the horrors of this period was between Jews and people of other nationalities. The fact is that in ordinary life, we do not think...

Black and White Colors in “Othello” by Shakespeare

In Othello, a tragedy written by the outstanding English poet and playwright William Shakespeare, black and white colors are frequently mentioned and attract particular attention. At first sight, they refer to skin colors as Othello is a Moor who marries Desdemona, a young and fair Venetian lady. However, black and...

Aeneas and Gilgamesh in Mythology

Two old stories that played a significant role in fate are the Aeneid and Gilgamesh epics. In these literary works, the protagonists Aeneas and Gilgamesh are obsessed with uncertainty, so these epic stories accurately reflect the ancient culture and society. From the story of fate, we can see that the...

Men as Breadwinners in Maupassant’s “The Necklace”

Gender roles in families have often been regarded as the most important aspect in ensuring harmonious relationships. It is the foundation that holds a family together in the same manner, pillars are imperative in preventing the building from collapsing. In the Parisian society at the end of the nineteenth century,...

The Short Stories “The Storm” and “Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

Chopin’s Story of an Hour and The Storm highlights critical issues on love matters. Conversely, the husband is regarded as important for a woman to be happy and successful in any love union. Chopin displays how women were despised when it came to love matters in that they fully relied...

The Connection of Good and Evil in Tricksters Characters

The paper is devoted to analyzing the two characters of the Scandinavian and Greek myths: Loki and Prometheus. The psychological approach contributing to assessing and comparing particular characters’ behavior is used for the analysis. The ancient myths are the essential resource of knowledge that can help examine the behavior and...