The Elements of Fiction in Hawthorne’s “The Birthmark”

To an eager reader works of literary fiction represent an inexhaustible source for exploring and deriving the senses encoded in the texts by writers. For the purpose of gaining a deeper understanding of the text, it is crucial to analyze such fundamental basics as the elements of fiction. In the...

Kate Chopin: Early Feminist Writer

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

The Use of Eerie and Bizarre of Edgar Alan Poe

This paper is an analysis of how the literal tools of eerie and bizarre; settings, characters, and images are used in developing the effect of horror. The literal works to be analyses in this case as an effort to analyze the use of these literal tools in the development of...

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

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

The Theme of Change in Poetry

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

Nigeria in “No Longer at Ease”

Chinua Achebe is one of the most popular African writers of the twentieth century, who presents the culture and traditions of early African tribes and communities in his works. Born in Ogidi, Nigeria, he depicts the life of people in Nigeria, colonialism, and its effects on their lives. His works...

Homer, His Works and Homeric Culture

Introduction Homer is known and remembered as the most significant Greek and Roman writer. In the olden days, the Romans and the Greeks only believed they were educated if they could quote his poems. He wrote a wide range of literature on ethics and morality from his works of art....

“Girl With a Pearl Earring” by Tracy Chevalier

As we can see in “Girl with a Pearl Earring”, written by Tracy Chevalier, the author can be free in selection of facts and settings. The novel is a kind of composition on a free topic or the description of one’s feelings at the time of looking at the picture....

Death Within Edgar Allan Poe’s Works

Introduction Death has always been the notion of great interest. Different scientists have been studied its nature, but the question of death is not solved yet. Literature is also the field of science which tries to develop and solve the notion of death through the literary works of different authors....

Coelho’s Biographical Representations in “The Alchemist”

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

The Analysis of the Story of Oedipus

The American College Encyclopedic Dictionary defines the adjective “blind” as: 1. lacking the sense of sight; 2. unwilling, or unable to try or understand; 3. not controlled by reason: (blind tenacity); 4. not possessing or proceeding from intelligence; 5. lacking all awareness: ( a blind stupor); 6. drunk – hard...

“Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry and “I’m Still Here” by Hughes

The problem of race discrimination has been always a tight corner in the American history. In the course of the migration process, African Americans were fighting for the equality rights and freedoms. Nowadays, skin color still determines the relation between people thus influencing the way and the conditions of living....

Ghassan Kanafani: Biography, Short Story “Return to Haifa”

Biography Ghassan Kanafani (1936-1972) was a Palestinian writer and a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). While studying Arabic literature in Damascus he became a member of the left-wing Arab Nationalist Movement (ANM) but moved to Kuwait before completing his degree to edit an ANM...

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

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

“1984” by G.Orwell, “Catch-22” by J.Heller Compared

Introduction Living in this world which is a complex of different processes influenced by people, it is difficult to understand for what people live, how they live. The most interesting thing is that this world is created by people also and people create everything they struggle against after. People create...

“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini Book Report

Introduction Betrayal is a universal human experience that we don’t typically think about, but that permeates the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Although we are all likely to experience betrayal at some point in our lives, Hosseini also provides us with a means of defeating it through loyalty...

Death and Dying: How We Die, Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter

“Death belongs to the dying and those who love them.” This is a quote from Sherwin B. Nuland’s book How We Die, Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter. Throughout his book Nuland demonstrates this message; he takes us through the significant education he has received in his forty years as a...

The Role of Women in A Doll’s House

The play A Doll’s House was written in 1879 by Henrik Ibsen, a Norwegian writer born in 1828. It spread to the rest of Europe during the revolution period and sparked off a controversy because of his portrayal of women through the character Nora. The thesis of this essay is...

Ahab from Moby Dick and Prospero from the Tempest

First of all, there is the necessity to explain the choice of the form of the essay and the choice of the characters that present nontrivial development of the comparative analysis of their characters. The work has the form of the panel discussion with two main participants, Ahab and Prospero....

Lydia in Pride and Prejudice: Character Analysis

The novel “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen is considered to be a masterpiece of classical literature that has gone a long way due to the vivid presentation of the conflicts and interaction of the characters of the protagonists, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. These characters have been the subjects...

Review and Analysis of ‘A Good Man Is Hard To Find’

Flannery O’Connor is best known for her obscure, but thought-provoking short stories unlike most of the other 20th century American writers. She makes use of tragedy and brutality in her works to create an atmosphere of terror to deal with the subject of spirituality. The theme of ‘A Good Man...

A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Critical Analysis

The story A Good Man is Hard to Find written by Flannery O’Connor is considered to be rather tragic through the author’s breakage of traditional “happy ends”. The short story is rich in literary devices and expressive means; O’Connor managed to create a symbolic and imaginative work provoking and stimulating...

“The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin Review

This short story is called “The story of an hour” because it describes with clear detail the occurrences of an hour in its protagonist’s life. Louise Mallard is the protagonist of this story. Her sister Josephine and her husband’s friend Richards got eh news of her husband’s death in a...

“On Bullshit” by Harry Gordon Frankfurt

On Bullshit is a 2005 nonfiction bestseller by acclaimed American philosopher, Dr. Harry Gordon Frankfurt. A compact 67-page philosophical investigation, and emanating his distinguishable blend of philosophical acuity, wry humor, and psychological insight, Frankfurt sketches/develops a revolutionary theory of bullshit – defining the concept and analyzing its application, effect, and...

Shakespeare’s “Merchant of Venice” Performance

Introduction The play Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare, as all the masterpieces of the prominent writer, raised the themes of love, hatred, betrayal, and honor; the performance transfers the reader into the atmosphere of religious oppression and human portrayal of the central character, villainous Shylock. The play remains relevant,...

Nature of Name in “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri

Introduction In most cases our backgrounds characterize us, for instance, where we grew up, our beliefs as well as traditions, the forms of education we acquire and the friends we make. It only becomes a problem when your background clash and as a result we are left torn between the...

Mark Twain’s Argumentation in “The Damned Human Race”

One of the most outstanding writers in the history of world literature, Mark Twain, was talented in describing people’s characters and nurturing inside them the truth of life experience and values that impact a person’s mindset and keep him safe from wrong in life. A teaching approach in his works...

“Absalom, Absalom!” Novel by William Faulkner

Sutpen and his intention of building the Sutpen’s Hundred Thomas Sutpen is a mysterious man, in the sense that people never really understood him and his idea of building the Sutpen’s hundred was borne out of the fact that he realized while he was growing up that men are not...

Women as Oppression Victims in American Literature

Introduction Literary works dealing with serious subjects such as woman rights, discrimination and oppression can be completely different in genre and style, but nevertheless sharing a mutual theme, each approaching it from a different perspective. In Everyday Use by Alice Walker and A Jury of Her Peers by Susan Glaspell,...

My Personal Ithaka. “Ithaka” by Constantine Cavafy

In his poem “Ithaka,” Constantine Cavafy encourages his readers to go off on a journey that will last most of their life. In the poem, he talks about how the journey needs to be full of adventure and discovery but he also warns against monsters like Laistrygonians and Cyclops, and...

“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...

Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” and O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”

Introduction Life in South America had unique conditions. This was because of the unusual race relations, conflicts, problems and its history. Life was different for the descendants of the white aristocrats and of the poor whites. This paper will endeavour to discuss the South and Southerners as they appear in...

“Beowulf” & “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” Comparison

As for epics of the oral tradition, Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight never appeared in writing until many years after the story originated. Through the many retellings of the tale, it probably changed significantly over time; however, the essences of the society and the culture of each...

Braithwaite’s “English Gentlewoman” and Webster’s “The Duchess of Malfi”

Introduction John Webster’s works give an idea that powerful women were an anomaly in the XVI and XVII centuries. Indeed, during the early modern period, powerful women were not welcome in society, they were considered to be unnatural and dangerous. Female dominance could not be accepted as it symbolized social...

Symbolic Character in “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller

The play by Arthur Miller Death of a Salesman demonstrates the struggle of a man in an attempt to reach success in life. It describes the life and surroundings of Willy Loman who searches for the alleged American Dream. He sees no other way for his satisfaction in life, unless...

“Age of Turbulence” by Alan Greenspan

Introduction Alan Greenspan’s Age of Turbulence is a personal memoir combined with the description of his role as Federal Reserve Chairman for the last 18 years. In this book, he traces his evolution from the life of an academic to the post of the Federal Reserve chairman. In this book,...

“The Spanish Tragedy” Play by Thomas Kyd

The theme of revenge frozen the blood of every person. But only writers in their literary works can present all experiences of the soul of this human vice. A famous English dramatist Thomas Kyd wrote his well-known psychological masterpiece The Spanish Tragedy. By this work of literature, he tried to...

“A Child Called ‘It'” the Book by Pelzer

Brief Summary Pelzer (1994) in his book A Child Called “It”: One Child’s Courage to Survive has related his story of the sustained horror of maternal child abuse that he underwent. Narrated in first person account, Dave Pelzer has told his story of how his alcoholic mother singled him out...

“Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom

Introduction The need for guidance in life is something that people rarely admit, especially when they reach a mature age. The loss of such guidance could explain the fact that people do not appreciate the little things in life that they used to enjoy before facing real-life obstacles. “Tuesdays with...

Literature: History of Theory and Criticism

The place of Alexander’s Pope’s An Essay on Criticism in English literature is that of Boileaur’s Art Poetique in French criticism. Keeping in line with the neoclassical tradition, Pope gives a detailed account of his views on literary writing and the art of criticism. His essay has been seriously studied...

“The House of Mirth” Novel by Edith Wharton

Introduction In the novel, The House of Mirth Lily’s development as a character is certainly not negligible to the novel, her primary role is as the means through which Wharton reads and writes this culture. Thus, The House of Mirth is not primarily the story of Lily; it is rather...

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...

Coelho’s Alchemist and Homer’s Odyssey: Theme Comparison

Themes Fate is apparent in life and everyone has to work hard to realize it. The alchemist is a novel that has the story of a boy called Santiago who had a dream of going to the pyramids to look for treasures. His dream turned out to be true after...

Good Wife Penelope in Homer’s “The Odyssey”

The character of Ulysses is very famous and it is mainly associated with two epics namely the Iliad and the Odyssey both these great epics were written by homer. Ulysses was a Greek king who went on an expedition in the later parts of his life leaving his kingdom, his...

Rita Dove: Analysis of Chosen Poems

Rita Dove was born in Ohio in 1952. Their family was neither rich nor poor and had four children. Rita’s father had a master’s degree and worked as a chemist for the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company in Akron. When she finished school she was put on the list of...

Gilgamesh and Odysseus Visit Underworld Comparison

Introduction While studying literature of the first world civilizations, such as the civilization of the Tigris-Euphrates area, and Ancient Greece civilization, I was interested in two epic books: The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Wanderings of Odysseus. I was really impressed with the two main characters of these books: superhuman...

Analysis of an Extract from Beloved

It is very hard for any reader of Toni Morrison to escape her ‘black magic’. The reason is that this great Afro American writer speaks through history and ages in a language that is dipped in the dual hues of pain and poetry both. The two hundred years of horrid...

Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare Review

The Taming of the Shrew is a very light-hearted comedy written by William Shakespeare. It depicts the social attitudes to the institution of marriage as was in existence during the Elizabethan days. The theme of the play can be approached from several angles, but at the surface level, it is...

Dr. DuBois and The Harlem Renaissance

Introduction Dr. William Edward Burghardt Du Bois lived an intense life; the ups and downs of that altruistic life and his all-prevailing personality were all conscientiously and passionately documented by him in autobiographies, essays, notes, journal articles, and lectures through several decades. The Harlem Renaissance a.k.a. The Black Renaissance or...

Settings in “Richard III” Play by Shakespeare

Introduction Literature is a priceless heritage of humanity that provides people with an opportunity to understand people’s nature, their motifs, ideas, fears, and beliefs. Being an effective way to convey messages, novels, stories, or poems contributed to the increased attention to the events in history that were significant for the...

Future in American Science Fiction Short Stories

More than any modern genre of fiction, science fiction is predominantly written with a social purpose. Such a goal is rarely to explicitly to predict the future, especially since in many cases the predictive features of science fiction are at best mediocre. While in hindsight, it is easy to select...

Personal and Cultural Identities in “Ceremony” by Silko

Introduction Self-consciousness, as a significant part of personal identity, largely determines not only the views on certain concepts but also the ability to adapt to society within the framework of specific living conditions. Those communicative, religious, and other beliefs that a person follows are the background for the perception of...

Heroes’ Qualities: Gilgamesh vs. Odysseus

Introduction In the modern world, many people like discussing the theme of true heroes and the required qualities. Ancient literature is probably one of the most frequent sources of information to be applied to find out good examples and evidence. During the last centuries, The Epic of Gilgamesh and Homer’s...

Women in British Literature and Poems

Women are an often-discussed topic in literature, not only in terms of their modern emancipation but also in terms of their previous idealized state and their ‘proper place in any given time period. As women gained more rights, more complete education, and greater freedoms, they began to respond to what...

Shakespeare’s “Othello” Play Exploration

The current essay deals with a difficult but quite important topic tied with the role of race in Shakespeare’s Othello. As Alvin Kernan remarked Othello is probably the most perfect plays by Shakespeare in terms of the formal and structural design of its composition. Structural elements are organized in a...

“Remembrance” Poem by Emily Bronte

Emily Bronte is a Victorian female writer perhaps best known for her novel Wuthering Heights. However, she also published several poems, many of which are recognized today for their powerful emotion and distinct voice so unlike the poetic voice of the other female poets of her day. Her poetry was...

A Clean, Well Lighted Place: Book Review

There are times when a person would just want to find solace in a place where they can hang out and do nothing but feel they are just drifting over their weary existence in the outside world. It is just one of the nights when depression sets in and a...

Pride and Prejudice: Book Review

“Pride and Prejudice” was first issued on 28 January 1813 (Bloom, 1987). This book is considered to be the most well-known of Jane Austen’s works. This novel is related to one of the first works in the genre of romantic comedy. The author of the novel Jane Austen (16 December...

A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Critical Analysis Essay

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

A Good Man is Hard to Find & The Story of an Hour: Compare & Contrast Essay

Introduction A human being is a very complicated structure with a set of different qualities. A single quality does not represent whether a human being is good or bad. However, this quality can give a push to make a negative or positive opinion. Though what is good for one person...

Mustafa Sa’eed from Season of Migration to the North Compared to Shakespeare’s Caliban & Othello

Introduction Season of Migration to the North is an award-winning novel that explores many socio-cultural themes. Throughout it, the author Tayeb Salih makes direct comparisons and references to other popular cultural works and symbols. The character Mustafa Sa’eed is directly compared to Caliban from William Shakespeare’s renowned play The Tempest,...

Marriage According to Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen

Introduction The most discussed subject in the works of Chaucer and Jane Austen is the topic of marriage. It is still a hotly debated subject. What kind of relationship a husband and wife should have, how the domestic duties are to be shared, and whether both are equal, or whether...

Atonement by Ian McEwan Review

Not once in my life, I was puzzled by the question: Where is the borderline between the reality we live in and the imagined world that this way or another we create every new minute of our life? The borderline is indeed rather fragile and the mystery of its existence...

Story Of A Personal Journey: “The Moviegoer” by Walker Percy

As a medium that allows one to communicate personal ideas and beliefs through different types of expression, art transforms people. “The Moviegoer” is a unique narrative in which two art forms collide, thus providing a masterfully written foil for the character development. The story of Blix Bolling, a New Orleans...

Women’s Position in Kate Chopin’s Short Stories

Introduction Kate Chopin is an outstanding American author of novels and short stories. She is currently recognized as one of the first feminist writers of the 19th century as in her works, she focuses on women and their controversial position in marriage, and social oppression. For this essay, two works...

Patriarchal Oppression in Chopin’s Feminist Works

The works of Kate Chopin, a prominent American writer, traditionally focus on women’s biased position in marriage. The examination of “The Story of an Hour” and “A Respectable Woman” showed that these short stories addressed the disturbing issue of women’s dissatisfaction in marriage. The investigation of the concepts of patriarchy...

Death of Loved Ones: Foer’s “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”

The death of a loved one causes torment and anguish pushing the mind to try everything possible to get close to the lost loved one more time. This premise comes out clearly in Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close publication. The book is a narration by a nine-year-old...

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

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

Philip K. Dick’s Empathy in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Introduction Philip K. Dick might be one of the most significant authors of science fiction. His Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, published in 1968 for the first time, made a high impact on the genre. Dick discusses many issues through the prism of the atomic war threat making an...

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

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

The Essence of Machiavelli’s Book “The Prince”

Introduction In the early 16th century, when Italy consisted of city-states ruled by princes, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a handbook for princes and dedicated it to Lorenzo de Medici, Duke of Urbino and the ruler of Florence. This work became infamous because it justified criminal deeds committed for the sake of...

Punishment vs. Therapy: Oedipus Tyrannus & Equus Analysis

Introduction Both Oedipus Tyrannus by Sophocles and Equus by Shaffer cover tabooed and socially unacceptable behaviors, but while the Greek drama stresses punishment for breaking societal conventions, the contemporary one struggles with the impossibility of helping the perpetrator to correct his ways. Main body The crimes committed by the titular...

Winning with Honour: Ethics and History in Singapore

Winning with Honour is a fascinating work as the authors transfer the rules of morality and ethics to the history of Singapore. This book can be interesting for many people because its chapters describe the rules and recommendations that apply to both the individual and organisations. However, Winning with Honour...

Eudora Welty’s Influence and Monologue on Phoenix Jackson

Eudora Welty is considered one of the most sophisticated prose writers of the US of the 20th century. Her stories began to be published in the 1940s and immediately marked the emergence of a new and genuinely distinctive voice in literature. Moreover, the author gained a plethora of medals, honorary...

Art Creation: Poetry as a Favorite Form of Literature

Poetry has always been my favorite form of literature due to its fascinating ability to reflect extensive ideas within several lines. One of my favorite poets is Robert Frost, whose works are considered some of the best ever written. My love for this poet was born in middle school when...

Johnson’s Analysis of Hayden’s Poem: Insights & Interpretations

In her work, Johnson analyzes the poem by Hayden in detail and resorts to evaluating both the general idea and individual thoughts expressed in specific language constructs. According to the critic, the text in question cannot be considered complete since it lacks both a univocal introduction and ending (Johnson). In...

Humans in Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”

Back in 1968, Philip K. Dick made its readers consider what it truly means to be a human being with the help of the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The central theme of the book, the struggle between people and artificially developed androids, is relevant for showing how...

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...

Claudius’ Ramblings: A Night of Comedy and Confessions

In a dimly lit room, a dark figure of King Claudius occupies a large sofa. He occasionally stands up and walks across the room, his appearance disheveled, and they look exhausted. Think Dylan Moran is doing stand-up comedy at one AM after a party. Others are gathered quietly in the...

Spoon River Anthology: Doctor Meyers

Spoon River Anthology is a 1916 collection of short, free-verse poems by American poet Edgar Lee Masters. The universe of Anthology, a small imaginary town on the Spoon River named after a real city in Illinois, contains 212 original characters and 244 accounts of their life plights with their joys...

Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” Analysis

The end of the Victorian era may be viewed as a period when the movement for female equality gathered momentum. Before that, women enjoyed much fewer rights than men and occupied a lower, subordinate position in society. However, throughout the 19th century, many females aimed to oppose the established situation,...

Critical Analysis of Alice Walker’s “Everyday Use“

Introduction The given writing illuminates the subject of family traditions and cultural roots and how these two sets of values do not necessarily match. Mama is not well-educated on the culture of Africa, whereas Dee is convinced that her family does not follow true African traditions. However, it is important...

Orgon and Candide from Moliere’s “Tartuffe” and Voltaire’s “Candide”

Introduction The wisdom of classical literary works is a valuable legacy that the authors of past eras left to posterity. The images of many characters, their experiences, thoughts, and actions make one think about the serious aspects of human life and the process of cognition. In order to better understand...

Taboos in James Joyce’s “The Boarding House”

James Joyce’s “The Boarding House” is a short story published in 1914 that focuses on the life of Mrs. Mooney, a butcher’s daughter. After divorcing her husband because of his alcoholism, Mrs. Mooney sets up a boarding house, where her daughter engages in a premarital relationship with one of the...

Herman Melville and Ralph Ellison: Exploring Human Freedom

Introduction The story of Herman Melville in “Bartleby, The Scrivener: A Story of Wall-street” is a grotesque narration about a poor office worker whose unusual behavior breaks the usual rhythm of business life and makes others doubt the correctness of the world order. Whereas Ralph Ellison in his “Battle Royale”...

Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and Updike’s “A&P”

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates, and A&P by John Updike are both short stories that explore the subject of rebellion. The key conflict in Oates’ text is between Connie’s freedom to explore her beauty and sexuality and the views of people around her....

Pride and Social Struggle in Maupassant’s “The Necklace”

Introduction Guy de Maupassant is one of the most prominent writers who enriched French literature with a plethora of brilliant short stories. One of his most famous short stories is built around the main character’s distorted self-identity. This essay will provide a brief summary of The Necklace that will cover...

H. Longfellow’s and D. Thomas’s Poetry Analysis

Literature is an approach that individuals utilize for conveying their thoughts. Among the essential themes explored by them are life, death, and their meaning. Both poems Psalm of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas offer a view on the...

“Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament” by Willa Sibert Cather

Some people are like square pegs in the world of round holes, and Willa Sibert Cather eloquently tells a story of one of such individuals in “Paul’s Case: A Study in Temperament.” Paul is a high school student from Pittsburgh who lives with his father and reluctantly tries to conform...

Sarcasm and Irony in Chopin’s “Story of an Hour”

Reading short stories introduces multiple opportunities for people to meet new characters, learn their lives, and get several important lessons. Each story is a piece of human life with its strong and weak aspects, and it is the decision of a reader on how to use this information. There are...

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...

Race and Slavery in the “Clotel” Novel by Brown

Home/family The entire family is brought down by the slave trade. Clotel, Currer, and Althea are completely separated from each other. Currer later dies of yellow fever while Althea is left to suffer under the ruthless hands of slave traders. Even after being married to Henry Morton, her life is...

Analyzing the Truth in Olaudah Equiano’s Story

The summary of Olaudah Aquino’s story from free life in his native Africa to slavery in the Americas and acquisition of freedom has revealed that several issues need to be investigated based on the story and history of slavery. Quite clearly, the presence of several texts and historical accounts tend...

“The Arbus Factor” Short Story by Lore Segal

The age of the characters Overall, I began to suspect that Jack and Hope could be elderly people when the author mentioned that in the past these characters were married to other people long time ago. In particular, the narrator says that Hope was a widow, while Jack had divorced...

Eliezer and Shlomo: Evolving Father-Son Bond in ‘Night’

How Eliezer’s relationship with his father changes throughout the book? Eliezer and his father Shlomo are the main characters of Elie Wiesel’s novel Night. In spite of the fact many issues associated with the Holocaust and the people living in concentration camps are discussed in the novel, the author pays...

Abu-Bakr’s Journey: From Saudi Village to NY Success

“Finally, high school is over,” softly said Abu-Bakr Mohammed to himself as he walked down the sandy road that led to his village from the school he had attended for the last six years. Abu, as most of his friends called him, was excited beyond measure because he had made...

Hans Christian Andersen’ Works Analysis

Introduction The term ‘author’ can be used to refer to someone who “…….originates or gives existence (or life) to something” (Hodges 2002). In the context of literature, an author can be described as an individual who originates or gives existence to a piece of text. This is for example a...

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...

Style of Columbus’ Letters to Spain’s King and Queen

The tone Christopher Columbus used in his letters to the Queen and King of Spain is very official, professional, optimistic, and positive. Christopher Columbus as a person, who was directly involved in the process of discovering new lands had the best level of education and was very well informed about...

“Leaves from a Slave’s Journal of Life” by Lewis Clarke

Type Although the story is narrated from the third-person perspective, the primary source chosen for the analysis can be defined as an autobiography since the events described in it occurred in the authors’ life as well. Title The autobiography was published under the title of Leaves from a Slave’s Journal...

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...

“Soldier’s Home and Out of Season” by Ernest Hemingway

The themes of alienation and isolation frequently occur in the short stories by Hemingway. The writer focuses on the separation of the protagonists from the outer world by creating circumstances and situations that prevent him/her from establishing relations with other people. Soldier’s Home and Out of Season are among the...

Literary Psychoanalysis: Medicine River and The Things They Carried

One of the main indications that a particular literary piece represents a high literary value has traditionally been considered the psychological soundness of how the featured characters address life-challenges. The reason for this is quite apparent – it is specifically one’s deep-seated unconscious anxieties, which largely define his or her...

“The Carpenter’s Pencil” a Novel by Manuel Rivas

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

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...

“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...

Thoreau vs. Woolf: Insects as Metaphors for Life and War

Philosophical ideas about the meaning of life, the role of death, and causes of war are discussed by many writers and thinkers in their works because of the importance of the mentioned issues. However, writers often use different effective approaches in order to attract the readers’ attention to the discussion...

Sophocles’ Oedipus the King: Fate, Free Will, and Human Responsibility

Oedipus the King is one of the most recognizable literary characters. His name is generally associated with fate, sin, and sorrow. The famous founder of psychoanalysis used the name of the character to depict one of the peculiarities of the human mind. Admittedly, Sophocles’ tragedy has become one of the...

Irony, Sarcasm and Anecdotes in Tina Fey’ “Bossypants”

Tina Fey’s book “Bossypants” is a book that presents common themes in an unusual manner. The author is able to elicit a discussion about issues that beleaguer modern working women in an easy and sneaky manner. The book heavily relies on sarcasm, personal anecdotes, and irony in an attempt to...

The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton: Novel on New York’s Upper-Class

Introduction In the chef-d’oeuvre book, The Age of Innocence, Edith Wharton highlights a form of innocence that comes by simulation. The strict societal rules that govern every aspect of living impose this form of innocence that does not come by one’s choice. In a bid to understand the context of...

Captain Nemo on the Lost Continent

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

Sexual Energy in The Changeling and The Revenger’s Tragedy

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

Passage from “Mundus et Infans” Morality Play

The passage chosen for the textual analysis in this assignment is the one from Mundus et Infans. This play is one of the brightest examples of the Medieval morality plays (Lester 2002). The drama doctrine of this period is characterised by the ability not only to depict the heroes with...

“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...

“Imperium in Imperio” a Book by Sutton Griggs

The main reason why the novel Imperium in Imperio (by Sutton Griggs) is now being commonly referred to as one of the most notable works of the 19th century’s Black-American literature, is that it does represent a great literary value. Among other things, this can be explained by the novel’s...

Little Red Riding Hood by Dahl and Perrault

Comparison of the Different Versions of LRRH Little Red Cap is a folk text initially written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. Today, it is also widely known as Little Red Riding Hood (LRRH). This fairy tale reveals a story about a young girl who goes through the woods to visit...

“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...

Lucy Lurie in “Disgrace” by J. M. Coetzee

Despite the impressive improvement in recent decades, adherence to humanistic values remains uneven in different parts of the world. Even after the official adoption, they continue to be undermined by conservative social views, leading to numerous personal tragedies. In Disgrace, J.M. Coetzee creates a complex character, Lucy Lurie, who faces...

Nathaniel Hawthorne Short Stories Analysis

In Hawthorne’s stories, men of supposed decency sometimes do very unpleasant things, and these often affect the women in their lives. The gentlemen in these tales demonstrate is a willingness to take risks with or abuse the good will of women that today would be considered thoughtless at best, or...

“The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” by Junot Diaz

The central character of Junot Diaz’s novel, The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, does not seem like a traditional hero, and his foolish choices can cause the reader to gasp or shake their head over how ill-advised they are. However, Diaz has subtly endowed Oscar’s tale with some...

“The Excursion” and “A Defence of Poetry” Comparison

Introduction Romanticism in England took place between the end of the eighteenth and the beginning of the nineteenth century. This movement influenced writers, poets, artists, and other creators of cultural heritage. Romanticism is best traced through works of literature, in which the movement’s main ideas and defining features can be...

Understatement in Robert Frost’s “Out, Out—”

Robert Frost wrote his famous poem “Out, Out—” in 1916, during the First World War. The poem reveals the author’s dark thoughts at a difficult time in the world’s history. The author was not at war, as well as the audience is not. However, Frost manages to reflect the core...

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West is the book that covers the historical events the Western Americans had to survive and describes the betrayals and conflicts of people. The peculiar feature of this book is the language and style chosen by the author,...

The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane: A Quest Unveiled

“The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane” was written by Katherine Howe. The book was first published in 2009. The story in the book involves a quest a young Harvard graduate and doctoral candidate Connie Goodwin needs to complete in order to uncover the secrets of Deliverance Dane, the woman who...

Setting in John Updike’s Short Story “A&P”

Updike’s “A&P” can be read fast but the understanding does not come unless one learns to read such texts deeply. On the first scanning, “A&P” seems to offer simple symbolism of freedom and bondage, class, and power through the characters, their looks, and actions. However, the setting itself is a...

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...

“The Yellow Wallpaper” a Story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

Sometimes, even experts in certain professions go wrong. Many of them always believe too much in their knowledge such that it never occurs to them that they can go wrong. It is a good thing for professionals to have self-belief for the sake of efficiency in what they do. However,...

Lucille Clifton’ Poems Comparison

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

“Ragged Dick” a Book by Horatio Alger

Introduction In his book, Horatio Alger reflects on a range of issues associated with the street life of a 14-year-old bootblack Ragged Dick (7). The book includes three stories, describing the way the poor young boy, striving for financial success, succeeds thanks to his courage, good fortune, and virtue 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...

Journey in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and “Alchemist”

Introduction Narrative fiction often seeks to attract and entertain readers with imaginative experiences of characters that go through a transformation; therefore, it often utilizes quest-like plots that allow readers to embark on journeys to achieve certain goals that will eventually lead to change. In The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho provides his...

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...

“Young Goodman Brown” Story by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The story of “Young Goodman Brown” unravels as the titular character abandons his spouse called Faith despite her protests. However, Goodman Brown assures Faith that he will return shortly and that, as long as she continues to pray and lead a pious life, nothing can harm her. He leaves for...

W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey’ Works Comparison

Introduction It is imperative to mention that the works by Du Bois and Garvey are truly fascinating, and both leaders were extremely influential. “The Souls of Black Folk” and “Africa for the African” are the ones that are especially noteworthy. Both pieces are regarded masterpieces by many scholars, and they...

“Divine Comedy” and “Confessions”

Just like any other religion, Christianity had a period when it was to pave its way through the doubt and rejection of the people in order to gradually win more and more followers. The intent to move on from one religion and set of beliefs to another always comes along...

Mathilde in Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace”

Introduction Fiction writing is one of the most intriguing pieces of art in literature. Characterization is one of the integral parts of fiction writing. Characterization uses description to create characters that stick in mind. Therefore, when developing a character, the author needs to describe in detail his characters to a...

“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...

The Poetry by Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson is one of the most famous and loved poets in American literature. The author’s word choice and use of punctuation make her works outstanding, as they combine both sound and pause, resembling the wind. Dickinson avoids conformity, as Emerson would say, and she creates her own poetry rules....

Elie Wiesel’s Night: Analyzing the Impact of Holocaust Literature

Introduction Night is a book written by Elie Wiesel that focuses on his experiences while imprisoned in one of the Auschwitz concentration camps during the Holocaust. The book focuses on the inhuman experiences that the prisoners in the camp were subjected. Therefore, it highlights the impact that such experiences had...

“The Female American” a Book by Unca Eliza Winkfield

Unca Eliza Winkfield wrote The Female American in 1767 as a religious memoir modelled after Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Just like Robinson Crusoe, despite being a work of fiction, there is a series of references to factual historical events meant to create an illusion of reality. From a non-critical perspective,...

“Schoolsville” a Poem by Billy Collins

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

The Novel “The Inheritance of Loss” by Kiran Desai

The book “The Inheritance of Loss” by Kiran Desai talks about an important world issue of class division and the differences between the social layers. The Soviet times are analyzed as the period when there was a race for satellite and space control between nations, which created even more division...

“Orange is the New Black” – Netflix Series’ and Book Comparison

Introduction The book, Orange Is the New Black, and the Netflix series talk about a character who goes to prison for fifteen months. The police arrest her for mistakes she did in the past. There are some differences between the book and the series in terms of characterization, themes, and...

Richard Wright’ and Langston Hughes Literature Comparison

Richard Wright and Langston Hughes are the writers that were very concerned about the racial issues in the society of the United States of America. Both of the authors use their talents to address the problem of racial differences and the outcomes they cause. Hughes and Wright emphasize the equality...

Literature Comparison: Shakespeare’s Falstaff and Milton’s Satan

Both – Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1 and Milton’s Paradise Lost – focus on the moral degradation of medieval society, as well as reluctance to acknowledge the conventionally accepted wisdom of chivalry, honor, and respect. In these literary works, Sir John Falstaff from Henry IV, Part 1 and Satan from...

Water Buffalo Days: Growing Up in Vietnam by Nhuong

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

David and Lucy in “Disgrace” by John Coetzee

Introduction ‘Disgrace’ is a contended fictional book by J. M. Coetzee that is dedicated to several common issues of post-apartheid South Africa. What makes this novel compelling and exceptional is presenting the existing problems of the society through the prism of perception of the book’s protagonist David Lure and his...