5820 samples of this type
“The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane is a story about the victim of a shipwreck who spent 30 days stranded at sea. The central theme of the story is the idea that nature is unforgiving, which contrasts with the sentiments of Romanticism writers. For instance, poets from the Romanticism era...
Various literary works were published to enlarge the pool of knowledge connected to literary narrative techniques in epics. The work by Altes called Ethos and Narrative Interpretation: The Negotiation of Values in Fiction explores the interplay of ethos, character, and narrative. The book also covers literary conventions and how they...
The compositions left a profound trace in the literature of the XX century. Even though the stories are short, they contain significant ideas. The narratives are modernist since they describe the individual’s thoughts, not the social environment. The paper below represents a brief overview of the narrations. It also explains...
The world described by Orwell in his novel Nineteen Eighty-four seems cruel and unfair. With its totalitarian regime, full devotion to the Party, and Big Brother constantly watching everyone, the existence of such a society seems impossible in the modern world. Nowadays, although many countries are tolerant and respectful of...
At first glance, Othello seems simply a tragedy of jealousy, just as Macbeth is a tragedy of ambition. It is easy to imagine that Shakespeare decided to explore several exciting and dangerous passions and warn the audience against them. However, the ideas ingrained in the play seem to be broader...
This paper will analyze the graphic strategies used by Art Spiegelman on page 13 of his graphic novel, Maus: A Survivor’s Tale. This page represents a part of the narration when a father tells his son about his past, so it includes both the current timeline of the story and...
The discussion of the history of Mexican identity in the US is not possible without the mentioning of the Chicano movement. A series “Chicano! A History of the Mexican American Civil Rights Movement” provides an extensive overview of the movement, and the current paper will address the first episode of...
Historical Background The book of Ruth is set during the time of the Judges, as a family from Bethlehem moves to Moab to avoid famine. The nation of Moab, along with Ammon, had its genealogical roots in Lot’s intercourse with his daughters (Gen. 19:30-38). After the Exodus, the Israelites returning...
Since ancient times, myth has been one of the main ways of mastering reality by a human. Thanks to mythological consciousness, people explained the events of the world and understood each other better. In addition, myths allowed people to create standards of behavior and to educate people in becoming decent...
At least once in their life – and, in all likelihood, far more frequently – everyone has the reason to think that the universe is unfair. While despicable and immoral actions may yield rewards and recognition, doing the right thing not only does not guarantee those but may even bring...
Introduction The given literary analysis will primarily focus on The Leavers by Lisa Ko, which narrates the story of an abandoned child and his search for belonging. The main character is Daniel or Deming, whose mother is Polly Guo. The narrative focuses on the continuous abandonment of the protagonist, which...
Walker’s comparison of women to saints means that females have lost their natural form and meaning: they have acquired “shrines” instead of bodies and “temples” instead of minds (401). This description is bad since the writer presupposes that women cannot lead the lives they want, having to bear the status...
Introduction The central idea of the Recitatif by Toni Morrison is race and racism, the “black-white” conflict. It must be noticed that the author’s approach to this subject is nonconventional, and the first sign of it is that she makes the reader guess who between the two protagonists of the...
Introduction Both of the selected stories, Kawai Strong Washburn’s “What the Ocean Eats” and Bryan Stevenson’s “The High Road,” are interesting to read and focus on important topics resorting to one’s emotions and feelings. However, a detailed analysis of the two pieces allows noticing structural differences and making conclusions as...
Reasons Why The Pursuit of Daisy Buchanan Was Justified “Great Gatsby” is a novel written by F.S. Fitzerald and published in 1925. The book follows the narrator as he enters the world of the American socialite after returning from war and meets the eponymous main character. Jay Gatsby gained his...
Chapter 1: Nick Carraway decides to move from Minnesota to New York. He starts his story by mentioning that his father told him not to judge others because it leads to misunderstanding and wrong interpretations. According to Carraway’s description, Gatsby represents everything for which he had “an unaffected scorn” (Fitzgerald,...
Written by Eric Foner, The Fiery Trial is a historical nonfiction book with a major focus on the African Americans in the United States during the Civil War period. The author spans his story around Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the US, and his life at the height of...
The House of the Seven Gables is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the middle of the nineteenth century. The story revolves around a gloomy mansion in New England, which is believed to be haunted since its construction – this aspect has even made Hawthorne’s work “the father of...
The Odyssey is a world literature masterpiece, one of the two epic poems written by Homer. It was composed around the 8th century BC, and its plot focuses on Odysseus’s journey home after the Troy’s fall. This essay aims at analyzing several peculiarities of The Odyssey that show its significance...
Do you know the feeling where you cannot enjoy the present and live in the past? Such a character is Lois from “Death by Landscape” by Margaret Atwood, who survived her friend Lucy’s death as a child. The girls were walking in the camp’s highlands, and one of them fell...
The Tragedy of Hamlet is among Shakespeare’s notable plays which have been performed across the world. In the tragedy, the ghost of the King of Denmark tells his son, Hamlet, to avenge his death by murdering the new king who is Hamlet’s uncle. Hamlet pretends to be mad, envisions life...
Literary art began to develop in ancient times, many centuries before our era. People recorded the events they experienced, described natural phenomena that they saw, and passed on their wisdom to future generations. Later, they started adding fantasy to literary works to make them more interesting and let impossible become...
Frame story (a frame narrative or a frame tale) is a widely popular literary technique used in storytelling and even cinematography because it helps involve readers’ attention in several stories within the whole narration. An excellent example of this method is One Thousand and One Nights, a collection of folk...
The short story “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien explores the emotional and psychological struggles which soldiers go through in the battlefield. This is evident from first person voice narration O’Brien, who relates the daily experiences of the soldiers in his Alpha Company in the jungles of Vietnam. Even...
Introduction The perceptions of love and relationship are continuously changing, and one of the easiest ways to trace this shift is through consideration of love poems. To convey the imagery of love, poets use a variety of literary techniques that allow them to share not only their views but also...
Despite the endeavors of Gilgamesh and Enkidu to be similar to gods, the two heroes overestimated their power and neglected the fact that they were both mortals, which led to tragic consequences. By the end of the epic, it becomes evident to Gilgamesh that every human being is bound to...
Introduction Nowadays, more and more poets are starting to experiment with the possibilities of language. For example, some of them mix prose and poetry or create new genres in literature. Undoubtedly, the genre diversity and the formation of new departments of literature is a significant part of modern writing, but...
Introduction The poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling develops the theme of resilience, manhood, and middle path utilizing devices of rhythm, rhyme, repetition, and symbolism. This didactic poem presents the author’s advice to his son John and consists of one compound sentence. In this sentence, Rudyard Kipling describes paradoxical life situations...
This review dwells upon David Farber’s Crack: Rock Cocaine, Street Capitalism, and the Decade of Greed. The book sheds light on diverse aspects of the war on drugs and the crack market in the USA in the twentieth century. The author attempts to identify the major causes of the problem...
The world, where humans will coexist with machines, is coming closer every day. The fast development of artificial intelligence that was almost a miracle a hundred years ago now is considered to be a usual thing. Attempts of science to understand how the human brain works and improve the fragile...
In the current essay, two short stories will be compared and contrasted: “A rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkin. Both stories are focused on female protagonists who experience some form of life-changing isolation. However, two authors use different literary elements in order to...
Mary Shelley’s novel about Frankenstein and his Creature reveals many human vices and cruelty. There is also a place in the story for love and remorse, which opens in both characters in its strange way. However, the complex interweaving of feelings, actions, and the conditions, in which they were committed,...
“Lusus Naturae” by Margaret Atwood describes an unknown creature that everyone renounces at first glance. It is a girl with specific congenital syndromes that make her appearance strange and intimidating. The author uses Point of View (PV) to describe characters and set up a plot in which the main character...
Postcolonial Theory and Its Benefits for Society The past and ongoing historic processes present invaluable information for future generations allowing them to navigate the world without repeating the mistakes of their ancestors. The combination of such processes is considered under a unified concept of postcolonial theory, which contributes to the...
Introduction A poem by Jessica Knight titled “Secrets under trees” is a reflection on how secrets should not be revealed. The author uses a metaphor of a tree and its leaves as a way of showing how secrets should be left to rot (Knight, 2016). My original art piece, a...
The story “Everyday Use,” written by Alice Walker, is a complex narrative covering a variety of psychological and cultural issues. One of the most prominent aspects of it is the attitude of the main characters, Maggie and Dee, to their family heritage. The sisters are different in their views regarding...
Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley was first published in 1818. It is now referred to as one of the first pieces of science fiction. The reception of the book was somewhat controversial, and literary critics’ views were mixed. John Wilson Croker’s review, published right after the novel...
Literature has always been a tool used by authors to attract people’s attention to a particular aspect of their lives of problems topical for society. At the same time, some issues have always been topical for communities because of their universal character. These include love, relations, faith, morals, and values...
Opening the essay with personal experience proves to be an efficient introduction. The author starts the novel with the story of his first favorite sports teams at the age of two or three. He then jumps to the description of his high school games and the first time paying attention...
Nowadays, mental health is a significant concern in the United States, as more and more people become affected by psychological conditions. However, the discourse around this topic, especially that of schizophrenia, has existed for a considerable time. The main characters of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s The Yellow Wallpaper and Edgar Allan...
The narrative is set in a hospital operating room and in-house chapel, perpetuating the atmosphere of democratic conformity that defies morality. The setting serves as the display of the conflict between individual choice and procedures. The author writes, “The on-call room is never dark enough, even with your eye-mask,” indicating...
Introduction As well as the theme of love, the theme of life and death is frequently preferred by many poets for their great works. The main challenge is the impossibility to avoid death or prolong life, and authors try to find out additional ways to calm down, motivate, and support...
Society’s influence on people and their way of life has two outcomes: liberating or oppressing them. It all depends on which standards one accepts at any given time. Most women live unsatisfied lives full of oppression in patriarchal societies that believe in male dominance and female inferiority in marriage. This...
Romantic love stories typically end with a blissful moment, but it is not the case in Romeo and Juliet, the author of which preferred a tragedy rather than a happy ending. William Shakespeare puts a different vision of a love story by writing his most famous play Romeo and Juliet....
Social class and status were extremely important during the Victorian era. People did not have a chance to climb to the top if they were born into a lower class. Poor and less educated people remained the members of their class for life. A person’s belonging to a certain social...
The realities of the historical and literary processes of the second half of the 20th century convince both literature scholar and usual readers that the strugscholars civil rights, the rise of Black movement understood broadly, was merging with the left-wing literary movement, animated by critical moods, and a deep-seated rush...
Introduction The “Odyssey” is an epic poem depicting Odysseus’s ten-year journey after the fall of Troy. The narrative has more than one perspective, following both Odysseus retelling his story and the view of his son, Telemachus. The “Odyssey” is an example of ancient poetry that had a despicable influence on...
The theme of happiness is derived from the life of Helga Crane, a protagonist whose journey to seek happiness has been disrupted by racial discrimination. Helga’s life is full of phenomenal shifts that leave her unhappy and disgruntled. Nonetheless, the novel conveys that one should act persistently and attempt to...
The concept of the point of view in the narrative is useful in evaluating and critiquing stories. Each author selects it depending on different factors. This essay seeks to use the point of view to evaluate the story Lusus Naturae by Margaret Atwood, a tale of an outcast with whom...
Introduction It is no secret that Edgar Allan Poe is an iconic representative of the Gothic literature genre. His works are important and exciting not only for researchers in the field of literary criticism but also for amateur readers. It is necessary to understand why his work has earned popularity...
In 2020, the world faced a new virus, which appeared to be a health threat to the population. The disease received the name “COVID-19”, and caused a catastrophic reaction of people, despite the deadly outcomes. Many sources refer to this phenomenon as the “social absurdity” (Banerjee et al., 2020, para....
The issue of finding the right balance between personal freedoms and the need for social stability and development has been a pressing one for a long time. Its urgency has further been increased by the spread of terrorism, which resulted in certain measures intended to control and protect citizens and...
“Frankenstein,” the book by Anna Meriano, is a fancy, captivating retelling of the worldwide known legend. The story of a creature seeking love began in the writings of Mary Shelly in the 19th century. Masterful illustrations by Katy Wu make the book look like a personal diary. Victor, the main...
Among the many concepts explored in Fitzgeralds’s The Great Gatsby, American Dream is one of the most notable ones. The titular character, with his extravagant lifestyle, acts like its embodiment and manifestation in the hedonistic, consumerist atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties. Yet the author questions this interpretation of the American...
The story of young Kimberly Chang and her mother emigrating to New York from Hong Kong told in Girl in Translation crystallizes hardships that immigrants undergo. The family experiences financial troubles, exploitation, and discrimination on its way to prosperity. At first, Kimberly lives in a crummy Brooklyn flat without heating...
Introduction The novel A Man of the People was first published in 1966 by Chinua Achebe, who depicted a wide range of problems concerning the corrupted nature of politics, power, and greed. Despite its date of publication, the novel presents a high relevance even these days due to the acute...
In Fences, the character of Troy Maxon initially seems like a representation of a hardworking man, a breadwinner, who gives up on his ideas of happiness and well-being to ensure that his family has financial security. However, Troy had dreams previously, with society pushing him into that niche once the...
Trifles by Susan Glaspell highlights perceptions, thought processes, labels, and stereotypes surrounding the inferior perception of women during the early 19th century. The play illustrates repeated neglect and alienation of three females by male colleagues, symbolizing their suffrage at the time of the play. Although the female gender was regarded...
Introduction Even though many readers consider the American Dream as one of the core ideas in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, there is always a chance to find some new interpretation. In his article, Majid Salem Mgamis explains the American Dream as a part of social values “that...
The theme of the formation of the young hero personality is not new in world literature. Most of the major writers have turned to it in their work. A real artist always seeks to penetrate the secrets of the human soul, to find motives that push a person to certain...
A striking example of the struggle between a human and society is the story “Desirée’s Baby”, written by Kate Chopin. The main character, Desirée, is presented to the reader as a beautiful, gentle, and graceful lady. In particular, this is expressed in her love story with her husband, who at...
Crack: Rock Cocaine, Street Capitalism, and the Decade of Greed, written by David Farber, is a history of destructing poor communities of the United States by cocaine. It tells the reader about the roots of crack cocaine and the political response to the drug. It also gives examples from the...
The novel The Old Man and the Sea by Hemmingway is among his most significant writings. The author explores plenty of themes that are still relevant nowadays. Hemmingway forces his reader to reflect throughout the whole narrative, making him or her emphatic with aspirations, struggles, and achievements of the protagonist....
Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote this first-person poem inspired by the Chamonix Valley landscapes near Geneva. The Romantic style of William Wordsworth significantly influenced Shelley’s poetry. The former applied a similar writing style by describing feelings and emotions with physical objects. The young Englishman visited the Arve Valley by Mont Blanc,...
“A Good Man Is Hard to Find,” written by Flannery O’Connor, quickly became one of the author’s most prominent pieces due to its many definitions and perceptions. First published in 1953, the writing is centered around the themes of good and evil, portraying the writer’s typical style. The following essay...
Introduction The Sweat transitions enormously when Bertha is introduced in the story. Sykes is committed to having her put up with Della as a concubine. Delia is not ready to allow another woman to have the resources she has labored to buy. She resists, and in the event, the two...
The Second World War is usually remembered as a political endeavor intended to promote a specific set of ideals. Personal experiences are often omitted from historical accounts, with many authors focusing on tactical maneuvers and legislative principles. Two books take a different approach when evaluating these events. The first is...
Introduction Sam Maggs is one of the Master’s students who has achieved a lot in life. She won the 2014 Cineplex Entertainment’s Casting Call contest. In the following year, that is 2015; she moved to Edmonton, where she works up to now as a writer for the different best-selling video...
The story of Frankenstein and his creation has been popular for many years. It was a base for movies, and the monster character was included in many other stories. This is not surprising since this monster is ambiguous and arouses many feelings and emotions. Many contradictions exist in this monster,...
Death is a controversial topic for many people since its perception varies from person to person. Some see it as liberation from earthly shackles while others dread it and try to postpone the final moment of life for as long as physically possible. Nonetheless, human lives are finite, and at...
Brief and simple in its language, Raymond Carver’s short story Cathedral is packed with imagery and themes that vividly and powerfully depict real life issues. The immediate impressions of the text were that Carver successfully uses an unlikely scenario- a casual interaction between the narrator and a blind man- to...
Freedom is the power to act, think, or speak as one wants. One universal quality of liberty is the ability to change without any constraint. Freedom allows people to make different decisions in their lives without facing any consequences. The short stories “The Bet,” “The Feather Pillow,” “Story of an...
Daniel Inouye Pena is a Pushcart Prize winner writer of Mexican-American origin. “Bang” was his debut novel that receives major appreciation among American readers. It tells the story of an undocumented Mexican family living in South Texas. The piece addresses the problems related to the current U.S. migrant policy as...
Central Idea of the Story The central idea of the story is to determine why different people carry items that they do. The narrator notes physical objects and metaphysical ideas that the soldiers bring with them. For instance, Lt. Cross carries a tangible picture of Martha and his ephemeral feelings...
The war in Vietnam…How much pain this short word combination incorporates. This war can be listed among the strangest and the most unsuccessful military campaigns ever held by the United Sates. The new commanding strategies limiting commanders out of their power and authority to control the process on a local...
A Good Man Is Hard to Find is a short story written by Flannery O’Connor. The narrative describes a family journey that ended up with the violent murder of all its members by the gang of a prisoner in escape with the nickname The Misfit. The most contradictory character of...
There are various ways to establish the authority of a source. These include the author’s scope, fame, level of education, professional interests, and other personal characteristics. In addition, it is essential to consider the publisher, possible biases, sources of information studied, and other factors. When working with a source, it...
Song of Solomon is a novel written by Toni Morrison in 1977 and belongs to African American literature. Although this text is one of the writer’s first works, the book brought Morrison great fame. The story of a young African American Macon Dead has raised many questions about black people’s...
War is a central theme in books of numerous authors, and Tim O’Brien is no exception to the rule. What makes him stand out from the rest is the source of information he uses and the way he presents the war. Being a war veteran, O’Brien writes about his personal...
Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral is the first published volume of poetry written by an African-American author Phillis Wheatley (Mulder et al.). Published in 1773, Wheatley had an opportunity to speak out on the tyranny she and her race faced from day to day. Without any fear, she...
This book has comprised several simple truths that help an individual to figure out their main purpose in life. It is addressed to those who burn out at work spending numerous hours doing things they do not enjoy. Those activities do not bring them closer to the desired future. The...
In the story “My Almighty Grandmother” by Gabriela Roy, the narrator is a six-year-old girl who unwillingly spends time with her grandmother in the summer. Through her eyes, I can see an old lady with failing memory. Also, the story revolves around three women who are separated by belonging to...
Anticipate your Reader’s Responses The story Refresh, Refresh takes place in a small town Crow, which does not have many male citizens. The author describes that the town was populated only by three types of men: old, incapable, and vulturous (Percy 3). All the worthy men left to fight a...
Introduction In the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, magic is described as a supernatural force that defies nature’s laws. These books are popular because they contradict the norms and beliefs that people have been raised to know. Rowling has formed a narrative logic to make these stories believable to...
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince raises fundamental philosophical issues about human life and its actual values. The protagonist undergoes internal evolution and gains an understanding that genuinely precious things are intangible. Instead, they can be perceived only by the heart. Subsequently, numerous other writers have adopted this narrative strategy....
Among numerous contemporary writers, Carmen Boullosa occupies a specific place due to her fascinating use of metaphors and textual objects to convey deep underlying meanings. She is famous for many novels dedicated to the pressing problems of Mexican and American society. Still, she admitted in her interview that she had...
Introduction Residents of the American town gathered for the annual lottery, and as with any other venerable tradition, attitudes toward it vary depending on age. The older men cannot imagine the life of the community without it. Still, the youngers are more skeptical, and they take it without reverence. The...
An outstanding piece of writing called Under the Skirt of Liberty is Giannina Braschi’s creation, which criticizes the American establishment for the loss of its previous values and goals. The author’s message is primarily focused on describing major pitfalls of the American system, and it reaches out and converses with...
In “Preface”, several cases of ambivalence proved Livy’s mixed feelings towards his project. First, Livy demonstrated uncertainty about “any return for the effort” because he did not “bring some greater authenticity” or new contributions but celebrated “the memory of the past” (1). The author seemed to doubt his intent “neither...
Central Idea The narration centers around the correspondent, the captain, the cook, and the oiler, who are lost in a boat in the middle of the sea after a shipwreck. The central idea of the story is to show the place of a man in the world and to demonstrate...
Human relationships, either comic or dramatic, turn out to be a common topic for many works of literature. Oscar Wilde used a variety of literary devices to enhance sensory experiences among readers. The Importance of Being Earnest is his play about the significance of social institutions like family and marriage....
Word logic – clear message which is delivered by grammatically correct words and sentences. The reading-writing connection – mutual influence between a person’s ability to write well-structured texts and the amount of the read books. Comparison and contrast – the ability to discuss similar and different elements in a writing....
Introduction The feeling of a personal loss is one of the emotional experiences that transcend all cultures and are easily understood by the members of any cultural environment. Moreover, the concepts of love and loss, as well as those of life and death, transcend not only cultures but time as...
Butler’s book is deemed to hold exceptional attributes in different facets, particularly structure and presentation of data and sentiments. Irrespective of being fictitious, the story is laid out in a way that appears real. Butler, the writer, develops the concern of corrupt governance portrayed by injustice and inequitable dealings (14)....
Introduction In his book, Bruce Knauft describes the life and culture of the Gebusi, a people living in Papua New Guinea. His anthropological research is deep and covers various aspects of the development of this unique culture. The evaluation of life, religion, social relations, spirituality, and other features of the...
The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri is a novel that demonstrates all the difficulties of adapting a person to a new cultural environment, as well as the search for his or her identity. The older generation has its problems because they need to accustom to the differences of the new culture...
Most Western societies have been predominantly patriarchal for most of history. Gender roles and many societal restrictions bounded women for centuries. Fundamental human rights like voting, abortion, and equal pay had to be fought for. Therefore, it is no wonder why many literary works reflect the unfair reality of gender...
Narrator and her Relationships with Sister The first paragraph of Why I Live at the P.O. presents the reader with the narrator’s evaluation of relationships with her sister (Stella-Rondo). The narrator appears to be female having good relationships with her elders (Mama, Papa-Daddy and Uncle Rondo). The relationships between sisters...
Introduction Mythology is a critically important element of any culture. It represents values and ideas that attract people and contribute to the creation of inspiring stories. Myths also reveal the current state of society’s evolution and issues that are important at the moment. At the same time, there are still...
Fleabag is a British novel that was written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge in 2013. Subsequently, the book was screened in the film of the same name, in which the writer played the primary role. The plot describes Fleabag’s daily life, whose non-trivial behavioral pattern leads to dramatic and comic episodes. A...
Fences written by August Wilson is a play that revolves around the conflict within an African American family that takes place in the year 1957 in Pennsylvania. The play’s title has a metaphorical meaning, and the unfinished fence the audience sees on stage symbolizes the uneasy relationship of the main...
Mark Twain is the prominent American writer of the 19th century whose writings are not only witty and capturing but also address numerous social problems such as, for example, inequality. This issue is most evident in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court. The novel tells a story about an...
The Killer Angels is a well-known book that is obligatory for studying in American schools because it explores one of the most significant events in the history of the United States. The novel by Michael Shaara published in 1974 was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction a year later (Gale,...
Introduction Writers Marlin Barton and William Faulkner did not pay much attention to the detailed description of their characters, which is justified by the limited scope of their work. The primary source of perception of the nature of the central figures is the author’s descriptions of their way of thinking...
Amy Tan is an American writer of Asian origin who is passionate about languages. She had to grow up in a difficult situation, being the daughter of a Chinese immigrant. Her circumstances were also complicated due to the communication issues that her mother had to endure. For this reason, she...
Introduction Any literature masterpiece is composed of numerous layers and themes, which supplement each other and give it new tones and accents. One can read a book looking for some evident events and the plot lying on the surface. However, this approach will not ensure a profound understanding of the...
The story about Frankenstein and his monster raises many questions. One of these questions is still unanswered. For example, people cannot decide what is more important in making a person, nature or nurture. The monster people were afraid of felt the beauty of the world with its “cheering warmth” and...
Introduction Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake expresses a complex combination of the emotions and feelings of the main characters who are trying to understand their places in society and identify themselves. The author shows an immigrant father, Ashoke, and his son, Gogol, who, despite different upbringings and cultural affiliations, go...
The embodiment of the rival for Oedipus is Creon who does not represent the same interpretation that takes place in Sophocles’ Antigone. In Oedipus the King, this character does not want to obtain power and aspires rather a share of it. The chorus reaffirms the reliability of Creon’s words, as...
Introduction While watching a film or reading an interesting book, it might be hard to notice a pattern that every story seems to follow. A hero is living a normal life and then experiences something that makes him or her begin an adventure, meeting new allies and enemies. Still, the...
Summary The issue of female representation in the Bible and its portrayal of women and womanhood, in general, are considerably controversial issues, mostly due to the perception of gender roles and sex-based prejudices that were common at the specified time slot. While there are key women in the Scripture, their...
Introduction Jamel Brinkley’s “A Family” starts on a note that immediately raises concerns in the reader. Curtis, a convict who spent twelve years in prison, is discreetly following what appears to be a single mother with a teenage son under the pretext of being interested in the son. The two...
From ancient history to modern days, people have worshipped heroes. Whether they were living or dead, fictional or real, those extraordinary individuals inspired others to be better. In A Lesson Before Dying, Ernest J. Gaines explores the theme of heroes in a seemingly brief, but significant way. The novel’s plot...
The plays, Oedipus Rex by Sophocles and Hamlet by William Shakespeare was written centuries apart but they share common themes, specifically that of a tragic hero, as shown by the protagonists in these two chefs-oeuvres. Both Oedipus and Hamlet seek to avenge the death of their fathers, but in the...
One of the main themes of Wiesel’s ‘Night’ is faith in God. Throughout the book the faith of the narrator, Eliezer, undergoes many assaults. In the beginning we see his ‘totalistic and zealous commitment to God’, as Downing describes his state of faith (62). Eliezer grew up believing, that everything...
Argument The main argument laid out by Freud in The Uncanny is that there is strangeness in the ordinary. Psychoanalysts rarely investigate the subject of aesthetics understood as a feeling of the qualities of feeling. However, the uncanny interested Freud as something belonging to all that is terrible, which arouses...
Introduction The Street is a novel by Ann Petry, an AAfrican American writer, whose other famous works include novels Country Place and The Narrows. The Street was first published in 1946 and sold more than a million copies. The main character of the novel, Lutie Johnson, decides to build a...
Introduction “I have a dream” speech belongs to Martin Luther King, Jr., who tried to send a message about civil rights. In his speech, the orator used a wide range of rhetorical and stylistic devices that made the message quite expressive. Main body Martin King uses such a stylistic means...
Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” presents a narrative between the author and her mother (470). The story tells of the conflicts and discrepancies between the US and Chinese cultures. The author employs the writing approach to discuss the two cultures since she is convinced that language acts as a powerful tool....
Introduction “Recitatif” is a short story written by Tony Morrisson, which depicts the experience of Twyla and Roberta. The story uncovers many themes, including child neglect and racial tensions of the era. The plot development allows seeing the relationship between two childhood friends and the different life experiences and views...
Introduction Short stories and reading overall sometimes seem to be simply a form of entertainment. However, in reality, characters in these writings often provide readers with answers to the questions of the meaning of life or the importance of various values. A story by Ernest Hemingway called “Hills Like White...
Introduction It may seem that the role of money in society is higher than morality — while abstract concept limits life, the material situation allows the owner to gain more influence and resources. That is why the phenomenon of money is reflected in fiction: the central themes of two plays,...
Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe A few description words in the poem characterize the cold wind, the other two – beautiful Annabel Lee, and her bright eyes. The poem has a plot, described in the first three stanzas, which tells about the love of two children or very young...
In the twentieth century, many artists paid great attention to existentialism. In addition, the theater of the absurd became a remarkable phenomenon, which described in colors all the strangeness and meaninglessness of life. A striking example of such a work is Endgame by Samuel Beckett. One of its theatrical performances...
The Romantic era is an important period in the history of English literature when many of the touching and evocative poems were presented to the public. My choice of the “Romantic” group is explained by the profoundness of themes and emotions expressed by the authors. Through the use of imagery...
The Lesson is a short story written by Tony Cade Bambara which was first published in 1972. It focuses on the group of African American kids who grow up in the outskirts of New York City. Miss Moore, an educated black woman, who just moved to their neighborhood takes this...
Introduction Millions of people all over the world consider books to be a form of entertainment and use them as a gateway from their busy daily routine. Nevertheless, most of the writers aim at raising essential topics in their novels and stories and encourage individuals to think and gain more...
The ways of how a person’s psychological state and attitudes to everyday situations change in response to traumatic experiences, such as war or violence, have been an inspirational topic for multiple generations of writers. “Soldier’s Home,” a short story by Ernest Hemingway, is an excellent example of works that reflect...
Introduction Images of the Scandinavian epic had a significant impact on the European culture of the XIX-XX centuries. R. Wagner created the four operas of “The Ring of the Nibelung,” and J. R. R. Tolkien wrote, “The Silmarillion” based on Old Norse literary works. The popularity of the characters and...
The issue of human rights, as well as gender-related inequalities, has been on the cultural agenda of humankind for a while. Comparing “The Love Suicides at Amijima” by Chikamatsu Monzaemon and “Tale of Kieu” by Nguyễn Du, one will realize that the two works, while representing different time periods, address...
Introduction Within the past few weeks, the United States has experienced one of the most turbulent times in its history following the death of George Floyd. This intentional murder of the African American forced many citizens across the country to stand up against the mistreatment of black people, a malpractice...
Walter “Walt” Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was one of the most famous American authors. Furthermore his legacy has been still a matter of controversy for the manner it was written in as well as for its outward sexuality. The poet was born to a carpenter who...
Poetry is a universal language that has always been used by people to express their feelings and emotions. Such concepts as love, devotion, and passion have also been important for all history of humanity. For this reason, regardless of the epoch and time, some similar motifs can be found both...
The activity of civil rights activists was one of the indicative marks of the 20th century, which was largely reflected in the literature. A bias against such themes as culture and conflict appeared, and it is portrayed in Two Kinds and Everyday Use. Both of the stories focuses on culture...
The novel Their Eyes Were Watching God was written by African-American writer Zora Neale Hurston in 1937. The book describes how Janie Crawford, the main character, turns from a voiceless vibrant teenage girl into a strong and brave woman who can choose her destiny. It has some essential themes and...
“The Tragedy of Macbeth” by William Shakespeare serves as a reflection of the relationship between the playwright and King James I, however, its implications stay relevant in the modern days. The portrayal of Lord Macbeth at the beginning of the play as an honorable, kind, and valorous man creates an...
Native in the Twenty-first Century In “Native in the Twenty-first Century,” Susan Power discusses challenges she faced as a Native American and emphasizes that natives cannot be silent any longer. She claims that the culture of Native Americans is being forgotten and history is being rewritten by the dominant society...
Introduction While modern technology and social media have done wonders in terms of connecting people, it can be argued that this integration has come at the price of one of our least celebrated necessities. Time strictly devoted to oneself is time spent analyzing beliefs, values, and the purpose one takes...
Since childhood, Essie (Anne) lived with her mother Toosweet (Mama) Davis, her father Diddly (Di) Moody, younger brother Junior and younger sister Adline in a shack on a plantation. Her father left the family for another woman, which meant that Essie remained with her mother and sister. They were extremely...
The main characters in “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Araby” by James Joyce are people of different ages and backgrounds. However, there is a certain similarity between the events that happened to them as well as their reaction that was triggered by the need for readjustment. Both characters...
Poems “We Old Dudes” by Joan Murray and “We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks are going to be the primary focus of this essay. It might be easy to draw comparisons between the pieces as the poem by Murray derives its leading themes and literary elements from “We Real Cool.”...
The encounter between Gilgamesh and Uta-Utnapishtim teaches the protagonist to accept death’s inevitability and stop searching for eternal life. Afflicted by Enkidu’s death, Gilgamesh immerses into thoughts about his mortality and seeks Uta-Utnapishtim, who was granted everlasting life after the Deluge. Uta-Utnapishtim advises Gilgamesh to abandon the idea and demonstrates...
“The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” is a philosophical short story that deserves the public’s attention. In her work, Le Guin describes a utopian city in which all people are happy, but their happiness rests on the misery and suffering of one child. The short story is filled with...
Introduction Life has many turning moments that make people realize that there are on the wrong path, and that allows them to change their lives for the better. “Hills Like White Elephants” written by E. Hemingway and “The Story of an Hour” by K. Chopin both tell stories of such...
Introduction The given passage is from “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” a story about the king of Mesopotamian city Uruk, Gilgamesh. He, together with his friend Enkidu, go on a quest in search of immortality. The female characters of the story hold small but significant roles. Even though they are portrayed...
Introduction The term justice is very controversial and, in a high manner, provocative word. This fact becomes evident after a careful reading of the essay by Rawls and answers to it by Nozick. These two of the greatest thinkers had the most significant effect on modern politics and topical debate...
In the play “Othello” by William Shakespeare, a close look at the characters is being taken. Othello, Cassio and Iago are very different people with their own life experiences and this plays a very important role in the play. Each of them was raised uniquely and this makes up their...
Throughout the history of literature, Faust is, no doubts, the greatest poem ever written. Combining the philosophic problem and the dramatic events, it grabs you by the hand and leads you the way Faust was walking. However, the question is whether the impressions about this little walk would be the...
Artists and poets use their experiences, observations, and encounters to create works of art that guide readers to analyze various events, challenges, or situations from different perspectives. Their competencies become a new opportunity for human beings to relate positively and change their lives for the better. In the poem “Wake...
Everyday Use is a short but succinct story by Alice Walker, an African American writer, and social activist. The setting takes place in the 1960s, when Mrs. Johnson and her daughters, Maggie and Dee, meet at their house. The story is saturated with the symbolism of family values and relationships,...
