The Way of the World by William Congreve

Foible is lady Wishford servant who seems to be closest to her. Mistress uses her to enquire more about what is happening to the servants. She at one point advised her mistress on who should marry her. “Lady Wishford who is encouraged to marry ‘Sir Rowland’ – Mirabel’s supposed uncle...

American Dream Disillusionment in “Death of a Salesman” by Arthur Miller

Introduction Imagine a world where success is the only measure of a man’s worth, where a single failure can unravel a lifetime of effort. This is the world Arthur Miller presents in “Death of a Salesman,” a world where the American Dream becomes a haunting specter for the protagonist, Willy...

John Donne’s “Holy Sonnet 10”: Defying Death Through Wit and Metaphor

Approach to Poem Analysis John Donne’s poems are known for their startling imagery as the poet has been praised for his playful use of words, including puns and paradoxes, as well as elaborately crafted metaphors. The new criticism approach to literary analysis fits with Donne’s work as it emphasizes the...

Milton’s “Paradise Lost”: Free Will and Divine Justice

Introduction John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost is a timeless classic exploring the idea of the will and ways of God. It relates the account of Adam and Eve’s fall, banishment from the Garden of Eden, and final salvation. Through his characters and themes, Milton explores and reflects his views...

The Poem “Poet’s Obligation” by Pablo Neruda

“Ode with a Lament” uses imagery and metaphors effectively to convey themes of death, sorrow, and brokenness. The speaker compares the woman’s skin to “a bell filled with grapes”, an image of illness that prompts the reader to readjust any presumption of the relationship at hand. In a world of...

Analysis of “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid

“Girl,” a short story by Jamaica Kincaid, tells the narrative of a traditional Antiguan mother trying to teach her daughter the correct etiquette as she grows up. In the novel, she tells her daughter what to do and what to avoid as a young woman. The mother presents her daughter...

Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ and the Illusion of the American Dream

Introduction: The American Dream Concept The term American dream refers to the chances available to citizens of the United States and those who come here to live. The American dream is identified as the freedom of speech, entrepreneurship, personality, and the capacity to work hard to accomplish personal objectives and...

“The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea” and “First Encounters” Interpretation

Introduction Primary and secondary sources in history are essential because they allow researchers to establish the course of certain important events. They serve as evidence to analyze the past and either confirm or refute different hypotheses or theories about it. Sources that are commonly considered unique and highly important for...

Characters in “Journey to the West” by Wu Cheng’en

One of the main characters of the Journey to the West is the Monkey King, Sun Wukong. The book has become a famous novel in many countries and one of the most popular in China. The story plot tells about the Journey of Xuanzang, the monk, to India in order...

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

Introduction The short and anthologized story A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor refers to the Gothic Fiction genre. Ismail suggests that the story can be characterized as the best example of Southern Gothic Fiction. The text consists of grotesque and macabre events, eccentric characters and concentrates...

King of the Bingo Game by Ralph Ellison

In his short story “King of the Bingo Game,” Ralph Ellison describes a very specific moment in the life of an African American who lives in the USA in the late 1930s. The man trying to take control over his life hopes to win in a bingo game. He is...

Shakespeare’s “Othello” Play Interpretation

The play’s primary setting is in the street of Venice, a city famous for its trade, banking, and military strength. At the beginning of the play, there is an unfolding argument about romance and relationship that triggers a conflict between different people in the play. The main character in the...

Arthur Miller’s ‘Death of a Salesman’ In-Depth Analysis

Introduction Reading tragedies, people usually want to express their personal opinion about the essence of a tragic hero. It is possible to state several different definitions which are going to be correct about the main character in tragedies. Most tragic heroes are the main characters of a play who want...

All My Sons by Arthur Miller: Play Analysis

All My Sons is a Broadway play by Arthur Miller that received a warm appreciation. The play set happens during the second world war, and tells the story of Joe Keller, a war profiteer who puts money above duty to society and human relations. Joe has a wife Kate and...

The Restlessness of Humankind in George Herbert’s “The Pulley”

The twenty-line poem “The Pulley” by George Herbert serves as a spiritual parable that describes how man was created by combining the Book of Genesis with the story of “Pandora’s Box” with the composition of the pulley. The underlying theme might be summed up by saying that humankind’s restlessness draws...

Tradition as Theme of “The Lottery” by Jackson

Introduction Tradition is a good thing until it becomes dangerous for people who follow it. This idea becomes the central theme of the short story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson. To show this idea, the author describes the life of a small village and its inhabitants. At first glance, they...

Analysis of “Sonny’s Blue” by James Baldwin

Introduction Sonny’s Blue by James Baldwin, written in 1957, explores the different approaches two brothers take on the path to finding meaning in life. The narrator, a teacher, is not impressed by Sonny’s decision to venture into music and his abuse of heroin which lands him in jail. The story...

Modern and Traditional Poetry Types

Poetry is not simply rhyming but is elevated to the rank of magnificent art. Poetry has existed for many millennia; the first poems were songs and were transmitted orally, which is why many of them are not known today. It is essential to mention that the oldest poetry known to...

Conflict in “The Stranger” Novel by Albert Camus

Conflicts between children and their parents are a rather common issue that may influence one’s life significantly. In some cases, those disagreements may affect them even after the parent figure dies. This specific case is shown in the novel The Stranger by Albert Camus, as readers follow the story of...

Dahl’s “Lamb to the Slaughter” Story and Hitchcock’s Film

Introduction It is quite common for initial literary works and their further film adaptations to have a number of differences in plots and characters’ behaviors. Such a situation refers to the short story “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl and the short film Lamb to the Slaughter by Alfred...

“The Mask of the Red Death”: Story by Edgar Allan Poe

Introduction Man’s inescapable fear of death guides his daily choices and decisions from inception. The inevitability of life’s end is a constantly looming reality whose clock is unknown and fundamentally uncontrollable. This sentiment has percolated into works of art and, specifically, literary works of fiction in a bid to demystify...

“A Tale of Two Cities” by Dickens

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

Antagonist in “Fences” Play by August Wilson

Fences is a fascinating story and a play written by August Wilson in the 20th century, exploring the evolving African American experience and racial relations. The playwriter depicts the story of African American character, Troy, earning a living by collecting garbage. Troy Maxson is not only the protagonist of the...

The “Goblin Market” Poem by Christina Rossetti

Introduction Authors often put their ideas and ideals into their works, and Christina Rossetti’s “Goblin Market” utilizes literary devices to share her vision on religious beliefs. God is present in all Rossetti’s works, as her world views are heavily influenced by the Church (Şirket and Alban 27). The literary devices...

“Drinking Coffee Elsewhere” by ZZ Packer: Plot, Key Themes, and Topics

The collection of short stories Drinking Coffee Elsewhere is, in itself, an exploration of the role of race and ethnicity in modern American society and literature. By employing the lens of a specific narrator for each story, Packer makes them more personal, filled with the experiences of a living, breathing...

Symbolism in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

Introduction A heart seeking love and burdened by traditions can open a doorway into madness. The given analysis focuses on a short story, “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner, written in 1930. The plot revolves around a town in the state of Mississippi with central characters Emily Grierson and...

Language and Identity in Patel’s “Dreaming in Gujarati”

The theme of language as a vital aspect of identity is prevalent within Shailja Patel’s “Dreaming in Gujarati”. Patel, from a Kenyan-Gujarati background, outlines how her languages, as well as those of her father, interacted with her perception of herself and how she had been observed by others. Patel recalls...

“A Madman’s Diary” and “Preface to Call to Arms” by Lu Xun

Without significant changes, any community will gradually fall into stagnation. While most European countries developed synchronously, traditional China staggered significantly by the beginning of the 20th century. This was especially clearly seen in Chinese literature that emerged in its present form only by the middle of the last century (Gu...

“The Vanishing Half” by Britt

The Vanishing Half is a multi-generational, multi-geographic story that jumps back and forth between the 1950s and the late 1990s, and from Mallard, a small, light-skinned community, to New Orleans and the Northern States. The novel covers, among others, the topics of colorism and the ways in which it affects...

A Flow of Ambition in Shakespeare’s Macbeth

Macbeth is called one of Shakespeare’s most “Greek” plays, and it represents a man who destroys his life through a row of sinful and unfair choices. However, there are several discrepancies between a traditional Greek play and Shakespeare’s Macbeth. For example, the majority of Greek plays are based on the...

The Short Story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

Relationships between parents and children can be extremely complicated and made even more so by various external factors. Many generational misunderstandings stem from the strikingly different cultural contexts in which the children are raised compared to their parents. This essay will consider Amy Tan’s story Two Kinds and argue that...

Beauty in The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

The idea of beauty has always been important to human society. People use specific standards to consider someone more attractive than others and provide them with privileged status. At the same time, failure to meet dominant standards might result in exclusion, isolation, and loneliness. Thus, beauty is one of the...

Claudius as Hamlet’s Foil in Shakespeare’s Play

In Hamlet, Shakespeare utilizes several foil characters to help readers better comprehend Hamlet’s character. One such foil is Claudius, Hamlet’s uncle, who killed King Hamlet and married his wife to become a king. Although Claudius may not seem as obvious a foil as Laertes or Fortinbras, his decisiveness, immorality, and...

Critical Analysis of “To Build a Fire” by Jack London

Introduction The man’s endeavors to get by in the unpleasant cold and his dog’s simple surrender show nature’s indifference in light of human misery. In To Build a Fire, London utilizes literary devices such as symbolism, setting, and character portrayal to make the topic of the work through the formalist...

“The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

The Necklace is one of the best-known short stories by Guy de Maupassant, the French novelettist of the second half of the 19th century. Similarly to a range of his other works, this one describes the life of the middle class along with a fate of a woman. A peculiarity...

United States Colonialism in Sherman Alexie’s “Evolution” Poem

Introduction Postcolonial theory claims that the members of decolonized cultures develop a specific postcolonial identity, shaped by the unequal power dynamics of their colonial past. This identity is based on the collective trauma and exists in response to the oppression the identity holders had experienced in the darker parts of...

Interpretation of “Why I Live at the P.O.,” and Its Literary Elements

Plot and Setting In Why I Live at the P.O. by Eudora Welty, a youthful anonymous lady has all the earmarks of investigating the envy and struggle in her family. The setting of the story is the family home in Mississippi at the turn of the 20th century. By bringing...

Message of “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood

The symbolism of Margaret Atwood’s book The Handmaid’s Tale is strong: the role of women is reduced to their reproductive functions, and the author emphasizes that it is not a dystopia since some things characteristic of Gilead are already happening in American society. This paper analyses the changes that happened...

Conflict in The Metamorphosis Essay Example

The Metamorphosis is a book based on Gregor Samsa, a traveling salesman who does a strenuous job to provide for his family. On waking up one day, he realizes he has transformed into a colossal insect (Kafka 8). His father, mother, and sister recognize something is wrong when they knock...

“Sonny’s Blues”: Relationships Between the Brothers

Introduction One of the main themes in the short story “Sonny’s Blues,” written by James Baldwin, is family support, which is essential for uniting the characters and allowing them to solve their problems. However, it is mostly described in a negative light throughout the narrative, which changes to a more...

Chapters 1-5 of “Soar!” Book by T. D. Jakes

In the first chapter, T.D. Jakes describes what drives his vision and the ability to do so much. He credits much to his upbringing and the example set by his father, maintaining an attitude of a ‘hustler’ and work ethic. At the same time, Jakes believes that hard work is...

Shift from Naturalism to Modernism in Literature

Literature of the early 20th century was characterized by the shift from Realism to Modernism. A number of factors shaped people’s perception of the changing world marked by the development of industrial societies and rapid urbanization. Furthermore, people were affected by the horrors of the Civil War and World War...

The Main Themes in “Dead Men’s Path”

Introduction Various paths of presenting leading ideas can be implemented in literary writings. Understanding the themes discussed by the author and underlining the primary examples behind them is an exceptionally prominent topic of discussion. Chinua Achebe’s Dead Men’s Path offers a negative example of an authoritative figure’s disregard towards the...

Poem Analysis: Langston Hughes

Introduction Racial and cultural identity are among the most prominent themes of Langston Hughes’s literary works. It is important to point out that many of his poems explore different aspects of African American identity in regards to the overall culture and race as well as the intricate topics on social...

Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”: Significance of Letters

Introduction Pride and Prejudice is a passionate epistolary novel written by Jane Austen in 1813. Letters are an important part of this novel as they are used to tell the story, develop the characters and build the exposition of themes. Correspondence was a common way of communication during that era....

Body, Pain, Self, and Sexual Desires as Themes in Poetry

The human body has always been an important topic for people. Its representation and attitude to it changed throughout the history of humanity, and the literature belonging to different epochs proves it. Writers tried to respond to topical ideas and speak about the topic from different perspectives. One of the...

Literary Analysis of “The Man He Killed” by T. Hardy

Introduction Thomas Hardy’s poem “The Man He Killed” is a juxtaposition of a real versus imagined situation aimed at depicting the nature of war. Specifically, the persona appears to be troubled about killing. However, the persona is sure that if he had met the man in an inn they would...

Symbol of the Black Cat in “The Black Cat” by E. A. Poe

It goes without saying that there are multiple symbols in the short story “The black cat,” written by an outstanding American writer Edgar Allan Poe. As a matter of fact, the symbol of the black cat may be regarded as the most significant, and its changes throughout the story support...

Social Issues in August Wilson’s “Fences”

August Wilson’s “Fences” delves into the lives of African Americans. More specifically, Wilson uses the life of the protagonist Troy Maxson to explore common social conflicts and themes such as love, gender roles, and responsibility. Troy’s conflict with the Whites, as well as Tory’s relationship with Rose, are two dominant...

“The Unknown Citizen” by Auden

Each poem carries a unique style of its author and a message that reflects the trends of society. An author conveys these meanings through elements and details such as images, rhythm, and tone to create a coherent story. This paper will interpret the meaning of “The Unknown Citizen” by Auden,...

The Significance of the Title “Trifles”

Trifles is a 1916 one-act play by the American playwright and journalist Susan Glaspell. Penned around the first wave of the feminist movement, Trifles is a bold representation of the insidious conflict that had long existed between men and women in American society. The play revolves around the mysterious murder...

Susanna Kaysen’s Girl, Interrupted Story Analysis

Introduction Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen was first published in 1993 and is an autobiographical account of the author during her period in the psychiatric ward. The storyline follows Kaysen’s voluntary admission into the McLean Hospital in Belmont, Massachusetts, when she was eighteen years old. Kaysen reflects on her life...

The Fancies of the Novels by Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde

Introduction Dickens and Wilde were both writers gifted in portraying human conditions in an individualistic and unique way focused on correcting residents in the Victorian period. By 19th century, these literature artists had become famous in articulating Britain’s societal aspects. The 19th century remains a memorable time for Britain, in...

Explanation of the Title of the Book “A Man of the People”

Introduction “A Man of the People”, a novel created by Chinua Achebe in 1966, depicts a situation in an African country. The book describes a rivalry between the Minister of Culture, Chief Nanga, and his former student, Odili. Chinua calls Mr. Nanga “man of the people” in the first lines...

“Fat Girl” by Judith Moore

Fat girl is a non-fiction novel based on the abusive life of a young girl who is obese for as long as she can remember. She is mentally and physically abused by her mother and grandmother and her body size is one of the reasons why she faces constant and...

“The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Beliefs and Values

Introduction Past experiences, achievements, and challenges will influence people’s lives and the decisions they make. Individuals who acquire appropriate guidance or support will eventually develop a powerful philosophy that can inform most of their actions and aims. Many authors and novelists focus on their past observations and experiences in an...

Unreliable Narratives in Nabokov’s “Lolita” Novel

Some novels are quite easily comprehended by the readers. The reader may distinguish the narrator’s point of view and objective descriptions of the plot (Blahuskova, 2011). There are different methods used by the narrators to pass the main ideas to the reader. Sometimes this narrator is identified with the implied...

The Role of Women in “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”

Introduction In Arthurian literature, women certainly played important roles. They repeatedly and constantly prejudiced the protagonists of such stories in countless ways and also held a strong sway over the occurrences in the story and, accordingly, over the story line as well. In her work, To the Glory of Her...

Themes and Styles in Anne Bradstreet’s Poems

Introduction The three poems by Anne Bradstreet, namely: In Honor of That High and Mighty Princess Queen Elizabeth of Happy Memory, To the Memory of My Dear and Ever Honored Father Thomas Dudley Esq. Who deceased, July 31, and of his age 71, and Contemplations have a number of elements...

The Unique Writing Style of William Faulkner

Introduction William Faulkner is regarded as one of the leading authors of 20th century American literature (Lombardi). Listed among his many works are the book “As I Lay Dying” and the short story “A Rose for Emily,” both of which depict several similar features that are typical of the author’s...

Historical Context of A Doll’s House

Henrik Ibsen lived during the 19th century, having been born in the early 1800s and dying in the first years of the new millennium. Women in this period lived very different lives from women today. However, it was during this period that women began to question their place in society....

“The Wild Swans at Coole” by William Butler Yeats

The poem “The Wild Swans at Coole” is a poem written about the scenery at a place called Coole. The poem is a dramatic lyric poem because of its musicality in the rhyme scheme and its direct expression of feelings. All five of the six-line stanzas are built upon the...

“The Management of Grief” by Bharati Mukherjee

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

A Comparison of “Hamlet” by Shakespeare and “Wuthering Heights” by Bronte

Literature has a way of continuing to explore many of the same themes that seem to plague mankind throughout history. One of the common themes that continues to appear throughout much of earlier literature is a representation of women as nearly hysterical creatures that needed the guiding and calming hand...

“Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”: Hidden Meanings

Medieval literature is often difficult to understand not only because the English was different in that time, but because the way in which they were written was intended for a more oral audience than a literate one. Within this story, Gawain is seen to be under the care of King...

“Columbus and Western Civilization” by Howard Zinn

“Who controls the past controls the future. And who controls the present controls the past.” By the above quote, it is meant that Orwell claims those historians to be in power who govern our society. Only such historians who lead the society through their deeds or words are in a...

“The Overcoat” the Story by N. Gogol

Introduction In the short story “The Overcoat” N. Gogol portrays a small man influenced by social conditions and urban city. The main character of the story is Akakii Akakievich, who works as a clerk copying documents. His single intense desire is not for a rifle, but for an overcoat to...

Symbolism in O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night

In Eugene O’Neill’s play “Long Day’s Journey into Night”, the playwright presents the inner workings of a dysfunctional family long before the term dysfunctional became a buzzword of American psychology. The play, written in 1941 but not performed until 1957, is set in 1912 in the predominantly Irish Connecticut home...

“To the Young Wife” by Charlotte Anna Perkins Gilman.

Introduction Charlotte Anna Perkins Gilman was a staunch supporter of women’s rights and development and was really not recognized as a major author of fiction and poetry until the 1960s.She was born in 1860 in Hartford, Connecticut and wrote book length non-fiction tracts in support of women. She dies in...

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...

“Life of Pi” by Yann Martel Review

Introduction The book “Life of Pi” by Canadian writer Yann Martel, winner of the 2002 Booker Prize narrates delightfully, the story of Piscine Patel, who shortens his name to Pi. An elderly man in Pondicherry, India, tells the author that he has a story that can make him believe in...

Barker’s Regeneration & Plath’s The Bell Jar: Compare & Contrast Essay

Introduction Literature is usually regarded as a guide, which leads us throughout the realities of life, impacts our conclusions, and permeates our cultural consciousness. It is in the literature that we find our characters; we find the evidence of our pasts and an expectation for our potential. It is literature...

Benjamin Franklin vs. Jay Gatsby: Character Comparison

The Great Gatsby deal with contradictions present in a romantic figure, certain troubling discrepancies between appearance and reality which that figure reveals under critical scrutiny. The main character can be compared with Ben Franklin as he possesses the same qualities and virtues. Similar to Ben Franklin, Gatsby value knowledge and...

Literature as a Means of Escapism in Alistair MacLeod’s “The Boat”

MacLeod’s short story “The Boat” presents several crucial themes for analysis, including an exploration of the tension between duties and aspirations. The author depicts the boat named in the story’s title as the embodiment of the narrator’s long-lasting family heritage as well as that of many other families living in...

Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” Play Analysis

Introduction Death of a Salesman is a stage play that was written in 1949 by Arthur Miller, an American playwright and literary activist who was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The play is a famous piece of art, which is considered as one of the best theater works of...

William Stafford’s “Traveling Through the Dark” Poem

Introduction William Bradford’s “Traveling through the Dark” seems to present its setting in the very title, but further analysis of the poem allows discerning that the “dark” has two shades of meaning. The direct connotation of the dark is the time of the day when the events are happening. The...

Symbolism in “A Farewell to Arms” by Ernest Hemingway

Introduction Most idealists view war as an ideal concept. Idealists support the concept of sacrificing oneself in order that the entire society may benefit. This implies that those who participate in war become glorified and receives dignity and respect. This situation prevailed even at the commencement of the First World...

“Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell

Introduction In the essay, Politics and the English Language, Orwell portrays that politics and economics create certain writing standards while making expression vague with no intended meaning in words and repetition (362). In this case, paying substantial attention to the selection of suitable language forms can help avoid using extra...

“Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” by Jonathan Safran Foer

Jonathan Safran Foer’s novel Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is based around the concept of how humans imagine the world, how they dream, and how they invent. However, the story of the nine-year-old Oscar Schell is much more about the story of invention and imagination. With the setting taking place...

Analysis of The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas: Essay Sample

The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas: Essay Introduction The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas is a short story by Ursula Le Guin. Like most of her texts, the story raises a number of issues related to the problem of obedience to authority and compliance with social conventions and...

Perseus and Moses Heroes’ Journey Pattern

Introduction Myths and legends are an important part of the legacy of the past, and it is critical to be able to analyze them to gain a better understanding of the cultural heritage of a particular person. This paper provides an analysis of two heroic figures from the mythology/religion of...

“The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer

Introduction The Canterbury Tales is perhaps one of the most popular collections of tales from the 14th century. It is a collection of stories told by Geoffrey Chaucer who remains one of the significant contributors to literature in the 14th century. In this collection, Chaucer who doubles up as the...

Literary Analysis: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

The Things They Carried Analysis: Essay Introduction O’Brien, in the short story “The Things They Carried”, captures the predicaments of soldiers during the Vietnam War. Each soldier carries a literal and symbolic object that links the past to the present. The symbols serve to distract the solders from the realities...

“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...

Symbolism in “Disgrace” by John Coetzee

Introduction The Novel, Disgrace, revolves around David Lurie, a University lecturer who faces one disgrace after another. Disgrace follows David wherever he goes throughout the novel. The 52-year-old man faces life in a post apartheid South Africa where racial discrimination is still rife. David’s first scandal with Melanie at the...

Literature Studies: “Blue Winds Dancing” by Tom Whitecloud

Conflict in the attitude of the narrator Tom Whitecloud presents his work by using conflict in the attitude of the narrator. Conflict is the primary element that drives the plot of this short story. It shows how the narrator struggles with both the inner self and outside forces of societies,...

The Cultural Significance of Mark Twain’s The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County

Introduction Mark Twain’s The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County is a classic example of American literature. Written in 1865, it is a humorous tale based on a real-life event in a small town in California. The Local Color Realism Perspective From the perspective of regional/local color realism, this work...

The Poem “Enlightenment” by Natasha Trethewey

Natasha Trethewey is an American poet and a two-time United States Poet Laureate. She is the author of six poetry collections, one of which, Thrall, was published in 2012 and earned critical praise and the public’s love. With her ekphrastic poetry, Trethewey charts the intersections of social and personal history...

Analysis of “8th Duino Elegy” by R. M. Rilke

Begun in 1912 but completed only after the First World War, Rilke’s elegies are deplorable and tragic in their reflection of the search for a broader truth than is known to a man. “8th Duino Elegy” is dedicated to displaying the difference between the existence of a human and an...

Montgomery’s “Aunt Olivia’s Beau” and Wilkins’s “A New England Nun”

Social roles and agency of women used to be perceived from an exceptionally shallow perspective by society. However, even in the era when the concept of female agency was virtually non-existent, female writers struggled to shift the paradigm. Although Montgomery’s “Aunt Olivia’s Beau” and Wilkins’s “A New England Nun” feature...

The Short Story “Red Dirt Don’t Wash” by Roger Mais

Roger Mais’ short story, Red Dirt Don’t Wash, has its setting in Jamaican society but follows the American style of narratives. The story is about a farmworker, Adrian, who is in love with a woman, Miranda. Adrian always stares at her as he admires her prowess in kitchen work and...

The Short Story “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara

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

“On Being Brought from Africa to America” by Wheatley

Introduction Phillis Wheatley was the first female African-American writer who was published. When transported from West Africa to America, she was sold into slavery. Later the family that purchased Wheatley assisted her; the woman learned to read and write and mastered several languages. Wheatley’s poems frequently investigate her Christian values,...

Xenia Hospitality in Iliad and Odyssey by Homer

Introduction According to the Greek culture, Xenia is an ancient concept of friendship and hospitality. The ancient culture translates Xenia as an aspect of institutionalized friendship rooted in exchanging gifts, acts of generosity, and reciprocity. Iliad and Odyssey books portray the theme of Xenia throughout the journeys. Acts of generosity...

Human Nature in “The Love Letter” by Jack Finney

Introduction The tale of Jack Finney’s The Love Letter was written in 1959 and became an excellent basis for a touching film that will not leave anyone indifferent. The book describes the love story of a young man Johnny and an adult woman Helen. This short romance means that Johnny...

“Kiss of the Fur Queen” by Tomson Highway Review

In the novel “Kiss of the Fur Queen,” Tomson Highway heavily relies on mythology in order to depict the adverse transformation of characters throughout the narrative. One of the forces, which is deemed responsible for these occasions, is the Weetigo, and its inclusion in the story is not accidental. This...

Digital Age in “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury

Introduction The Veldt is a short story composed by Ray Bradbury that depicts a family’s life in a technologically advanced house. The parents are getting continually more frustrated as they lose communication with their children due to the automated operations. The home provides food, bathes children, plays with them, and...

The Meaning of Robert Frost’s Poem “Out, Out–”

The participation of children in labor activities in order to help their families survive was a common situation for American society in the 1910s. In his poem “Out, Out–” that was published in 1916, Robert Frost draws the readers’ attention to this aspect while telling a story about a young...

Society and Character in Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’

Abstract Pride and prejudice evolve around a middles class family in the typical English society of the 19th century. Marriage was the key subject for most women at that time since it was the only way to achieve status and respect within society. Traditionally wealth was passed along the male...

Symbolism in “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde” by Stevenson

Literary symbols have a significant role in defining the relationships between characters. For example, symbols such as personal items can point to the similarities or differences between the main characters. Thus, symbolism is often used in literary works with stories focused on the juxtaposition of two heroes in order to...

Love Theme in “Badeye” Short Story by Ron Rash

“Badeye” by Ron Rash is the narrative about childhood loss of innocence due to the fascination with snakes. Temptation arrives in the guise of a man named Badeye, who sells snowcones and offers an eight-year-old boy a beautiful, lethal coral snake in return for delivering moonshine to a client. The...

Assessment of Emily Dickinson’s Poetry

Emily Dickinson is an influential poet of American literature of the XIXth century. Unlike most renowned authors and poets, she did not live to see her writing published. Therefore, her poems are minimally affected by editorial input and can show the author’s original semantic as well as stylistic intention. The...

The Short Story “Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara

Another win by Squeaky in the fifty-yard run is the climactic and conclusive story element in Raymond’s run. However, this event is not central to the story; it is not what all the premises and descriptions were about. The core element of this short story is that the heroine, for...

Differences Between Men and Women in Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”

Introduction Though fiction is often viewed as a realm that is thoroughly divorced from reality, its very nature implies that it reflects the sociocultural realities of its authors’ environments. The specified observation applies to Shakespeare’s famous “Much Ado About Nothing,” which, despite its comedic nature, makes the reader ponder quite...

The Kafkaesque Experience in “The Metamorphosis”

After Kafka published his novella “Metamorphosis”, it became a classical piece and continues to be relevant nowadays. “Kafkaesque” is applied as a term describing an experience in which the person does not have control over and loses the connection with the existing reality (Edwards, 1991). Frederick R. Karl highlights that...

The Series of “Harry Potter” by Joanne Rowling

Introduction The works of the British novelist Rowling collectively referred to as the Harry Potter series, are classified as fantasy. Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley are all enrolled at Hogwarts School in the novels. Major plot points revolve around Harry’s battle against the evil wizard Lord Voldemort, who...

“The Epic of Gilgamesh”: Analysis of Cultural Specifics

Introduction The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the most interesting, essential, and significant monuments of ancient literature, often becoming the object of deep and comprehensive research. This epic narrates about the legendary king of Uruk Gilgamesh, his friend the savage Enkidu, and the search for the secret of immortality...

Beckett’s Impact on Absurd Theatre and International Drama

Introduction Samuel Beckett was an Irish playwright, theatre director, poet, and translator, working with both English and French. He was one of many absurd drama writers of the 20th century. His works are considered a part of the Theater of Absurd genre, relating to it through the themes of isolation...

Rum’s A Woman Is No Man vs. Komba’s I Am Not My Skin

Introduction While discrimination occurs in Palestine against women due to their weak state in a patriarchal culture, it also happens in Tanzania to people with albinism in ordinary people’s culture. The story of the albinism nature of Yona makes him weak in a community with ordinary people, a similar weakness...

Hell-Heaven by Jhumpa Lahiri: A Short Story Analysis

The relationship Aparna has with Pranab Kaku is very different in many regards from what she has with her husband. The two shared the same love for poetry, film, music, and leftist politics, and back in Bengal, Aparna and Pranab Kaku came from the same North Calcutta neighborhood. After being...

Character Sketch of Dr. Jekyll

“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is a classic gothic novel depicting the complexities of life when people exhibit distinct personalities. The novel gives us a tour into an admired life of an England- based physician Dr. Jekyll. The protagonist Henry Jekyll is a composite that strengthens the theme of good...

“Legal Alien” by Pat Mora: A Poem Analysis

Addressing the phenomenon of ethnic diversity and the problem of ethnic minorities’ underrepresentation in her poem “Legal Alien,” Pat Mora points to a complex sociocultural and sociopolitical issue of the present-ay American community. The central theme of being ostracized and alienated despite the very nature of American culture as an...

John Donne and His Literary Works

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

“How I Met My Husband” Story by Alice Munro

In the short story, How I Met My Husband, the author Alice Munro decries the imaginary love affair that a young girl has for an uninterested pilot. Eddie is working for the rich Peebles family who has just settled in the countryside. Both Dr. and Mrs. Peebles portray a little...

Edwidge Danticat’s “Brother, I’m Dying” Themes

Introduction In her memoir published in 2007, Edwidge Danticat tries to gather the whole picture of her broken family’s life: when Edwidge was four, her mother left the children with their uncle in Haiti to join her father in New York. At the age of twelve, Edwidge reunited with her...

Why Antigone Cannot Be the Tragic Hero

A great tragedian, Sophocles, gave Greek tragedies their conventional form. Specifically, he started the tradition of including a tragic hero with four distinctive characteristics: the presence of a rank, a tragic flaw, a downfall, and a recognition of mistakes. In Sophocle’s “Antigone,” the eponymous character initially seems like the story’s...

The Wars by Timothy Findley: A Novel Analysis

The Wars, written by Timothy Findley in 1977, is a novel that narrates the personal experiences of a young Canadian soldier amid World War I. As the narrative opens, we are introduced to Robert Ross. Following the tragic loss of his sister, Rowena, he decided to enroll in the army....

Writing Style of “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe

Introduction Edgar Allan Poe was a poet, publicist, writer, and cultural critic in the United States of America. Poe’s poems and short story collections, notably his narratives of mystery and the grotesque, are his most notable works. He is generally considered a significant character in both American Romanticism and American...

Symbols in “When Lilacs in the Dooryard Bloom’d” Poem by Whitman

The poem “When Lilacs in the Dooryard Bloom’d” is one of the masterpieces of Walt Whitman containing deep symbolism. It is used to convey feelings and emotions and help readers to understand the central message of the author. The star, the lilac, and the bird are the three words that...

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s “Ulysses”

In a society characterized by exponential change and gradually increasing complexity, those who act have greater power, especially those who can find self-determination and persistence to do so. Motivation is among the most valuable commodities, shaped by life experiences and inspiring behaviors to explore something new. In Alfred Lord Tennyson’s...

Adelita and Cinderella Characters’ Comparison

The story of an orphaned girl with a tough life meeting a prince who falls in love with her is universal, and different cultures have their own interpretations of it. Thus, Cinderella, which is inherent to the English tradition, and Adelita, which belongs to the Mexican tradition, share the same...

Mark Twain’s Satire in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

In his work, Mark Twain extensively used satire, which is defined as the intentional humorous exaggeration and irony, mostly aimed at exposing people’s stupidity and failings. In the books, stories, and essays, Twain sought to shed light on the stupidity and hypocrisy of people around him, specifically to ridicule the...

Ghana Calls: The Concept of ‘Double Consciousness’ in Literary Sense

Introduction Ghana Calls is an outstanding poem not only among Ghanaians but also among people who support and believe in the idea of liberation. The literary work was composed by William Du Bois as a dedication to one of the pan-Africanists who later became the president of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah....

“The Trial” by Steven Berkoff Review

Introduction The selected drama, “The Trial” by Steven Berkoff, follows the life of Josef K. The story was written just as World War I began (1914-1915) and is adapted from a novel of the same name by Franz Kafka. Josef K. is arrested for an unidentified crime by two agents...

Symbolism in “A Jury of Her Peers” Short Story by Susan Glaspell

Introduction The problem of gender inequality has affected the relationships within society extensively, shaping people’s perceptions of themselves and the extent of their potential significantly. As a force that has caused multiple women to suffer injustice, gender inequality has been the center of numerous discussions and inspirations for artistic interpretations,...

Laura: Illusion and Reality in the Play “The Glass Menagerie”

Tennessee Williams’ play The Glass Menagerie portrays a world of illusion to the reader as an escape from the difficulties of reality. Amanda, Laura, and Tom suffer from alienation and the inability to find their place in society, which forces them to focus on their own inner world. Despite being...

Frankenstein vs. Monster: Characters Comparison

Introduction Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus is a novel written by Mary Shelly that was first published in 1818. The author tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who artificially animated a body assembled from parts of corpses. Although Victor intended to create a beautiful creature, the result...

Young People’s Lives in Nadine Gordimer’s “A Company of Laughing Faces”

In Nadine Gordimer’s short story “A Company of Laughing Faces,” Kathy Hack’s dynamic character reflects many teenage girls’ lives in contemporary society. Kathy is provoked by the life around her; she seems lost in the struggle to tap fantasy while embracing reality. She reflects many young people blinded by ambitious...

Discussing Faith in “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by Flannery O’Connor

Introduction Flannery O’Connor was known as a devout Catholic, and much of her work reflects this part of her identity. “A Good Man is Hard to Find,” one of her most well-known stories, is an example, as it features religious themes throughout the encounter with the Misfit. Initially, the grandmother...

Dangers of Mob Mentality in ”The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Introduction The short story The Lottery is one of Shirley Jackson’s most famous works. Its concept revolves around an annual draw in a small village. Although the lottery is usually associated with a winner getting a grand prize, in the story, it is a process of selecting a victim for...

A Love that Kills: Imagery in Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”

Kate Chopin’s short stories have always fascinated the readers by the unique combination of concise content and a profound context. “The Story of an Hour” is not an exception: in only about a thousand words, the writer manages to tell a dramatic story with quite an unexpected ending. The critics...

Themes of Oppression and Imperialism in Literature

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

The Importance of Literature in Society

The emergence of books once revolutionized the teaching process, allowing people to transfer knowledge indirectly, making it more accessible. People can develop new skills independently of others or learn more about the world by merely reading the material on a topic. Written history invites a reader to imagine life before...

Sharikov as Generational Symbol in “The Heart of a Dog”

Polygraph Polygraphovich Sharikov is a demonstrably villainous antagonist in Mikhail Bulgakov’s novella The Heart of a Dog. After “a small experiment” on a stray dog, Sharik, conducted by a talented surgeon, Professor Preobrazhensky, and his assistant, Dr. Bormental, the dog is turned into a human (Bulgakov). From the former Sharik,...

Domestic Violence in “Othello” by W. Shakespeare

Introduction Arguably, William Shakespeare’s works are a critical way of thinking about the different contemporary subjects existing today. In Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello, various issues affecting society during the 16th century are discussed. Writers, historians, sociologists, linguists, and the public, in general, use Shakespeare’s works as a vital reference point and...

The Role of Friendship in Nel and Sula’s Lives

Introduction The theme of friendship is central to Toni Morrison’s novel Sula. The writer exposes two sides of such a relationship – uplifting and supportive on the one hand and complicated and painful on the other. As girls, Sula and Nel structure their own rules and outline the size of...

“The Book of Questions” by Pablo Neruda

The Book of Questions by Pablo Neruda is a complicated and stimulating poem that encourages readers to delve deeper into the fundamental questions of life and reality. From the very beginning, the speaker asks a set of four questions that are seemingly unrelated to one another at first glance. The...

“The Iliad” as a Primary Source for Historians

Any science is based on the analysis of evidence regarding diverse phenomena, individuals, or events. Historians try to unveil the secrets of the past by extracting information from different types of sources, including specific objects, documents, pictures, people’s accounts, and even literary works. Although the literature is associated with fictional...

“Midterm Break” by Seamus Heaney: Aging, Death and Dying

Introduction Death is notably one of the universal fears that translates to almost every culture, time, and age. All people eventually face death in their lifetime: either their own or their loved ones. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that dying is a widely researched topic in many literary works....

Discrimination in White’s “Charlotte’s Web” and Levine’s “Hana’s Suitcase”

Introduction Human life is surrounded and defined by social issues that happen to people as they attend to their day-to-day activities. As such, authors seek to explore these issues through novels, movies, and other artworks with the intention of understanding or highlighting the underlying principles. Whether in fiction or non-fiction,...

Fools and Foolishness in King Lear by Shakespeare

Introduction King Lear is one of the most famous plays written by William Shakespeare. It is thought to be written in 1605-1606 and focuses on the character of King Lear developing madness after deciding to retire from the throne and dividing the land of Britain among two of his daughters....

“Some Thoughts on the Common Toad” by George Orwell

“Some Thoughts on the Common Toad” is an essay by George Orwell that was published in 1946. The author describes a common example of the natural cycle, which is the change of seasons. People have become accustomed to it; moreover, in literature, it is mostly associated with beautiful creatures like...

The Glass Menagerie and the Idea of the Escape

Topic: The Glass Menagerie and its idea of pursuing adventure or sticking to one’s duties. Thesis Statement: The Glass Menagerie suggests that a person should not make a choice between chasing one’s dreams or staying put because it is possible to find the middle ground and do both. Brainstorm: Happiness Comes at...

Minor History and B. Kruger’s “I Shop Therefore I Am”

Minor History Defined by Branden Joseph Branden W. Joseph introduces the concept of minor history in the first chapter of his book Beyond the Dream Syndicate: Tony Conrad and the Arts After Cage (Joseph, 2011). He uses this concept to place Conrad’s art in a theoretical perspective grasping his endeavors...

Troy Maxson and Realism in “Fences” Play by Wilson

Introduction Readers cannot always pinpoint elements of fiction that makes it different from reality, which is reflective of the mastery some writers have in terms of constructing a compelling work of literature. Apart from the storyline, characterization has the ability to engage readers and make the story realistic and relatable....

Hamlet, Laertes, and Fortinbras: The Theme of Vendetta

Hamlet is an outstanding tragedy by William Shakespeare, which is considered an example of skillful language and complicated plot. The play has always drawn the attention of researchers, and even today, litterateurs still analyze its peculiarities. Through his vivid characters, Shakespeare speaks about eternal issues: the problems of doubts, love,...