5786 samples of this type
I have never read anything more touching than Thank You, M’am by Langston Hughes. There are just two main characters in this story: an old woman Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, and a young boy, Roger, who appeared to be a pickpocket. The last tried to still Mrs. Luella’s purse...
Introduction Majority of the modern poets are tend to express things with a negative tint, just differ from the traditional style of writing poetry. The modern poet T.S Eliot is notable for using the same and his great epic, ‘The Waste Land’ exemplifies it. The very opening line of the...
Dr. Suess’s full names are Theodor Seuss Geisel. The American writer as well as a cartoonist lived in the period between 1904 and the year 1991. Dr. Suess became famous for specializing in children’s books where he has published over sixty books. His writings are notably characterized by the use...
Introduction: the wit and sensitivity of “ee cummings” The popularity of Edward Cummings (known as “ee cummings”) and his creative heritage has never been fully consistent with his critical reputation. Some of his readers view him as a genius, whereas the others believe the syntactic complexity of his poems is...
Introduction Death has always been the notion of great interest. Different scientists have been studied its nature, but the question of death is not solved yet. Literature is also the field of science which tries to develop and solve the notion of death through the literary works of different authors....
Realistic fiction Similarities between the Realistic and Historic Historical fiction Realistic fiction is the outcome of the real situation which happens in one’s life. Both in realistic and historical fiction the characters and settings resemble the real life Historical fiction is the outcome of the story which happened in the...
“Wulf and Eadwacer” is an Anglo-Saxon poem found in the 10th century Exeter Book and famous for its difficult interpretation. I believe this poem is essentially an expression of wife and mother’s grief. In the very beginning, it is made clear that by its context and emotional mood, “Wulf and...
“Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen is the most famous novel and it may be considered as a classic of English literature. The novel, like the most part of Jane Austen’s novels, discloses the theme of marriage. Thus, the first sentence of the novel reveals its whole idea: “It is...
Hesiod’s writings are known for discussing universal truths, such as law and justice. One of such works is Works and Days which expresses the idea that labor is an essential part of human beings’ lives, and if they are diligent enough, they will be able to handle even the hardest...
Robert Lee Frost was a Pulitzer award-winning poet who was highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his use of American colloquial speech (Encyclopedia Britanica). His works typically involve settings of rural New England life from the start of the twentieth century. His works contain complex social...
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...
Introduction The story of Helen and Penelope in both works by Homer displays different destinies of the two most eminent heroines in terms of their participation in the development of actions shown in both books. In this respect it is necessary to admit that The Odyssey and The Iliad touch...
Introduction This paper would discuss and evaluate literary traits found in the poem The Fish by Elizabeth Bishop. The focus would be on her tone and particular moral concerns expressed by her in the poem. Elizabeth Bishop’s “The Fish” Elizabeth Bishop is a poetess that is often admired for her...
Introduction In the modern world today, the term education is viewed differently than in the past centuries. This versatile word today was limited only to one aspect, which is mostly meant the process of gathering information. However, education was considered. Differently, a statement the audience can authenticate reading novels that...
“The Bowl” by Terry Tempest Williams produced a deep impression on me. Such pieces of writing cannot remain without the reader’s attention since through its lines you can see that the writer put a part of his soul into his work. The style of writing the writer uses and his...
As a form of literature, poetry is quite difficult to define and even more challenging to analyze, especially when attempting to decipher its original meaning and defining the author’s original intent. Expected to elicit an emotional response first and at the same time leaving enough place for thoughtful contemplations, poetry...
Introduction Literature is a priceless heritage of humanity that provides people with an opportunity to understand people’s nature, their motifs, ideas, fears, and beliefs. Being an effective way to convey messages, novels, stories, or poems contributed to the increased attention to the events in history that were significant for the...
The tone of drama is usually dictated by its beginning so that the reader can anticipate the ending reading the first scenes of the play. This tendency seems inapplicable to Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night”, in which the atmosphere of chaos, spontaneous love, and madness is established in the introductory scenes, which...
As portrayed in the first two parts of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, Sir Gawain, a legendary member of Arthur’s knight, is a paragon of virtue and modesty. He describes himself as the least of the knights both in mental and physical prowess, and at the first glance appears...
Introduction In Homer’s epic story of Odysseus, the character that stands out most to me is the character, Penelope. Although she has been left behind to run her husband’s kingdom and raise his son with little or no help, she still manages to find a way of keeping her family...
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...
Introduction Hemingway’s short story “The Killers” deals with the common for the writer themes of courage, death, disillusionment, and masculinity. The semi-autobiographical narrator of the author, Nick Adams, intends to show his heroism but is disillusioned by the outcome of it. Throughout the story’s development, it becomes clear that Nick...
The Road Essay Introduction The Road is a chef-d’oeuvre novel by Cormac McCarthy talking about the dangers of human activities to the environment. The main characters are an unnamed boy and his father as they walk on a long road looking for food and shelter after an apocalyptic event has...
Introduction Werewolves are one of the most recognizable types of monsters in modern culture. They are almost constantly featured in both mainstream and niche fiction, and the number of interpretations of the same creature grows every year. While the details of the stories vary, the core idea of a werewolf...
In the literary scholarship, Anne Bradstreet’s poetry is usually discussed as Puritan and feminist. Therefore, Bradstreet’s poems should be considered as unique representations of the revolutionary female vision that combines the discussion of religious ideas and the discussion of a woman’s place in the world. “Contemplations” is the most vivid...
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...
Introduction The play, Antony and Cleopatra, revolves around a tragedy based on the relationship between Mark Antony and Cleopatra. The play depicts a scene that covers the events of the 15th century, which surround the wars of the Roman Empire. Remarkably, the geographical context of the play is the regions...
Gothic Elements in A Rose for Emily: Essay Introduction Gothic elements in any literary work represent the intricate literature that specifically deals with the mysterious, unusual, and supernatural. Writers often deploy gothic elements in a bid to reveal popular themes and motifs such as hidden truths, death, complicated love, eroticism,...
“Heaven” by Cathy Song In her poem, Cathy Song reflects on the ethnic identity of her children, ancestors, and herself. The main character is a Chinese boy, who migrated to the USA for a long time before the author wrote this piece of poetry. The character worked at the railway...
Introduction Amy Tan used two books, “The Rules of the Game” and “Two Kids” to address parenting roles in different scenarios. In “The Rules of the Game”, she exposes a mother’s supportive attitude towards her talented daughter. The mother would always induce confidence in her daughter by being supportive in...
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...
Introduction The Portrait of a Lady is one of Henry James’ best novels. In the book, James addresses the conflict between the spirit of independence and social norms. Throughout the book, James uses America and Europe as symbols of these qualities. Precisely, he uses America as a symbol of innocence...
“Hills Like White Elephant” by Ernest Hemingway is told mainly in the form of a conversation between the couple and even though the words are not actually said, it becomes obvious that the girl in the story is about to get an abortion. The main theme of the story centers...
Check out this essay sample to get more ideas for your The Lottery analysis essay. Here, you’ll find the story’s summary, main theme analysis, and the aftermath explanation. Learn more about the story with our The Lottery essay example’s help! Shirley Jackson wrote several short stories, but she is broadly...
Night is a story by Elie Wiesel in which the writer accounts for the horrible experience he had with his father during the time of the Holocaust. Throughout the novel, Wiesel reproduces the details of his staying in the Nazi German concentration camp during the Second World War. The protagonist...
Introduction When the reader comes across Petrus, there is the development of the assumption that one is reading concerning a delegate of the countryside. In a given instance, David instantly recognizes his physical features as having a wrinkled, worn face and astute eyes, and estimated his age to be between...
This essay sample explores the major theme in Beloved: slavery and its dehumanizing effects. Read it if you are curious about the theme of slavery in Beloved its connection to the theme of motherhood. Slavery in Beloved: Introduction Slavery is one of the major distressing issues in society bearing in...
What is the conflict between Antigone and Creon? This paper has the answer. Read it to learn all about the conflict between Antigone and Creon. Antigone Summary This story begins after banishment of Oedipus, the king of Thebes. His son Eteocles takes over the throne. Eteocles brother Polyneices refutes this...
A Midsummer Night’s Dream (henceforth referred to as MND) is one of the most popular Shakespearean comedies, most frequently performed on stage. The play has undergone numerous changes since 1595 when William Shakespeare penned it. The play has been performed on stage as a musical, or ballet, and off course...
Introduction El Señor Presidente (Mister President) is a landmark text in Latin American literature authored by Guatemalan diplomat and writer Miguel Angel Asturias (1899 – 1974) as it details the nature of political dictatorship and its impacts on the society. The award winning work, originally written in Spanish, tells the...
Identify the author The full name of the author of this historical document, an eyewitness account written over four hundred years ago in 1542, detailing the abuses committed by the Spanish against the Taino Indians of the Caribbean, is Bartolome de Las Casas. Identify the title of the document The...
An important aspect of any story is the setting that the reader can imagine. The atmosphere that is created, very much adds to the general theme and the relationship between the characters and the surrounding environment. “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad is a story where the setting plays a...
The Two Protagonists Can Help to Trace Changes Beowulf is one of the most influential works in the English literature. The book has inspired numerous authors. Tolkien was also inspired by the great epic. His famous book The Lord of the Rings can be regarded as a kind of the...
A protagonist is the major character who let readers follow the story. The protagonist is the person whose actions and choices influence outcomes of the story, and in Disgrace, J.M. Coetzee tells the story through the lead character, David Lurie. Through the protagonist of Disgrace, readers must understand all information...
This essay sample explores the symbolism in The Great Gatsby. Some of the symbolism examples are the eyes, color, and the valley of ashes. Find out what they represent with the help of our The Great Gatsby symbolism essay sample! Most of the imposing novels have symbols that represent the...
Introduction Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus is a play that delves into the themes of oppression and revenge, with race as a significant underscore for these themes (Ndiaye, 2021). Through the characters of Aaron and Tamora, the play explores how race plays a role in the oppression of individuals and the subsequent...
Introduction William Shakespeare, the preeminent playwright of the English language, crafted tragedies that resonate with audiences centuries after their conception. Among these, “King Lear” stands out as a profound exploration of human folly and the consequences of egotism. Central to this play is the destructive nature of vanity, encapsulated in...
Introduction Renowned for his satirical writings, Mark Twain wrote “The Lowest Animal” as an exploration of human behavior through the lens of humor. The use of Twain’s humor in Twain’s writing operates paradoxically as a source of entertainment and a platform for serious critique of society. The author skillfully combines...
The Role of Religion in the Story In Chinua Achebe’s “Marriage Is a Private Affair,” religion significantly shapes the characters’ beliefs, actions, and conflicts. The story presents two main types of religious beliefs: traditional Igbo religion and Christianity. These differing religious views cause a rift between the older and younger...
Introduction “Salvation” by Langston Hughes is a poignant coming-of-age story about a young boy who has a religious revival and experiences a crisis of faith. The story centers around the themes of innocence, peer pressure, and the struggle between societal expectations and personal beliefs. Summary The story starts with the...
Introduction In William Carlos Williams brief tale “The Use of Force,” the narrator, a physician, is summoned to examine a sick child, Mathilda Olson. The child resists the doctors attempts to identify her illness, refusing to open her mouth to be examined (Williams). What ensues is a tense and violent...
Introduction It is important to note that in ‘Oedipus the King,’ Sophocles presents a world where divine intervention affects human actions. Characters confront prophecies and their eventual fulfillment, showcasing the gods’ overarching power. One such prophecy comes from the Oracle of Delphi, who forecasts Oedipus’s grim fate of patricide and...
Introduction The fundamental work of Sophocles, Antigone, boasts a wide variety of literary techniques. Allusions, symbolism, and various themes are used by Sophocles to reinforce the message he wanted to convey through his work. Metaphors play one of the biggest roles in this regard, being used to provide a better...
A short fiction story by Nadine Gordimer questions the authority of a white man in Africa. An African landowner and head of a regional party, Marais Van der Vyver, has killed his Black worker. Even though it might appear unacceptable in today’s culture, it is consistent with the image of...
Introduction Gender norms and expectations have been an acute issue for hundreds of years, with both women and men being limited to the stereotypes as to what they should feel and do. For example, one coming-of-age novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, written by Erika L. Sanchez, explores...
Introduction Ancient Greece is known for its many traditions and norms that have been preserved for millennia, emphasizing the values of family, dignity, and integrity. However, Ancient Greece is additionally known for its literature and well-known plays that carry powerful messages and illuminate themes that are often debated even in...
Introduction “The Importance of Being Earnest” by Oscar Wilde is a classic comedy exploring love, deception, and societal expectations. One of the most prominent aspects of this play is its use of humor. Through this technique, Wilde effectively conveys the importance of being true to oneself in a world entirely...
Introduction El Salvadorean poet, journalist, and political activist Roque Dalton was born in El Salvador and is regarded as one of Latin America’s greatest poets. Dalton traveled extensively in Central America and Europe in the late 1950s and early 1960s, learning about various political movements and immersing himself in the...
Introduction In his short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” Washington Irving uses a variety of figurative devices to represent the depth of his characters’ feelings and the setting where real and supernatural themes are properly intertwined. The personification of birds and the environment underlines the unique nature of Ichabod...
Introduction Literary devices allow readers to interpret a piece of writing on multiple levels leading to an immersive and engaging experience. These devices can be seen in a wide range of literary works, including novels, poems, plays, and short stories, and their use helps to make these works enduring and...
Slavery influenced millions of people around the world, particularly Black people. The poem “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou concerns the most acute social issue for African Americans. The poet talks about slavery and the differences in the quality of life that free and enslaved people can enjoy. The poem aims...
Among the sonnets that we read this week, William Shakespeare’s Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer’s Day was my favorite. First, I enjoyed the poem due to my devotion in reading Shakespeare’s works. Second and most importantly is the poem’s artistic element and theme that represents the stability of...
Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, or Oedipus the King, is rightfully known as one of the most significant tragedies of the classical literature of ancient Greece. Dealing with the topics of responsibility for one’s actions and the mortals’ ability to discern the often mysterious will of the gods, the tragedy follows the...
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...
The three statuettes in the headmaster’s office that Golding writes about are a miniature of Rodin’s Thinker, a miniature of Venus de Milo, and a statuette of a crouching leopard. In Golding’s view, the statuette of Venus represented the third grade of thinking. While it is a symbol of beauty...
The study of literary works can provide valuable insight into how relationships between people are formed. This also implies explanations of the background and circumstances that affect the dynamics of building relationships. This work explores the changing relationship between two brothers in the work Sam Shepard’s “True West.” A rivalry...
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...
Short stories such as Jackson’s “The Lottery” often deliver the point of view of their authors regarding a particular issue or topic due to the pace of their narration and the intended moral of the story. Jackson’s work presents an excellent example of the impact of foreshadowing on a reader’s...
Introduction In literature, poetry is a truly unique phenomenon since, unlike the rest of the genres, it does not seek to tell a story; instead, its purpose revolves primarily around conveying a specific message and appealing to the reader’s emotions. Therefore, the thematic richness of a poem is inevitably connected...
The lesson by Toni Cade Bambara is a narrative about children who, with the help of their teacher, learn a lesson about the social problems of society. The reader can see that children live in a bubble, not comprehending the daily challenges they and their parents must endure. Nevertheless, even...
The novel Atonement by Ian McEwan is a romantic war tragedy metafiction that follows Cecilia and Robbie’s lives as the protagonist. They experience conflicts trying to fulfill their dream of eternal love and separate, shutting down all their achievements. McEwan intertwines irony and symbolism to explore the theme of love...
Introduction The short story “Runaway” by Alice Munro focuses on the two main protagonists Clark and Carla, which are a husband and wife and owners of a small horse ranch in rural Canada. The couple have a stringent relationship but remain together, despite Carla’s resentment of her husband and attempt...
Paul’s mother, Hester, in Lawrence’s short story “Rocking Horse Winner,” is a character that drives the plot and serves as a basis for unveiling the theme of the dominance of materialistic values in society. Hester is materialistic, greedy, and pessimistic, which is evident from her worldview limited by obtaining money....
A dream is mostly defined as a succession of thoughts, images, feelings, and sentiments that happen unawares and involuntarily at different phases when one is asleep. Gary Hebert once said that dreams were just but universal liars that never lost their reputation for honesty because hope was the bread for...
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...
Who? Pluto How would you describe this character? Why? Physical Appearance The character is dark, tall, and strong. Pluto wants somebody else to do his tasks. Feelings Feelings of loneliness and caring. The character is cunning. Attitude A negative attitude He is the king. The character from “The Pomegranate Seeds”....
The play “Trifles” by Susan Glaspell appears to center on the murder mystery but the reality of the world that people live in goes much deeper. Even though the horror of the scene and the house is worsened by the preceding events, the true despair and disturbance are observed in...
Introduction Historically, minor races such as Blacks have faced a lot of inhumane experiences in the US. At one time in North Carolina, a 20-year-old black woman was about to be sterilized. This woman was a single mother to one child, and they lived together at O’Berry Center. During this...
The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller is a play that sheds light on issues several individuals in America experience in their quest for the American Dream. The story’s protagonist, Willy Loman, is caught up in a web of self-denial, contradiction, and desperation. Like many individuals, he envisions living...
“Behind every great fortune lies a great crime.” This line from Honore de Balzac relates to the main conflict in Ibsen’s play “A Doll’s House” which is the struggle for individual agency in a conformist society. The protagonists in this play, which is set in late 19th-century Norway, struggle with...
In many aspects, Gilgamesh and Homer’s Achilles, the main figure of the Iliad, are similar. Achilles is a demigod, like Gilgamesh, born of the goddess Thetis and the human Peleus (Homer 10). Hector, the Trojan prince, is defeated by him in single combat, demonstrating his strength and combat prowess. Additionally,...
Kazuko’s attitude toward the American people during and after her relocation. Kazuko Itoi is the authentic (Japanese) name of the writer Monica Sone, who was born in the United States to Japanese parents, first-generation immigrants. As the story progresses, this balance of the two components of her personality periodically changes...
Introduction Gary B. Nash’s book Red, White and Black: The Peoples of Early America explores the complex and diverse peoples who inhabited the Americas before the American Revolution. Through a combination of primary source documents and narrative history, Nash sheds light on the various Native American societies, European empires, and...
Introduction The poem depicts many different leadership images, however, some of them are more vivid than others. For example, one of these characters is Hector. This is an exciting and multifaceted character, and the author skilfully intertwines the different features of his personality into one individuality. Hector, along with the...
Introduction Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, The Birthmark, centers on the relationships between Aylmer, the brilliant scientist and alchemist, and his wife, the beautiful Georgiana. Despite the story’s main focus on Georgiana’s mysterious birthmark, the author explores many themes by explaining the main character’s thoughts and perceptions. Moreover, even though the...
The Great Escape, a non-fiction book by Paul Brickhill that was released by WW Norton & Company in 1950, describes what it was like to live in a German POW camp during World War II. The author was an Australian fighter pilot and became a prisoner of war, which means...
Introduction Gender relationships are always complex and associated with concepts like power, responsibility, and concession. William Shakespeare is one of the authors whose works are intended to change the audience’s opinions on common events and expected feelings. His Hamlet is not just a story of a man who loses his...
Introduction The Necklace is a philosophical short story by Guy De Maupassant written in the third person limited point of view. The story narrates the life of a charming yet over-ambitious woman, Mathilde Loiselle. The poorness of Mathilde’s home and clothes brings her sadness, anguish, despair, and intense disappointment for...
The novel by Toni Morrison The Bluest Eye shows how racial oppression has a devastating effect on African Americans through the image of madness. The main character was a victim of racism, and in an effort to conform to the ideals of the beauty of white people, she began to...
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...
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 stories of heroes have been broadly presented in literature since ancient times. Heroic characters tend to display various human traits focusing on their strengths and abilities to conquer enemies and overcome difficulties. In Indian literature, prince Rama from the book of The Ramayana appears as a particular example of...
There is one constant throughout the ongoing evolution of the human species. Simply because it is human nature, people are motivated by money and power. King Lear, one of Shakespeare’s most well-known tragedies, is a nihilistic story of destruction, money, and power conflicts that was originally performed in 1606. The...
Introduction The Old English poem “Beowulf” is a monument of late origin. Radical reinterpretations of the story include Robert Zemeckis’ feature film, Beowulf. This film does not claim complete plot similarity to the original narrative but is a new work based on the famous epic poem. The film and the...
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...
Introduction The study of the literature of the past centuries is of particular value as it provides an understanding of how their thought represented itself in earlier times. Moreover, this process provides a unique insight into how people perceived the world and what morals and attitudes to culture and religion...
Introduction The central theme of Things fall apart by Chinua Achebe is the clash between traditional African society and the innovations brought by British missionaries. However, this opposition is not the only one in the book since the whole story is built on contrasts that allow the reader to understand...
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 poem Daystar by Rita Dove depicts women’s lives in the role of a mother and a wife. The author illustrates the state of loneliness of the protagonist, as well as the peacefulness of her quiet moment of the day. It is also reflected in the title of the poem....
Introduction Claudia Rankine is politically charged prose poet, and her works, especially Citizen, have a great influence on the modern American society. Citizen is a poem conducted in prose, thus making it one of the staples of the contemporary literature. One of the important things about Rankine’s work is that...
Existentialism is the philosophical theory identifying a man as the only responsible person for his development. Many pieces of literature and cinematography masterpieces depict a man who dictates his life purpose and decisions by himself, highlighting man’s freedom in actions. Kafka’s The Metamorphosis and Kelly’s Donnie Darko are two examples...
The novel From Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life Among Lowly is an impactful piece, showing the cruelty and inhumanity of the slavery system in the United States. The novel shows many aspects of real life, from childhood, labor, motherhood, and gender to many more. Slavery being at the center of...
Introduction The exposition opens with the current events in Thebes, which is one of the core elements of the narrative that is given to the audience. The city of Thebes is troubled by a plague that results in the death of many plants, which are used to feed the population...
Many literary works assess various aspects of life, and Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll‘s House explores important social matters. Ibsen was born on the southeast coast of Norway, and his childhood was not particularly easy (Gundersen). His parents were relatively affluent and had five children, with Henrik being the oldest son...
Oedipus by Sophocles satisfies the requirements for a character to be classified as a tragic hero and serves as an example of the Aristotelian theory of tragedy. According to Aristotle, tragic heroes must be distinguished individuals who exhibit noble traits and possess a hamartia or a fatal flaw. An illustration...
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 Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a story about a woman feeling trapped and suffering because of her isolation. The story is told from the perspective of a wife who has recently given birth to a child she has not been able to see. The narrator is sick...
Introduction Sophocles was a prominent tragedian who contributed to the development of Athenian drama. His Antigone shows the conflict between divine and human laws and puts unwritten rules of life above all. On the one hand, religious beliefs rooted in the traditions of a tribal community ordered people to sacredly...
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...
Today, family abuse is a severe problem affecting numerous people throughout the world. Women from developed nations face the problem, meaning that the population of developing countries suffers from the issue even more significantly. That is why there emerge many non-profit organizations that aim to reduce the prevalence of the...
The Easter Rising of 1916 is one of the critical moments in the history of Ireland. Although the goals of the uprising were not achieved, and it ended extremely abruptly and harshly, this event was the most significant act of Ireland’s defiance since 1798. The significance of these actions is...
Introduction Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House follows the life of Norah and her attempts to guard the secret about a debt that she took to save the life of her husband, Torvald. On the other hand, Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” follows the story of a narrator suffering from...
Introduction As a form of poetry, the sonnet is characterized by strict rules related to the external structure and the internal alignment of the ideas and themes developed according to structural changes. William Shakespeare was one of the poets who made sonnets popular and widely referred to in literature. The...
Introduction Literature has undergone several dynamic shifts as a field relating to how information is conveyed and structured in a written piece. Character choice is a vital step in narration as it determines the length, style, tone, and literary devices used. In essence, in any work of literature, the relationships...
Eveline is a short story written by James Joyce about a 19-year-old woman making a hard choice regarding the direction of her entire life. Eveline lives in Dublin with her old abusive father; she works hard and looks after the house. Her mother and one of her brothers – Ernest...
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...
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...
The most attractive works for my attention in the canon of American literature were those that seemed to illuminate the entire diverse and contradictory characteristics of American culture. The myth of the Great Hare Michabou seems worthy of note as one of the most ancient and mysterious stories read during...
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...
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...
Oedipus the King is a well-known tragedy about ancient Greeks and the king of Thebes written by Sophocles. The content attracts the reader’s attention for many reasons, and one of them is the development of the events that result in the main character’s killing his father and marrying his mother....
Oroonoko; or, The Royal Slave. A True History by Aphra Behn is considered to be one of the first English novels – it was published in 1688 when the genre was only beginning to emerge. The story’s protagonist is Prince Oroonoko – an African king’s grandson who possesses all the...
How I Live Now is a novel written by Meg Rosoff that centers on the life of Daisy, a 15-year-old girl. The novel presents a coming-of-age story of Daisy and her relatives. In a way, the novel represents the author’s perception of what will happen if a third world war...
Brother, I’m Dying, a memoir by a famous Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat, first published in 2007, is an outstanding literary work that pushes the boundaries of the genre. The author skillfully applies various elements of the memoir, conveying the life story of her family emotionally and consistently, alternating the course...
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...
Introduction The Trifle and the Poof are written by Susan Glaspell and Lynn Nottage, respectively. The Trifle was written in 1916, while the Poof was done in 1970. In both plays, the authors depict a culture where women are abused by husbands who later die due to domestic constraints. In...
Introduction Shirley Jackson’s The Lottery is a short story that tells about a fictional village where people are gathered for an annual lottery, in which all the villagers take part. The lottery has been held for many years as a tradition, and the tickets are drawn to select one person...
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...
As material aimed at some of the most vulnerable and impressionable members of society, children’s literature has long been a subject of controversy, both at the time of its release and historically. Contents and permissible topics within the field change depending on both the time period and cultural characteristics of...
Summary Future and self-imagination go hand in hand. Whether or not to take a step to the next level is a personal decision that requires a cognitive evaluation. For instance, Coyote’s journey is the book that indicates the outcome of the next step, which is often uncertain in the real...
Introduction The adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a controversial 19th-century humorous novel. Twain is “the leading humorist whom the United States has produced in any century” (Dudden, 1987, p. 38). Twain uses a variety of techniques to create a humorous atmosphere, which nevertheless hides a violent social satire. As with...
Introduction The play presents an analysis of the postwar American society and how the attitudes and institutions at the time restricted the lives of women. The author uses the dependence of Stella and Blanche on men to depict and evaluate how women were treated by men during the early twentieth-century...
Postcolonial literary theory is a broadly related theory of the struggles and consequences of colonial rule in European countries. The theory implements literature techniques to describe effects of colonialism and the struggle for independence. Nonetheless, the concept of this theory does not solely imply struggle for freedom and life in...
Introduction John Kennedy Toole’s novel A Confederacy of Dunces unveils diverse issues people encounter in their lives. These problems include but are not confined to relationships with others, ways to fit in the community, and attempts to realize oneself and satisfy one’s needs. At that, family issues, or rather the...
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...
Throughout Alison Bechdel’s tragicomic Fun Home, the author demonstrates her and her father Bruce’s opposing views on the concept of sexuality. Their different definitions of the significance of gender roles cause tension in their formation of sexual orientations in the presence of each other. The distinct ways in which they...
Introduction The Vietnam War, which took place from 1955 to 1957, has been the subject of many artworks of different forms, ranging from movies to paintings and literary works. While many of them focus on the experiences and heroism of soldiers, a Vietnamese-American writer Le Thi Diem Thuy focused on...
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...
“Sonnet 18” of Shakespeare belongs to the group of poems addressed by the author to Pure Youth, the embodiment of the beauty of features, the clarity of the soul of a young man. The addressee of this poem is the very embodiment of youth and beauty, the combination of which...
Introduction A&P by John Updike is a short story describing an incident at a supermarket. The main character, Sammy, is a representative of the typical middle class who works in the store as a cashier. When three girls in bathing suits enter, disturbing the peace in this establishment, Sammy decides...
Introduction Beloved by Toni Morrison is an allegory of emotional and physical trauma caused by slavery. It is illustrated through the story of a black woman haunted by her daughter’s ghost that she murdered to save her from servantry’s fate. The genre used in this novel is called magical realism,...
In 1997, over the span of one night, Harry Potter took the world by storm when the book sold 11 million copies within 24 hours of its release: 2.7 million copies in the UK and 8.3 million in the US. And as of 2021, More than 500 million copies of...
Trifles, a work by Susan Glaspell, follows the structure of a common murder mystery but includes elements of social commentary and issues of great value. It can be summarized as a murder of a husband by a wife and the two connected yet individual investigations that follow. The story’s unique...
There are numerous various books in the world, and some of them are products of pure imagination while others reflect real life. Often authors implement some aspects of their lives into their works, and one such example is Harper Lee and her novel To Kill a Mockingbird. To understand the...
Claudia Rankine is a writer, poet, dramatist, and anthology editor from the United States of America. The author published five collections of poems, two plays, and several articles. The two works of hers that were proposed for the analysis are Citizen: An American Lyric and the poem Stop and Frisk....
The Handmaid’s Tale is a novel in a dystopian style written by Canadian author Margaret Atwood and was published in 1985. The set is based on the near-future state called Gilead, which has dethroned the United States government. The new state is strongly patriarchal, where the main character, a woman...
Literature emerged as a way for people to describe what they held dear and what constituted a significant part of their lives. Many nations developed their art to convey their values and reflect their worldview, and Native Americans were no exception. Indigenous people had established their oral traditions before Europeans...
Introduction Figurative language and metaphors are used in short stories and poems to establish mood, develop characterization, enhance daily language, and make the works more expressive and brighter. In the poem “Marks,” Linda Pastan uses an extended metaphor to demonstrate the narrator’s attitude toward her family members and their appraisal...
Summary The short story is set somewhere between Madrid and Barcelona, in the valley of the Ebro (Hemingway, “Hills,” 115). It follows the dialogue of a man and woman at the local bar with a view of the valley’s hills (Hemingway, “Hills,” 115). The pair are quarreling about the issue...
“The Broken Spears” is a fascinating and captivating book that provides an engaging and graphical account of the annihilation of Mexico by the Spanish. The book provides a more expressive and human perspective of the events of the military confrontation between the Spanish and Aztecs (Leon-Portilla 1992). This literary text...
