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Le Morte d’Arthur is the tale of King Arthur. It begins with the formation of the Knights of the Round Table and follows the rise of King Arthur and his tragic fall. The story begins with Uther Pendragon, the King of England who lusts after Igraine, who happens to be the wife of the Duke of … Read more
The main characters of the book are: Atticus Finch – Atticus works as a local lawyer in Maycomb and is the single father of Scout and Jem. He strives to raise the children with pride, honor, and integrity to believe in their ability to see and make decision on things appropriately. He makes a good model … Read more
“The intense horror of nightmare came over me: I tried to draw back my arm, but the hand clung to it, and a most melancholy voice sobbed, ‘Let me in – let me in!’ ‘Who are you?’ I asked, struggling, meanwhile, to disengage myself. ‘Catherine Linton,’ it replied, shiveringly (why did I think of LINTON? … Read more
Characters and Analysis Anne Shirley Anne is the main character in the novel. An orphan and spirited young girl, she is intelligent and precocious. Unaware of the social norms of her adopted world, she behaves largely according to her instincts and as a result, she is both shocking and charming. She makes mistakes in social … Read more
The main character, Meursualt appears utterly detached from other people. He experiences life as a spectator. His emotional indifference makes the stranger in the story. He seems to have no reaction to the death of his mother. His relationships with friends and with a woman who loves him have no emotional depth. He does not accept … Read more
A Doll’s House starts out on Christmas Eve. Leading character, Nora Helmer, enters her impressively furnished sitting room – the setting of the entire play. She is carrying multiple packages. Nora’s husband, Torvald Helmer, hears her arrive and leaves his study to greet her. At first, he is warm and loving towards her, but, he soon reprimands her … Read more
Beowulf is without doubt the most ancient surviving epic poem of the so called Anglo-Saxon epic tradition. Set in the sixth century in the southwestern part of the contemporary Sweden, the poem begins with a genealogy of the royal dynasty of the Scyldings, or Danes. This royal line is named for a mythic hero ancestor who … Read more
Quotes and Analysis One day I might, yes. Many years from now, when I’ve lost my looks a little. Don’t laugh, I mean, of course, a time will come when Torvald is not as devoted to me, not quite so happy when I dance for him, and dress for him, and play with him. Taken from … Read more
The Totalitarian State Much like 1984, Brave New World takes place under the complete control of totalitarian state. Whereas 1984 operates via complete surveillance and control of information, Brave New World operated through technological changes and manipulation of the human biology. The World State maintains it complete control by maintaining a populace that is controlled through superficial pleasure and internal conditioning designed … Read more
Heart of Darkness follows Marlow, a knowledge-seeking sailor, as he embarks up the Congo River to join up with Kurtz, alleged to be an idealistic man with many talents. Marlow assumes a job as a riverboat captain for a Belgian organization with interests in the Congo known simply as the Company. During his journey to Africa, … Read more
Character Analysis Tess Durbeyfield: Tess is the main character of the novel. She is beautiful and loyal and lives with her impoverished family in the town of Marlott. She has a strong sense of responsibility and wants nothing more than to do the best for her family that she possibly can, despite her inexperience and naivety. … Read more
Main Characters and Analysis Kino The protagonist is a devoted father and husband who goes to great lengths to secure the funds to help cure his son’s illness. However upon his newfound riches he develops an ambition that consumes him. He refuses to sell the pearl at a humble price, he also refuses to dispose … Read more
Main Characters and Analysis Charlie Gordon He is the protagonist who has been mistreated by his family and ridiculed by his co-workers. His motive for being smart is to impress others and most importantly please his mother. His intelligence is not equally matched with his emotions which are as primitive as that of a child. … Read more
The novel begins as Offred remembers her time at the Red Center where Handmaids are trained and conditioned which is situated in an old school. Offred comes back to the present and informs the readers of her new job working for the Commander and his wife Serena Joy. Handmaids are allowed no freedom except for … Read more
Symbolism The witch hunt is perhaps the most significant symbol in the play. The because the play deals with historical problems that attend the House Committee on Un-American Activities and the hunt for communists in American society, the entirety of the witch hunt stands as symbol for this series of events. As the play enacts … Read more
“I look for John Proctor that took me from my sleep and put knowledge in my heart! I never knew what pretense Salem was, I never knew the lying lessons I was taught by all these Christian women and their covenanted men! And now you bid me tear the light out of my eyes? I … Read more
Intolerance The Crucible deals with the idea of living under a single over-riding system of belief which excludes everything else. Because the play is set in Puritan colonial America, we see how this oppressive system of belief can exclude any thought of meaningful justice, of mercy, or even of rational argument. The only thing that matters … Read more
John Proctor A farmer who lives just outside of Salem. He serves as the voice of reason in the play yet he is compromised by a scandalous secret. He is the one who exposes the girls and their lies about practicing witchcraft and for this reason he is the tragic hero in the play. But … Read more
The setting is in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. The opening scene is the home of Parris, a local priest. His daughter Betty appears seriously ill and is lying on her bed unconscious. Parris caught Betty just the previous night, about the midnight hour dancing in the woods with another young woman, Abigail, who is his … Read more
Might versus Right Throughout the novel the reader is confronted with images of brute strength in contest with what is right. Gulliver can defeat the Blefuscudian because of his immense size but there is little indication what the correct course of action might be. He defeats them simply because he is big. Later, in Brobdingnag, he … Read more
“My Father had a small Estate in Nottinghamshire; I was the Third of five Sons. . . . I was bound Apprentice to Mr. James Bates, an eminent Surgeon in London . . . my Father now and then sending me small Sums of Money. . . . When I left Mr. Bates, I went … Read more
Lemuel Gulliver An unremarkable and average man who lacks imagination. He is morally upright and has his heart in the right place, but he is gullible (his name is something of a play on the word “gullible”) and somewhat foolish. The Lilliputians Tiny people of no more than six inches. Full of self-importance and small … Read more
The story tells about the adventures of a straight-forward and practical doctor and ship’s captain. Lemuel Gulliver returns home after three and a half years at sea. He marries and sets up his practice. Since he cannot sustain himself from practicing medicine he returns to sea. He again comes home and sets up another medical … Read more
Themes Children versus Grownups The major theme in the novel is the contrast between grownups and children. Children are considered the most natural form of mankind that are still unaffected by society, they have a wide imagination and a love for thing that don’t always have to be practical. On the other end of the … Read more
Complete working title: Animal Farm – A Fairy StoryDate of writing: 1944 to 1945Location of writing: EnglandDate of original publication: 1945Genre: Novel, Allegory, Fairy TaleLocation: A small farm in early 20th century EnglandRising moment: When the pigs stand on their hind feet and the sheep can be heard echoing “Four legs good, two legs better!”Main Character: … Read more
Character Names George Orwell authored Animal Farm as a parable, or a figurative representation of real life events. A number of the characters and the events in the book are meant to be symbolic, or representative, of actual participants in the Soviet Union and the Russian Revolution. Some of the animals who represent specific people or groups … Read more
“Four legs good, two legs bad.” Read in Chapter III, this is how Snowball paraphrases the Seven Commandments of Animalism, which are designed to support Old Major’s speech on the importance of animal unity in the face of oppression by the humans. This is one example that the author uses to substantiate how elitist, or … Read more
Old Major An elder swine, Old Major is the founding father of Animalism. It is through his teachings that the other farm animals decide to revolt. A prize pig, Old Major has lead a life of privilege and has acquired noble status amongst the others. It is this status, and life of leisure, that has … Read more
Totalitarianism Orwell has been quoted as saying, “Every line of serious work that I have written since 1936 has been against totalitarianism.” A statement that is evident in Animal Farm. Totalitarianism refers to a state of government that seeks out ultimate control over every aspect of life – from thoughts, beliefs, ideas and even politics and … Read more
Manor Farm, a modest English farm, is operated by the impetuous drunkard, Mr. Jones. Late one evening, Old Major, a senior boar, summons all of the farms animals. Old Major knows that his life will soon end and feels it necessary to pass along a few words of wisdom. As the animals listen on intently, … Read more
First published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s second novel. It was written in 1797-1798 when she was only 21. Originally titled First Impressions the novel quickly made its way into print. It is written in the epistolary format, which is in the form of letters, that was extremely popular at the time. … Read more
Dance: When Elizabeth and Darcy dance for the first time, their steps and movements are stilted and formal. They are following both each other and the conventions of the dance. This is the symbol of the way their relationships unfolds. They come together by negotiating the cues from each other and by working with the conventions … Read more
The quotes from this book are widely known and often used by its readers. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife” (51). The first line and the most famous line of the novel. This introduces the entire theme of … Read more
Elizabeth Bennet Charming and free-spirited, Elizabeth runs counter to the expectations of a young lady of her historical time. She is head-strong and thinks for herself rather than simply falling into conventional lines. She see the flaws in her own mother and father and therefore is not as apt to remain naïve about the intentions … Read more
Pride and Prejudice is ostensibly a simple love story, as it might seem from its plot outline. However, there the novel has much more depth than this and close reading reveals more than just a simple romance, which is evident even in its summary. The timeline of the events is set in the early 19th century, … Read more
Important Themes The Complexity of Igbo Society Chinua Achebe has said that this is one of his main themes in the book. He provides detailed descriptions of the legal codes and practices, the marriage customs and familial codes, community leadership and laws, and the religious beliefs of the Igbo people. The book takes great pains … Read more
Important Themes The majority of the book the Outsiders focuses on attempts to bridge the gap between social classes, namely between the rich and the poor. As Hinton suggests, the differences in socioeconomic status is not necessarily what makes the Socs and the greasers rivals, but rather their inability to come to terms with love, … Read more
The novel was first published from November to December 1928 in the German newspaper Vossische Zeitung. It was first published in book form in late January 1929 and enjoyed great popularity in the whole world. It was translated into 22 languages just 18 month after its publication. This book and its sequel, The Road Back (1930), were … Read more
Nature is a symbol of calmness, beauty and promise of future peace. A field of poppies, a beautiful autumn forest, and fluttering butterflies are the images diverting Paul from everything that goes on around. He allows himself these short periods of rest, understanding that anytime he will have to go back to use his skills to … Read more
Kropp on the other hand is a thinker. He proposes that a declaration of war should be a kind of popular festival with entrance-tickets and bands, like a bull fight. Then in the arena the ministers and generals of the two countries, dressed in bathing-drawers and armed with clubs, can have it out among themselves. … Read more
All Quiet at the Western Front is about people who are trying to deal with the war: soldiers, commanders, civilians, prisoners of war, and fugitives. One of the most prominent themes is the way of adapting to harsh conditions of those men who became soldiers while being very young, like Paul and his schoolmates. They know … Read more
Paul Bäumer Young and innocent Paul undergoes a tough evolution. He is only eighteen at his arrival at the frontline and the following two years had changed him drastically. Nevertheless, he strives to cling for those few things remaining from his past life and personality – books, family, his home town. By the end all … Read more
The statement of the book’s essence is concluded in the preface: “This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, … Read more
Lord of the Flies is full of biblical references, starting from the title, which is a translation of the name of Beelzebub, a prince of the demons. The conch is also one of the most prominent symbols, almost equal to royal regalia in the boys’ society. The conch represents order, being a way to call countless assemblies for … Read more
“He [Jack] capered toward Bill, and the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness.” A fine example of the primitive way of thinking still present in contemporary human minds: the mask is something separate and a way of hiding simultaneously. Jack separates his savage part into … Read more
The main theme of Lord of the Flies is evil in human nature. According to pessimistic opinion of Golding, humans are evil and even barbaric, and only a thin film of civilization prevents them from falling back into savagery. Another important theme is violence. A former school teacher, William Golding was familiar with many unpleasant aspects in … Read more
Ralph Ralph is a perfect British boy, decently educated, charismatic and handsome, diplomatic, responsible and civilized. Golding, with his tendency to use the fable structure, gives him a description that nearly matches Prince Charming from some fairy tale, but this “prince” in only twelve years old, so, being smart and diplomatic, he is also just … Read more
In times of an unnamed war, a plane crash brings a group of British boys to a paradise-like tropical island, where they try to survive. William Golding furnishes this simple plot with details of relations in children’s group and quick deterioration of their upbringing while they have to find food, water, organize their life and … Read more
Main Characters and Analysis Offred She is the protagonist and the narrator of the story, although her reliability is questionable as she does try to alter the stories to make them better for her readers. She is not outspoken, nor is she submissive. Even as a handmaid she still has power over the men who … Read more
“Now we walk along the same street, in red pairs, and not man shouts obscenities at us, speaks to us, touches us. No one whistles. There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given … Read more