Study Like a Boss
The story “Flowers for Algernon”, by Daniel Keyes, that we read in English was about a mentally retarded person, named Charlie who had an operation to increase his intelligence, but the operation was a failure and Charlie is slow again. He wants to move now so society wont ridicule him for being slow again. Daniel … Read more
Francis Marie Arouet de Voltaire was the French author of the novella Candide, also known as Optimism(Durant and Durant 724). Many of Voltaires works were popular in Europe during his time, yet it is his satire, Candide, which is still studied today. In Candide, Voltaire sought to point out the fallacy of Gottfried William von … Read more
In Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare the two main characters are Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. Both teenagers matured and changed during the play, but Juliet’s changes stood out the most. Juliet transformed in less then a week, which says she did not change much, but there is a definite difference in her personality … Read more
In some select stories of old/middle english, we can see that people have been fascinated by ideals of heroism, chivalry, and what we now refer to as romance for a very long time. I will argue in this document, that our fascination with such imaginary laws has never ceased, and in some ways is even … Read more
In Canada, we have the freedom to do almost anything. In the novel Nineteen Eighty Four, there is no freedom. Although there are no laws in Oceania, there are consequences to doing thoughtcrime. The consequences are used not for punishment but for the limitation of people who may perform a crime in the future. There … Read more
A common idea presented in literature is the issue of the freedom of the individual in opposition to the controlling pressures of society. Willy Loman, the main character in Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, epitomizes this type of person; one who looks to his peers and co-salesman as lesser individuals. Not only was … Read more
The movie created by David Merrick as well as the novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, both entitled The Great Gatsby, ate truly two fine pieces of art. The movie version shows the viewer what is happening in the story without internal comments from the narrator and the viewer can understand exactly what is happening … Read more
When Oedipus, as a young man, first learned from one of Apollo92s oracles that he was destined to murder his father and marry his mother, he fled his home in Corinth, attempting to defy the prophecy, and he wandered the roads of Greece. In hi s wanderings he happened upon another traveler who obstructed his … Read more
All scenes of this play take place in the late 1800s home of one of the main characters, Torvald Helmer. Written by Henrik Ibsen, A Dolls House contains many instances of irony. The main characters, Nora and Torvald, are especially involved in this. Many of the examples of irony in this play are types of … Read more
Arguably the best piece of writing ever done by William Shakespeare, Hamlet the is the classic example of a tragedy. In all tragedies the hero suffers, and usually dies at the end. Othello stabs himself, Romeo and Juliet commit suicide, Brutis falls on his sword, and like them Hamlet dies by getting cut with a … Read more
In novels, such as Edith Whartons Ethan Frome, imagery and theme play a large role in developing the novel and bringing it to the status of a Classic. An authors use of imagery gives the reader an idea of the novels characters and setting. It helps to advance the readers understanding of the novel and … Read more
Shakespeare’s sonnet 18 (“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day? “) and Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn” were written with a common purpose in mind; to immortalize the subjects of their poems by writing them down in verses for people to read for generations to come. By doing so, both of the poets … Read more
William Faulkner presents several interesting characters in the story, Barn Burning. Sarty Snopes a lonely ten-year old boy is one of these characters. His father, Abner moves the family around constantly and is a very evil man. Sarty had a rough childhood. He deserves sympathy and respect because he is lonely, courageous, and has good … Read more
The main theme of the book Ethan Frome is failure. It is shown in three ways throughout the story: Ethan’s marriage, him not being able to stand up to Zeena, and his involvement in the “smash up”. Ethan marries Zeena so he won’t be alone after his mother dies. She seemed like a very cheerful, … Read more
It has been questioned by people, honored by people and revered since the beginning of time. Yet even today not one person can say what is morally right. It is a matter of opinion. It was Dr. Victor Frankenstein’s opinion that it was alright to create a “monster”. Frankenstein’s creation needed a companion. Knowing that … Read more
In the novel Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte recounts the story of Jane and her lovers, Mr. Rochester and St. John Rivers. Critics such as Adrienne Rich and Eric Solomon argue that Jane Eyre has to choose between the “temptation” of following the rule of passion by marrying Rochester, or of living a life of complete … Read more
Ethan Frome, the main character in the book entitled Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, has many complex problems going on at the same time. His family has died and he has a wife that is continually sick, and the only form of happiness he has is from his wife’s cousin Mattie. This, however, at times … Read more
Holden Caulfield, portrayed in the J. D. Salinger novel Catcher in the Rye as an adolescent struggling to find his own identity, possesses many characteristics that easily link him to the typical teenager living today. The fact that they book was written more than forty years ago clearly exemplifies the saying “boys will be boys” … Read more
Synopsis: In the not-so-far future the polar ice caps have melted and the resulting rise of ocean waters has drowned all the coastal cities of the world. Withdrawn to the interior of the continents, the human race keeps advancing, reaching to the point of creating realistic robots-called mechas-to serve them. An ambitious Professor succeeds in … Read more
The Reeve of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales I portrayed in the first as “old and choleric and thin”(605), choleric meaning short-tempered and yellow. All of Chaucer’s descriptions of the pilgrims in his tales give an insight into and very well foreshadow the their tale to come, and the Reeve is of course no exception. … Read more
The word ‘catharsis’ is derived from the Latin word, ‘kathairein’, which means ‘to cleanse’ or ‘to purge’ – it stems from an Ancient Greek story about a Phoenix rising from ashes, with the ashes representing catastrophe and the rise of the bird representing purification. In Greek Tragedy, this term is used to describe the suffering … Read more
Holden wanted to be the catcher in the rye. Holden wanted to catch children before they fell off the cliff and realized how the world really is, the world is disappointing. He wanted to keep children innocent and pure. There are several quotes and examples to support this in Catcher in the Rye like when … Read more
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a compelling story which explores the inner emotions of the human mind, spirit, and the heart. Set around the 1640s in a Boston Puritan society, it focuses on the moral issue revolving around the virtue of truth and the evil of secret sin. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, a man of … Read more
Shakespeares Othello is commonly regarded as a work depicting mans ability to use his reason towards evil intentions. A lowly ancient in a generals army is able to destroy him through manipulation and deceit. But although Iagos deceit of Othello is undoubtedly a central theme in the play, another theme regarding the nature of the … Read more
Throughout the novel The Call of the Wild, we follow a dog named Buck through his journey through the Klondike. We experience a transformation in him, as he adapts to the cold, harsh land where he is forced to toil in the snow, just to help men find a shiny metal. Buck seems to almost … Read more
The life of a God, forever bliss, complete happiness: Odysseus slights all of these things in order for him to return to his loving wife and son. The concept of true commitment was a very commendable quality for a Greek hero to possess. With this character trait, Odysseus models the ideal husband, father, and leader. … Read more
In the beginning, Lovey and her best friend, Jerry, are watching the Shirley Temple movie before they go to church. They never get to see the end because they have to go and leave. They make up the endings and cry in the middle of the pastor’s sermon. On Lovey’s birthday, Jerry would make her … Read more
Without a doubt, one of the darkest episodes in the history of mankind involved the systematic extermination of Jews, Gypsies, Slavs and gays by Nazi Germany. In order to get a good sense of the horror and despair that was felt by the interned, one simply needs to read the memoirs of Elie Wiesel in … Read more
Love is an amazing emotion. People spend much of their lives searching for true love. When true love is found, people will do everything possible to hold on to and cherish it for eternity. It is said that true love can only be found once in a lifetime that is filled with intense everlasting emotions. … Read more
Ethan Frome is a story of ill-fated love, set during the winter in the rural New England town of Starkfield. Ethan is a farmer who is married to a sickly woman named Zeena. The two live in trapped, unspoken resentment on Ethan’s isolated and failing farm. Ethan has been caring for his wife for six … Read more
Theodore Roethke writes a very simple poem called “My Papa’s Waltz”. Roethke will not let his characters communicate and reveal thier feelings and you must determine for yourself if fhe speaks of abuse or a happy reminiscence. Edward Foster comments, “The poem will let you meet Roethke’s father who gives a mixture of tenderness and … Read more
The Alembic of Art is the chapter of My Antonia The Road Home that will be discussed. This chapter suggests that Willa Cather uses references from the arts in creating the novel My Antonia. Much of Willa Cather’s background came from her childhood in Nebraska. It even uprooted the character Annie Sadilek, from Red Cloud, … Read more
Books are known for teaching lessons. In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain satirically presents the situation of how people of different color were treated unjustly, while at the same time amusing his readers. Isnt it ironic that the character that grows on you most is Jim, the black runaway slave, who society looks down upon most … Read more
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice takes place in England during the 18th century, with an evident main them of courtship and marriage. The Bennet family consists of Jane, the eldest daughter, followed by Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. Being girls, they will not benefit from their father’s will which leads to their mother’s obsession over … Read more
Struggling through such things as the depression, the Dust Bowl summers, and trying to provide for their own families, which included finding somewhere to travel to where life would be safe. Such is the story of the Joads. The Joads were the main family in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, a book which was … Read more
In the story of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Mr. Broklehurst becomes a very controversial character that Jane encounters early in the story. Mr. Broklehurst, a rather annoying clergyman, feels that he has a specific goal. His goal, at least in his eyes, is to save the otherwise lost souls of his girls in the … Read more
In the play Othello, the most powerful emotion is anger. This emotion helps to establish the plot, as it plays a vital role. Three characters that it affects in the play are Othello, Iago and Roderigo. All the characters vent their anger through violence and confrontations. Othello vents most of his anger by smothering Desdemona … Read more
Peter Ivanovich (known from now on as PI) was Ivan’s dearest friend. PI and Ivan have known each other all their lives yet at Ivan’s funeral PI shows no deep remorse. All that PI really thinks about is the vacancy that Ivan has left at work. He like other people, thinks that relationships are just … Read more
William Shakespeare was one of the greatest poets of all time. What made him that poet? Why hasnt he been forgotten? One answer was the fact that he wrote about ideas and concerns that remain close at heart with people of all cultures and backgrounds. His plays were not confined to local politics, and the … Read more
Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, written in approximately 1385, is a collection of twenty-four stories ostensibly told by various people who are going on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral from London, England. Prior to the actual tales, however, Chaucer offers the reader a glimpse of fourteenth century life by way of what he refers to … Read more
The book begins in the middle of the French and Indian War in upper New York State near the Hudson River and Lake Chaplain. General Webb has just gotten word from an Indian that Moncalm and the French are going to attack Fort William Henry and that Colonel Munro will not be ale to keep … Read more
“The content of the writing brings you directly into the author’s mind. ” In the novel, Dorian Gray, the author, Oscar Wilde, related the values during the 19th century through his characters. His personality and view of life is expressed through his novel-“Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world … Read more
Two of the main characters in Homer’s The Iliad, Achilles and Hector, compare very differently in many ways. Although they were both war heroes, they came from different sides of the battle and fought each other under different beliefs. These two brave warriors fought to the death in Book 22, where Hector eventually lost to … Read more
Though the characters in the Canterbury Tales are described vividly and often comically, it is not necessarily true that these characters are therefore stereotypes of The Middle ages. The intricate visual descriptions and the tales the characters tell help to direct the reader in finding a more accurate and realistic picture of the pilgrims, bringing … Read more
Women have played many roles in marriage throughout history but the primary one has been the role of the submissive, attentive, attractive wife. This role mainly composed of living for her husband and her children. Henrik Ibsen, in his play A Doll’s House examines the of the roles of women and men in marriage. A … Read more
Throughout Shakespeares tragedy Romeo and Juliet, fate manifests itself causing the destruction of many lives. Fate drastically affects the lives of Romeo, Juliet, and Tybalt throughout the tragedy. Destined to bump into the servant, Romeo discovers the Capulets party. Romeo goes to find Rosaline at Capulets party yet fate leads him to meet Juliet. He … Read more
The Tempest consists of a series of rebellion, treacheries, mutinies and conspiracies against authority but the overall view of the dramatic action is much more complex. Many other aspects and themes such as illusion and the supernatural (magic) also play a very important part in shaping the plot. Power struggle is evident from the beginning, … Read more
In Henrik Ibsens, A Dolls House, the character of Nora Helmer goes through the dramatic transformation of a kind and loving house wife, to a desperate and bewildered woman, whom will ultimately leave her husband and everything she has known. Ibsen uses both the characters of Torvald and Nora to represent the tones and beliefs … Read more
Cathy Spellman’s, The Playground of The Gods is an exuberant novel which deals with murder in a remote tropical paradise but can further be read as an illustration of man’s ignorance and invasion of nature. “Do it big, or stay in bed. “( Larry Kelly). These are words that Thoros Gagarian lives by. He is … Read more
In The Odyssey the main character, Odysseus, meets and entertains an impressive array of women. All of the women that he meets are very different and have different personalities and Homer clearly states his attitude towards each of the women. Some of the women are seen as essentially ‘good’ or essentially ‘bad. ’ It is … Read more