Study Like a Boss
Importance of Criticism To fully appreciate literature, we must look at it from every angle possible. There are many ways to criticize a piece of literature. Each way helps a reader to better understand the work in its own different way. I hope to outline and give examples of the many different ways that the … Read more
Beauty is something that a lot of people in life strive for, because everyone has fitted in their mind what exactly beauty is. People know that it can help you out in life. But what most people dont know is that, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Meaning that beauty should not be … Read more
Book 13 of the Odyssey begins with Odysseus finishing his tale in the King Alcinous’ palace. It is King Alicinous that tells Odysseus he will give him a safe passage home to Ithaca. Odysseus is not surprisingly grateful and hopes that Alcinous and his people and island are blessed by the gods. The king then … Read more
In Irne, Voltaire wrote, Shakespeare is a savage with sparks of genius which shine in dreadful darkness of night. One of Shakespeares sparks of genius was in his use of masks. These masks put characters in a sort of darkness of night, allowing them to become someone else. They are used for imagery, so one … Read more
Emily Dickinson’s poems, “Because I Could Not Stop For Death” and “I Heard A Fly Buzz-When I Died,” are both about one of life’s few certainties, death. However, that is where the similarities end. Although Dickinson wrote both poems, their ideas about what lies after death differ. In one, there appears to be life after … Read more
Throughout time women have had to fight hard for respect and the rights that come with it. Many societies have potrayed women as second class citizens, teaching that they should be subservient to men. There have been those who have spent entire lifetimes working to break beyond the traditional concepts of women and power. It … Read more
Of Mice and Men (1937), written in the same genre as The Grapes of Wrath, that of a story about migrant farm workers and their lives as a reflection on society, was the book that thrust Steinbeck into the limelight as a national celebrity. He won many awards and honors including being picked as one … Read more
“Nihil ex nihilo, I always say”(Gardner 150). These are the words of the infamous Grendel from the novel, titled that same character, by John Gardner. They represent the phrase “life itself is meaningless” which is taught to Grendel by a few different people throughout this novel. In the following essay, the explanation of this phrase, … Read more
Longing for Love Charlotte Bronte created the novel “Jane Eyre,” with an overriding theme of love. The emotional agony that the main character experiences throughout the novel stem from the treatment received as a child, loss of loved ones, and economic hardships. To fill these voids, Jane longs for love. Ironically, Jane rejects affection at … Read more
When writing a book, most authors are writing about an issue they have. However, other themes become apparent through the course of the piece, either consciously or subconsciously. One such theme is a reversal of characters in A Tale of Two Cities. Individuals and groups of people change dramatically from the outset of the book … Read more
To express his view of good and evil in every man, William Shakespeare writes lines that Friar Laurence reveals in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet which compare man to plants, focusing on the common trait they hold of having two contrasting components in their being. Throughout history, there has always been a conflict with … Read more
Many conflicts can be found within various plays. In Sophocles Antigone one of the many conflicts found is men versus women. The king of Thebes, Creon, has a problem with women. But not only the king, Ismene, Antigones sister as well refers to herself and her sister as being inferior to men. Women generally do … Read more
Through Blade Runner, we see an epic quest filled with meaning and symbolism applicable to the human condition. Replicants are basically human beings, except for the fact that they lack a history. As a consequence of this, perhaps, they also lack proper emotional faculties especially empathy. Empathy is the ability to place oneself in the … Read more
Willy Loman, the main character in Death of a Salesman is a complex and fascinating tragic character. He is a man struggling to hold onto what dignity he has left in a changing society that no longer values the ideals he grew up to believe in. While society can be blamed for much of his … Read more
Hamlet’s motives rally between those of both revenge and justice, and it becomes this internal conflict which sets the pace of events throughout Shakespeare’s entire play. Revenge serves Hamlet as his initial goal in the pursuit for vindication of his father’s death. Soliloquy later reveals Hamlet’s torn sensibility and care for justice, which decelerates his … Read more
The Grapes of Wrath is an eye-opening novel which deals with the struggle for survival of a migrant family of farmers in the western United States. The book opens with a narrative chapter describing Oklahoma, and the overall setting. It sets the mood of an area which has been ravished by harsh weather. “The sun … Read more
Shakespeare wrote many plays during his lifetime. Some of his plays have similar comedic characteristics and then other plays are the exact opposite of comedy. Shakespeare wrote tragedies, romance, history, comedy and problem plays all with great success. During the performance of these plays there was no scenery so great time was taken when developing … Read more
“… My thought, whose murder yet is but fantastical, Shakes so my single state of man that function Is smother’d in surmise, and nothing is But what is not. ” (1. 3. 140-143). Throughout Shakespeare’s play, we see that Macbeth is the victim of evil seduction by women. In the above quote the evil is … Read more
It is known that in Shakespeare’s tragedies main characters die in the end, and in his comedies people marry. Since Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, Romeo and Juliet are going to die in the end. Some events have to lead to their deaths, and someone makes these events happen. The person(s) who started it … Read more
In Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, the main character Guy Montag makes a complete metamorphosis. He goes from hating books to loving them. He changes from a stolid character, incognizant of the activities in his surroundings, to a person conscious of everything, so enlightened by the new world he is exposed to. There are many … Read more
Sir Gawain’s adventures with the Green Knight should have provided Gawain with moral lessons and given him a new appreciation for life. Gawain chooses not to see things this way. He is unable to get beyond his feelings of humiliation and embarrassment to see the value and humor in his encounters with the Green Knight. … Read more
For my book report, I have chosen the novel Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat. In this report I will give a brief summary of the novel as well as why I have chosen it for my report. Finally, I will give my reactions to the novel with regards to its analysis of the place … Read more
Throughout Arthur Millers , Death of a Salesman , the Loman family cannot discern between reality and illusion, particularly the father, Willy. This theme is evident throughout the whole of the play and eventually leads to the downfall of the main character, Willy. Willy has many illusions throughout the play. He believes that being well-liked … Read more
World War II propels the characters in A Farewell to Arms. Fredrick Henry’s actions are determined by his position until he deserts the army. It is during his escape Henry resolves that he is through with the war, a war in which he really has no place, and decides that all he wants is to … Read more
This character sketch will be on Shylock, describing his physical and personality traits. Shylock is an older, Jewish money lender who has one daughter named Jessica. Shylock is introduced into the novel when Antonio’s friend, Gratiano needs money in order to impress a girl. Antonio at the time does not have any money and sends … Read more
In the poem, The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, a simple bird harasses the narrator. The bird, a raven, enters through the window that the narrator opens in order to find out who or what is tapping at the window. The narrator is obviously depressed over the loss of his love, Lenore; however other than … Read more
English poet and playwright, recognized in much of the world as the greatest of all dramatists, is perhaps the most famous writer in the history of English literature. By writing plays, Shakespeare earned recognition from his late 16th and early 17th century contemporaries, but he may have looked to poetry for enduring fame. His poetic … Read more
Greek theatre played a large role in Greece. The citizens were supposed to learn from the mistakes made in tragedies. The citizens should have learned what not to be like as a citizen or person. In a Greek trilogy written by Sophocles there are two ma in characters, Antigone and Creon. They are both strong … Read more
In book 23 of the Odyssey, reoccurring Homeric themes appear, characters roles change, and a homecoming for an epic hero is finally accomplished. Book 23 may be the one book in this poem that can be related the closest to the poem as a whole. In this book, we see the relationship of a god/goddess … Read more
The art of deception many times changes the current conditions or plays a significant role in the end result of literary works. In Othello and The Tragical History of Dr. Faustus shows how deception changes the identity of individuals and the outcome of certain events. There is a juxtaposition between the characters of Iago and … Read more
“I wanted to get out and walk eastward toward the park through the soft twilight but each time I tried to go I became entangled in some wild strident argument which pulled me back, as if with ropes, into my chair. Yet high over the city our line of yellow windows must have contributed their … Read more
Symbolism is a clever technique used by Nathaniel Hawthorne in his infamous novel The Scarlet Letter. Some of the symbols that are conveyed in this novel are very easy to decipher. However, some of the symbols could be hard to unmask. Therefore, the reader is forced to analyze the material thoroughly in order to get … Read more
This is a futuristic novel that takes place in northern USAsometime in the beginning of the twenty-first century, in the oppressive and totalitarian Republic of Gilead. The regime demandshigh moral, retribution and a virtuous lifestyle. The Bible is theguiding principle. As a result of the sexual freedom, freeabortion and a high increase of venereal diseases … Read more
In Heart of Darkness it is the white invaders for instance, who are, almost without exception, embodiments of blindness, selfishness, and cruelty; and even in the cognitive domain, where such positive phrases as “to enlighten,” for instance, are conventionally opposed to negative ones such as “to be in the dark,” the traditional expectations are reversed. … Read more
He who had come to them from across the sea, bold and strong minded, had driven affliction off, purged Herot clean. Beowulf has traveled a great distance to help people in need. Even though Beowulf is a fictional character, he is clearly the heroic symbol needed by the people of the chaotic Middle Ages with … Read more
How is love to influence our lives? Love-struck people do crazy things to express how they care for that particular person yet it is a long and windy road to these actions. It is down this path that experience spawns and trouble and happiness are felt. Janie Crawford of Zora Neale Hurstons Their Eyes Were … Read more
In Heart of Darkness it is the white invaders for instance, who are, almost without exception, embodiments of blindness, selfishness, and cruelty; and even in the cognitive domain, where such positive phrases as to enlighten, for instance, are conventionally opposed to negative ones such as to be in the dark, the traditional expectations are reversed. … Read more
The witches in Macbeth are very important in the plot and develop certain aspects of the play. They make greater the theatrical experience with images of darkness, thunder and lightning that make Macbeth the tragedy it is. Their actions also add to the play, dancing round the cauldron and chanting Double, double. Their appearance as … Read more
In The Handmaids Tale, much use is made of imagery; to enable the reader to create a more detailed mental picture of the novels action and also to intensify the emotive language used. In particular, Atwood uses many images involving flowers and plants. The main symbolic image that the flowers provide is that of life; … Read more
In William Shakespeare’s Othello, Othello is the tragic hero. He is a character of high stature who is destroyed by his surroundings, his own actions, and his fate. His destruction is essentially precipitated by his own actions, as well as by the actions of the characters surrounding him. The tragedy of Othello is not a … Read more
The imagery depicted in T. S. Eliot’s poem “The Hollow Men” evokes a sense of desolate hopelessness and lends to Eliot’s generally cynical view of civilization during this period in history. A reaction of deep and profound disappointment in mankind around him is made evident in this poem, first published in 1925. In this short … Read more
In comparing and contrasting the Arthurian Legends and J. R. R. Tolkien’s book The Fellowship of the Ring, it is almost like a medieval contest between the two with many of the similarities coming from the customs of the Middle Ages. A look at the make up of the groups involved, the moral code, the … Read more
Throughout the Mark Twain (a. k. a. Samuel Clemens) novel, The Adventures of HuckleBerry Finn, a plain and striking point of view is expressed by the author. His point of view is that of a cynic; he looks upon civilized man as a merciless, cowardly, hypocritical savage, without want of change, nor ability to effect … Read more
The debate over who is the tragic hero in Antigone continue on to this day. The belief that Antigone is the hero is a strong one. There are many critics who believe, however, that Creon, the Ruler of Thebes, is the true protagonist. I have made my own judgments also, based on what I have … Read more
The literary world embraced English romanticism when it began to emerge and was so taken by its elements that it is still a beloved experience for the reader of today. Romanticism has crossed all social boundaries, and it was during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, it found its way into almost every niche in the … Read more
Andy Warhol once said, “They say that time changes things, but actually you have to change them yourself. ” Two hundred fifty years passed between the original Romeo and Juliet and the premiere of West Side Story on Broadway in 1957. However, time did not change the message of the story, simply the creators unique … Read more
How do we perceive a novel? What influences our impressions of certain characters? Many literary critics would agree that choosing the correct point of view is critical in developing the plot and character of any piece of writing. Quite simply, point of view can be described as the role of the narrator in the story; … Read more
In Harper Lees book, To Kill A Mockingbird, there are many examples of racism. During this time in history racism was acceptable. Racism is a key theme in her book. Not only those who were black, but also those who affiliated with blacks, were considered inferior. Atticus, a lawyer, who defended blacks in court, was … Read more
The oldest English epic, Beowulf, although composed twelve centuries ago, uses many of the same ideals and values that exist in modern life and modern literature. These attributes are still important, but they do not occupy every aspect of life as in Anglo- Saxon England. Some of the ideals have little use today, such as … Read more
Pride and Prejudice is a story about two married couples who do not respect each other. Mrs. Bennet business is to get her five daughter’s to marry the most richest man in England. She is willing to take on any obstacles that get in her way. Mr. Bennet is a very outspoken and sardonic person. … Read more