Study Like a Boss
Everyone is a traveler, carefully choosing which roads to follow on the map of life. There is never a straight path that leaves one with but a single direction in which to head. Robert Frosts “The Road Not Taken” can be interpreted in many different ways. The shade of light in which the reader sees … Read more
Gabriel Garcia Marquez story, Big Mama’s Funeral, is a story filled with fantastical scenes and events much in line with Don Quixote and Candide. The introductory paragraphs of Big Mama’s Funeral and Candide sound so similar in voice the two authors could be mistaken for the same. In Candide, one finds a series of episodes … Read more
The quote “material without being real” shows the emptiness of an existence with the realization of a tainted ideal. Fittingly, this quote from Nick is placed after Daisy leaves Gatsby. Nick is imagining what Gatsby would be thinking if he had understood that the goal, winning Daisy and her materialistic insubstantiality, was unworthy of his … Read more
In the story Antigone Creon showed that to much power will corrupt anyone. As Creon became blessed with total control his character, principals, and his judgement deteriorated. Antigone was written by a man named Sophocles. He was a man that did an excellent job of showing how absolute power will corrupt absolutely. Using Creon’s utmost … Read more
In the play Othello, by William Shakespeare, there is a display of the different human facets. This essay will primarily focus on the qualities of Iago. The way Shakespeare went about the description of Iago’s character; anyone would assume that he was nothing but a despicable person. I would like to add a couple of … Read more
Hawthorne’s novel describes the life of an adulteress, Hester Prynne, who is shunned by her judgmental community. She gave birth to her daughter Pearl out of wedlock, while her “partner of iniquity,”(Hawthorne 59) a minister named Arthur Dimmesdale, never revealed his “black secret” of their affair. Although Hester suffered public ridicule, the minister suffered no … Read more
As the curtain is being pulled up, we find Willy Loman, a depressed 60 year old salesman, who is returning from a business trip. Willy has two sons named Happy, and Biff, both of whom are complete failures. The failures of both his children cause Willy to go insane, and he plans to kill himself. … Read more
One of the best novels of Ernest Hemingway is A Farewell to Arms. Hemingway takes much of his life story to his novels. A Farewell to Arms is the typical classic story that can refer to Romeo and his Juliet placed against the odds. In this novel, Romeo is Frederick Henry and Juliet is Catherine … Read more
Wuthering Heights, written by Emily Bront, can be classified as a Romantic novel, because it contains many tenets of Romanticism. Romanticism was the initial literary reaction to changes in society caused by the industrial revolution: it was an attempt to organize the chaos of the clash between the agrarian and the industrial ways of life. … Read more
An excellent father will make every effort to constantly do what is best for his family. He will put his needs last, ensuring that his family is well cared for and not lacking for any necessities. And, most significantly, a first-class father will make his family his main concern, coming before his job, his friends, … Read more
“Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the heroes of all time here gone before us. \” (p. 1 A Heroes Adventure). This quote from Joseph Campbell tells you the essence of a hero. Odysseus might be a hero in the book but Telemachus was the one who went through the … Read more
Othello’s character during the play is first shown as a hero of war and a man of great pride and courage. The other main characters in the play all form their own opinions of him and as the play continues, his character begins to deteriorate and become less noble. Chronologically through the play Othello’s character … Read more
Shortly before Christopher Marlowe’s untimely death during a bar brawl, he was arrested and charged with atheism, a high crime at the time. Much of the basis for this claim may have stemmed from his controversial play, “Doctor Faustus,” which deals heavily with necromancy and the devil. Using only this play as a basis to … Read more
The characters, in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, are hiding from each other and seeking the truth about each other and about life. The game of hide and seek that Nora plays with her children, she also plays with her husband. She hides her actions and her true personality from him. He also hides his … Read more
There are many differences and critical comparisons that can be drawn between the epics of Beowulf and Gilgamesh. Both are historical poems which shape their respected culture and both have major social, cultural, and political impacts on the development of western civilization literature and writing. Before any analysis is made, it is vital that some … Read more
In Arouet de Voltaires Candide, Candide travels the world to meet many people and see many places. He is not the sharpest pencil in the box and this gives him a unique spin on the adventures he has. During his encounters, love can be seen in many forms. The purpose of this paper is to … Read more
In Death of a Salesman, a play written by Arthur Miller, Miller reflects the theme that everyman needs to be honest with him self and act in accordance with his nature by displaying success and failure in different lights. Miller embodies the theme through characters in the play by explaining how their success and failures … Read more
In my opinion the play The Merchant of Venice is a tragic one which is discised as being comic. Many factors of this play are derived from the current voice of situation. The Merchant of Venice could be looked at as more tragic because of the negative intents from some of the characters in the … Read more
I chose Iago as my choice of character to discuss the discrepancy between appearance and truth as the driving factor in how Shakespeare creates characters. Iago is possibly the most heinous villain in Shakespeare. Iago is skillful, untrustworthy, and selfish when plotting his actions. He uses these traits to his advantage by slowly planning his … Read more
The death of Miss Emily Grierson, was it “A Mystery”, was this woman so mysterious that everybody in the community had to come visit her at death. The men through a sort of respectful affection for a fallen monument, the women mostly out of curiosity to see the inside of her house, which no one … Read more
Metamorphosis, written by Franz Kafka, is a story that deals with the transformation of a human being, Gregor Samsa, into a giant bug. Whether this transformation is a literal transformation, or a transformation only in the mind of Gregor, is a mystery to the reader. Even if the transformation is the main element in the … Read more
Color symbolism is really popular in novels written during the 1920’s. One such example is Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. There is much color symbolism in this novel, but there are two main colors that stand out more than the others. The colors green and white influence the story greatly. Green shows many thoughts, … Read more
In Shakespeare’s tragedy, Macbeth, the characters and the roles they play are critical to its plot and theme, and therefore many of Shakespeare’s characters are well developed and complex. Two of these characters are the protagonist, Macbeth, and his wife, Lady Macbeth. They play interesting roles in the tragedy, and over the course of the … Read more
In Medea, a play by Euripides, Jason possesses many traits that lead to his downfall. After Medea assists Jason in his quest to get the Golden Fleece, killing her brother and disgracing her father and her native land in the process, Jason finds a new bride despite swearing an oath of fidelity to Medea. Medea … Read more
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” is rich in symbolism, which is portrayed on several different levels in a variety of ways. One of the most important qualities of symbolism within this novel, is the way in which it is so fully integrated into the plot and structure. Some of the symbols are used mostly … Read more
It is commonly said that if you play too close with the fire, you are going to get burned. This generally means that if you live a dangerous lifestyle, then you will eventually falter and suffer the consequences. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, there are many cases where characters are killed because they lived a murderous lifestyle. … Read more
One of the most interesting and exotic characters in the tragic play Othello, by William Shakespeare, is honest Iago. At first Iago seems to be motiveless. However, the motivation behind his actions lie more in Iago’s quest for personal gain, as opposed to just being evil for evil’s sake. Iago’s greediness can be validated by … Read more
Sometimes humans try to avoid their inevitable destiny for their lives; there are moments that we may think of ourselves as invincible and smarter than what is already decided. There may also be a point when making a decision leads to a great error in judgment. In Oedipus the King, written by Sophocles, both of … Read more
Janie Crawford, the main character of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, strives to find her own voice throughout the novel and, in my opinion, she succeeds even though it takes her over thirty years to do it. Each one of her husbands has a different effect on her ability to find that … Read more
The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams centers around a dream of escape. Although everyone wants to escape from a different reality, they all feel that need to get away. The father is the most successful in his escape because he never has to deal with anything at home. He actually leaves and doesn’t look back. … Read more
In Oedipus the King, one of Sophocles most popular plays, Sophocles clearly depicts the Greeks popular belief that fate will control a mans life despite of mans free will. Man was free to choose and was ultimately held responsible for his own actions. Throughout Oedipus the King, the concept of fate and free will plays … Read more
Heathcliff, one of the central character of Wuthering Heights, evolves from an empathetic, innocent victim to a self-centered vindictive individual. This transformation is slow and develops in three distinctive parts. First, Heathcliff is sympathetically portrayed as an interloper. Next, he is characterized as an individual who is beginning to lose his innocence because he is … Read more
Everyone contains a tinge of Hamlet in his feelings, wants, and worries, and proudly so, for Hamlet is not like the other tragic heroes of his period. He stands apart from other Shakespeare’s heroes in his today much discussed innocence. Is this supposed tragic hero maybe an ideal hero – one without the tragic flaw, … Read more
Catherine Earnshaw She is the daughter of Mr. Earnshaw and the sister of Hindley. She is also Heathcliffs foster sister. Heathcliff and Catherine are in love, but she marries Edgar Linton instead. When Cathy died, she wanted both Heathcliff and Edgar to suffer because Edgar never understood why she loved Heathcliff and Heathcliff because he … Read more
Two of Kafkas’ most predominate works, The Trial and The Metamorphosis, are very similar in many aspects, yet also have unique differences. Many of these similarities and differences are very obvious, but also there are subtle comparisons that the reader might not pick up while reading. One would think, after reading both stories, that the … Read more
The Odyssey, though named for the great warrior and story focus Odysseus, cannot be soley regarded as a single man’s journey. The growth in intellect, maturity, and strength the Odysseus undergoes is reflected distinctly in his son, Telemachus. In the first books, other characters continue to treat him much as a child, and in many … Read more
In Brave New World, by Alduous Huxley, a new and controversial society is presented to its audience. A world of artificial intelligence where humans are cultivated in test tubes and social class is predetermined by the chemical mix they receive in vitro leads John Savage into corruption. He is torn between a world in which … Read more
When you think of science you think of hypotheses and conclusions, applications and benefits, which are all for the good of humankind of course. And with each new discovery, the human race takes one step further away from all other species and one step closer to perfection because that is the quest. Right? The point … Read more
William Faulkner’s short story “Barn Burning” describes a typical relationship between wealthy people and poor people during the Civil War. The main character, Abner Snopes, sharecrops to make a living for his family. He despises wealthy people. Out of resentment for wealthy people, he goes and burns their barns to get revenge. Abner’s character over … Read more
Perhaps the most interesting and exotic character in the tragic play “Othello,” is “Honest” Iago. Through some carefully thought-out words and actions, Iago is able to manipulate others to do things in a way that benefits him and moves him closer toward his goals. He is the main driving force in this play, pushing Othello … Read more
Peasants of the early sixteenth century are often pictured carrying a bundle of limbs tied with vines on their backs. This is a perfect metaphor for the events in Macbeth. Macbeth is one of many thanes, or limbs, bundled together. The thanes are united by the king, or the vine. Scotland, or the peasant, carries … Read more
It is my strong belief that the play, “The Merchant of Venice”, should be taught in classes. If this play was banned from schools it would most certainly be a form of censorship. While minors rights are somewhat limited when it comes to this right, I think that even Minors should not be censored from … Read more
One of the most interesting and exotic characters in the tragic play “Othello,” by William Shakespeare, is “Honest” Iago. At first glance, Iago seems to be the essence of “motiveless malignity. ” However, despite Iago’s unquestionable malignancy, the motivation behind his actions lie more in Iago’s quest for personal gain, as opposed to just being … Read more
Shirley Jackson takes great care in creating a setting for the story, The Lottery. She gives the reader a sense of comfort and stability from the very beginning. It begins, “clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green. ” The setting … Read more
The conflict between society and the individual is a theme portrayed throughout Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. Huck was not raised in accord with the accepted ways of civilization. He practically raises himself, relying on instinct to guide him through life. As portrayed several times in the novel, Huck chooses to follow his innate sense of right, … Read more
The play begins on the outer ramparts of Elsinore castle. It is late and Bernardo, a guard, is on duty waiting for Francisco to relieve him from his watch. Bernardo is nervous because the previous two nights he and Francisco have seen a figure who appears to be the ghost of the recently deceased Francisco … Read more
I thought that the book A Lesson Before Dying was all right overall. I think Ernest Gaines did a good job with the plot but the idea of the book was not to interesting to me. A book about a black man becoming a man on his way to the electric chair is a very … Read more
The tale begins with the noble Friar describing his district, which is ruled by an archdeacon. The archdeacon is one of high degree who boldly does the execution due on fornication, witchcraft, and many kinds of crime. He is a merciless ruler who torments those who fail to pay their tithes or give offerings. He … Read more
The contrast between an urban and a tropical setting represents the awakening that the protagonist experiences in Kate Chopin’s classic novel, The Awakening. At Grand Isle Edna becomes conscious of her restrictive marriage in a male dominated society. Her awakening originates with her experiences at Grand Isle but fully develops upon her return to the … Read more
Throughout many great works of literature there are numerous characters whose acts are either moral or immoral. In the works Euripides “Medea”, Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Boccaccio’s Decameron, “Tenth Day, Tenth Story”, the main characters all carry out actions which in today’s day and age would be immoral and inexcusable. Medea takes on the most immoral … Read more