Study Like a Boss
After the Civil War, many Confederate soldiers returned home and founded nothing and many had no place to stay. Many people that God was punishing them for all the sins that they had done to the blacks. But many other Southerners refuse to accept that they were defeated by the Union. Instead, they thought that … Read more
William Faulkner, one of the most famed writers of our times, explores in his writing the themes of alienation and isolation. He interweaves these themes with his female characters. In A Rose for Emily, Miss Emily Grierson is a woman who is alienated and lives in isolation from the people in her town. The theme … Read more
“… it is no delusion. There is an Unpardonable Sin! ” , a quote by Ethan Brand that is at the root of many stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Nathaniel Hawthornes gloomy, dark style of writing is an emphasis on his theme of evil at societies heart. Writing about what he knew Hawthorne described the puritan … Read more
Having a good and noble king is vital to the succession and happiness of a group of people. Unfortunately, not all kings are good kings, but the welfare of their people reflects on their ability to do the job. Having a foreign or pariah king will cause the people’s welfare to suffer, but when a … Read more
Samuel Johnson writes “Hamlet is through the piece rather an instrument than an agent. ” This statement is true, it is exhibited in several ways. The manner in which Hamlet’s father manifests himself is an indication of his true intentions. Hamlet acts as an earthly means of revenge, he is the output for actions directed … Read more
It’s hard to imagine yet somehow so extremely close to us is the possibility of a world of ideal perfection where there is no room or acceptance of individuality. Yet, as we strive towards the growth of technology and improvement of our daily living we come closer to closing the gap between the freedom of … Read more
From the very opening of the play when Richard III enters “solus”, the protagonist’s isolation is made clear. Richard’s isolation progresses as he separates himself from the other characters and breaks the natural bonds between Man and nature through his efforts to gain power. The first scene of the play begins with a soliloquy, which … Read more
In discussing Chaucer’s collection of stories called The Canterbury Tales, an interesting picture or illustration of the Medieval Christian Church is presented. However, while people demanded more voice in the affairs of government, the church became corrupt — this corruption also led to a more crooked society. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as just … Read more
In the novel, Candide, Voltaire uses many literary writing tools to prove the points in which he believes. Some of these many literary tools are irony, satire, and symbolism. Through these tools, Voltaire proves that greed is a universal vice, and usually ends in ones own destruction. Voltaire strongly emphasizes his pessimistic view throughout the … Read more
People have a hard time getting what they want; in fact, the things they want can be incompatible with each other. In Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the protagonist is lured to murder the king, Duncan, by the desire for power, an appetite honed by witch’s prophecies and his wife’s encouragement. But when he reaches the kingship, he … Read more
In Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte portrays one woman’s desperate struggle to attain her identity in the mist of temptation, isolation, and impossible odds. Although she processes a strong soul she must fight not only the forces of passion and reason within herself ,but other’s wills constantly imposed on her. In its first publication, it outraged … Read more
In both Crime and Punishment and Othello there is a theme of necessary balance. Crime and Punishment’s theme that man must be balanced in order to function properly is very similar to Othello’s theme that, tragically, jealousy is destructive, even to the one that holds it. In Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov’s extreme intellectualism caused him … Read more
William Shakespeare, born in 1594, is one of the greatest writers in literature. He dies in 1616 after completing many sonnets and plays. One of which is “A Midsummer Night’s Dream. ” They say that this play is the most purely romantic of Shakespeare’s comedies. The themes of the play are dreams and reality, love … Read more
For more than half a century science fiction writers have thrilled and challenged readers with visions of the future and future worlds. These authors offered an insight into what they expected man, society, and life to be like at some future time. One such author, Ray Bradbury, utilized this concept in his work, Fahrenheit 451, … Read more
The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov is a dramatic play set at a cherry orchard in Russia. Some of the characters that help set the dramatic setting of the play are Lyuboff, Lopahin, and Pishtchik. These characters find life difficult because they fail to understand each other and because they passively submit to their environmental … Read more
Huckleberry Finn is one of the many milestones in modern literature. It stands as a testament to the genius the world knows as Mark Twain. Through clever use of “local color” and other literary devices, he is able to weave not only the entertaining tale of Huck and Jim, but also a powerful anti-slavery message, … Read more
Do what you believe is right. This is a phrase common to us all, brought to our attention by parents, reinforced by teachers, and preached by leaders. But how does one define what is right? Is it what we believe in our hearts, or is it what we know is acceptable? This is a predominant … Read more
Kate’s soliloquy bring about a joyous conclusion to The Taming of the Shrew. The audience leaves the theatre with a pleasant feeling, glad that such a shrew could be tamed so well. Kate herself realised the error of her ways, making the men feel confident while making the women feel safe. Moreover, the audience found … Read more
In the tragedy Othello, Shakespeare creates a mood that challenges the way a person sees his or her self and the world. Subjects like racism, sexism, love, hate, jealously, pride, and trickery are thoroughly developed in the play of Othello to enable the audience to view the characters and also themselves. The Shakespearean tragedy of … Read more
Iago stands supreme among Shakespeare’s evil characters because of his intense and subtle cruelty, perfectly combined with his exceptional powers of will and intellect. As a result of this, his motivations are unclear; however the innocent, loyal, and honest character Iago portrays to the others, does not reflect his true character. He is the ultimate … Read more
The story begins in a village near the marshes where a young boy named Pip lives. Because his parents are dead, he lives with his sister, Mrs. Joe Gargery and her husband Joe whos a blacksmith and Pips trusted friend. Pip doesnt have much of a future, hes destined to become Joes apprentice and eventually … Read more
Sometime after the publication of “A Doll’s House”, Henrik Ibsen spoke at a meeting of the Norwegian Association for Women’s Rights. He explained to the group, “I must decline the honor of being said to have worked for the Women’s Rights movement. I am not even very sure what Women’s Rights are. To me it … Read more
The greatest gifts one can give do not always come in small packages. Sometimes the greatest present a person could receive is the utter extinction of a person’s very existence. Through death, we can sometimes benefit even if it evokes mixed deep uncomfortable feelings. Death for the sake of ritual and or tradition is an … 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
The American Dream is starting with nothing and through hard work and determination one can achieve millions of dollars and all the happiness one can handle. This may not be true, if that person tries to buy the past to regain the happiness he will never succeed and mostly likely end up very unhappy. A … Read more
Aldous Huxley was born in 1894, and died in 1963. He first went to Eton, and then to Oxford. He was a brilliant man, and became a succesful writer of short stories in the twenties and thirties. He also wrote essays and novels, like ‘Brave New World’. The first novels he wrote were comments on … Read more
The Catcher in the Rye has truly earned its place among great classic works. J. D. Salinger created a literary piece that was completely unique. The entire novel was written in the first person view of the 17-year-old, Holden Caulfield. The majority of the story is compiled of Holden’s rudimentary monologue of ‘complexly simple’ thoughts, … Read more
Sammy, in A&P by John Updike, plays a cashier at A&P grocery store. Sammy lives in a small country town in New England. He must be a college or high school student because he still lives with his parents. Sammy is quite intelligent and creative in the way he describes three girls that are dressed … Read more
Macbeth is the epitome of what the literary world regards a “tragic hero”. His admirable qualities are supplanted with greed and hate when he is duped by the three witches. Thunder and lightning. Enter three Witches. Yes, it is the first scene from William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, a tragic tale of one man’s quest for power … Read more
How would life be different if you lived in the early 1800s in a small town of England? How did the courtship rituals exist at that time? These questions are the main subjects of the book, Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, who wrote the book about the time that these things took place. When … Read more
In the play ‘Death of A Salesman’ by Arthur Miller, the main character, Willy Loman experiences intricacy during his elderly age where he struggles to be a good father, husband, friend and salesman. Willy’s struggle throughout the play builds up a path to the end and results in his demise. Willy’s demise is initially brought … Read more
A dream is defined as a condition or achievement that is longed for; an aspiration. Throughout the book the Great Gatsby we see the dream of one man, Jay Gatsby. Gatsbys dream is not merely what is known as the American Dream-the belief that anyone can rise to success no matter who they are or … Read more
In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Victor betrays nature by creating the Monster. It is the responsibility of nature, and not man, to create human beings. Victor has done something unnatural, he has created life after death, “I have created a monster. ” Victor is soon punished for interfering with nature when his own creation turns against … Read more
Poe is a very complicated author. His literary works are perplexed, disturbing, and even grotesque. His frequent illnesses may have provoked his engrossment in such things. In 1842 Dr. John W. Francis diagnosed Poe with sympathetic heart trouble as well as brain congestion. He also noted Poe’s inability to withstand stimulants such as drugs and … Read more
The Great Gatsby is a story of Nick Carraways growing up and development of moral responsibility. Unlike Nick, Gatsby does not mature. F. Scott Fitzgerald illuminates these two characters and their changes throughout the course of the novel. Nick Carraway is a character that develops a sense of moral responsibility throughout the novel. He is … Read more
A hero is defined in classical mythology as a man, especially the son of a god and a mortal, who is famous for possessing some extraordinary gift. Beowulf, the title character of an epic poem and Superman, a more modern day hero are both prime examples. Beowulf and Superman exhibit several differences, but they also … Read more
People, honored by people, have questioned it 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 his first … Read more
Symbolism at it’s best is limitless in conveying a feeling, mood, or atmoshphere that words alone can not define. It can trigger emotion, persuade the reader to question everything they know thus far, or inflict thoughts that, in the most twisted sense of the story, would seem barely justified. Symboloism reaches out to the reader … Read more
The characters’ search of their own identities and the struggle that ensues is the most suffusive theme throughout The Great Gatsby . The fact that we never really know the characters, and the corrupt immoral things they do, directly represent the 20’s high society lifestyle. The characters continued to cheat on their spouses, let money … Read more
During the time in which the play took place society frowned upon women asserting themselves. Women were supposed to play a role in which they supported their husbands, took care of their children, and made sure everything was perfect around the house. Work, politics, and decisions were left to the males. Nora’s first secession from … Read more
Although on the surface The Yellow Wallpaper, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is a story about one woman’s struggles with sanity it is not. In truth, it is a story about the dominant/submissive relationship between an oppressive husband and his submissive wife. The husband, John, pushes his wife’s depression to a point quite close to insanity. … Read more
“I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw” (II. ii. 376-7). This is a classic example of the “wild and whirling words” (I. v. 134) with which Hamlet hopes to persuade people to believe that he is mad. These words, however, prove that beneath his “antic … Read more
Freedom is defined as ‘the condition of being free of restraints’; but freedom for me has a greater and deeper meaning. Freedom is the power to make one’s own decisions, the power to laugh, the power to speak one’s mind with out boundaries. Freedom is a frame of mind. One is only truly free when … Read more
Herbert George Wells was born in 1866 in Bromley, Kent, a few miles from London, the son of a house-maid and gardener. Wells died in 1946, a wealthy and famous author, having seen science fiction become a recognized literary form and having seen the world realize some of science fiction’s fondest dreams and worst fears. … Read more
When a writer develops a novel, he/she often incorporates events, people, and places from his/her own life into the story he/she creates. Gullivers Travels, written by Jonathan Swift, is a prime example of this theory. In every book, chapter, page, and even word, Swift can be seen. His moral, scientific, philosophical, and political views made … Read more
I think that A Clockwork Orange is a book worth reading because it is relatable, makes you think, and is interesting. The author, Anthony Burgess, was born February 25, 1917. At the young age of two his mother passed away. He was brought up by his aunt and later his stepmother. Even with such an … Read more
Although humans have the tendency to set idealistic goals to better future generations, often the results can prove disastrous, even deadly. The tale of Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, focuses on the outcome of one man’s idealistic motives and desires of dabbling with nature, which result in the creation of horrific creature. Victor Frankenstein was not … Read more
The father and son relationship is one of the most important aspects through the youth of a young man. In Shakespeare’s play Henry IV, he portrays the concept of having “two fathers”. King Henry is Hal’s natural father, and Falstaff is Hal’s moral father. Hal must weigh the pros and cons of each father to … Read more
“Tush, never tell me! I take it much unkindly/ that thou, Iago, who hast had my purse/ as if the strings were thine, shouldst know of this. /” (I. i. 1-3) From the beginning of Othello, Iago is portrayed as an antagonist, a villain who acts out of only his own interest. The acts that … Read more
Young women face so many challenges in their lifetime, and the book Audios, Barbie displays several of the trials and tribulations that each individual young lady might encounter. The bulk of the stories deal with body image and self-identity, and I chose to focus on a particular story titled, “Appraising God’s Property”, by Keesa Schreane. … Read more