Essay

The HIV virus poses one of the biggest viral threats to human society today. It is contracted through bodily fluids such as blood and semen, and sometimes even saliva and tears. AIDS kills 100% of its victims and puts them through agony before they die. It has been a threat for about 15 years, and … Read more

Many factors have influenced the rising crime rate, some being, increasing use of drugs, increasing population, and decreasing morals. America must find ways to decrease the crime rate legally. One question often going hand in hand with decreasing crime rate is would legalized gambling decrease the crime rate? During the late 1980s and early 1990s … Read more

In his The Miller’s Tale Chaucer presents a side of the courtly love tradition never seen before. His characters are average middle class workers rather than elite nobility. There is an interesting comparison between the Miller’s characters and those in two of Marie de France’s lais that share very close plot lines. Instead of being … Read more

Religions, myths, rituals and theologies are understood by many scholars somehow to possess or transmit essential truths or values that magically transcend their particular setting. In a word, “things religious” are presumed from the outset to be extraordinary, thus requiring special interpretive methods for their study. This essay attempts to reverse this penchant in modern … Read more

“Heaven and Hell and sunset and rainbows and the aurora all fused into on divine harmony . . . ” It is by the goodness of God that in out country we have those three unspeakable precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence never to practice either of them. Samuel Clemens’ … Read more

On the morning of August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber named Enola Gay flew over the industrial city of Hiroshima, Japan and dropped the first atomic bomb ever. The city went up in flames caused by the immense power equal to about 20,000 tons of TNT. The project was a success. They were an unprecedented … Read more

So often, when books or plays get made into movies, the whole story is butchered, and the final outcome is uninteresting. This is not the case for A Midsummer-Nights Dream. The movie A Midsummer-Nights Dream was extremely well acted out , and had an entertaining plot that kept its viewers intrigued. Its plot was fun … Read more

Subsidies are payments, economic concessions, or privileges given by the government to favor businesses or consumers. In the 1930s, subsidies were designed to favor agriculture. John Steinbeck expressed his dislike of the farm subsidy system of the United States in his book, The Grapes of Wrath. In that book, the government gave money to farms … Read more

Everyone who knew Abraham Lincoln loved him as a friend. All the children around his home in Springfield, Ill. , and around the White House in Washington felt that Mr. Lincoln understood them and truly liked them. Men and women who knew him admired him and called him honest Abe. (Lee, 47) People throughout the … Read more

The setting of ‘A & P’; is quite usual for a regular grocery store on a weekday. The town is north of Boston, five miles from the beach. Since the store is right in the middle of town, banks and churches and the newspaper store can been seen from the front doors. The day is … 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

Racism is a certain kind of prejudice, based on faulty reasoning and inflexible generalizations toward a specific group. The word prejudice comes from the Latin noun praejudicium, which means a judgment based on previous decisions formed before the facts were known. If a person allows their prejudiced beliefs to block the progress of another, it … Read more

Robert Edward Lee was considered one of the greatest generals in the history of the United States. Lee was opposed to many views of the south, including succession and slavery, yet his loyalty to his native state of Virginia forced him to fight for the south and refuse command of the Union armies during the … Read more

It is curious to note the role of women in Shakespearean literature. Many critics have lambasted the female characters in his plays as two-dimensional and unrealistic portrayals of subservient women. Others have asserted that the roles of women in his plays were prominent for the time and culture that he lived in. That such contrasting … Read more

Inherent inside every human soul is a savage evil side that remains repressed by society. Often this evil side breaks out during times of isolation from our culture, and whenever one culture confronts another. Joseph Conrad’s book, The Heart of Darkness and Francis Coppola’s movie, Apocalypse Now are both stories about Man’s journey into his … Read more

The question has been raised if Katherina, of Shakespeares The Taming of the Shrew, was really a shrew or a women that had trouble receiving affection? Her character was portrayed as a strong-willed hellcat who would just as soon devour any man that came near her. When Petruchio attempted to pay her compliments it seemed … Read more

Andrew Marvell writes an elaborate poem that not only speaks to his coy mistress but also to the reader. He suggests to his coy mistress that time is inevitably ticking and that he (the speaker) wishes for her to act upon his wish and have a sexual relationship. Marvell simultaneously suggest to the reader that … Read more

Opinions and beliefs, but he finally accepts that they will not leave his mind and his destiny is sealed. In his recognition of his core belief (individual freedom), he knows that he cannot resist this immutable freedom. Briefly, this sentence is the summary of man’s existence. Man knows he is selfish and those who allow … Read more

Many characters in novels may be considered to be tragic. These characters are considered tragic because of one character trait they possess that leads to their eventual demise. Jay Gatsby is a tragic character in a unique way. That is, he has many negative traits, but only one of these traits leads to his eventual … Read more

Revenge and vengeance are basic tools of human instinct. Whether society chooses to accept or blind itself to this fact, it is an indisputable truth. Francis Bacon examines this truth in “Of Revenge”, a view of society and literary characters that reflects the strive for vengeance. However, “Of Revenge” deeply underestimates the corruption of the … Read more

The Downfall of Young Goodman Brown \”Young Goodman Brown\”, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a story that is thick with allegory. \”Young Goodman Brown\” is a moral story which is told through the perversion of a religious leader. In \”Young Goodman Brown\”, Goodman Brown is a Puritan minister who lets his excessive pride in himself interfere … Read more

The subject, the drama, and the importance of Paradise Lost is grand. The epic represents what can be accomplished with the English language as sounds and syntax are carefully crafted. But the work is not shallow, because Milton argues forcefully the wisdom and justice of God Almighty for His dealings with mankind. In the words … Read more

In the essay “Prison “Reform” in America,” Roger T. Pray points out the much attention that has been devoted to research to help prevent crimes. Showing criminals the errors of their ways not by brutal punishment, but by locking them up in the attempt to reform them. Robert Pray, who is a prison psychologist, is … Read more

William Shakespeare (1564-1616) was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He was the son of John and Mary Shakespeare. William attended his town’s local grammar school at age six and graduated ten years later. When he was eighteen, he married a woman named Anne Hathaway who gave birth to twins, Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet drowned a few … Read more

William Frederick Cody, also known as Buffalo Bill, was born into an anti-slavery family. He had a rough childhood, but despite this hardship he grew up to be an adventurous wild west showman, and achieve many historical goals. On February 26, 1846, near the small town of LeClair, Iowa, William F. Cody was born to … Read more

Nathaniel Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown captivates the reader through a glimpse of the Puritan church. The story also shows the struggle of good versus evil in the main character Goodman Brown. The role of the Puritan church is crucial in shaping Goodman Browns personality and helping the reader understand why he was reluctant to continue … Read more

The Victorian Era was a difficult and confusing time for women, and their trials are reflected in the literature of the time. Although the three pieces of literature being discussed are not entirely about women, they shed light on the Victorian ideal of women and the ideals of the authors who created these women characters. … Read more

The proposition that ‘Macbeth is a villain in whom there is little to admire’; is an inadequate judgement of Macbeth’s character. Macbeth is not consciously and naturally malevolent, and there are many aspects of his character and his downfall which serve to support this. Macbeth was not only a victim of his own actions, but … Read more

In the novel The Killer Angels, Mr. Shaara’s historical accuracy is unquestionable. He has written this fabulous (Pulitzer Prize winning) novel. Although the heroic suicidal charge of the 10th Minnesotans on the second day of the battle was left out, Shaara focuses on Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th Maine which makes up for … Read more

Handguns and other firearms have a long tradition in American civilization. The right to bear arms is an American right featured in the second Amendment of the Constitution. In the 18th century when the constitution was written, times were different, there was a need for citizens to arm themselves to insure the safety of the … Read more

Miscongention during slavery is the root of the color complex. Historically if one were to trace the origin of the color complex one would have to begin at slavery. Europeans felt that Africans would be the ideal slaves because they did not know the American land and if they were to try to escape they … Read more

The second half of the 20th century has seen the continent of Africa in continuous turmoil. Civil wars, the AIDS epidemic, deforestation, and desertification are just a few of the problems facing Africa. A more recent threat to this ancient and fragile environment has emerged and is quickly gaining strength at devouring life the bush … Read more

Since coming to school, I have met people from every part of the nation. East and West Coast, and all the way to Alaska and Hawaii. I have also met people that were born in other countries and lived in the US all their life, and people who have recently immigrated. I have noticed that … Read more

Frederick Douglass was one of the most important black leaders of the Antislavery movement. He was born in 1817 in Talbot County, MD. He was the son of Harriet Bailey and an unknown white man. His mother was a slave so therefore he was born a slave. He lived with his grandparents until the age … Read more

Alex, the fifteen year old narrator of Anthony Burgess’s novel, A Clockwork Orange, lives in a society where violence reigns. This novel has a very direct nature, and is often blunt to the point of offense, but this makes it more powerful and helps to further its point. This point is that everyone is out … Read more

The Colorado River, one of the greatest natural wonders of the world, is a river of many different extremes, from the barren deserts of Mexico to the huge mountains of Colorado. This great river is born about 10,000 feet in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado and flows southwest for 1,470 miles to the Gulf of … Read more

The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U. S. history, and one which spread to virtually all of the industrialized world. The depression began in late 1929 and lasted for about a decade. Many factors played a role in bringing about the depression; however, the main cause for the Great Depression was … Read more

Babe Ruth is an American hero. He transformed baseball from a sport, to a national pastime when it needed it the most. Coming off of the wake of the Black Socks scandal, baseball was headed downhill. It had a bad reputation, and interest was waning. The dead-ball era was dragging on, and there were to … Read more

Republic (government) (Latin res publica, literally “the public thing”), form of state based on the concept that sovereignty resides in the people, who delegate the power to rule in their behalf to elected representatives and officials. In practice, however, this concept has been variously stretched, distorted, and corrupted, making any precise definition of the term … Read more

Euclid is one of the most influential and best read mathematician of all time. His prize work, Elements, was the textbook of elementary geometry and logic up to the early twentieth century. For his work in the field, he is known as the father of geometry and is considered one of the great Greek mathematicians. … Read more

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, it means hatred or intolerance of another race or other races. Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is a treasure for criticism on the authors stand on racism. Many believed him to be a racist writer, and many others believed that the novel only implicated the beliefs of his … Read more

What Makes Sammy Run? by Budd Schulberg is a brilliant book that shows the savagery, the insensitiveness, and cruelty caused by the drive for money, which characterized the general attitude of most people in America during the end of 1930s and the beginning of the 1940s. Sammy Glick, the main character in the book, is … Read more

The section that I have chosen to analyze from the book Hollywood vs. America is “The Attack on Religion. ” In this part of the book, Michael Medved discusses the shift in attitude Hollywood has made toward religion, from acceptable to contemptible. He takes a look at the messages being sent in films, music and … Read more

In ‘The Chrysanthemums’; by John Steinbeck, the role of Elisa shifts several times throughout the story, from the loving, sensitive wife, to strong, independent woman and back. This all comes about from a meeting with a traveling repairman. Her attraction to the repairman, and his apparent interest in Elisa’s prized chrysanthemums, gives her a feeling … Read more

Christianity and Judaism are major world religions which, though they worship the same God, have marked differences which have caused two thousand years of strife and animosity between the two religions. In his book We Jews and Jesus, Samuel Sandmel likens the link between Judaism and Christianity to a type of parent-child relationship, saying, “Early … Read more

Young versus old. Death versus eternal life. The positive effects of societys pressure versus the negative. Marge Piercys Barbie Doll and Dick Schneiders Youths Progress are a study in the themes mentioned above. There are many obvious similarities in the chronological structure and irony of the two works. However, the reader will find that there … Read more

Candide, a novel by Voltaire, is an adventure story that can be summed up into one word: eccentric. The story begins with the introduction of an extremely wealthy family that resides in the England province known as Westphalia. While there, he encounters two people who will have a greater impact on his beliefs, goals, and … Read more

During the past decade, our society has become based solely on the ability to move large amounts of information across large distances quickly. Computerization has influenced everyone’s life. The natural evolution of computers and this need for ultra-fast communications has caused a global network of interconnected computers to develop. This global net allows a person … Read more

Lung cancer is a disease in which a primary cancer (the original site where the cancer occurred) develops in the tissue of the lungs. Lung cancer was first described by doctors in the mid 1800’s. At the turn of the century, it was still considered a rarity; that has changed dramatically. What has not changed … Read more

“I’d die happy if I could finish this final novel, for I would have expressed myself completely. ” This statement from the author of “The Brothers Karamazov” helps elucidate the underlying purpose and theme of one of the greatest masterpieces of world literature. Superficially, the novel deals with a horrifying parricide and how the supporting … Read more