Study Like a Boss
Innocence If anything drives Holden’s cynicism it is what he sees as the loss of innocence. He idealizes this state over all others. His dream is to be “the catcher in the rye” in which children play in a state of protected innocence and he has the role of catching them should they wander too … Read more
“Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.”“Yes, sir. I know it is. I know it.”Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game, all right—I’ll admit that. But if you get on the other side, … Read more
Holden Caulfield The narrator and protagonist of the novel. At 16 years old, Holden is facing expulsion from Pencey Prep school for failing his studies. He is obviously extremely cynical about nearly every aspect of life and this comes through not just in what he says but also in his tone. He sees nothing but … Read more
The protagonist of the novel is seventeen-year-old Holden Caulfield. Directly addressing the reader, Holden lets us know that he is currently in a mental hospital or sanitarium somewhere in Southern California. He explains that he wants to tell us of the events which took place the previous December over two days. At this point he … Read more
The Things They Carried is a powerful look into the lives and experiences of foot soldiers during and after the Vietnam war. Written by Tim O’Brien, the work is concurrently an autobiographical account of the war, a memoir, and a collection of short, fictional stories. O’Brien chose to subtitle the book, “A Work of Fiction”, and … Read more
Themes and Symbols The Ephemerality of Existence and Identity: Addie Bundren’s death prompts several characters to explore existence and identity. Vardaman is confused and horrified by the transformation of a fish he has caught and cleaned into pieces of what is no longer a fish, and associates that image with the transformation of his mother from … Read more
Quotes and Analysis Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke … Read more
Ponyboy Curtis associates himself with a group of lower-class Oklahoma teens known as ‘greaser’; a named they’ve earned on account of their greasy, long hair. While walking home one evening after a movie, Ponyboy is confronted by members of the ‘Socs’, adversaries of the greasers who are teenagers from wealthy, upper-class families on the cities … Read more
“Mother, monogamy, romance. High spurts the fountain; fierce and foamy the wild jet. The urge has but a single outlet. My love, my baby. No wonder those poor pre-moderns were mad and wicked and miserable. Their world didn’t allow them to take things easily, didn’t allow them to be sane, virtuous, happy.” This quotation is … Read more
First published in 1603, in a pirated quarto edition titled The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet and then in 1604 in a superior quarto edition. Hamlet is probably the most famous of Shakespeare’s tragedies. The source of the story of Hamlet is actually quite old. Some scholars date the tale of a hero-as-fool tale to classical antiquity. The most likely … Read more
Quotations and Analysis “And when I saw that, I realized that selling was the greatest career a man could want. ’Cause what could be more satisfying than to be able to go, at the age of eighty-four, into twenty or thirty different cities, and pick up a phone, and be remembered and loved and helped … Read more
Heorot The mead hall of Hrothgar is much more than a place to live, eat, and sleep. The expanse and safety of the mead-hall represent the power and wisdom of the king. That the Danes are able to find a place of solace and comfort under the roof of Hrothgar’s mead-hall is a symbol of … Read more
Quotations and Analysis “At this point one may note that men must be either pampered or annihilated. They avenge light offenses; they cannot avenge severe ones; hence, the harm one does to a man must be such as to obviate any fear of revenge.” This quote is from Chapter 3 and it demonstrates the emphasis on … Read more
“Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: “Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.” That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday.” These are the opening lines of the novel. Spoken, or perhaps thought, by Meursault, these lines indicate the tremendous indifference he shows toward everything. That … Read more
Important Themes Words and Things One of the main ideas that comes forward in Through the Looking-Glass is the gulf between words and the thing they are alleges to mean. Alice’s conversation with Humpty Dumpty on the meaning of the poem the Jabberwocky is a central moment. Although the poem is made up of nonsense words, Humpty … Read more
Characters and Analysis Jake Barnes Jake is a veteran of World War I. The protagonist working as a journalist in Paris. He and his friends live a life of drinking and parties. Jake is more stable than most of his friends. His weakness is his love for Lady Brett Ashley that is complicated by his own … Read more
Characters Edna Pontellier The young wife and mother who loses herself to the pressures of societal conventions. Edna is treated as a mere object by her husband and expected to sacrifice herself for the sake of her children. She decides to rebel against the conventions that bind her and begins her path to self-discovery. However, … Read more
Symbols The Fog Machine As part of his delusion, Bromden regularly sees a haze of fog. Fog is a natural phenomenon that clouds the way the world is seen, and in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest fog is used to symbolize lack of awareness and to offer an escape from reality. As Bromden slips further and … Read more
Woman as Evil Tormentors: The exception being Candy and Sandy, the prostitutes, the other females in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest are regarded as uniformly menacing and chilling beasts. Chief Bromden, the novel’s narrator, and McMurphy, the protagonist, are often heard referring to the suffering endured by the mental patients as being akin to emasculation or castration … Read more
Chief Bromden: Chief Bromden is the narrator of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. It is stated that he is the half-bred son of the Chief of the Columbia Indians. He suffers from hallucinations and intense paranoia; ailments that he has received many electroshock therapy treatments for. He has resided in the hospital for over a decade – … Read more
The part Native American narrator of the novel, Chief Bromden, has been a patient living in one of Oregon’s psychiatric facilities for nearly a decade. From the opening paragraph on it is evident that he is a paranoid man, one suffering from delusions and seeing things. The Chief’s outlook on the world around him is controlled … Read more
The play, originally published on December 4, 1879, Henrick Ibsen’s A Doll’s House was first performed seventeen days later on December 21 in Copenhagen. Ibsen’s work was well regarded, and the play sold out of all 8,000 of it’s first run prints in record time. A Doll’s House spurned so much controversy that the playwright was forced to … Read more
Symbolism of Frankenstein The book uses some Christian imagery, referring to Victor Frankenstein as the “Creator”, thus comparing him to God, and comparing the Creature to Adam, the first man whom God created. Victor is also compared to Prometheus, a rebellious Titan from Ancient Greek mythology, and Prometheus, in his turn, shares many common features with Satan … Read more
There is a number of spot-on quotes dealing with various important subjects of the book. Quotes about science and what price can be paid for it “One man’s life or death were but a small price to pay for the acquirement of the knowledge which I sought, for the dominion I should acquire and transmit … Read more
Conflicts in Frankenstein The book’s conflicts center around the controversial relations between the creator and his creation, responsibility, and revenge. It also questions the idea if a man has a right to follow his ambition and create living creatures in an unnatural way, or will he be punished for this. The first trouble arises when Victor … Read more
The events of the book are taking place in some time during the 18th century. The novel includes a frame story, where Captain Walton exchanges letters with his sister, Mrs. Margaret Walton Saville. Captain Walton and his crew are exploring the North Pole. At first they see a figure of a gigantic man in the … Read more
John Steinbeck published The Pearl in 1947 as his 11th novel. The American writer’s best asset is that he writes only after experiencing his subject matter firsthand. The novel is a parable inspired by a Mexican folk tale of a young Indian pearl diver that Steinbeck had heard on his trip to Mexico. Steinbeck increases the depth of the folk tale … Read more
The novel begins with a prologue that brings forward a novel narrated in a form of a folk tale told by the towns people, a relatable parable of all good and all evil. As the story begins we are introduced to the peaceful and serine life of Kino, Juana and their son Coyotito. As they go … Read more
The image of Boo Radley can at first seem strange and even disturbing, according to the overall tone of the story. The mysterious man – or even creature – who never leaves the Radleys” house is an embodiment of all the childish horrors about the haunted houses and their inhabitants. Atticus Finch is one of the main … Read more
“I got thinkin’ how we was holy when we was one thing, an’ mankin’ was holy when it was one thing. An’ it on’y got unholy when one mis’able little fella got the bit in his teeth an’ run off his own way, kickin’ an’draggin’ an’ fightin’. Fella like that bust the holi-ness. But when … Read more
Tom Joad It is widely believed that Jim Casy embodies the authors true philosophical belief system, and that Tom Joad is flawed and completely human. As the novel’s primary character, Tom has the most character development, and goes through what is known as an ‘education of the heart.’ This learning, experience, foresight, and the teaching … Read more
From its original publication date, the unusual way The Grapes of Wrath was structured has been questioned by many of those who have read the novel in its entirety. The author uses an unconventional method of interjecting chapters of random information – or commentary – between narrative chapters and this jumbling of information is found by many … Read more
In the throes of the Great Depression, Tom Joad hitchhikes through Oklahoma after having recently been paroled from the local penitentiary. During his travels he meets Jim Casy. Tom remembers the man from his childhood, he was a preacher. However, as Jim explains to Tom, that while he is still a God-fearing man, he no … Read more
Important Themes Statesmanship and War Machiavelli firmly believes that the soundness of the state is derived from a powerful military. He is not an advocate of democracy. The ruler derives his authority and power entirely from his ability to conquer and destroy all enemies—even potential enemies. He sums this up when he says that “the … Read more
Symbols Flames: Fire plays an important role in the play. It is symbolic not only of erotic love or desire, but also of destruction and ruin. Under the imagery of flames, Virgil is able to explain how one relates to the other, and how both are connected. The desire the Paris has for Helen is what … Read more
There are several themes present in the Aeneid. The most prevalent are The Dominance of Fate, The Suffering of the Lost, and the Power of the Romans. The Dominance of Fate Throughout the entire poem, Aeneas is guided by the principle to fulfill his fate. Despite encountering tremendous suffering on his journey, and experiencing many victories, his … Read more
The Living Aeneas: The primary protagonist of the poem, the Aeneid. Aeneas is one of the last surviving inhabitants of the city of Troy. Characteristically he is a pious man, with a strong fear of the gods. In addition to being a fearless warrior, he is a steadfast leader, capable of motivating his followers regardless of what dangers … Read more
Virgil’s poetic masterpiece, The Aeneid, tells of the plight of Aeneas and a group of Trojans as they sail across the Mediterranean Sea in search of Rome. Their homeland, the city of Troy, has been destroyed by the Greeks. As the group near closer to their destination, they are thrown off course by a ferocious storm … Read more
Characters and Analysis Okonkwo A clan leader, he has lived with the shame and embarrassment of his lazy and drunken father. Through his own hard work and valor in war he has earned a sound reputation among his people. However, because he is terrified of appearing weak, he overcompensates by being harsh and unyielding. This … Read more
Summary The novel begins with Mr. Lockwood, a man who goes to Wuthering Heights in search of solitude. During his stay, Lockwood is treated badly by Heathcliff, Hareton and Cathy who are the inhabitants of the house. One night he discovers Catherine Earnshaw’s diary and upon reading it he gets an idea of how Hindly … Read more
Symbolism Big Brother This is both the source of all power in the novel but also the symbol of the “benevolent dictatorship” of the party. It is a source of fear and the symbol of brotherly affection the Party holds toward the people. This is Orwell’s condemnation of central authority and the abuse they represent. … Read more
WAR IS PEACEFREEDOM IS SLAVERYIGNORANCE IS STRENGTH These are the slogans engraved on the Ministry of Truth. They evoke the double think of the totalitarian regime of Oceania. The meaning and logic of the slogans run counter to all conventional sense and they reveal the mind-numbing force of the Party. All reality is what the … Read more
Winston Smith The 39-year old protagonist. Winston is a minor functionary in the Records Department of the Ministry of Truth. His job is re-write news articles so that they conform to the Party’s current version of truth and history. He is intelligent, meek, and introspective. Winston can see that the ultimate goal of the Party … Read more
The primary theme in 1984 is obviously the despotic power of an over-powerful state. The belief that one single authority will always tend toward being corrupt and violent is woven throughout the novel. The other main theme is the idea that access to knowledge is access to power. Throughout the novel, the main conflict is over who … Read more
In the year 1984 London has become the principal city in Oceania. It is now known as Airstrip One. Oceania is one of three superpowers and totalitarian regions into which the world is divided; the others are Eurasia and Eastasia. The ruling power, known only as the Party, is headed by a mysterious agent called … Read more
Quotes and Analysis They carried the soldier’s greatest fear, which was the fear of blushing. Men killed, and died, because they were embarrassed not to. It was what had brought them to the war in the first place, nothing positive, no dreams of glory or honor, just to avoid the blush of dishonor. They died … Read more
Important Themes Imagination and Intellect Anne is an extremely imaginative young girl. In many ways she is completely driven by her imagination to the exclusion of all else. She makes up imaginary friends and idealizes notions of romance and love. Yet, just beneath this world of imagination and wonder is the budding intellect which will … Read more
Major Themes The Inevitable Loss of Childhood Innocence Everything from Alice’s physical changes to the discomfort she feels in the presence of the Duchess represent the inevitable movement from childhood to the lost innocence of adulthood. Alice begins as a cool and rational girl, but all of her sense of order is shaken as she … Read more
Quotes and Analysis The reward of sin is death? That’s hard.Si peccasse negamus, fallimur, et nulla est in nobis veritas.If we say that we have no sin,We deceive ourselves, and there’s no truth in us.Why then belike we must sin,And so consequently die.Ay, we must die in everlasting death.What doctrine call you this? Che sara … Read more
Quotes and Analysis Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold. The most popular quote in the book, these are the words that Johnny utters as he lays dying. Stay Gold is a reference to the poem by Robert Frost that Ponyboy read to Johnny while the pair hid out in the abandoned church. As the poem says, … Read more