Study Like a Boss
Important Themes The Complexity of Igbo Society Chinua Achebe has said that this is one of his main themes in the book. He provides detailed descriptions of the legal codes and practices, the marriage customs and familial codes, community leadership and laws, and the religious beliefs of the Igbo people. The book takes great pains … Read more
Important Themes The majority of the book the Outsiders focuses on attempts to bridge the gap between social classes, namely between the rich and the poor. As Hinton suggests, the differences in socioeconomic status is not necessarily what makes the Socs and the greasers rivals, but rather their inability to come to terms with love, … Read more
The novel was first published from November to December 1928 in the German newspaper Vossische Zeitung. It was first published in book form in late January 1929 and enjoyed great popularity in the whole world. It was translated into 22 languages just 18 month after its publication. This book and its sequel, The Road Back (1930), were … Read more
Nature is a symbol of calmness, beauty and promise of future peace. A field of poppies, a beautiful autumn forest, and fluttering butterflies are the images diverting Paul from everything that goes on around. He allows himself these short periods of rest, understanding that anytime he will have to go back to use his skills to … Read more
Kropp on the other hand is a thinker. He proposes that a declaration of war should be a kind of popular festival with entrance-tickets and bands, like a bull fight. Then in the arena the ministers and generals of the two countries, dressed in bathing-drawers and armed with clubs, can have it out among themselves. … Read more
All Quiet at the Western Front is about people who are trying to deal with the war: soldiers, commanders, civilians, prisoners of war, and fugitives. One of the most prominent themes is the way of adapting to harsh conditions of those men who became soldiers while being very young, like Paul and his schoolmates. They know … Read more
Paul Bäumer Young and innocent Paul undergoes a tough evolution. He is only eighteen at his arrival at the frontline and the following two years had changed him drastically. Nevertheless, he strives to cling for those few things remaining from his past life and personality – books, family, his home town. By the end all … Read more
The statement of the book’s essence is concluded in the preface: “This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, … Read more
Lord of the Flies is full of biblical references, starting from the title, which is a translation of the name of Beelzebub, a prince of the demons. The conch is also one of the most prominent symbols, almost equal to royal regalia in the boys’ society. The conch represents order, being a way to call countless assemblies for … Read more
“He [Jack] capered toward Bill, and the mask was a thing on its own, behind which Jack hid, liberated from shame and self-consciousness.” A fine example of the primitive way of thinking still present in contemporary human minds: the mask is something separate and a way of hiding simultaneously. Jack separates his savage part into … Read more
The main theme of Lord of the Flies is evil in human nature. According to pessimistic opinion of Golding, humans are evil and even barbaric, and only a thin film of civilization prevents them from falling back into savagery. Another important theme is violence. A former school teacher, William Golding was familiar with many unpleasant aspects in … Read more
Ralph Ralph is a perfect British boy, decently educated, charismatic and handsome, diplomatic, responsible and civilized. Golding, with his tendency to use the fable structure, gives him a description that nearly matches Prince Charming from some fairy tale, but this “prince” in only twelve years old, so, being smart and diplomatic, he is also just … Read more
In times of an unnamed war, a plane crash brings a group of British boys to a paradise-like tropical island, where they try to survive. William Golding furnishes this simple plot with details of relations in children’s group and quick deterioration of their upbringing while they have to find food, water, organize their life and … Read more
Main Characters and Analysis Offred She is the protagonist and the narrator of the story, although her reliability is questionable as she does try to alter the stories to make them better for her readers. She is not outspoken, nor is she submissive. Even as a handmaid she still has power over the men who … Read more
“Now we walk along the same street, in red pairs, and not man shouts obscenities at us, speaks to us, touches us. No one whistles. There is more than one kind of freedom, said Aunt Lydia. Freedom to and freedom from. In the days of anarchy, it was freedom to. Now you are being given … Read more
Character Analysis Addie Bundren: Addie is the wife of Anse, and the mother of the Bundren family. Her children are Cash, Darl, Jewel, Dewey Dell and Vardaman. Addie, while the protagonist of the novel, is largely absent. Her death spurns the action of the novel. She is a retired schoolteacher, whose sad and loveless life has caused … Read more
Themes and Symbols Sin, Redemption, and Damnation Doctor Faustus is a Christian play, as such it deals with themes at the root of Christianity and its views on the world. First, there is the concept of sin, which Christians define as being acts that go against the will of God. By making a pact with the … Read more
Main Characters and Analysis The Pilot He is the protagonist as well as the narrator of the story. He is introduced first as a child with lots of imagination in contrast to the grown-ups who lack imagination and discourage him from drawing. Then he is introduced as a pilot who lives life in isolation because … Read more
Blood Probably the most critical symbol in the play, blood symbolizes the guilt of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. It is associated with stains and signs of misdeeds which cannot be washed away or stains which would spread to everything it touches. Blood is also the symbol of natural order. The proper bloodline of kings, when … Read more
“Yet do I fear thy nature, It is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness to catch the nearest way.” Act I, scene v. Spoken by Lady Macbeth as she reads a letter from her husband explaining the prophecy of the witches. She fears he is too influenced by human kindness to simply take the … Read more
The Corruption of Ambition We see evidence throughout the play that Macbeth is by nature a brave soldier and one who adheres to duty. However, once ambition in the form of the witches’s prophecy and the influence of his wife begin to overtake his natural tendencies, he tends toward murder and violent usurpation. Lady Macbeth … Read more
Macbeth Macbeth is a powerful and capable general and soldier. However, he falls prey to ambition and he is easily influenced as soon as the prophecy which leads to him becoming Thane of Cawdor comes true. From this point on he is under the easy influence of Lady Macbeth and is compelled to commit murder. … Read more
One of Shakespeare’s shorter tragedies, Macbeth is based on a historical king of Scotland. Although some of the basic facts in the play are true to history, the murder of the king for example, Shakespeare largely wrote the play as an entertaining tragic story rather than a historical document. The play is a tale of ambition, revenge, … Read more
Bernard Marx An Alpha-caste male who feels inferior due to his small stature in relation to other Alpha-caste males. This insecurity makes him discontent overall and he develops resentments toward the World State. His last name is evocative of Karl Marx and the parallel between the Marx’s critique of culture and Bernard’s discontent with his … Read more
Even though Night by Elie Wiesel is not a memoir in the true sense of the word, the following study guide will frequently reference it as one due in part to the book’s collection of testimonials, depositions, and emotional honesty that is often reflective of the memoir genre. It is evident that Eliezer is meant to act, … Read more
Characters and Analysis Sethe The main character in the novel. Sethe is a fiercely independent woman and devoted mother. Having endured the violence and dehumanizing horrors of slavery, she becomes resolved to murder her own children rather than allow them to return to the plantation at Sweet Home. This haunts her for the rest of her … Read more
Well respected German scholar, Doctor Faustus, becomes discontented by the constraints of conventional knowledge forms – logic, medicine, law, and religion – and resolves to practice magic. He receives instruction in the black arts from his friends Valdes and Cornelius, soon he embarks on a new career as a magician and summons the devil Mephistopheles. … Read more
Light and Dark As with so much of Shakespeare, the symbolism is always complex. Romeo and Juliet continually refer to each other in terms of light. They are “star-cross’d lovers” from the start. Romeo sees Juliet lit by a light in the darkness. Yet, throughout the play they are forced to cover their actions in … Read more
“But soft, what light through yonder window breaks?It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,Who is already sick and pale with griefThat thou, her maid, art far more fair than she. . . .The brightness of her cheek would shame those starsAs daylight doth a lamp; her … Read more
Love as a romantic Ideal: Love as a theme plays out as a passionate force that cannot be ignored or controlled. Romeo falls in love with Juliet at first sight and every other consideration, including his own safety or even his own life, is immediately forgotten for the pursuit of romantic love. Juliet’s love is equally … Read more
Romeo At first Romeo is characterized by his self-indulgent melancholy, characteristics which would have signaled a romantic quality as well as a tragic flaw for Elizabethan audiences. As he is smitten by Juliet he becomes more active and assumes his role as a true tragic figure. His fall and death are quintessential tragic modes. Lord … Read more
The Montagues and the Capulets are two noble families in Renaissance Verona, Italy. Locked in a long-standing feud, one that is fought by the nobles of the two families as well as their servants, they have engaged in a series of bloody public battles. In response, the ruler of Verona, Prince Escalus, is forced to … Read more
Themes Self vs Society The novel criticizes the patriarchal society that deprives a woman of her freedom to think, feel and act as she pleases. Girls are taught from a young age to betray their own instincts and live a dual life which consists of an inner and an outer self. Edna defies society by … Read more
In my younger and more vulnerable years my father gave me some advice that I’ve been turning over in my mind ever since.“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,” he told me, “just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” Related Characters: Nick Carraway (speaker) Explanation and Analysis: … Read more
The Great Gatsby is a great book that changed the destiny of its author and the course of American literature development in general. It’s a must read and you will never regret spending time on it. But if the class is in five minutes and you need a quick overview of the text, here are … Read more
The book is full of different symbolism examples that are typical for American literature of the 20th century, but also unique for Fitzgerald. Most of the critics agree that any analysis of the examples of symbolism should start with the interpretations of the American dream concept. The protagonist of the book is pursuing his craziest … Read more
The Great Gatsby Theme – Money Gatsby’s natural talents, fearlessness, and agile mind allowed him to get unbelievably rich. Just like the author himself, he didn’t know what to do with his funds. He earned them through illegal ways of selling alcohol when it was prohibited to do so. The author speaks very little about … Read more
The biggest question of any Great Gatsby characters analysis is which character impersonates the author himself? Is it Nick Carraway or the legendary Mr. Gatsby himself? Let’s try to find out. Nick Carraway Nick Carraway is the narrator of the book. Unlike Jay Gatsby, he is from the “old rich” – he inherited his money … Read more
Nick Carraway is from a respected and well-off family from the Midwest. At first, we can’t help but wonder whether Nick is the one who wrote The Great Gatsby? He studied at the Ivy League school, went to war as a soldier, and then moved to New York in 1922 to study credits and bonds. … Read more
The World Literary community knows many writers with a tragic fate, who left the writing stage too early without having been given a chance to realize their full potential. Talented masters of the words died of loneliness, alcoholism, constant feeling of desperation, indifference, and lack of understanding. Each case like this attracts more and more … Read more
The setting is New York City. Willy Loman is an aging salesman who has just returned from a business trip. We learn that Willy is having memory lapses and having difficulty telling the difference from things in the past and things happening now. His wife, Linda, wants him to request a new job that does … Read more
Characters and Analysis Marlow: Marlow is the philosophical and knowledge-seeking protagonist of Heart of Darkness. He shares many of the same qualities as a master storyteller, capable of using imagery and detail to draw his listeners into his stories. Even though Marlow shares many of the same prejudices as Europeans of his time, he has experienced enough of … Read more
Characters and Analysis Tim O’Brien: Tim is both the narrator and the protagonist. He is a pacifist who repeatedly attempts to rationalize his participation in the war by concluding the his obligation to his family and commitment to his country were far greater influences than his own political beliefs. After the war has ended, O’Brien uses … Read more
The impoverished peddler John Durbeyfield is shocked to discover that he is the direct descendent of nobility – the d’Urberville family. Meanwhile, his older daughter, Tess, dances in the May Day dance alongside the other girls in the village. It is here where she first exchanges looks with a young man. Her parents make the … Read more
The hypocrisy of imperialism: Heart of darkness focuses on the issues that surround imperialism in very complex ways. While marlow ventures from the outer station to the central station, and eventually up the river to the inner station, he stares in the face of torture, cruelty and slavery. At its root, the novel paints a dark picture … Read more
Important Themes The American Dream Willy emphatically believes in the American myth of the rise of the individual in society. The notion that anyone can be achieve economic and social success through hard work is one of Willy’s central beliefs. He takes this in an almost childish sense. He believes that being well-liked and being … Read more
Characters and Analysis Faustus: Doctor Faustus is the leading character. He is a brilliant scholar in sixteenth century Germany. He has a thirst for knowledge, fame and fortune that runs so deep that he is willing to trade his mortal soul to Lucifer in return for cosmic powers. Faustus’s tragic grandeur is diminished by the fact … Read more
Characters and Analysis Alice A girl of seven, she is the protagonist of the story. She is a rational girl who sees the world as stable and orderly. Her adventures in Wonderland frustrate her but they also open her eyes to the magic around her. The White Rabbit A worried and frantic creature, the White … Read more
Characters and Analysis Willy Loman The protagonist of the play, Willy is characterized by insecurities and general illusions about life. While he seems to believe in the dream of a rise to success in business and the wealth which comes with that, these things have alluded him. He is also profoundly disappointed in his sons who have … Read more
Characters and Analysis Heathcliff He is the little boy found by Mr. Earnshaw in the streets of Liverpool. Heathcliff is favored by Mr. Earnshaw but is extremely hated by Hindly. Heathcliff after Mr. Earnshaw’s death is dehumanized by Hindly preventing him from coming up in society, educating himself or marrying the girl he loves. Heathcliff … Read more
