The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan, 1989, Chinese

A. Jing-Mei (June) Woo. June is rebellious in nature, always swimming against her mothers dreams for her, not because they were harmful dreams but because she felt she could never live up to them, and she didnt because she thought she couldnt. Her mothers death has brought her face to face with questions about herself, … Read more

Emily Dickinson: Her View of God

Emily Dickinson had a view of God and His power that was very strange for a person of her time. Dickinson questioned God, His power, and the people in the society around her. She did not believe in going to church because she felt as though she couldn’t find any answers there. She asked God … Read more

The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

At first reading The Love song of J Alfred Prufrock it could be assumed that by both the nature and the title of the poem is an ordinary, traditional romantic love poem. The speaker being the I Alfred J Prufrock and the you being his object of desire or his love. However through close observation … Read more

On Revenge And Medea

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

Themes in Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger

A major theme of J. D. Salingers novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is turning your back on the world is not good. The teenage boy Holden Caulfield demonstrates this theme in the story with the constant negativity he receives as result of his negative attitude. When someone turns their back on the world the … Read more

Tradition at A Rose For Emily and The Lottery

People throughout the world do things for many different reasons. Religion, peer pressure, or tradition are some of the reasons the people do things. In the U. S. we have many traditions such as Christmas. Some people have strange or out of the ordinary traditions. The two short stories “The Lottery” and “A Rose for … Read more

Pride And Prejudice Impressions

First impressions are very important. In the Victorian age, people based their whole opinion of someone on first impressions. Most times the first impression of someone is not the way they truly are. Sometimes a first impression can cause you to think negative of someone but later you find out that they are very nice … Read more

Death Of Salesman And Will Loman

Willys whole life. He asks him, “When the hell are you going to grow up? ” Willys spends his entire life in an illusion. He sees himself as a great man that is popular and successful. Willy exhibits many childlike qualities. Many of these qualities have an impact on Willys family. His two sons Biff … Read more

The Loman Family and Their Problems of the Spirit

In his 1950 Nobel Prize acceptance speech, William Faulkner lamented the dearth of problems of the spirit in modern literature and pointed out the importance of the old universal truthslove and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice in weaving a successful, meaningful story. Faulkner placed these human traits into a genus all … Read more

The deaths of Romeo and Juliet

William Shakespeare wrote many great plays in his day. His tale of Romeo and Juliet portrays a tragic love. This play ends with the deaths of the key characters Romeo and Juliet, because of their forbidden love. Many factors contribute to their demise. The scene of when they first meet, the fight between Tybalt and … Read more

The Lottery written by Shirley Jackson

The theme of violence and tradition is persuasive in the short story The Lottery written by Shirley Jackson. This theme is not a generalized theme of violence, but a theme of ritualistic violence. This violence is shown in the traditional town-wide lottery drawing that takes place on each June 27th. However, this lottery is not … Read more

Death of a Salesman: Persona

Charley says something in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman that sums up Willy’s whole life. He asks him, “When the hell are you going to grow up? ” Willy’s spends his entire life in an illusion. He sees himself as a great man that is popular and successful. Willy exhibits many childlike qualities. Many … Read more

The Impact of Politics in The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

By definition, politics is the partisan or functional intrigue within a given group. However, in The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, by James Joyce, there is no such concise definition, as politics are perpetually melded with Roman Catholicism and Irish nationality. Politics themselves are presented in three different manners: directly, and through … Read more

Picture of Dorian Gray: Corruption

According to the nurture theory of the evolution of human behavior, when a child is first brought into the world it has no basis or idea of how to perceive things. The child is pure and innocent. It is naive to its surroundings, depending on the guidance of those around it to show it the … Read more

Poems of Emily Dickinson

Thesis of my paper that I am trying to prove to the reader is that Emily Dickinson is a brilliant extraordinary writer. She talks about mortality and death within her life and on paper in her poem works. Although she lived a seemingly secluded life, Emily Dickinson’s many encounters with death influenced many of her … Read more

Dorothy Day Journalism

It seems that to some people that they give more so society than others, but than there is one woman, who gave her life to society to help others though giving and sharing and helped people through a time of need. Yet there seems to be few there is. Dorothy Day, patron of the Catholic … Read more

Araby By James Joyce

The short story, “Araby”, by James Joyce is about a lonely boy who makes a pilgrimage to an eastern-styled bazaar in hopes that it will alleviate his miserable life. Throughout the story he battles withdrawal and a lack of control. Moreover, the themes of alienation and control are inherently linked because the source of the … Read more

Gullivers Travels – Houyhnhnmland

One of the most interesting questions about Gullivers Travels is whether the Houyhnhnms represent an ideal of rationality or whether on the other hand they are the butt of Swift’s satire. In other words, in Book IV, is Swift poking fun at the talking horses or does he intend for us to take them seriously … Read more

A Midsummer Night’s Dream character, Demetrius

The Underpinning of Demetrius Thesis: A Midsummer Night’s Dream character, Demetrius is very difficult to identify except by his relation to the one he loves, or, more particularly, to the one who loves him. Helena’s ridiculous chasing after him and his irritation with her are the primary marks of his character. While in this uncharmed … Read more

Shakespeare’s tragic hero, Hamlet

Shakespeare’s tragic hero, Hamlet, and his sanity can arguably be discussed. Many portions of the play supports his loss of control in his actions, while other parts uphold his ability of dramatic art. The issue can be discussed both ways and altogether provide significant support to either theory. There are indications from Hamlet throughout the … Read more

Epic of Beowulf

History can be found through stories, books, poems and other literary works. Examples of the lifestyles, society, aesthetics, philosophical values, politics and economics can be found and are shown in all works and writings. Authors of all times reveal the attitudes around them every time they write. The Anglo-Saxon period dates back to 449 to … Read more

Beowulf: First Literary Superhero

Beowulf was the first literary super hero. Like the common day superman, Beowulf has ordinary human characteristics, as well as superhuman powers. Like the Anglo-Saxons of Beowulf’s time, he is boastful, manly, and willing to outdo his fellow neighbor. The only difference between him and the rest of the Anglo- Saxons is that he possesses … Read more

The Scarlet Letter: Novel vs. Film

Films of this era are criticized for lacking substance and making up for this deficit with explosions and special effects. Books command a bit more respect from the general public. Many believe that devising a script is a juvenile form of writing, a shrub to the oak of a novel. Upon reading both the novel … Read more

Mending Wall by Robert Frost

What is so important about mending a wall? Robert frost a down to earth, phenomenon has used his supernatural skills to write a poem which may seem to be a simple, ordinary poem, yet what lays hidden behind the veils may be unraveled. That is the spiritual world that you and me may learn to … Read more

The book Death of a Salesman

1. The book Death of a Salesman is a play about a salesman who wants to be well liked by everyone. The title of this book fits the book because there are two salesmen who die in the book. The two salesmen who die in the book are Dave Singleman, who was well liked by … Read more

The Contender by Robert Lipsyte

I. In the beginning of the book Alfred was already a drop out of high school and working for Jewish people at a grocery store. He faced some problems with Major because he did not want to go rob the grocery store on Friday night. Major and his click beat him up for that. In … Read more

Grapes Of Wrath – Jim Casy Chracter Analysis

John Steinbeck passionately describes a time of unfair poverty, unity, and the human spirit in the classic, The Grapes of Wrath. The novel tells of real, diverse characters who experience growth through turmoil and hardship. Jim Casy- a personal favorite character- is an ex-preacher that meets up with a former worshiper, Tom Joad. Casy continues … Read more

Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison

Throughout the centuries many authors have attempted to capture the individuals quest for self-authenticity. In the novel Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison depicts the many aspects of self-actualization, as well as the tormenting road that leads to the shaping of an individual. Through beautiful language, with immense reality, she is able to describe young black … Read more

Egoism in Crime and Punishment

An egocentric attitude can be seen in Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. Dostoyevsky’s young Raskolnikov is staggeringly arrogant. Raskolnikov commits a murder and a failed robbery in the story. His journey in overcoming his ego can be seen through his initial crime, denial of failure, and acceptance of mistakes. Raskolnikov commits his initial crime out … Read more

Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream the mortal teenage characters fall in love foolishly, and the character Bottom states, O what fools these mortals be. They are foolish because they act like children. Although Lysander, Hermia, Demetrius, and Helena appear grown-up, when they are in love they act foolishly. The four teenage lovers are fools. … Read more

In Cold Blood

Truman Capote is one of the greatest authors of all time. He was born in 1924 and died in 1984. Sincehis early childhood, he has written many books and he has won many prizes and awards. Many people say that In Cold Blood was Capote’s best work. In this book, Capote writes a carefully detailed … Read more

Venus and Adonis

Throughout his plays and poetry Shakespeare imbeds numerous and diverse themes, many of them relating to love, sexuality, life, death, religion and countless others. In his poem Venus and Adonis Shakespeare tackles the theme of sexuality as a representation of love, and a function of Nature. The characters of Venus and Adonis, often times reminiscent … Read more

Heart of Darkness Review

In Heart of Darkness it is the white invaders for instance, who are, almost without exception, embodiments of blindness, selfishness, and cruelty; and even in the cognitive domain, where such positive phrases as “to enlighten,” for instance, are conventionally opposed to negative ones such as “to be in the dark,” the traditional expectations are reversed. … Read more

Emily Jane Bronte

Emily Jane Bronte remains a mystery. Very little is known about her. There is little information, and much of what we have is contradictory. She is the author of only one novel and a few bits of poetry. This gives people little to build on. The majority of what we know about her comes from … Read more

Neuromancer And The Time Machine

A common tool of science fiction writers is the use of a character, to whom the reader can relate, placed in an alien setting. This character will represent the reader in this new alien world or society, allowing the reader to form a link between his or her own world and this new one. Because … Read more

The William Shakespeare play Macbeth

The William Shakespeare play Macbeth, depicted Macbeth as a loyal subject of King Duncan and his homeland of Scotland. Duncan was so pleased with Macbeths actions during the war that he was named the Thane of Cawdor, a title not far from king. Soon after, he wrote a letter to his wife that would make … Read more

Christian theme Throughout Thomas Stearns Eliot’s poems

Throughout Thomas Stearns Eliot’s poems run Christian themes and values that evoke a critical view of society. Though he published relatively little compared to other poets of his caliber, he has been recognized as both a poet and a critic. He himself has been criticized for “unnecessary obscurity” and for “authorian severity” (Bradley, 1163). Throughout … Read more

Gender Issues in Antigone

One of the most devastating problems for the Classical Greeks was the womens issue. Women in Classical Greece were not citizens, held no property, and indeed were not even allowed out of the house except under guard. Their status differed from that of the slaves of Greece only in name. This alone, however was not … Read more

The Odyssey, written by Homer

The Odyssey, written by Homer, is the story of Odysseus and how he faced misfortune in his attempts to return home after the Trojan war. From these misfortunes he learned to be a better man and became able to regain his place in his homeland of Ithaca. During his journeys Odysseus often makes the mistake … Read more

Farewell To Arms: “You are all a lost generation”

This quotations importance on author Earnest Hemmingway is reflected in his modern Romeo and Juliet novel entitled A Farewell to Arms. The recurring tone of the novel suggests that the only reality is the harsh truth which is anything but romantic and proves that in the end, all is futile. This generation in which Stein … Read more

A Critique of ‘D-Day June 6,1944: The Climatic battle of WWII

The book D-Day June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II was written by Stephen E. Ambrose, and published by Simon & Schuester in New York. This book begins with a prologue that is followed by 32 chapters, a glossary, endnotes, a bibliography, an appendix, and an index. The first ten chapters give … Read more

The story Diary of Anne Frank

The story Diary of Anne Frank was a very interesting book which showed the ways a group of Jewish people during the 1940’s went about trying to conceal their identity and themselves. This story was a true story taken from a diary of a young girl during the incident. This was made into a play … Read more

Analysis On Racism In Huck Finn

In July of 1876, a man by the name of Samuel Clemens began writing one of the most important and influential works in America’s literary history. Under the pseudonym of Mark Twain, the work was begun as a sequel to Twain’s popular boy’s adventure novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. As he progressed in the … Read more

House of the Seven Gables – Summary and Analysis

How does an author’s personal history or cultural background influence what he or she writes about? Are history and literature related? I believe that many authors a very influenced by their own background and the subjects they write about. Authors write about what is familiar. Authors write about something that they feel strongly about or … Read more