Introduction Hurston introduced Janie Crawford, a strong, eloquent, and dramatic character whose life was best sympathized with by women or the inhabitants of farms and rural black towns. In addition, the author recounted the critical changes in the character’s life and Janie’s quest for self-identity. The woman changes throughout the...
The book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe details the tragic fall of the protagonists, Okonkwo, and the Igbo culture desecration due to colonization. The book follows Okonkwo’s life from his poor background to becoming a leader and outcast in the Umuofia community. The critical events include his exile from...
Douglas Hyde’s speech, “The Necessity for De-Anglicizing the Irish Nation,” was not intended as a protest against trying to imitate the best of the English people; that would be absurd; rather, it was intended to demonstrate the folly of neglecting what is Irish and rushing to adopt everything that is...
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou is a memoir that describes the author’s life from being a child to growing into a young adult. Angelou narrates her experiences affected by society’s biased thinking and racial practices towards people of color and describes differences between the black...
Introduction Rebecca Laurence’s article titled Why Frankenstein is the story that defines our fears tells how the character Frankenstein was created. The article also suggests that this hero has similarities with equivalent characters in different countries of the world. In addition, songs, comics, video games, and other stories have been...
Introduction James Baldwin is a renowned African American writer whose work covers mostly racial issues in the U.S. The author develops subjective literary pieces based on his life as a Black person in Harlem, NY, between the 1930s and 1940s. Baldwin’s work depicts the lives of African Americans and their...
Introduction Justin Kurzel’s 2015 adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth transcends an endeavor to recreate the playwright’s tragedy and proves to be an attempt to portray the genuine emotion and ambiance that Macbeth evokes in readers and viewers. Kurzel’s outstanding artistic vision creates a stunning effect and a sensation of surreal gloom...
The process of working on poetry requires continuous self-referencing and reflection, which allows a poet to improve their style and convey intended messages precisely. In the case of Adrienne Rich, the re-vision of poetry is essential since the poet critically assesses her works, revealing some of the most pivotal characteristics...
A Streetcar Named Desire is a play written by Tennessee Williams in 1947. The play’s protagonist is Blanche DuBois – a neurotic woman who has some dark secrets and issues with alcohol. After facing some difficulties and losses in her hometown, she comes to her sister Stella and brother-in-law Stanley...
The theme of a book, short tale, or other literary work is the central concept or underlying meaning that the author investigates. A story’s theme may be represented via characters, environment, dialogue, narrative, or these factors. Moreover, the theme is the overarching objective of the novel and the message that...
It is impossible to agree on whether Brutus was a betrayer or a patriot since everyone’s opinions and minds are different. He did betray and murder his close friend Caesar in cold blood. Nevertheless, he was well aware that assassinating Caesar was the only way to keep Rome from enslaving...
Introduction Heungboo and Nolboo is an interesting Korean folktale written in the Joseon Dynasty. The storyline focuses on greed and the fruits of kindness through two brothers born and raised in a wealthy family. Even though the book’s author is unknown, the Korean story is a popular bedtime narration for...
Introduction The paradigm of gender equality, especially as far as the role of patriarchy is concerned, has always been a subject for discussion from both literary and historical perspectives. The notion is particularly relevant for the investigation of socio-cultural patterns of Ancient Rome and Greece, the literary heritage of which...
Mary Rowlandson’s story is an autobiography describing her first-hand experience as a prisoner of the Native Americans in 1676 during King Philip’s War. The critical point she centered around in her story was an unconditional submission to the Christian faith as it was challenging to remain a true religious woman...
For Dante, the Divine Comedy was the work of his whole life. During its creation, Dante pursued instructive goals; the Comedy contains a religious and ethical message. However, at the same time, this is a highly personal work, where Dante’s love for Beatrice becomes a saving blessing. Dante’s Comedy, therefore,...
Nora requested the lamp to end the moment of intimacy that Dr. Rank spoiled with his confession. As a married woman, she did not want her affair with Dr. Rank to be public, and she was afraid that her secrets might be disclosed as well. After Mr. Rank’s declaration of...
The narrator, Montresor, states that complete revenge implies impunity and makes some suggestions to ensure that the avenger is above all suspicion. Montresor acted as a friend to Fortunato, with “neither by word nor deed” (28), making his enemy doubt his genuine friendship. Another implicit advice is to observe and...
The article by Harry J. Elam, Jr. examines symbolism and realistic acts depicted in his angelic characters’ transcendence. The author closely views Wilson’s way of taking realistic resolutions and uses a parallel approach to appropriately intersects the thoughts into the domestic American and modern discourse touching on the minority. The...
Why is love in poetry oftentimes portrayed in a dramatic and highly metaphoric manner when in reality the emotions are much more concrete and potentially messier than the perfection described? The most appealing poem to me is Head, heart by Davis because of its unique structure and idea. It takes...
August Wilson’s most famous work, Fences, explores the life and relationships of the Maxson family. Perhaps the play has earned its popularity because it talks about basic things that are not the privilege of a particular class or race. One of the themes raised in the work is the achievement...
Racial discrimination in the United States has been around for centuries. Dark-skinned people survived slavery and terror, and their situation began to improve substantially only a few decades ago. However, African-Americans still face violations of their rights, which eventually leads to protests and mass riots over and over again. The...
In today’s America, The Perks of Being a Wallflower has become a sensation among teenagers. Charlie, the central character in Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is a 15-year-old high schooler in Pittsburgh in the early 1990s. In the form of letters to an unnamed “friend,” he narrates...
The story “So Much Water So Close to Home” revolves around a woman, Claire, and her husband, Stuart. Claire finds out that her husband and his friends discovered a dead and naked female body when they were going to set up a camp for fishing miles away. However, they did...
Plot and Point of View Gazebo by Raymond Carver tells a story of a married couple whose happiness is ruined after the husband’s affair with their maid. Duane, the spouse who has committed infidelity narrates the story of the conversation that he is having with his wife, Holly. As a...
Introduction In the essay Joyas Voladoras, Brian Doyle profoundly contemplates life, death, and various deep meanings through the images, symbols, and metaphors. The focus of the work is the hearts of diametrically opposite in size representatives of the animal world, namely, hummingbirds and whales. Using these animals, the essay explores...
In the state of capitalism, money and income level determine an individual’s lifestyle, accommodations, level of safety, and position in society. Although Paul’s Case by Willa Cather was written more than a century ago, the struggles the main character experiences throughout the story and his perception of wealth relate closely...
Introduction Toni Cade Bambara was initially born and named Miltona Mirkin Cade. She was one of the influential civil rights activists and a professor in the United States. Born in Harlem, New York City, Toni decided to change her original name from Miltona Mirkin Cade to Toni and added her...
There are many human vices, which bring suffering, hatred, and even death to the people around them. Acclaimed poets and writers, including William Shakespeare and Jean-Baptiste Molière, have created many compositions that tell about the vices of society at different times. The works of these authors reflected many of the...
Barbara Park is an American writer. Her specialization was children’s books, and each of them was created taking into account the psychology and knowledge of children. She carefully worked on the language in which she wrote the books to be understandable and interesting for children to read. The characters in...
Choices constitute one of the most important elements of fiction. They add drama and tension, thus forcing the reader to anticipate the resolution and consequences of the decisions made by the characters. Not only do choices drive the narrative, but they also determine the dynamics of the story. The quality...
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz is a novel by the Canadian writer Mordecai Richler. The story begins in the late 40s of the last century in Montreal (Richler 3). The characters are mostly representatives of the local Jewish community. The main one, Duddy Kravitz, is the youngest son of taxi...
The American societal setting entails individuals who are always in control and possess some degree of power that enables the individual to possess some levels of superiority complex. Individuals who portray a superiority complex against other people in society tend to subject other individuals in lower ranks and classes to...
Status Anxiety is a non-fiction book written by a prominent author, Alain de Botton. This is a self-help book, and its topic revolves around the worrying human factor, also known as anxiety. The author illustrates different aspects of status, explains where it comes from, and focuses on the social factor...
Earle Birney is a poet whose life tells a lot about the Canadian character, which is by no means quiet and calm. The extraordinary character and changeable fate of the poet perfectly reflect the original culture and special mentality of Canada, which is hardened in trials, rebellious and free, generous...
Magical realism is an essential component of Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s works. The distinctive feature of this genre is incorporating fantastical elements into casual life situations (Wilson 79). The enormous influence on Marquez’s writing was made by his grandmother’s mystical stories and folk tales, building an excellent background for his future...