Everyone has their own little world in which they indulge themselves in whether it be real or just a fantasy. In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, everyone in the play experiences their own little world, and the shock it is to be thrown from it. Tom supports his family despite his unhappiness of his … Read more

A culture that evolves and changes through time is a healthy culture indeed. From the early pagan warriors to the artisans of the Renaissance, the European world dramatically reformed. The literature of each era indicates the profound cultural innovations. The Anglo-Saxons arguably most important literary piece, Beowulf, is a story of a brave warrior who … Read more

Hydrogen: the most abundant element in the universe. Normally it has been considered to remain a non-metal at any range of temperatures and pressures. That is, until now. Recently this year, hydrogen was changed into a metallic substance, which could conduct electricity. An experiment conducted by William J. Nellis et al. at the Lawrence Livermore … Read more

Lolita is perhaps one of the most disturbing novels of the century: it tells the immoral story of a middle- aged man who falls in love with a twelve year- old girl (a nymphet, as he calls her) and has a sexual relationship with her for over two years, until she disappears with another more … Read more

Color symbolism is really popular in novels written during the 1920’s. One such example is Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby. There is much color symbolism in this novel, but there are two main colors that stand out more than the others. The colors green and white influence the story greatly. Green shows many thoughts, … Read more

Between June of 1920 through October of 1921, it is estimated at much as 85,000 men joined the Ku Klux Klan. Although the Klan was the strongest in the midwest and the midsouth, it was a nation wide epidemic. Klan members fed off of Xenophobic, a fear of foreigners. Klan members believed that every Catholic … Read more

As many people have noticed, recently there has been a huge focus in the media on Bill Gates, and his huge Microsoft Corporation. This past Friday, May 22, 1998, a federal judge combined two lawsuits and set a trial date for September 8, 1998. This trial date will address a government request for a preliminary … Read more

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 with his relations with the community … Read more

In the Classic novel The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck displays in his writing many different and interconnected themes. The main idea of the novel can be interpreted many different ways through many of the different actions and characters throughout the novel. In the first chapter of the novel, Steinbeck describes the dust bowl and … Read more

On November 18, 1978, in a cleared-out patch of the Guyanese jungle, Reverend Jim Jones ordered the 911 members of his flock to kill themselves by drinking a cyanide potion, and they did. It seems cultists were brainwashed by this megalomaniac Jones, who had named their jungle village after himself and held them as virtual … Read more

The American dream is something that changes from person to person and from one time period to another. This is mine. I do not think these are the only things that people want out of life. We all want most of the same things but certain things change that what makes us unique. I want … Read more

I. Introduction Last fall, 700,000 men gathered at our nation’s Capital to focus on mending relationships. Their goals were to help men end adulterous behavior, quit abusing and neglecting the women and children in their lives, and renew their promises to their families. Knowing this, it is hard to understand why this rally would be … Read more

In a story as confusing and ambiguous as Thomas Pynchons The Crying of Lot 49, it is difficult to connect any aspect of the book to a piece of modern culture. However, Oedipas quest, her search for the truth, and the paranoia therein, are inherent in the plots of todays most-watched television and movies. Though … Read more

Generations of schoolchildren raised on the first Book of “Gulliver’s Travels” have loved it as a delightful visit to a fantasy kingdom full of creatures they can relate to-little creatures, like themselves. Few casual readers look deeply enough to recognize the satire just below the surface. But Jonathan Swift was one of the great satirists … Read more

Not ago, in the nineteenth century, the words that our forefathers wrote in the Declaration of Independence, “that all men were created equal,” held little value. Human equality was far from a reality. If you were not born of white male decent, than that phrase did not apply to you. During this period many great … Read more

Beowulf is a story about a man named Beowulf who desired fame and fortune in life. The Iliad had a character named Achilles who is similar to Beowulf because he also desired glory. But they are two completely different stories written at different times and different places by different people. Both stories have unique qualities … Read more

Are computers and the Internet redefining human identity as people explore the boundaries of their personalities, adopt multiple selves, and form online relationships that can be more intense than real ones? Is the World Wide Web redefining our sense of community and where we find our peers? The answer is simple. An individual should not … Read more

In his poetry which he wrote during his time in jail, Breyten Breytenbach shows that his wife and his love for her had a tremendous influence on his survival under the physically and emotionally harsh conditions of prison. The thought of his wife allowed Breyten Breytenbach to escape from the horrors of his surroundings in … Read more

Many authors believe that sin can be atoned for. Nathaniel Hawthorne believes that characters can be forgiven of their sins. In the book The Scarlet Letter, the scaffold represents a place of atonement for sin. The scaffold is a wooden stool usually placed in the most visible part of the town. The person who wishes … Read more

In The Odyssey , Homer uses guest-host relationships as an ethical norm against which behavior is measured. When the ritual is preformed correctly by guest-host, good results ensue. In contrast, the violations of this ethical norm results in misfortune. This idea was taken very seriously by people of that time and it can be found … Read more

A play serves as the author’s tool for critiquing society. One rarely encounters the ability to transcend accepted social beliefs. These plays reflect controversial issues that the audience can relate to because they interact in the same situations every day. As late nineteenth century playwrights point out the flaws of mankind they also provide an … Read more

Right before restless Odysseus leaves Circe, she tells him that he must go down into Hades to visit the shade of Teiresias, the blind prophet who advises Odysseus of his homecoming (the Wanderings). He then goes on to meet the shades of the queens and lovers of dead heroes and finally the heroes themselves. In … Read more

Does the Human Genome Project effect the moral standards of society? Can the information produced by it become a beneficial asset or a moral evil? For example, X chromosome markers can be used to identify ethnicity. A seemingly harmless collection of information from the Human Genome Project. But let’s assume this information is used to … Read more

To some people William Blake is just an ordinary man. To others, Blake is an English poet, painter, and engraver. Blake was born on November 28, 1757, in London, where he spent most of his life. He was the third of five children in his family. Blake’s family was Nonconformists Protestant dissenters from the Church … Read more

The Tuskegee Airmen, the only African – American pilots to fight in World War II. In 1941, The pressure was put on President Franklin D. Roosevelt to take positive actions in the utilization of Negroes in the armed services. On March 7, 1942 the first five Negro cadets were commissioned as pilots of the United … Read more

The beginning of the Tudor dynasty coincided with the first dissemination of printed matter. William Caxton’s press was established in 1476, only nine years before the beginning of Henry VII’s reign. Caxton’s achievement encouraged writing of all kinds and also influenced the standardization of the English language. The early Tudor period, particularly the reign of … Read more

America has long been called “The Melting Pot” due to the fact that it is made up of a varied mix of races, cultures, and ethnicities. As more and more immigrants come to America searching for a better life, the population naturally becomes more diverse. This has, in turn, spun a great debate over multiculturalism. … Read more

Throughout the history of the country, America has been considered a fairly racist union. Undoubtedly the greatest injustice in the United States to this day is the whites treatment of African-Americans, specifically slavery. The vast majority of non-black people of that time believed that blacks were not equal to other races. White Americans of the … Read more

The Holocaust is the most horrifying crime against humanity of all times. “Hitler, in an attempt to establish the pure Aryan race, decided that all mentally ill, gypsies, non supporters of Nazism, and Jews were to be eliminated from the German population. He proceeded to reach his goal in a systematic scheme. ” One of … Read more

In Act II Julius Caesar is barraged with warnings to stay home and not go to the Senate, but he ignores them. Calpurnia, his spouse, tells of a dream she had and fears for Caesar’s safety. The priests also warn Caesar. However, Decius is able to persuade Caesar to go to the Senate that morning. … Read more

Everyone is a traveler, carefully choosing which roads to follow on the map of life. There is never a straight path that leaves one with but a single direction in which to head. Robert Frost’s ‘The Road Not Taken’; can be interpreted in many different ways. The shade of light in which the reader sees … Read more

Rape, incest, sex, forced labor, and a bit of reefer. These are some of the components of a Novel by Alice Walker. These views are illustrated proficiently in Walkers third novel, The Color Purple. These aspects had a lasting impression upon ideals and beliefs of the time period. Her writings helped to break the racial … Read more

Few countries in the world have such an ancient and diverse culture as Indias. Indias physical, religious and racial variety is as important as the history of how it become what Modern India. In India, religion is very important to the people. It is a major part of the entire Indian tradition. For the majority … Read more

Capoeira is the common name for the group of African martial arts that came out of west Africa and were modified and mixed in Brazil. These original styles included weapons, grappling and striking as well as animal forms that became incorporated into different components and sub styles of the art. In 1500’s the Portuguese, led … Read more

Try to imagine yourself in an unnatural world where most people are produced in factories, where there is no freedom or morality as you know it, and you are considered a savage because of your human origin. It is exactly what Brave New World suggests. Brave New World was first published in 1932 by Aldous … Read more

I found Othello, the 1995 film, to be a close adaptation of the written play read in class, but in the part of Othello there are notable variances between the film and the written play that may be accounted for by the actor’s interpretation of Othello. Through his persona, Lawrence Fishburn portrayed Othello as commanding … Read more

Richard Williams proposed that the issue of human freedom be re-conceptualized. Rejecting the traditional view of self-direction as the possibility of choosing among alternatives, Williams suggested that we ground our understanding of individual freedom in morality. In this view, human freedom is enhanced as one “lives truthfully. ” Truthful living runs counter to self-deception and … Read more

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain, is a novel about a young boy’s coming of age in the Missouri of the mid-1800’s. The main character, Huckleberry Finn, spends much time in the novel floating down the Mississippi River on a raft with a runaway slave named Jim. Before he does so, however, Huck … Read more

Born on January 1, 1919, Jerome David Salinger was to become one of Americas greatest contemporary authors. In 1938 Salinger briefly attended Ursinus College in Pennsylvania where he wrote a column, “Skipped Diploma,” which featured movie reviews for his college newspaper. Salinger made his writing debut when he published his first short story, “The Young … Read more

In the plays Oedipus of Rex and Antigone by Sophocles, Oedipus and Creon exert similar characteristics as leaders that ultimately result in their characterization as tragic heroes. Their overbearing determination, relentless pride, uncontrollable fate, and enormous grievances all portray the inevitable outcome. Sophocles writes that the characters in the plays are chasten not because of … Read more

Regarded as perhaps the greatest composer of all time, Bach was known during his lifetime primarily as an outstanding organ player and technician. The youngest of eight children born to musical parents, Johann Sebastian was destined to become a musician. While still young, he had mastered the organ and violin, and was also an excellent … Read more

Carl Gauss was a man who is known for making a great deal breakthroughs in the wide variety of his work in both mathematics and physics. He is responsible for immeasurable contributions to the fields of number theory, analysis, differential geometry, geodesy, magnetism, astronomy, and optics, as well as many more. The concepts that he … Read more

Only when the present has become the past can we reflect on what we could have or should have done. Yet our society is so obsessed with keeping track of time that we spend millions of dollars a year to keep a set of atomic clocks ticking the time. These clocks are so accurate that … Read more

The story begins with an unfortunate marriage between Hester Prynne and Roger Chilingworth, which leads to adultery and revenge. As the story unfolds we learn that Hester commits adultery which was a sin punished very badly. Later on we are introduced to Roger Chilingworth, who is only known as a physician, not Hesters husband; he … Read more

Canada is internationally recognized as a culturally diverse nation that emphasizes the concept of The Mosaic. No other country in the world encompasses inhabitants from so many different backgrounds who exhibit strong loyalty towards Canada, while still preserving their cultural heritage. This is contrasted to the American ideal of the “Melting Pot”, which attempts to … Read more

Your wife of 50 years is suddenly diagnosed with a terminal disease. She lies in a bed, motionless and unaware of her surroundings. The medication to ease her pain has been wearing off. She just lies there in pain and unable to communicate with the outside world. The doctors give her a month to live … Read more

In the poem Beowulf the women play the role of peace-keepers at any cost. Among these women I will look closely at Wealhtheow, Grendel’s mother and Hygd. Through all the women in Beowulf one can see a female perspective of honor, loyalty and social welfare. Wealhtheow is the picturesque queen. One sees this when she … Read more

The traditional view of women in society was to stay at home, clean, raise children , and to help with the family farm. This view started to change around the late 19th century and during the industrial revolution. Male domination kept women at home but in the early 19th century, legislatures and educators began expanding … Read more

In one of Edgar Allen Poe’s best-known tales of horror, “The Cask of Amontillado,” he suggests that pride can be a very dangerous thing. Through the use of foreshadowing, irony, and symbolism, Poe presents the compelling drama of two men. One who will stop at nothing to get the revenge that he deems himself and … Read more

Imagine it, while away at college you receive word that your beloved father who had seemed in good health only a short while ago has died leaving your mother and yourself. This situation would be enough to bring great depression to even the strongest of souls but for Hamlet, the fictional prince of Denmark in … Read more