The American Dream as it is seen in the 1920s before the Great Depression was a dream of economic prosperity. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, this dream of achieving wealth and happiness through hard work exists as a materialistic goal for each of its characters to obtain. Materialism can be seen throughout … Read more
This poem is from the Romantic era period. Romanticism was an artistic and intellectual movement that began in Europe through a return to nature, medievalist, and a fascination with folk art and folklore. The Romantics stressed individualism over traditional rules of aesthetics and expected emotional response from the audience. Romanticism is known for its emphasis … Read more
J. D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye is a novel written by J. D. Salinger that was originally published in The Saturday Evening Post on December 16, 1951 before being released as a novel on July 16, 1953 through Little, Brown and Company. [1] The story follows Holden Caulfield, an adolescent who struggles with … Read more
Frankenstein, which was written by Mary Shelley, is a novel that encompasses the process of creation, evolution, ambition and judgment. Frankenstein’s monster makes an appearance in the novel when he attempts to seek revenge on Frankenstein for abandoning him. A large part of Frankenstein’s reasoning behind leaving his creation was due to the fear of … Read more
“A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” is novel that novel that tells the story of its protagonist Stephen Dedalus, his childhood, adolescence and maturation in Ireland in the late nineteenth century. Joyce’s novel is mainly concerned with presenting Stephen’s conflict in regards to religion. James Joyce was raised Roman Catholic but strayed … Read more
The Cave is a wordless comic that tells the story of an explorer’s discovery of The Cave. The explorer ventures underground to explore The Cave, and gains knowledge about The Cave in the form of paintings along the way. The paintings tell The Explorer to beware The Haze, but The Explorer disregards this warning, proceeds … Read more
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Chinese immigrants were subjected to strenuous interrogations at Angel Island State Park in San Francisco Bay. In order to keep out Chinese deemed undesirable, federal law required ships’ captains to submit a list of all passengers with their full information before landing from China. The intent was … Read more
Maya Angelou is a writer, poet and civil rights activist. Maya was born in 1928 in St. Louis, Missouri. Maya’s father was abandoned by his parents as a child and he attempted to find family members to stay with but they were no longer alive. Maya’s mother was a very strong woman who worked as … Read more
It’s that time in Josefina Lopez ‘s Real Women Have Curves when Ana returns from her semester at the University of California, Berkeley. Ana is excited about her education and what it will mean for her future. She wants to show off all she has learned but find herself instantly annoyed with everyone’s reaction to … Read more
Leonardo Da Vinci, one of the greatest and most ingenious men that history has ever known. Leonardo’s genius was not limited to one aspect of life, but spanned many fields; including science, art, music and mathematics. Leonardo is widely considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time, who pioneered new standards in … Read more
Paper, a short story written by Catherine Lim, was first published in 1977 as Paper Marriage. In Paper as well as Paper Marriage, the lead character is a young woman who lives with her mother and brother. The woman has been dating a man from work for three years, but she feels no romantic passion … Read more
All My Sons was written by Arthur Miller in 1947. All My Sons is a play that takes place in the 1940s, during World War II. All of the main characters are influenced by either World War II or the Great Depression before it, which had lasting effects on their lives. All of these factors … Read more
The Miracle Worker is a play in two acts by William Gibson adapted from his 1959 teleplay The Miracle Worker . The original version was performed at the Playhouse Theatre in London opening on April 14, 1963. The play tells the story of Anne Sullivan ‘s struggle to teach Helen Keller how to communicate with … Read more
Frankenstein is a novel involving human nature, free will, life, death, the meaning of existence and relationships. Frankenstein creates several internal conflicts for its main character Frankenstein himself as well as for all other characters Frankenstein encounters throughout his life. Internal conflict is present for Frankenstein when he is creating the monster by imagining what … Read more
The Holocaust refers to the systematic state-sponsored extermination of 6 million Jews by Nazi Germany in occupied Europe. The Holocaust took place in stages, starting with vile acts of verbal and physical abuse, followed by stepped up legal discrimination, including stripping Jews of their civil rights, restricting their travel options, destroying their property, culminating in … Read more
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a classic American tale of a Puritan woman caught in a triangle with her husband and the reverend, Dimmesdale. The novel takes place in 17th-century Boston during the strict morality enforced by The Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, who is widely respected for his devout preaching. The reoccurring theme of … Read more
The Merchant of Venice is a play by William Shakespeare. The main characters in The Merchant of Venice are men, the only woman in the play being Portia who lives in Belmont and who has no lines. The female characters in The Merchant of Venice provide mostly love interests for male leads and they seem … Read more
Masculinity and femininity are known to be traits that describe the behavioral qualities of an individual. Gender stereotypes are the preconceived notions society builds about certain things, views, or people. The majority of these conceptions come from popular culture and media. Some examples include the ‘dumb blonde’ and the ‘all-star quarterback’. Gender stereotypes can be … Read more
The Odyssey is an epic poem written by the ancient Greek poet Homer. The protagonist, Odysseus, relates his 10-year journey returning home to Greece after the Trojan War. The poem mainly focuses on his adventures but does contain some references to his wife and son at home in Ithaca while he is away. The poem … Read more
Hard Times is a novel by Charles Dickens, written and published in 1854. Hard Times: For These Times (or Hard Times) was also the name of a speech given by Charles Dickens; we will see the connection between the title and the content later. Dickens explores industrialization in England without romanticizing it like he did … Read more
Grendel is a 1971 novel by John Gardner about the monster Grendel, whom the book follows through his perspective. Grendel is an anti-hero that causes misery wherever he goes until Beowulf arrives to put an end to him. Frankenstein is a novel written in 1818 by Mary Shelly after she heard of the story of … Read more
In Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken,” the speaker discusses two paths in life. He “took the one less traveled by,” and this decision made all the difference in his life. This poem is a great example of Robert Frost’s use of imagery to set scenes, create moods, and describe scenes in his poems. … Read more
“The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell is a short story about a man named Sanger Rainsford, who went to hunt on Ship-Trap island. The count Zaroff hunts humans for the sport of the hunt. The short story takes place on an unnamed island near Constanza in southeast Europe. Sanger Rainsford was travelling to his … Read more
Utopia is a book by Utopian Philosopher Sir Thomas Moore. Utopia was written as a novel but has become an important work in philosophy and political theory. Utopia is set up as a frame story, where the narrator Raphael Hythlodaeus (most likely not his real name) describes the discovery of Utopia through conversations with Prince … Read more
My name is Jack, and I am 19 years old. Ever since my early childhood years, I have developed an interest in psychology and how the brain operates. Because of this interest, I decided to research the development of the brain throughout life. Here are some key points that were found by researchers on how … Read more
Fences is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play written by August Wilson. Fences takes place in the 1950s, in the Hill District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Fences not only earned August Wilson acclaim as an amazing writer but it also earned him two Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Actor. Fence’s protagonist Troy Maxson is vividly portrayed … Read more
The Canterbury Tales are a group of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer. The tales are told by various people, who recount them to each other on the way to the shrine of St. Thomas Becket in Canterbury. The main characters in The Canterbury Tales are both historical and fictional. Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales is … Read more
It is a well known fact that reading before bedtime helps put children to sleep. Goodnight Moon is a book that has been around since the 1940s, and it remains highly popular today due to its easy text and lovely pictures. Goodnight Moon contains just 123 words, each no more than 2 syllables long, so … Read more
The Last of The Mohicans is a 1992 film directed by Michael Mann , starring Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye, Eric Schweig as Chingachgook, and Madeleine Stowe as Cora Munro. The movie was well received at the time it came out. The writers for The Last Of The Mohicans are credited to Michael Mann and Christopher … Read more
Symbolism is the act of using symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving them symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense. Symbolism can be found in many forms, with art being one of the most common carriers of symbolism. This article will go over some examples of symbolism found in F. Scott … Read more
Animal captivity is a hot topic among both supporters and opponents. Animal lovers argue that keeping an animal in a zoo is cruel, while zoos argue it is the only way to save them from extinction or repopulate species that are becoming endangered. Animal rights activists claim there are many downfalls of keeping animals in … Read more
Dances With Wolves is a 1990 American Western film directed by, produced by, and starring Kevin Costner. It is an adaptation of the 1987 book of the same name by Michael Blake , in which a Union Army lieutenant joins his regiment’s U. S. allies to battle against invading Sioux warriors allied with their traditional … Read more
For teenagers, drinking alcohol is a significant part of social interactions and the teenagers’ development. The first drinking experience typically occurs during adolescence. Drinking alcohol is one of the first things teenagers learn and can be considered as an introductory activity to adult life. Some teenagers, particularly those who attended college take up this habit … Read more
Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel written by Nobel Prize in Literature winner William Golding. The story follows a group of British boys stranded on an uninhabited island after their plane was shot down during WWII. Lord of the Flies deals with the issue of human nature and how it can be corrupted … Read more
John Angelo Gotti was born December 27, 1940 to John and Fannie Gotti. John had three brothers: Peter, Richard, and Gene. John’s family lived in the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City near the East Harlem area during John’s childhood years. John was the last child born into his family. John attended Public School … Read more
The story The Lady or The Tiger, by Frank R. Stockton is about a kingdom whose ruler has put forth an intriguing problem to the public; he presents them with two doors. Behind one of the doors is his daughter, whom he had promised to marry to whoever can determine behind which door she was … Read more
The relationship between mathematics and philosophy is an old one, dating back to the dawn of mathematics in ancient civilizations such as Egypt and Mesopotamia. Many mathematicians such as Archimedes were also philosophers or vice versa, such as Thomas Hobbes who made great advances in mathematics but never received a degree in mathematics [1]. For … Read more
In Marry Me, John Updike chronicles a year in the life of a young couple who have been living together for several years. The book centers on a cast of characters who are all interconnected and live in the small suburb of Tarbox, Massachusetts during the mid-sixties. Marry Me’s plot mainly concerns the relationship between … Read more
Cool Running is a documentary by Cool Runnings director Jonathon Hock. Cool Running follows three of America’s best marathon runners who are not good enough to compete in the Olympics. As they struggle for glory against better funded, younger competitors, Cool Running proves that talent isn’t all you need to succeed in athletics. The movie … Read more
The Judge’s Wife is a short story written by Isabel Allende. The story takes place in the 1970s, during the Chilean President Salvador Allende’s government. The protagonist of this story is an unnamed woman who has been married to a judge for 18 years and still loves him as much as she did when they … Read more
Jane Eyre is a novel written by English author Charlotte Bronte, published in 1847 under the pen name “Currer Bell. ” Jane Eyre follows the strong-willed Jane as she navigates her way through life, ultimately finding love and happiness. Jane’s character is often considered to be an example of feminism. Jane represents the woman as … Read more
Ruby Bridges (born September 8, 1954 in Tylertown, Mississippi) is an American civil rights activist. In 1960 Ruby Bridges was one of the first black children to attend a previously all-white elementary school in Louisiana as ordered by the court following the U. S Supreme Court ruling on Brown v. Board of Education . Ruby … Read more
The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini, explores the theme of love through Amir’s relationships with Baba, Hassan, and Sohrab. The Kite Runner is narrated by Amir who recalls his life in Afghanistan between 1965-1994 where he grows up next door to Hassan, a Pashtun boy who becomes his servant/best friend and is later raped by … Read more
” Touching the Void is an account by Joe Simpson of a mountain climbing expedition gone awry. In 1985, Joe Simpson and his climbing partner Simon Yates set out to scale Siula Grande, a remote peak in the Peruvian Andes. At some point during the climb, Simpson fell and broke his leg. Though Yates was … Read more
Azalea Seafood and Gumbo Shoppe is a company which specializes in seafood dishes. Azalea Seafood and Gumbo Shoppe offers over 20 different menu items including gumbo, shrimp stew, crawfish étouffée, fried catfish, stuffed crabs, oysters on the half shell, boiled crawfish, fried frog legs with Cajun fries, steamed clams with garlic butter sauce, soft shelled … Read more
Parents and their children have many things in common. Parents want the best for their children, they want them to be happy. However, there are a few differences in what parents and their children think makes a child happy. Parents generally know more about life in general than their children because they have been through … Read more
The Black Cat is a short story written by Edgar Allan Poe. The story tells of a man who was once good friends with a black cat, until the day he decided to hang it. The main character becomes consumed in guilt and tries many different ways to hide his murders from everyone else, however … Read more
During Leonardo da Vinci’s lifetime, he painted several masterpieces that are admired today. His art is studied extensively by many scholars for its depth. Leonardo’s Last Supper is one of Leonardo’s paintings which has had a lot of attention. It is characterized by the use of symbolic meaning through the characters, their placement in the … Read more
In The Great Gatsby, written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gatsby has a lot of money and so does Daisy Buchanan. The only reason why they have money is that their husbands (and in some cases both) had the biggest bootlegging business during The Prohibition Era. The story takes place in 1922-1923, The Prohibition Era was … Read more
Paradise Lost was not well received during Milton’s lifetime; Paradise Lost is now remembered as “the epic of Paradise lost” (Murrin 1096). Paradise Lost shows how humans can overcome sin through religious devotion, but also represents how sin destroys Paradise (Greenblatt 1818). Paradise Lost by John Milton, a 17th century epic poem about the Fall … Read more