Eleven by Sandra Cisneros is a poem that explores the life of an eleven-year-old girl who feels emotionally neglected. Eleven’s name comes from the fact that, although she has experienced very little of life, it has already done her wrong enough times to leave her feeling at least 11 years old. Eleven does not have … Read more
Huckleberry Finn was the young son of a shiftless father and a pious mother. He ran away from his adopted family on Jackson’s Island, where he grew up with the Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Huckleberry is known for his ‘lit’l har’, or little hair, as well as being an avid reader. Huckleberry … Read more
“ Grendel was suffering from an unbridled contempt for all things under heaven, but there was nothing he hated worse than the race of man. ” Grendel (John Gardner) Gardner’s Grendel tells the story of Beowulf through Grendel’s eyes–although Grendel is not capable of speech or writing, Grendel is still quite the storyteller. Grendel’s hatred … Read more
The book The Godfather, by Mario Puzo, was published in 1969. The two most popularly known movies The Godfather are both based on that novel. The first movie released in 1972 and the second followed in 1974. The story of The Godfather is about an Italian-American Mafia family, headed by Don Vito Corleone, based around … Read more
A Rose for Emily takes place in the South. A man named Homer Barron is supposed to marry Emily Grierson, but he never shows up; this lets everyone know that he’s not going to marry her and that they’ll have to find someone else. A few days later, she disappears. For a while, no one … Read more
“The Jacket,” by Gary Soto tells the story of fifteen-year-old Tony Mendez living in a California ghetto. The book begins with Tony hearing that his friend had been stabbed defending him against bullies at school. The principal of the high school calls Tony’s father to let him know what happened and the police are called. … Read more
The novel The Catcher in the Rye (By J. D. Salinger) tells the story of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield as he desperately seeks to preserve innocence and avoid corruption until his younger sister Phoebe is old enough to guard herself from the same fate that has consumed him. The book was published by a New York … Read more
The Color Purple is a novel that discusses the different cultural and social aspects of living as a woman in the early 1900’s. The setting takes place in rural Georgia and shows how double standards for gender roles can negatively affect people, especially women. The main character is Celie, a young girl who has to … Read more
A Midsummer Night’s Dream is written by William Shakespeare. A play that was first published in the year 1600, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of Shakespeare’s most popular and enduring works. A fantasy tale revolving around four lovers who are doomed to be unfortunate due to supernatural forces beyond their control, A Midsummer Night’s … Read more
The following The Road Not Taken essay discusses the figurative and literal meaning of the poem. The poem The Road Not Taken was written by Robert Frost in 1920. The poem has many interpretations that are based on multiple factors, including diction choice, tone, meter, and symbols used in the poem. The following The Road … Read more
Theodore Roethke’s poem “My Papa’s Waltz” begins with a simple observation, yet ends in intense emotion. The tone of the poem starts off fairly light with an emphasis on words that describe happy memories. He refers to his father as being “not lanky,” and describes him in similar terms when he says, “He held me … Read more
Beowulf is an Old English epic poem that was composed somewhere between the 8th and 11th century. Beowulf follows a great hero who comes to the aid of Hroðgar, the king of the Danes, whose mead hall in Heorot has been under attack by a man-eating creature known as Grendel. Beowulf kills Grendel and, too … Read more
Frankenstein is a story about betrayal. Frankenstein would not have been able to create his monster if all of those who helped him were not selfish, but that’s just what happened. Frankenstein’s closest friends betrayed him and Frankenstein betrayed the monster as well. Frankenstein was also betrayed by his family and even his own parents! … Read more
Lolita is an American novel written by Vladimir Nabokov in 1955. Lolita has also been adapted into two movies, Lolita in 1962 and Lolita in 1997. The Lolita novels are based on the true story of Lolita Lempkii who abducted by her father across state lines to marry her when she was only thirteen years … Read more
The first lines of The Fall of the House of Usher, “During the whole of a dull, dark, and soundless day in the autumn of the year,” instantly grab attention, as they suggest an important event will occur. The reader is immediately intrigued by what this event may be and how it might develop throughout … Read more
Jonas’s world is perfect. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, The Elders take him from his family and send him to The Receiver: an old man who teaches him about The past — a time when … Read more
Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of America’s greatest novelists, wrote The Scarlet Letter in 1850. The book takes place in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1642-1649. The protagonist of this story is Hester Prynne; who is an adulterer and has an illegitimate child. Unfortunately, it is a great sin in The Scarlet Letter for an adulteress … Read more
Hamlet’s madness is a key element to the play Hamlet. Hamlet, the protagonist of Hamlet, becomes depressed and horrified after discovering that his uncle Claudius has murdered his father and married Hamlet’s mother. Hamlet seeks revenge on Claudius for this transgression but feels like he has lost all agency because he can’t be sure if … Read more
Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that occurs using information technology to harass or intimidate others. Cyberbullying includes sending or posting harmful text messages, emails, images, video, and online posts. Cyberbullying can cause psychological harm to adolescents generally resulting in poor school performance and lower self-esteem. Cyberbullying has been associated with depression, suicidal thoughts, and … Read more
Wheat Field With Cypresses is a painting by Vincent van Gogh – painted in 1889. Wheat Field With Cypresses is one of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings, and the first work where the artist was overjoyed about painting . Wheat Field With Cypresses was made using oil paints and has broken records for selling paintings … Read more
Title IX (Title 9) is a US federal statute that prohibits discrimination based on gender in any educational programs which receive federal funds. Title IX states: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any … Read more
Oedipus Rex, a tragedy written by Sophocles, is a prime example on how Oedipus fulfills the requirements of a tragic hero. Oedipus’ character embodies all of Aristotle’s characteristics of a tragic hero from Oedipus’ hubris to Oedipus’ self-blinding as he realized his true identity. Oedipus himself realizes that he is the protagonist of the story … Read more
Audre Lorde was born on February 18, 1934 in New York City Coal is one of her greatest poems Coal deals with themes such as discrimination, oppression and racism Coal deals with life and death Coal deals with hatred Coal deals with anger Coal deals with the black community Coal tells us about Audre Lorde’s … Read more
Beowulf, a heroic poem written around 1000 A. D. , tells of Beowulf’s epic battles, his quest to kill monsters and beasts, his friendships with the Geats, and ultimately his descent into death at the hands of a dragon [1]. Beowulf was believed to have been passed down orally for over 300 years before finally … Read more
Death of a Salesman is the Death of the American Dream. Willy Loman, American salesman who made an effort to become someone great but failed. This failure resulted in his lack of self-esteem and happiness. He was never able to provide for his family or get recognition for being anything other than just being a … Read more
The poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost addresses the idea of decision-making and choosing what direction life will take you. The speaker of the poem is discussing a dilemma he faced, and how he ultimately chose one path over another. The roads were essentially identical in nature, and it was only after choosing … Read more
Beowulf is a Christian poem. The purpose of this article is to prove Beowulf ‘s Christianity by showing paganism in Beowulf , then showing Christianity’s superiority over paganism, and finally comparing Beowulf ‘s Christianity with today’s pseudo-Christianity. Beowulf was written in Old English sometime in the 700s AD . The audience for Beowulf would have … Read more
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a novel written by Ken Kesey that was first published in 1962. The story is about a man, Randle Patrick McMurphy, who arrives to an insane asylum pretending he is mentally ill to escape some jail time from some criminal activities. In the asylum, he meets many other … Read more
Ralph Waldo Ellison’s Invisible Man is a fictional novel that has several allusions. Invisible man, which was originally published in nineteen forty-five, talks about an unnamed African American man’s life experiences. In the novel, Invisible Man uses many allusion s to explain his experiences and feelings towards them. Invisible Man is full of symbolism. Allusions … Read more
Love is integral to both The Iliad and The Odyssey. Love presented in these works is not the romantic love we recognize today, but more familial ties–a type of love that was essential for survival. To Homer, Love gives meaning to everything without Love there would be no hardships which is why Love is how … Read more
Silas Deane (; October 25, 1738 – September 23, 1789), American statesman and diplomat, was one of the earliest Americans to be employed in foreign service. Silas Deane was born to Silas and Elizabeth Ayers on October 25, 1737 in Groton, Connecticut. Silas Deane attended Yale College from 1758 until he received his BA degree … Read more
In Frankenstein, Mary Shelley uses symbolism to explore important themes. Frankenstein is a book which can be interpreted in many different ways, as it contains many symbols and significant ideas. Frankenstein contains the classical symbol of a story: an antagonist and protagonist. In Frankenstein’s case, Frankenstein is the antagonist and his creature is the protagonist. … Read more
Macbeth is a play in which William Shakespeare uses different moods to portray Macbeth’s character development throughout the play. Macbeth starts off as a proud, ambitious man who is loyal to his king, Duncan. However through the use of deception and manipulation Macbeth acts on his intentions of being king himself. Macduff helps Macbeth realize … Read more
Alice Munro’s Boys and Girls begins with Jeanette who talks about her experiences in boarding school. Boys and girls were separated into three different buildings: high, middle, and elementary. Boys and girls couldn’t interact at all without a teacher present; however, if they did get together, it was mostly for educational purposes. While she was … Read more
A Midsummer Nights Dream, by William Shakespeare, is a romantic play that presents love in many forms including self-love, the love of parents, and the love between lovers. At the beginning of A Midsummer Nights Dream, Hermia is engaged to marry Demetrius but falls in love with Lysander instead. A subplot of A Midsummer Night’s … Read more
There are many perspectives when thinking about the topic of Leadership. Some people may say that leaders are born, while others think leaders are made over time through experience and knowledge. Some argue that leaders are groomed by society to accept leadership roles in organizations, while many others argue that leaders emerge in an organization … Read more
Internal conflict is a battle of opposing forces, ideas, or desires occurring within a character’s mind. Young Goodman Brown faces both internal and external conflicts throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Young Goodman Brown. Young Goodman Brown struggles with his heart and soul after being led astray by the devil to participate in witchcraft. Young Goodman Brown also … Read more
Hamlet has enjoyed the reputation of being Shakespeare’s masterpiece for centuries. Hamlet is a Tragedy, which implies that Hamlet will experience some kind of downfall by the end of the play. Hamlet experiences several character changes throughout this piece due to external and internal factors. He goes through three distinct periods of development: Hamlet in … Read more
The Glass Menagerie is a play written by Tennessee Williams. The symbolism in The Glass Menagerie has many different meanings, most of them related to the human psyche, but some are just there to give us more insight into the characters and their feelings. The major symbols in The Glass Menagerie are the glass menagerie … Read more
A serial killer is a person who murders three or more people, in two or more separate events over a period of time, for primarily psychological reasons. The United States FBI asserts that serial killers commit crimes (the unlawful killing of one or more human beings by another) to satisfy some abnormal psychological need for … Read more
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a novel about Hester Prynne and her daughter Pearl living their lives exiled from the town of Boston for an unnamed sin which we later find out was committed by Hester’s husband Arthur Dimmesdale. The characters all try to make their way in this world, both surrounded and … Read more
Drunk driving is an issue that affects many people all over the world. Drunk driving leads to thousands of deaths every year, and it accounts for nearly one-third of traffic fatalities. Drunk driving not only harms people involved in accidents but also has serious consequences for society as a whole. Drunk driving laws seek to … Read more
After reading A Rose for Emily, I can’t help but realize that Faulkner is an incredibly descriptive writer and A Rose for Emily was quite the literary work of art. It didn’t make sense to me at first, but after thinking about it and rereading the story a few times I gained some insight into … Read more
Have you ever met a devil who does evil for his own sake? Iago in William Shakespeare’s Othello could seem like he has good motives, but I feel that he uses them as his excuses. Othello, Othello’s wife Desdemona, Iago and Iago’s wife Emilia are the key characters of Othello. The first time we meet … Read more
Hamlet, written by William Shakespeare, is a story of betrayal and deception. The main character Hamlet seeks revenge for the death of his father, but how he goes about doing that can be seen in two distinct ways; one way through Hamlet’s eyes, the other through Hamlet (and William Shakespeare)’s audience. Hamlet believes that he … Read more
Mark Antony was one of the members in Julius Caesar’s famous assassination. Mark Antony was made a leader after Julius Caesar’s death. Mark Antony also used to be married to Julius Caesar’s daughter, but then Mark Antony started having affairs with other women; Mark Antony later divorced his wife and left her for Cleopatra VII. … Read more
A Career As A Medical Technologist – Career in science The medical field is the fastest growing industry today. More opportunities are expected to open up in this area, due to the increasing aging population worldwide. Career opportunities for people with qualifications in science are set to increase. If you are interested in medicine and … Read more
The sculpture of the Greek demigod Hercules is a marble statue in which he is depicted with his right arm and index finger pointing up at half-mast. His head faces forward, and there is a handsome, youthful face on him. There are two deities featured near his feet: Apollo, god of music and poetry; and … Read more
Iago is often considered to be the main character of William Shakespeare’s play. He was even originally performed as such by Richard Burbage, the first actor who played him on stage for the very first time. The mastermind behind evil deeds and plans, Iago makes us wonder why he does what he does throughout the … Read more
Julius Caesar is a play written by the famous William Shakespeare. Julius Caesar was first printed in 1623. Julius Caesar portrays an influential point of view on past events which include Brutus as a principle character. In Julius Caesar, the main principle character Brutus attempts to use his power for good but ultimately fails due … Read more