Kubla Khan is a fascinating and exasperating poem written by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (. Almost everyone who has read it, has been charmed by its magic. It must surely be true that no poem of comparable length in English or any other language has been the subject of so much critical commentary. Its fifty-four lines … Read more
Narnia…. a land of fantasy and adventure where magic and a Great Lion prevail. A land where so many people wish to be, a land from start to finish in The Chronicles of Narnia. Seven books written by Clive Staples Lewis have proven to be the most enchanting and mesmerizing books of all time. Pure … Read more
In a psychoanalytic view of Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, Robert Walton develops, during a dreadfully severe trip through the Arctic, a type of schizophrenia; this mental condition enables him to create a seemingly physical being representing each his superego and his id (9). In his mind, Walton creates Victor as his very own superego and the … Read more
The Theatre department at Stony Brook University recently reenacted John Guare’s play Six Degrees of Separation. These talented young actors and actresses did a truly fabulous job of presenting each of the individual characters and their personalities. Although there were a few minor mistakes along the way the play turned out to be quite funny, … Read more
‘The novel has long ignited disapproval, and it was the most frequently banned book in schools between 1966 and 1975. Even before that time, however, the work was a favorite target of sensors. In 1957, Australian Customs seized a shipment of the novels that had been presented as a gift to the government by the … Read more
“Who the hell am I? ” (Ellison 386) This question puzzled the invisible man, the unidentified, anonymous narrator of Ralph Ellison’s acclaimed novel Invisible Man. Throughout the story, the narrator embarks on a mental and physical journey to seek what the narrator believes is “true identity,” a belief quite mistaken, for he, although unaware of … Read more
The novels Jane Eyre and Little Women are strikingly similar in many ways, and the characters Jane Eyre and Jo March are almost mirrors of each other. There are many similarities between Jane and Jo, and also some differences, as well. From childhood, although they find themselves in completely different situations, both girls experience many … Read more
The Joy Luck Club is the stories of four families that migrated from mainland China in the last generation. It is the story of four mother-daughter relationships in the United States and the story of the four mothers’ lives in a repressive and sexist Chinese society. These stories are told in such a manner that … Read more
Theodore Roethke uses imagery and a unifying structure to convey the loving relationship between a daughter and her father in the poem “My Papa’s Waltz. ” Together these elements make it possible to communicate the emotional bond between parent and child to the reader. The first paragraph uses a clash of idea’s to illustrate the … Read more
We can trace the origin of Comedy to Dionysis- the Greek God of Wine who was hilarious, satirical and irreverent in spirit. Ben Jonson in Volpone’ (1605) that is considered to be the greatest comedy in English epitomized the classical spirit of comedy. Shakespeare was aware of the classical tradition by the chose to follow … Read more
Many of us like to think that humanity as a whole is progressing to a better future where we will live united and in peace with one another, a time of a more enlightened society. But there are those among us that do not share these beliefs. In A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess, the … Read more
Catherine Barkley and Frederic Henry in A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway present a contrast in personalities: in the ways they are playing opposite roles, in Catherines maturity and leadership and in Frederics immaturity and ineptness, and in the ways they view love. Frederic Henry is the narrorator and the protagonist in the novel. … Read more
Grendel lives in a dark and gruesome underground cave with his mother and dozens of cold, unmoving creatures. He is very curious and, in his early years, finds a way to escape this terrible place and enter the world. Every night he wanders outside his cave, exploring the land around him. One night, he gets … Read more
A new society is created by a group of people who strengthen and maintain their power by any means necessary including torture and death. Margaret Atwood’s book, A Handmaid’s Tale, can be compared to the morning after a bad fight within an abusive relationship. Being surrounded by rules that must be obeyed because of being … Read more
Susan Glaspells Trifles explores the classical male stereotype of women by declaring that women frequently worry about matters of little, or no importance. This stereotype makes the assumption that only males are concerned with important issues, issues that females would never discuss or confront. The characters spend the entirety of the play searching for clues … Read more
Andre Dubus, Raymond Carver and Shirley Jackson have changed the landscape of contemporary fiction both culturally and stylistically. All three comment about the affect upon the individual whose life circumstances have caused them to act the way that they do. When reading their short stories you can’t help but notice that Dubus and Carver have … Read more
Drearier enough it all began with a choice to chose what was to be read this summer. Many book to select from, yet one with a magical tone to it caught my eye, Mary Shelleys Frankenstein. Reading it gave a 2nd person point of view, interchanging with Dr. Frankenstein and his creation. I read it … Read more
In the novel The Killer Angels, Mr. Shaara’s historical accuracy is unquestionable. He has written this fabulous (Pulitzer Prize winning) novel. Although the heroic suicidal charge of the 10th Minnesotans on the second day of the battle was left out, Shaara focuses on Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and the 20th Maine which makes up for … Read more
Shakespeare constantly plays with metadrama and the perception of his plays as theatre and not life with the complications inherent that in life we all play roles and perceive life in different ways. The play has recognition of its existence as theatre, which has relevance to a contemporary world that is increasingly aware of precisely … Read more
The short story “The Yellow Wall-Paper” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a cry for freedom. This story is about a woman who fights for her right to express what she feels, and fights for her right to do what she wants to do. The narrator in this short story is a woman whose husband … Read more
Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth presents an interesting study of the social construction of subjectivity. The Victorian society which Wharton’s characters inhabit is defined by a rigid structure of morals and manners in which one’s identity is determined by apparent conformity with or transgression of social norms. What is conspicuous about this brand of … Read more
The Importance of Biffs Role in “Death of a Salesman” The play “Death of a Salesman”, by Arthur Miller, follows the life of Willy Loman, a self-deluded salesman who lives in utter denial, always seeking the “American Dream,” and constantly falling grossly short of his mark. The members of his immediate family, Linda, his wife, … Read more
Everyone is faced with struggles in life, whether physical or emotional. These struggles inevitably shape an individuals personality and outlook on life. Timothy Findleys novels, The Wars and Stones, suggest that the consequences of struggles in life result in a journey of self- discovery. War exists in the characters physical and psychological accounts of the … Read more
History is filled with instances in which an outside culture invades an occupied area and dominates the native culture. As these invaders attempt to destroy the native civilization, permanent scars are left on the spirits and hopes of those oppressed. When oppressors rule another culture, that culture seems to loss vital components of their heritage. … Read more
The passage of adolescence has served as the central theme for many novels, but J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, long a staple in academic lesson plans, has captured the spirit of this stage of life in hyper-sensitive form, dramatizing Holden Caulfield’s vulgar language and melodramatic reactions. Written as the autobiographical account of … Read more
In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn the society of a Puritan town of Salem excludes anyone who is in any way deviant and renders that person sinful. However, the society, the townspeople themselves, is not without fault. However they try to conceal and contain their passions and all their faults because of … Read more
Surrealism is a dangerous word to use about the poet, playwright and critic T. S. Eliot, and certainly with his first major work, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock “. Eliot wrote the poem, after all, years before Andre Breton and his compatriots began defining and practicing “surrealism” proper. Andre Breton published his first … Read more
In order to really understand Willy Loman, from Arthur Miller’s play Death Of A Salesman, the reader must analyze the way his character is developed. Studying his thoughts, actions, how he relates to other characters and how other characters relate to him enables the reader to come to an understanding of the world in which … Read more
I believe that Holden Caufield should be in a hospital, at least for a short term stay. There are two main reasons that he should do this. The first is that it will help him get back on his feet and get all his school work under control. The second is that he will be … Read more
The amount of change people go through in their lives is remarkable. One day, you can be a devious criminal, while the next you could turn a new leaf and become a saint. The change that Jack goes through in All the Kings Men, is comparable to that of the patient who receives a lobotomy. … Read more
Toad. The word conjures up images of a grotesque, little amphibian and yet it is this little animal that Larkin decides to base his poem on. He describes two toads. One is the exterior influence that society has on and individual to work, and the other is the interior or personal prompting to work. He … Read more
Grumio arrives at Petruchio’s house after accompanying Petruchio and Kate on a long journey from Padua. Grumio affirms the fact that the servants are well prepared for the new couple’s arrival. He tells Curtis, another servant to Petruchio, of an incident that occurred on the trip. Katherina’s horse had thrown on her off and then … Read more
The Two Gentlemen of Verona deals with the debate over the relative merits of love and friendship between two young courtiers Valentine and Proteus. One of the great debates of the Renaissance was the discussion of whether the love of a woman was a sentiment more noble than the friendship that might exist between men. … Read more
In the plays The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov, A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, and Galileo by Bertolt Brecht, the protagonists’ mental beliefs combine reality and illusion that both shape the plot of each respective story. The ability of the characters to reject or accept an illusion, along with the foolish pride that motivated … Read more
The Catcher in the Rye is about Holden Caulfield. Just four days before the winter vacation Holden is kicked out from Pencey prep. School. He is kicked out from school for not passing most of his classes, except English class. Being alone bored out of his mind and not know what to do. Holden decides … Read more
“Sula” by Tony Morrison is the story of a friendship between Nel Wright and Sula Peace, who are opposites in the way of relating to other people, to the world around them, and to themselves. Nel is rational and balanced; she gets married and gives in to conformity and the town’s expectations. Sula is an … Read more
Roughing it was written by Mark Twain. This book is a journal of Mark Twain and his brother’s trip to Carson City, Nevada. They went because Mark Twain’s brother had a job as the Secretary of Nevada. This book, journal, started when they were leaving to go to Carson City; and ended when Mark Twain … Read more
Many people find that their dreams are unreachable. Holden Caulfield realizes this in J. D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye. As Holden tells his story, he recounts the events since leaving the Pencey School to his psychiatrist. At first, Holden sounds like a typical, misguided teenager, rebellious towards his parents, angry with his teachers, … Read more
Each person has their own vision of utopia. Utopia means an ideal state, a paradise, a land of enchantment. It has been a central part of the history of ideas in Western Civilization. Philosophers and writers continue to imagine and conceive plans for an ideal state even today. They use models of ideal government to … Read more
In the early 1900’s Susan Glaspell wrote many works. Two of her works stand out as true feminist tells, including the play Trifles and the short story \”A Jury of Her Peers\”. Trifles was written in 1920, while \”A Jury of Her Peers\” was written the following year. Trifles was written in only ten days. … Read more
The satirists shared a talent for making other individuals feel uncomfortable, particularly by making them aware of their own moral inadequacies. They used irony, derision, and wit to attack human vice or folly. One method the satirist utilized to catch their readers’ attention, while also making them feel uncomfortable, was to describe those things that … Read more
The narrator of this last stanza of The Road Not Taken is Edward Thomas, eluding that the choice he has just made may be the wrong, or the right; but only time will tell. On the surface, Robert Frosts poem is a story about a walk on a wooded road, but it had deeper meaning … Read more
Explore how any playwright of the time has successfully dramatised a social issue. Contemporary theatre has stepped further and further away from the sugar-coated happy society plays and musicals that once dominated Broadway and the West End. Now, harsher more realistic stories with issues facing todays society and politics are shocking that conventional-type of theatre. … Read more
Often compared to the American poet Edgar Allen Poe, the French poet Charles Baudelaire has become well-known for his fascination with death, melancholy, and evil and his otherwise eccentric yet contemplative style. These associations have deemed him as a “patron saint of modernist poetry” while at the same time closely tying his style in with … Read more
Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living (Bronte, 163)! In this quote, Heathcliffs pain from Catherines death is obvious. Wuthering Heights is a Victorian novel regarding the lives of the Earnshaws and Lintons. Through three generations, they all experience wave after wave of tragedy all originating with Heathcliffs overwhelming desire … Read more
Dysfunctional family relationships form the basis of many Canadian short stories. Often, tragedy is the end result of severe family breakdown. In other cases, personality defects are directly traceable to poor family dynamics. In the stories Hurt, Fall of a City, and The Sound of Hollyhocks there were very profound family problems. The difficulty in … Read more