John Berger is a novelist, poet, art critic and painter. His essay “Ways of Seeing” is widely known by acclaimed artists and university students. When first published in 1972 after his BBC show -he shocked people with his perspective on viewing and understanding art; but...
Introduction The memoir Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance is a well-written book that awakens my mind and allows me to connect to a part of this country I never knew existed. In his story, Vance not only focuses on his own family crisis, with his...
Since its 1987 publication in Chicana Creativity and Criticism: Charting New Frontiers in American Literature, Helena Maria Viramontes’s short story “Miss Clairol” has provided outsiders a look into the Chicana culture, and has also sparked a criticism for standards of beauty and femininity for all...
In Jostein Gaarder’s philosophical novel Sophie’s World, Sophie learns about the history of philosophy, concluding with the truth about her own existence. Throughout this, many motifs are prevalent—the mirror, the boat, dreams, constant enlightenment. But the most important motif is that of Sophie’s relationship with...
Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto and Samuel Johnson’s The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abyssinia both make excellent examples of the roles of women in the eighteenth century, including what those roles were supposed to be and what they actually were. Both texts treat...
In “Guns, Germs, and Steel” Jared Diamond tries to understand why certain countries and civilizations developed wealth and power and evolved throughout history while other civilizations did not. He also tries to figure out how these certain peoples were the ones capable to expand and...
In the novel, The Help by Kathryn Stockett, there are many themes communicated throughout the story. The theme that attracted the most attention is racism and segregation. For centuries, equality has been an ongoing obstacle, whether it be race, gender, religion, segregation, special needs etc....
Since the beginning of the era, women’s roles have taken a front-row seat in the modern twentieth century to the current day, which has since been ever-changing. Raymond Chandler’s works have proven this time and time again as he focuses on the attitudes, dress, and...
Minor characters significantly impact and create a positive influence on the protagonist. In the novel Indian Horse, written by the Canadian writer Richard Wagamese, minor characters turn out to be a positive influence on Saul Indian Horse. These characters encourage Saul to endure in different...
Rhetoric is the art of persuasive speaking techniques. Examples of rhetoric are: ethos (credibility), pathos (emotion), and logos (logic). In Animal Farm by George Orwell, the pigs have pushed themselves in power because of their use of rhetoric. They used ethos, pathos, and logos to...
Freakonomics. What kind of name is that for an entrepreneurship book? It sounds like a joke. I chose this book for the same reason I chose the other two I have written essays about: I received it as a gift. Unfortunately, this was the last...
The protagonist of Fitzgerald’s tragic novel, The Great Gatsby, is that could not use his millions to buy true happiness. The story of Jay Gatsby is a made up lifestyle in which he spends all of his life living the so called “American Dream”. Gatsby...
Lara’s Journal by A. Gavazzoni is a thriller suspense novel that deals with crime, love, jealousy, sex, and abuse in the life of two dispirited women. The plot starts off in Miami with the primary character, Simone, on a steamy vacation trying to escape from...
Informed Consent is patient authorization which is given to a specialist for treatment with full knowledge of the potential dangers and advantages. In The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot addresses the treatment offered at Johns Hopkins in the 1950’s and Tuskegee. The Tuskegee...
Edgar Allen Poe has a way of writing like no other. He uses darkness, suspense, and gloom to portray his scenes and plots. The Pit and the Pendulum is one of his many works that were written and loved by many. Edgar writes about the...
A great scary and suspense story that engages you. The best ones build to that engagement and constantly, throughout the script, build that suspense. The main elements that people are looking for in a scary story are concept, suspense, atmosphere. They have to arouse readers’...
Pride and Prejudice, the classic tale written by Jane Austen, takes place in 19th century rural England. Setting is important throughout the story because it symbolizes the progression of the relationship between two of the major characters, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Due to the...
In Autobiography of a Face, Lucy Grealy explores the theme of the self and she tells the story of her struggle to create a positive perception of herself in spite of the ridicule and bullying she endures because of her disfigured face, the result of...
For thousands of years, history has been kept alive through the written word; me and women of virtue, in particular, have recorded social struggles so that future generations can know about the events that transpired over the course of their lifetimes. Through Freedom in the...
In literature (novels, folk tales, plays, movies, etc.) one finds presented two forms of so called “coming-of-age” stories. The traditional method is preparation for adulthood. A youth (generally between 10 years old and 20) passes, by some calamity or other intense situation, from the world...
As I read this brilliant and historical reading called “The Folly of Empire I came to realize that the article is about past president Bush and his administration that has failed to learn from past attempts at American imperialism. This is representing the past presidents...
Pages: 56-60: Diction:“I only remember Nancy’s Teddy bear staring at me” (Capote, 60). This quote was pronounced by two of Nancy Clutter’s dearest friends, Nancy Ewalt and Susan Kidwell after seeing Nancy’s corpse. This is an ideal example of diction from Truman Capote, however, is...
Many people do believe that being a wallflower is all negative. However, there is much evidence in the book that says otherwise. In the text, you will get to know the main person by the name of Charlie who is described in the novel as...
Introduction Joseph Heller’s most famous novel, Catch-22 was published on November 10, 1961. The novel was so successful that the title even earned a spot in the dictionary as a catchphrase. Catch-22 is a satirical war comedy that reflects the times Heller experienced during the...
Laurie Halse Anderson, the author of Speak, who use the first person to write this novel on showing readers the real situation and emotion that Melinda face and how she is recovering from the school. Depression, as known as a major depressive disorder which is...
Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by Z.Z. Packer is a series of stories that focus on the main character, Dina. Dina is an African American girl who is raised in Baltimore, but who later studies at Yale. Dina doesn’t like most people and has a hard time...
Education is an integral part of the identity formation process; it helps shape individuals and it often directs their lives after the educational process is over. The level and quality of education can determine one’s socioeconomic status and prospects; however, not everyone has equal access...
There hasn’t been a time in our society where people haven’t been treated differently because of the color of their skin or because of where they stand in society. In The Help, an effort is made to separate whites and blacks in every way possible...
A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L’Engle is not an ordinary novel as it blends science-fiction and fantasy splendidly. This is a plot-based novel with obstacles always being present when trying to accomplish a task. The conflict that occurs in this novel is person vs...
The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was written by Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson and was set in the 19th century during the Victorian-era London, where expectations are high and reputations are valued. This novella explores the dual characteristics of a Victorian...
