Archetypes are an important foundation for building literary work. As “reoccurring patterns, images, or descriptive details” (Crisp 2), they not only define the identity of an author’s characters, but the course of the plot, the journeys and the tragedies. Archetypes are utilized as a useful...
The “Combray” section of Marcel Proust’s Swann’s Way is an extended meditation on an idyllic past. The book begins, though, not with recollections of Combray, but with a description of the narrator’s half-asleep state, a state of consciousness where he does not know where, or...
When considering the idea of a divine creator one might consider arguments made by analogy, as William Paley does in his work Natural Theology, as indications of such a creator’s existence. Paley constructs an argument by analogy by relating the universe to an intricate mechanical...
In the memoir, “This Boy’s Life”, Tobias Wolff examines the attitudes and behaviours that all human beings exude in childhood. Indeed, Wolff demonstrates how exorbitant hope has the potential to blind individuals, resulting in an unfulfilled and disappointing life. Contrasting against the stereotypical 1950’s ideals...
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...
In the book “October Sky”, there’s a common theme throughout the book, Determination. Sonny and the Rocket Boys would often have an issue with their rockets. They never lost hope, never gave up, and kept going, determined to overcome their issues within rocket building, school,...
In the play “Oedipus Rex”, Sophocles shows a hidden connection between man’s free will and fate which the Greek accepted to guide the universe amicable reason. A man was allowed to pick and eventually considered liable for his own behavior. Both the idea of fate...
In King Lear, William Shakespeare displays two similar characters with many vices. Lear is a foolish, gullible king who has many tragic flaws including moral blindness, vanity and greed. Furthermore, Gloucester is an egocentric man that suffers from moral blindness and is living in his...
Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E. Butler, conveys many similar topics from history, such as slavery, not having equal rights, and decrease of civilization, which is what makes it diffcult to put the book under one genre classification. Regardless, Butler is able to fit...
In Self-Reliance Ralph Waldo Emerson describes self-reliance as the perception of one’s interpretation of reality, or truth. “What I must do, is all that concerns me, not what the people think,” Emerson says. He emphasizes on the dignity of the individual and advocates that every...
Divergent is a book that its main topic is the division of people in certain spaces depending on the virtue people had to develop in that space. Not only division it’s like the main topic at all, but there are also a lot of other...
I’ve read quite a few books in my lifetime. There were a few I’ve loved, there were even a few I’ve absolutely hated. I can honestly say I’ve read more books that I hated than I actually write, mostly because reading just isn’t my absolute...
‘Oh, the Place You Will Go’ is a book by Dr. Seuss that talks about a protagonist who has no name and who makes the decision to leave town and exploring the world. This protagonist travels through and discovers various landscapes and places, which represents...
J.D. Vance’s Hillbilly Elegy shows the struggles that someone living in Appalachia faces on a daily basis in some way. These struggles could be ones that you personally are facing, or they could be struggles that someone you know or love is facing. Some of...
Sophie Caco, in Breath, Eyes, Memory, quotes her mother, “There’s a difference between what a person wants and what’s good for them” (72). In Edwidge Danticat’s novel, there is conflict between what Sophie wants and what her mother, Martine, believes is good for her. While...
In Funny in Farsi, Firoozeh Dumas explains that her father, Kazem, had studied and worked in America and “often spoke about America with the eloquence and wonder normally reserved for a first love. To him, America was a place where anyone, no matter how humble...
A Modest Proposal Outline Introduction Overview of “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift The satirical nature of the work The overtly absurd proposal of Irish people eating their babies to address starvation The Real Message Behind the Proposal Jonathan Swift’s true message in the essay...
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...
In the novel The Call of the Wild written by Jack London, Buck was stationed as a compelling leading character who undergoes multiple character developments throughout the novel due to nature and nurture. London’s approach of characterizing Buck has been highly recognized by Donald E....
When people hear the words war, death, mental health, and pain, the last thing you would probably think about is satire. However in the book Catch 22, author Joseph Heller uses satire to bring light to all of these subjects, point out flaws in characters,...
“IT happened. There is no avoiding it, no forgetting. No running away, or flying, or burying, or hiding.” The novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is one that moves people and takes people on an adventure into the mind of a teenager. But not just...
After reading Freakonomics it really opens the reader’s eyes to unseen things in everyday life. The incentives of just any regular person are greatly shown because money or personal gain can take over any man or woman no matter how old. In a few of...
This essay is going to answer the question ‘How does Gatsby represent the American Dream?’. Dividing fantasy from reality has always been a complication for humans throughout history. By yearning for the impossible, one prepares for failure and disappointment in the future. This plight is...
Burn Zones by Jorge P. Newbery is a book detailing the journey of the author in pursuing his interest and overcoming the obstacles, also known as the “burn zones,” to achieving his success. Mr. Newbery started working at a young age of 7 years old,...
Imagine if your mother died and her cells were stolen, as well as you and your siblings growing up in an abusive environment. That is the story of Henrietta Lacks and her family. She was a black woman, who had cervical cancer growing in her...
The novel The Help, written by Kathryn Stockett, is one of the most influential novels about racism. The story begins in 1962 in Jackson, Mississippi, with the birth of a little girl named Mae Mobley, her mother is Miss Leefolt. In this era, white race...
Fate: Is Life Happening To Us? When reflecting on one’s life up until this very moment, there is a divide between how much of what has happened is directly a result of our own doing, and how much of it was seemingly fate. To delve...
There are many modern-day heroes. Those who we see as strong and brave. Those who protect us. However, where did these qualities aspire from. How do we judge if someone is noble. If someone is worth honoring. There are many attributes that contribute to this...