Essays on Literary Genres

3250

Monetization by Characters in 'The Corrections'

1 page / 2639 words

The Lambert family, the protagonists of Jonathan Franzen’s The Corrections, view the world through a lens which attaches monetary value to people, objects, and actions. Money is a constant presence in their lives, whether there’s plenty or not enough. Alfred, Enid, Gary, Denise, Chip, and...

Character Novel

3251

The War Between Man and Nature in "The Convergence of The Twain"

1 page / 762 words

Thomas Hardy’s “The Convergence of the Twain” describes the events leading up to the sinking of the Titanic as well as the aftermath; however, on a deeper level, the work explores the theme of the conflict between man and nature. These opposing forces demonstrate the...

Poetry Thomas Hardy

3252

Humanity's Contribution to Its Downfall in Hardy's "The Convergence of The Twain"

1 page / 763 words

In his poem “The Convergence of the Twain,” Thomas Hardy describes the unfortunate, yet truly inevitable, sinking of the supposedly invincible Titanic. Concurrently, the poem depicts humanity’s vain struggle against the steadfast forces of nature. The poem’s structural organization as well as diction and figurative...

Poetry Thomas Hardy

3253

Black Culture Generalised by Charles W. Chesnutt's The Conjure Woman

1 page / 1681 words

In order to rationalize the south’s peculiar institution of slavery, the southern plantation novel surfaced. It idealized the plantation lifestyle by creating and romanticizing characters that otherwise would be viewed upon as evil by blacks—the oppressed. Life was portrayed as easy and carefree by the...

African American Culture Short Story

3254

Deception and Disguise Evident in 'The Country Wife' and 'The Conscious Lovers'

1 page / 1574 words

Deception and disguise, classic elements of comedy, are found in both William Wycherly’s The Country Wife and Richard Steele’s The Conscious Lovers. These devices rely on gaps of knowledge between different characters, or between characters and the audience, of a person’s true identity, but the...

Comedy Literature Review

3255

The Conference of The Birds': The Story of Sheikh Sam'an Summary

1 page / 1788 words

The Conference of the Birds is a love story about a man who chooses to change his lifestyle and religion in order to obtain the love of a woman. Sam’an, a Muslim sheikh, is in love with a Christian woman. During this time period, it...

Araby Poetry

3256

Black Magic Evident in 'The Conjure Woman'

1 page / 1646 words

The Conjure Woman by Charles Chestnutt is a frame narrative, retelling a story within a story and incorporating valuable information about the traditional African fetishism practiced by the slaves against their slave masters. Fetishism or Voodoun provides a source of empowerment and gives the slaves,...

African American Culture Short Story

3257

Origin of Fetish in 'The Conjuring Stories'

1 page / 1159 words

A fetish object possesses a distinct, almost superstitious power, often linked to sexual gratification, desire, and even worship. As noted in the article “Sexualization in the Media,” fetishization is a cultural, psychological, and social technique that magnifies certain items, rendering them larger than life, animate,...

African American Culture Short Story

3258

Human Nature Illustrated by Wolfe's 'The Child by Tiger'

1 page / 761 words

Muscles tensed, nostrils flared, the beautiful feline creature eyes its soon-to-be prey, a harmless antelope drinking from the watering hole. Without a moment of hesitation, the black and orange striped tiger breaks out into a full stride and pounces on its victim, tearing the defenseless...

American Literature Fiction

3259

The Interaction Between Humans and The Extraterrestrials in The Short Stories

1 page / 1258 words

Topic Analysis Many science fiction stories feature aliens, especially the interaction between humans and the extraterrestrials. These interactions from range from one-on-one encounters to merely experiencing the aliens’ culture from afar. No matter the nature of said encounter, the human nearly always leaves changed in...

Science Fiction

3260

Love and Control Shown in 'The Collector'

1 page / 1162 words

Love is a complex concept, one that even ingenious writers have struggled to understand. While scientists confine their understanding of love to ‘chemical reactions’ involving dopamine and serotonin, one cannot deny the qualitative nature that love has. Clegg expresses signs of love throughout the The...

Novel

3261

Obsession as Depicted in 'The Collector' and 'Enduring Love'

1 page / 2807 words

Both John Fowles in The Collector and Ian McEwan in Enduring Love use complex symbols and metaphors to expose the theme of obsession. In Enduring Love, the opening events and metaphor of the balloon act as a foreshadowing device for obsession. This is shown by...

Enduring Love Novel

3262

Power and Control in The Collector: Clegg Vs Miranda

1 page / 1466 words

The Collector by John Fowles examines a battle for power and control between the introverted character of Clegg and the audaciously articulate Miranda. Power is defined as the possession of control, authority, or influence over others (Merriam-Webster Dictionary) that Clegg has been cheated of his...

Character Novel

3263

Mind Control in "The Circle" by Dave Eggers

3 pages / 1533 words

Introduction In the age of rapid technological advancements and the omnipresence of digital connectivity, the concept of mind control has assumed a new and unsettling dimension. The intricate interplay between external influences and individual agency has become a subject of profound exploration in contemporary literature....

Science Fiction

3264

Hegemony and False Сonsciousness in "The Сircle"

1 page / 1688 words

George Carlin famously said “When fascism comes to America, it will not be in brown and black shirts. It will not be with jack-boots. It will be Nike sneakers and Smiley shirts”. This quote couldn’t be more relevant in Dave Eggers novel The Circle in...

Science Fiction

3265

Byatt's Perception of Childhood in 'The Children's Book'

1 page / 1280 words

Byatt’s character Tom Wellwood in her novel The Children’s Book resents fairytales, especially Peter Pan. Tom’s resentment is the result of a troubled inner self and belonging to a mother who uses her own children to create characters—characters that Tom, specifically, will never live up...

Novel

3266

Ethnic Identity Presented by Marshall and Phillips

1 page / 1597 words

If a novel is indeed grounded in a vision of the world, how do authors who find themselves essentially “groundless”, caught in a web of shifting homes, cultural allegiances, and ethnic identities find their unique vision? Paule Marshall and Caryl Phillips, both authors of Caribbean...

Ethnicity Novel

3267

Personification of Jerusalem in 'Awlad Al-kaaba' and 'Face Lost in The Wilderness'

1 page / 1568 words

In the poems Awlad al-Kahba (Sons of a Bitch) by Mudhafar Al-Nawab and Face Lost in the Wilderness by Fadwa Tuqan, there is great commonality in each poet’s personification of Jerusalem as a raped girl. Through the perspective of each poet, both works reflect upon...

Jerusalem Poetry Rape

3268

Gender Roles Portrayed in 'Music for Torching'

1 page / 1600 words

In A.M. Homes’ novel Music for Torching, married couple Paul and Elaine find their relationship to be as static and boring as the Westchester County suburb in which they live. Unsatisfied with their marriage and fearful of a lifeless future, they take out their frustration...

Novel