The presence of supernatural elements is a defining characteristic of Gothic literature, serving not only to create an atmosphere of fear and suspense but also to explore deeper themes of human psychology, morality, and the unknown. By integrating ghosts, curses, and other unearthly phenomena, Gothic novels delve into the complexities ...Read More
The presence of supernatural elements is a defining characteristic of Gothic literature, serving not only to create an atmosphere of fear and suspense but also to explore deeper themes of human psychology, morality, and the unknown. By integrating ghosts, curses, and other unearthly phenomena, Gothic novels delve into the complexities of the human mind, societal fears, and the thin line between reality and the supernatural.
Analyzing the role of supernatural elements in Gothic literature offers valuable insights into the historical and cultural contexts from which these works emerged. It allows for an exploration of how authors use the supernatural to challenge readers' perceptions and to comment on issues of their time. Furthermore, such an essay can illuminate the enduring appeal of the supernatural in storytelling and its impact on readers' engagement and imagination. Writing on this theme encourages critical thinking about the ways in which the supernatural influences narrative structure, character development, and themes, making it a rich topic for literary analysis.
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The issue of judging those who differ from society's norms is prevalent, and it's no different in Craig Silvey's novel "Jasper Jones," which delves into the concept of racism and the behavior of the residents of Corrigan, Australia, who have limited exposure to diversity. Silvey's...
The Lovely Bones is a 2002 novel by American writer Alice Sebold. It is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she...
Society is designed to be one-size-fits-all, and people accept it because it is what they have been taught. In most people’s perspective, everyone under one race, religion or sexual orientation group follow one stereotype. Unfortunately, this strict mentality makes it difficult for people who choose...
In the abnormally structured text Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, there are different forms of unequal treatment explored. The primary form of derogatory treatment exposed in the novel is racial inequality, however, we see throughout every single chapter a situation where this racial inequality mixes with...
The novel Animal Farm represents the Russian revolution which covers pre arena, arena and post arena facts and the consequences of the Russian revolution.The main character Napoleon stands for Stalin and SnowBall represents LeonTrotsky both are the leaders for revolution who encouraged animal to standup...
As Silko’s Ceremony moves along, the problem of poverty among the Native Indian becomes evident. The white people subject the Native Indians by stealing their land and cattle. Tayo focuses on economic-self-reliance as part of his healing when he focus of seeking and returning his...
“For a moment [George] contemplated her, as one who had fallen out of heaven. He saw radiant joy in her face, he saw the flowers beat against her dress in blue waves. The bushes above them closed. He stepped quickly forward and kissed her” (Forster...
Dorothy Allison’s novel Bastard Out of Carolina tells the story of ‘white-trash’ girl Bone Boatwright and her “no-good, lazy, shiftless” family (3). The novel explores some of the most common myths and realities plaguing the Appalachian region such as poverty, incest, and domestic abuse. Specifically,...
In George Eliot’s novel “Daniel Deronda,” the exploration of women as performers emerges as a vital theme that underscores the complexities of identity, societal expectation, and the struggles for authenticity. Eliot intricately weaves the lives of her female characters into a narrative that challenges the...
It is rightly said that what a man thinks, he becomes. In light of this, Herman Hesse’s novel Steppenwolf deals with Harry Haller, the protagonist who thinks himself to be divided between his human nature and an animalistic one, considering himself a “wolf of the...
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In Fly Away Peter, David Malouf presents both physical and mental suffering through portraying the experiences of Eric and Jim, emphasizing both the acute and chronic suffering that the soldiers experienced as a consequence of war. Immediately, it is clear that Eric has been psychically...
Every coming out story must deal with the characters’ struggles of being in the closet. The stage of not yet being able to be open about one’s identity can be the most difficult and turbulent point in dealing with their queer identity. It is a...
Edith Wharton’s IThe House of Mirth] tells the story of Lily Bart’s fall from the upper reaches of the social spectrum to the lowly depths of the working class. The characters in the novel represent all levels of society, from the urban poor to the...
During the late 19th century, the Meiji era in Japan paved the way for the Japanese to drift from their traditional values into modernizing western values. The influence of western powers, had a significant impact of the traditional ideals of Japan. Western influence had transformed...
Saul Bellow’s Mr. Sammler’s Planet explores the world as seen through the lens of the title character, a world of isolation and disinterestedness. All of the characters in the novel have disengaged from society and humanity on some level or another, either voluntarily like Mr....
In general, we as humans like a sense of closure in regards to literature; ambiguous endings are usually seen as an easy way out of a novel. However, in John Fowles’s novel The French Liutenant’s Woman, ambiguity does not stem from a lack of an...
Frank Chin’s gripping afterword to the novel No-No Boy emphasizes the crucial influence of John Okada’s literary pursuits in his own life as an Asian-American writer. In a world where words had formerly danced across the pages of books to the sole tune of white...
In the novel Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong,the shifts in the government, cultural, and social factors in Vietnam under the implementation of communism are illustrated through the use of symbols, such as sticky rice.In the beginning of the novel, Vietnam is consumed...
Mildred Taylor’s novel, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, depicts the life of a young African American girl, Cassie, and her family living within a racist system. Readers experience the hardships that the Logan family face through the eyes of the only daughter, Cassie. Cassie...
The Odd Women, by George Gissing, is a story that centers upon the decisions that people make in life and the outside factors that influence these decisions. Gissing examines the situations of five different women and utilizes their lives to make observations about both the...
T. C. Boyle, author of The Tortilla Curtain, stated in defense of his harsh depiction of characters Kyra and Delaney Mossbacher that, “If it’s satire, it has to bite somebody, has to have teeth in it, otherwise it’s useless” (Penguin Group). This comes as a...
Ella Cara Deloria’s novel Waterlily carefully considers the role of women, not only as respectful instructors of etiquette, dedicated sisters, and hospitable homemakers, but also as the primal maternal beings responsible for birthing the tribe’s newest generation. One of the supreme duties of these women...
Introduction Colson Whitehead has written an inordinately compelling post-apocalyptic science fiction novel centering around the zombie archetype. In Zone One, he deftly uses the zombie model to create a mediocracy—a populace of dependent thinkers who accept, without question, a system of existence that is not...
The 16th – 20th centuries represented an era marked by European colonialism. This included the forcible occupation of foreign lands and the control of these lands through various mechanisms of power. In Australia, this expansion involved the deliberate separation of the colonialists form the natives...
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, a narrator is: “one who tells a story. In a work of fiction the narrator determines the story’s point of view.” If the narrator is the person that determines the story’s point of view, then what happens when the narrator...
Charlie Charlie was the pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress which was called Ye Old Pub. He was born in West Virginia on a farm. He had milked cows and lived without electricity. He went to school every day and he worked as a janitor...
Introduction J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, a banned book in most American high schools and libraries, takes place in the late 1940s and teaches readers about teen angst and alienation. Salinger skillfully transforms difficult situations into meaningful resolutions. In this piece of...
Character: In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, the role of main character is filled by Mrs. Edna Pontellier, a young wife and mother living in 1890’s New Orleans who starts her journey to discovering herself while on a family vacation in Grand Isle. Edna is immediately...
A singular person, at any moment in time, will have several different identities that they embody. Our identity is always changing, with every event, every action, and every interaction our identity evolves. But for many women, their role and to an extent their identity according...
Crews (1996) portrayed that, honest to goodness individuals and spots are continually utilized by Hawthorne in his humble records for presentation of his reasonable settings and characters. The truth being is that Hawthorne read an incredible arrangement particularly in history and was astoundingly intrigued by...
