Abstract The paper explores the issues of racism, feminism, religious bigotry, and hypocrisy in Maryse Cond?'s novel ", Tituba, Black Witch of Salem". The author includes many quotes from the actual text.
From the Paper "In her novel, I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem, Maryse Cond? skillfully intertwines historical fact with colorfully imagined invention to tell the tale of black slave Tituba's brutal journey from Barbados to New England and her eventual return to her native land. Through this narration, Cond?'s purpose is not simply to recount the story of a long-forgotten historical figure; indeed, by incorporating extensive fanciful devices, she distances herself from the factual and focuses instead on broader and more powerful underlying themes such as religious bigotry and hypocrisy, racism, feminism, and the power of sexuality. Through the usage of postmodern irony and a compelling storytelling style, she imparts a refreshing new perspective on the Salem witch trials and several fundamental issues with which we continue to struggle today."
Abstract This paper examines "The Odyssey" through the eyes of Athena and her relationships with Telemachus, Odysseus, and Penelope.
From the Paper "Telemachus is the first person to encounter Athena in the Odyssey, and in fact he is the one who needs the most attention, due to his lack of age. Athena has a plan to destroy the suitors who devour Odysseus? wealth, but in order for it to work, Telemachus has to go through his ?rites of passage,? to become a man. Athena knew that Odysseus? blood ran through the veins of young Telemachus and that all he needed to get it pumping was a little adventure. She decided to send him to Nestor in Pylos and Menaleus in Sparta for news of his father. They were two men who knew his father well and would be able to give Telemachus a sense of who his father is. She is sure to stay by Telemachus? side at all times to teach him the tricks of the trade. Like a father would. She did this until he felt secure in making his own decisions. Even then she was there to give him an encouraging word or two. "
Abstract This paper analyzes Charlotte Bronte's novel "Jane Eyre" from a feminist aspect, illustrating the reflection of Victorian society in the literature of the time. The author includes a detailed look at female independence, strength and determination in the main character.
From the Paper "The story of Jane Eyre is something of a fairy tale but for the outward appearance. The story's truth and harsh beauty and the devastation that it's characters face set it apart from the typical princess story. The complexity of the story line and the characterization are a phenomenal development of the time. Raised during the repressed Victorian period in Britain , Charlotte Bront? focused most of her energy on her education and her literary career. Being a woman, she was scarcely able to voice her passions and strong opinions except through her writing, Bront? expresses a great deal of her own frustrations and concerns in her works. Jane Eyre is one such novel that incorporates many themes. While the main character faces issues of class distinction, a search for her identity and place in life, and a struggle between spirituality and the intellect, (which are all Victorian literary focuses) the most striking theme in the story is women's fight for equality. Jane's character illustrates the emergence of feminism during the Victorian period through her interactions with the other characters, her choices, and her inner thoughts."
Abstract This essay is an exploration of the role that sexuality plays in Michael Cunningham's contemporary novel, "The Hours". The author examines the modern-day remake of a Virginia Woolf's classic, "The Hours" and its theme of sexuality and how sexuality is expressed in today's society.
From the Paper "Air pollution is any visible or invisible substance found in the air that is not part of the normal composition of air. Some air pollution is natural and has always been a part of the earth's history. However, over the past one hundred years or so, pollution created by humans has become a major environmental problem. Natural air pollution has been around for millions of year. Dust and a variety of gases from forest fires, volcanoes, and decaying material in rivers, oceans, and other bodies of water continually enter the atmosphere. Sometimes this natural pollution can have dramatic effects. Air pollution is a major factor in causing humans to get ill. Tuberculosis, bronchitis, heart and chest diseases, stomach disorders, asthma and cancers can all be traced to chemicals in the air. Pesticides and fertilizers release gases and particles into the air which poison people and kill animals."
Abstract This paper is an in-depth literary analysis of the Arthurian poem, Lanval by Marie de France. While analyzing the lay, the author also relates the material to the time period-the Middle Ages, and places the story in context.
From the Paper "Marie de France's Lay, Lanval, is a romantic Arthurian Poem laced with the supernatural and political undertones. It seems to show a new side of King Arthur that we do not see in other Arthurian tales of the period and points out the flawed judicial system in place as well as the corruptibility of the court. Marie also portrays her female characters in an unusual way and shows us more than one side to the feminine face in literature."
Abstract This paper compares the heroic traits and flaws of Moses and Achilles of "The Iliad". The author discusses the patterns of a heroic figure, how he possesses an immense sense of honor, and powers superior to those of ordinary men and displays them courageously, at the risk of his own life but to the advantage of others. The paper also examines the hero's suffering and death.
From the Paper "The hero was believed to perform his extraordinary deeds because one of his parents had been a god or goddess, or he had been infused in infancy with a special or divine grace. Achilles was practically invulnerable as a fighter. His mother, Thetis, a goddess, dipped him in the Styx River , making him immortal everywhere except the heel. Heroes may be abandoned at birth. When Moses was born, he was hidden for three months and then cast onto a river, where Pharaoh's daughter found him. God arranged for Moses to be raised and educated as a son of Pharaoh's daughter. Legends say that Moses could speak as soon as he was born. It is also said that he attained full stature within a few days. The hero's physical development is often portrayed as being extraordinary."
Abstract This paper takes an in-depth look at the life of feminist Vera Brittain through analyzing her autobiography, "Testament of Youth". The author discusses Brittain's experiences during World War I, her relationships, and her frustrating struggle as a female attempting to enter a male-dominated university while also working as a nurse."
From the Paper:
"Vera Brittain's education, social background and war experiences greatly affected her attitudes about life and her relationships with the various people in her life. She had enough courage and conviction in her principles to believe that a woman's point-of-view was worthy of being recorded during this period. Many feminists have developed due to turning to education, careers or writing in order to free themselves from the limitations of their place, time and gender. In this way, Brittain's obscurity, youth and sex are reaffirmed by her construction of her life, so that others might view who and what she is."
Abstract This paper takes a look at "The Jungle" by Upton Sinclair and explores the impact that this book had on social and economic laws in early 1900's America. It focuses on food production laws and labor laws which were changed as a result of the "expose" presented in Sinclair's book - harsh factory working conditions, unhygienic meat production etc.
From the paper:
"Although Upton Sinclair wrote over 80 books, his most famous remains The Jungle, published in 1905. It's an unforgettable picture of life and death in a turn-of-the-century meat-packing factory in Chicago?where Sinclair had been sent by the socialist weekly Appeal to Reason to investigate working conditions. Though Sinclair's intent in the novel was to expose horrifying labor conditions the public was outraged by his descriptions of the filth of the processing plants and the contamination of processed meats."
Abstract A literary analysis of "All Quiet on the Western Front". The author discusses the writer's examination of the horrors of World War I through the eyes of the soldiers involved in the war, as well as the effects of war on society at large.
From the paper:
"All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque, is a book that explores the true horrors of World War I through the eyes of a German solider. The author uses the character of Paul to tell a realistic story of what the average WWI solider had to endure. This book raises the issue of how destructive war can be not only to a country, but also to a generation of a nation. One of the major themes in the story is that of the lost generation. An entire generation of men fighting for their country was lost in World War I."
Tags: all, analysis, english, erich, front, literary, maria, novel, quiet, remarque, western
This paper examines how Tolstoy attempts to persuade us to find meaning in life by presenting two distinct sets of supporting characters and by demonstrating why Ivan Ilych is afraid to die and what causes his suffering.
2,180 words (approx. 8.7 pages), 1 source, 2001, $ 67.95
Abstract The paper analyzes the title character of Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych", making clear the author's intention that each of us must discover how to lead a meaningful life. Tolstoy attempts to persuade us to his point of view by presenting two distinct sets of supporting characters and by demonstrating why Ivan Ilych is afraid to die and what causes his suffering. In addition, Tolstoy warns of the social conditions that prevent most people from accomplishing in life what Ivan Ilych could only achieve in death.
From the paper:
"Two hours before his death Ivan Ilych finally asks the right question. After three days of screaming through agonizing pain, he laments that his life ?was all not the right thing,? and passes into death wondering "what is the right thing"? (151). With this final realization and questioning, the title character of Leo Tolstoy's "The Death of Ivan Ilych" makes clear the author's intention that each of us must find the right thing and discover how to lead a meaningful life. Tolstoy explains that even at this final moment, Ivan Ilych is capable of redeeming himself and making this discovery, that though his life had not been what it should have been, this could still be rectified (151). If Ivan Ilych can do it at the last minute, the rest of us still can."
Abstract This paper examines how Bram Stoker portrays erotic elements and religious undertones in his novel "Dracula". The author provides a brief analysis of the novel and looks at the way the time in which it was written impacted its acceptance.
From the paper:
"Bram Stoker is known by the world primarily as the author of the powerfully unforgettable novel Dracula. The novel introduces us to the diabolical character?Count Dracula. Dracula was written during the late-Victorian age, when "sex was likely to seem bestial, polluting, depleting, deathly, satanic, a fever in the blood, the theme of dreams, the nature of madness, and the lurking menace in the shadow of every scene" (Stade VI). Obviously very much ahead of its time, the public nevertheless openly accepted Dracula."
Abstract This paper looks at the style of writing and the tale of infanticide in this work of Boyle's. The paper discusses the innocuous sounding title followed by an extremely gruesome tale regaled in the first person. It analyzes the boy's actions and his self-belief that he is committing this act out of love rather than fear or resentment.
From the paper:
"The story of "The Love of My Life" by T. Coraghessan Boyle, the author sets up a series of expectations by the reader that he subsequently and systematically subverts over the course of the narrative. Both the subject and plot of what transpires in flashback and the piecemeal, postmodern first-person narrative style enable the author to achieve this desired effect. This effect is also achieved as well by the grotesque and destabilizing language unconsciously used by the narrative 'I.' (117-133)
"When a reader learns that the title of a short story is ?The Love of My Life,? certain associations are immediately created in his or her mind. Such a title is not ambiguous, like a story with a one-word name."
Abstract This essay evaluates the authenticity of Euripides, Bacchae as a typical Greek tragedy. Bacchae's structural features are compared to Aristotle's definition of an archetypal tragedy. Also, Bacchae's story plot is analyzed and compared to other authentic Greek Tragedies such as Oedipus Rex and Antigone. Besides analyzing the structure, this essay also correlates the Greek cultural background with the context of Bacchae.
From the Paper "Bacchae, written by Euripides in 5th century, is a Greek tragedy illustrating intricate relationship between human offense and divine revenge. Both shocking and compassion provoking, the play has remained popular for countless years. Having read many Greek plays over the years, I was fascinated by the similarities between Bacchae and other tragedies such as Oedipus, Antigone, and Electra. Striking structural uniformity of these plays made me investigate characteristics of a typical Greek tragedy, and I discovered that Bacchae displays various aspects of classical tragedy. I concluded that Bacchae is an archetypal Greek tragedy because it exhibits a typical story plot, a tragic hero with pitiful downfall, and a moral theme."
Abstract This paper examines Hawthorne's own life and Puritanical beliefs exhibited in his novel ?Young Goodman Brown.? It provides detailed biographical information on the author's life and analyzes the faith and nature of his religious perspective. The paper is loaded with quotes from the novel in support of analytical literary assessments.
From the Paper "Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem Massachusetts on July 4, 1804. Hawthorne had two sisters, Elizabeth and Louisa. He grew up with great access to the classics of English literature, as he injured his foot at age nine and couldn"t play outside for two years. In 1808, his father passed away, and in 1816, his family moved to Raymond, Maine, in a house on Lake Sebago. This provided Hawthorne with much solitude, which he cherished, for three years (Martin 5). In 1819, his mother sent him back to Salem to go to school. It was at this time that he began to write poetry. He also became a bookkeeper for his Uncle William. Hawthorne entered Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Mass., in 1821, and was the first of his family to attend college. He didn"t know what he wanted to be, however."
Abstract This paper examines some of the contributions of Edgar Allan Poe's only novel, "Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket". It examines in particular the ways in which Poe approaches the foreign and the different, in this work as well as adjacent works. It analyzes the introduction of the strong and sometimes hidden elements of horror in Poe's works.
From the Paper "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (1838) is the only novel written by Edgar Allan Poe, and yet despite this singularity it is in fundamental ways connected to the rest of his body of work as well as to other important works of 19th century American fiction. This paper examines some of the contributions of this novel, examining in particular the ways in which Poe approaches the foreign and the different ? a concept that was in many ways (some explicit, some deeply encoded) a proxy for race in both the work in question and that of other works adjacent in time and theme to Poe's novel, especially that of Herman Melville's Moby Dick (1851)."
