Abstract This paper analyzes guilt and how it was presented in Tim O?Brien's novel ?The Things They Carried.? The author discusses the sources of guilt and how that emotion is dealt with as two of the major themes in the paper. It looks at the causes and effects of guilt in the book and compares them to outside sources.
From the Paper "No one who has not been in a war can approach a comprehensive understanding of the war experience. However, if there were a book out there that could come close to making the war a reality for a civilian, it would be Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried. Through the use of short stories about the Vietnam Conflict, O'Brien brings to life the various emotions felt by the soldiers, like fear, hate, love, compassion, and, of course, guilt. Guilt proved to be an emotion that could stay with a soldier for the rest of his life, and, if a true understanding of a soldier's experience is to be obtained, it is worthy of further study. Because it is such a raw and basic human emotion, everyone has had some experience with it in the past. It is not surprising, then, that the guilt felt by the soldiers in Vietnam is not a new phenomena. There are, in fact, many examples in the book and in the war that can be linked and compared with studies and with other historical events in history. The types of guilt shown throughout the collection of short stories and the various ways the soldiers dealt with it can be correlated to other instances of guilt to begin to show the reader the severity of the situations that these soldiers were enduring, and to bring about a better understanding of the war experience."
Abstract This is a conventional analysis of the old standard poem, noting many of the familiar symbols. The author includes many quotes from the poem.
From the Paper "Always is as scary a word as never. That phrase relates to the theme of Keats? "Ode on a Grecian Urn", which is an exploration of the border between desire and fulfillment in human life. Keats? "Ode on a Grecian Urn" features a narrator musing upon the face of an urn that holds, for him, more life in its earthenware curves than does the curves of the temporal earth. The title itself reflects the reader-response reading of the urn's text: the ode is on (about ) the urn, and the ode is also depicted on the urn."
Abstract This paper analyzes the main character, Connie, in "Where Are you Going, Where Have you Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates. The author describes the character's experiences in the novel and her social situation in a background of violence.The author reveals how Oates uses violence, especially violence towards women, in her writing.
From the Paper "Carol Oates, the author of a number of distinguished books in several genres, is one the most productive, versatile, serious and modern writer of America. Her stories are the image of violence and tragedy. She is praised because of her versatile writing, varied production and prolific publishing. ?Her work is characterized by often unbearable violence, and this violence emphasizes her characters' struggles to define themselves against their oppressive environments."
An inspection of Eleanor Vance (of Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House") and her co-dependent attributes that allow her to be drawn into the evil Hill House and its spirits.
922 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 1 source, 2001, $ 32.95
Abstract The paper examines the personality of Eleanor Vance, the main character in Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House", from a psychological viewpoint. It proposes that the reason Eleanor is drawn to Hill House and the spirits within is because she has a co-dependent personality.
From the Paper The paper examines the personality of Eleanor Vance, the main character in Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House, from a psychological viewpoint. It proposes that the reason Eleanor is drawn to Hill House and the spirits within is because she has a co-dependent personality.
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."
