Abstract This paper looks at the various family members of the Wingo family and their characteristics. It starts with a look at Southern society and how the family fits into it. Aspects of Conroy's own life as seen in the book are discussed, then each family member is analyzed individually.
From the Paper "Pat Conroy's The Prince of Tides portrays both the past and present stories of the Wingo family and illustrates vividly the pains and struggles of the family in South Carolina society. Conroy consistently unfolds the family's indefinite attempts to blend in with the inhabitants of Colleton, South Carolina. Because each member of the Wingo family possesses characteristics so divergent from one another, the only attribute they appear to share consists of the ties of blood and marriage. The Wingo family consists of father Henry, mother Lila, eldest son Luke, and twins Tom and Savannah. Conroy's writing style not only furnishes an explicit basis for the plot but a major influence on the characters? lives as well. Both the mystery and the complexity of the story stem from the way each member of the family reacts to having been born and raised as a Southerner."
Abstract This essay examines the use of imagery in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story 'The Yellow Wallpaper' as it mirrors the protagonists final descent into insanity. The author describes the use of grotesque in this American gothic-style short story revealing the use of symbolism in the tale. The themes in the story are also analyzed.
From the Paper "Throughout Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper" there is imagery describing the grotesque. The narrator's descriptions of the wallpaper's florid decorations grow and develop as her mind slowly deteriorates. As the protagonist's insanity begins to set in, the wallpaper seems to develop along with her. The worse she gets, the more she perceives within the design. The wallpaper almost seems to mirror her mood, as it twirls and plunges unceasingly like her racing and confused mind. The element of the grotesque is very important in this American gothic-style tale, as it helps to show, or possibly causes, the mental anguish of the narrator."
A look into the adverse effects of the various versions of the Cinderella fairy tale on a child's self-esteem and how morals portrayed in the fairy tale can ruin a child's perception of him/herself.
1,590 words (approx. 6.4 pages), 8 sources, 2001, $ 52.95
Abstract This paper is concerning different kinds of Cinderella stories from different cultures. It makes interesting comparisons on major plot differences based on cultural differences. The main emphasis of the paper is on the negative messages that the tales portray to children (being ideals of superficiality and materialism) and the way that these influence children's self-esteem.
From the Paper "The truth is, the world has been shallow for ages. We learned such values when we were only children, and our parents learned the same values when they were children, and so on for centuries past, all from a simple bedtime story. The infamous story is Cinderella; the story of a beautiful girl who is mistreated by her ugly stepsisters, only to thwart them by eventually meeting, and immediately falling in love with, a rich, handsome prince. Almost any person you talk to will tell you that he or she was read this tale as a child, or is at least familiar with it. The characters in Cinderella stories embody values that are both superficial and materialistic, and the stories teach children to model their own lives after the characters in the stories in order to achieve the happy ending they want in their own lives. The different characters in the Cinderella stories show not only that true love is based on looks, but also that being unattractive reflects bad character. These lessons are taught in most Cinderella stories, three of which are the Disney Cinderella, the McLoughlin Brothers" "Cinderella", and the "Tale of the Anklet". These stories send bad messages to children because they have a negative effect on the children's self-esteem.?
Abstract In Raymond Carver's ?Cathedral,? there is a definite shift in word choice and tone in the main character throughout the story. This can partly be attributed to his use of illegal drugs and alcohol, but mainly the cause of his interactions with Robert, his guest. Ironically, though Robert is physically blind, it is the narrator who is truly blind to the world around him. This short essay discusses the changes that take place in the narrator's thinking.
From the Paper ?When they have finished drawing the cathedral, the blind man instructs Robert to open his eyes. Robert keeps his eyes closed; he now understands that he can see more without the use of his eyes. As the story ends, Robert is in awe of his new point of view. When prompted by the blind man to open his eyes and view his cathedral, Robert states that his eyes are still closed and that "I thought I"d keep them that way for a little longer (2208).? The sarcasm and the pessimistic attitude are gone. His tone and choice of words have been directly affected by his experience with the blind man.?
Abstract This paper focuses on facts and statistics surrounding America's growing problem of illiteracy. The author discusses the major causes of illiteracy and the numbers of illiterates today. The author then presents some solutions to solve the problem.
From the Paper "?Call 1-800-ABC-DEFG; Hooked on Phonics worked for me.? Almost everyone has heard the commercial that uses this motto, Hooked on Phonics. Children of all ages tell how Hooked on Phonics helped them to read. For skeptical parents there is a money back guarantee if their children do not improve at least a letter grade on their next report card. Obviously something is wrong in America if fewer and fewer children are being taught how to read. Granted many children can read, but there is still little or no reading comprehension. Illiteracy is a never-ending cycle in America".
Abstract A paper on the role of women in late 18th century Britain as seen in Samuel Richardson's "Pamela", or "Virtue Rewarded". The author discusses the developing concept of women as property, showing women's economic position in this period, what was socially acceptable, and how romantic love could change a woman's position.
From the Paper ?For the future, I will always mistrust most when appearances look fairest,? said Pamela in the first line of this section of the novel. It could be that Richardson was using this line symbolically to predict the entire future of Pamela's life. As Mr. B's wife she would no longer have to fear being "undone" or ?ruined.? Appearances would look very fair indeed, but if Pamela looked deep into her own heart she would have to mistrust. She would have to know that one way or another her virtue had been purchased. Call it seduction, call it rape, call it marriage. Pamela's body had been bought. Mr. B's mother said ?My good Pamela, be virtuous.? She treated her as if she were ?a gentlewoman.? Pamela, however, was not a gentlewoman. She was born to another class, and there is only one way she could become a gentlewoman. In the 18th century social mobility came to a woman only through selling her body. Mr. B. said, ?Be not virtuous, Pamela.? Whether he bought her with diamonds, or with a marriage contract, Pamela was destined to be purchased. She could only become a gentlewoman by selling her body, but without virtue that commodity would have been useless."
Abstract A look at the use of symbolism in Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken". The author describes how Frost is successful in using the road as the symbol of life and the traveler as a person in pursuit of knowledge and alternatives that life holds.
From the Paper "Man faces choices in life, and often the outcome of those choices is unpredictable. Although man makes the choices voluntarily, he is melancholic about the ones not made. This is the central theme in "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, who extensively uses symbols to show how life always brings alternatives."
Abstract This essay discusses the controversial author Kate Chopin, and two of her works: "The Story of an Hour" and "The Storm". Both works focus on the issue of marriage. The writer accuses Chopin of having a narrow focus and argument and analyzes her writings to provide proof for his argument.
From the Paper "Marriage is a phase in life that almost everyone will certainly consider. Is this the right woman for me? Is this the right man for me? Do I really want to spend the rest of my life with this person by my side? The controversial author Kate Chopin, in two of her works, "The Storm" and ?The Story of an Hour,? offers several arguments concerning marriage. She is attempting to persuade the reader to her way of thinking; however, her focus is too narrow and, thereby, turns this reader away because of her unorthodox opinions. "
Abstract This paper is a critical analysis of "A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O?Connor. The author examines the characters and their experiences and the theme of change.
From the Paper "In Flannery O?Connor's stories the main character, often through some contact with violence, goes through a transformation. Some of these changes occur when the character is confronted by the fact that the world in which they live and their position in it are not as they perceive. In "Everything That Rise Must Converge" this realization shatters the main characters mind. However, in "A Good Man is Hard to Find" the main character, the grandmother, changes from a self-centered, hypocrite into a person who things of others and is aware of her responsibility. O?connor uses an encounter with a criminal called Misfit to change her main character."
Abstract This paper retells the story line of this Holocaust book and then offers a critique on it.
From the Paper "This book, which depicts the story of a young man's journey through concentration camps and WWII, is actually telling two stories. One story is the obvious aforementioned about his times at Auswitz and other camps, but there is another story of greater importance. This story deals with Elie constantly asking God questions to which he doesn?t understand the answer to, followed by his changing religiously, and then brought to a close when his question is answered and he finally comprehends the answer."
Tags: book, report, holocaust, literature, world, war, II, religion, Aushwitz, god, facism, nazi, crematoriumfascism, icism
Abstract This paper argues that William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" can be interpreted by either looking at Emily's genetic history and family life, or by looking at the society that she lives in. Interpreting according to the above two styles or by combining both styles of reading, the argument is made that Emily is a victim, and that she kills out of revenge. This paper uses and cites two outside critical sources.
From the Paper "Watching the evening news and reading the morning newspaper, one is bombarded by tragic, sometimes mysteriously twisted and brutal tales of homicide. More often than not such tales are accompanied by a biography of the murderer themselves which is equally, if not more, tragic and twisted. In many cases, the murderers are actually painted as the first victim in a crime committed as an inevitable consequence of their victimization. In William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" Emily Grierson and her murder of Homer Barron exemplifies the tragedy of one such situation. Is Emily a victim of her own psyche, and its contributing factors? Or is Emily merely a victim of an unstable, judgmental society who pushed her over the edge? Depending on how one reads this story an argument can be made for either interpretation."
Abstract This paper addresses the possible causes of the Dust Bowl phenomenon and how and why it led to the mass exodus of people from the Great Plains to California.
From the Paper "The Great Depression marked a time of economic disaster in the United States. Between 1930 and 1941, Great Plains farmers witnessed the worst drought in the country's history (Henretta 709). This and many other factors led to the period that has become known as the Dust Bowl. This period in time is called the Dust Bowl because "Dust seeped into houses and blackened the pillow around one's head, the dinner plates on the table, the bread dough on the back of the stove" (Henretta 709). The term Dust Bowl was created by an Associated Press staff writer, Robert Geiger, in response to the things he saw in Guymon, Oklahoma. Within months, it was the term used throughout the nation to describe the wind-blown land throughout Kansas, southeastern Colorado, the Oklahoma Panhandle, the northern two-thirds of the Texas Panhandle, and northeastern New Mexico (Logsdon 3). The Dust Bowl affected the lives of everyone in the United States, not just those of farmers in the Great Plains area. Knowledge of the Dust Bowl is important because this disaster could be repeated due to both its natural, economic, and social causes. "
Abstract This paper explores the issues of hope versus disillusionment, and dreams versus reality in the novel "Don Quixote". The author provides examples of the state of illusion and dreams of the protagonist, Miguel de Cervantes.
From the Paper "Time is a significant factor throughout the book. The story is about a man who wanted to be great in ways that are incompatible with the times he lives in (Sieber, ?Don Quixote.?) Don Quixote apparently not only believes that the fiction he has read about knights and their ladies are true, but that they are happening within his lifetime. Without this time confusion, the rest of his delusion would fall apart. "
Abstract This paper examines the roots of monotheistic and polytheistic religions, and the different gods worshipped over time. The author uses such examples as the gods of ancient Greece, the Code of Hammurabi, The Epic of Gilgamesh, and the Bible.
From the Paper:
"There is no doubt that having belief in a supernatural being or beings is healthy for the human soul. Whether it be one God or a family of gods and goddesses, religion allows the human essence to have something to help cope with emotions, give blame for the unjust, and rejoice in a celebrate life. Truth, indeed, is finite, and the roads that lead to it are numberless.?
Abstract This essay compares and contrasts two of Edgar Allen Poe's frightening and haunting tales, "The Tell Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado". The author also cites parallels between the stories and Poe's dark life. The paper analyzes Poe's imagery and effective narrative style.
From the paper:
"Best known for his poems and short fiction, Edgar Allan Poe deserves more credit than any other writer for the transformation of the short story from anecdote to art. He virtually created the detective story and perfected the psychological thriller" (Anonymous Edgar Allan Poe POE.HTM). All of Edgar Alan Poe's work is known for its use of all elements of writing in portraying incredible stories that often haunt the reader. He was skilled in every aspect of writing it seems, especially in relationship to anything that was slightly obscure or eerie, which are also elements of the writer himself. His stories "The Tell Tale Heart" and "The Cask of Amontillado" are no exceptions to these conditions or realities."
