Abstract
The paper finds a fusion of Tolstoy's essay, "Why do Men Stupefy Themselves?" and "Anna Karenina" concerning the nature of substance abuse, its role in society, and its use and effects on a personal level. The arguments are heavily supported with quotes from both texts.

From the Paper
""Our workers know one thing only-" complains Sviyzhansky, a marshal of nobility, to Levin, "how to get drunk as a pig, and while drunk break everything you give him" . Sviyzhansky's remark suggests a prominence of uncivilized peasants whose reckless lives are comfortably distanced from those of the upper class. Yet this distinction along class boundaries is far from accurate. Tolstoy asserts, "...it is impossible to avoid understanding that the use of stupefiers... in the higher or lower circles of society, is evoked by one and the same cause, the need to stifle the voice of conscience ...." . Indeed, a closer examination of drinking in the novel finds that nobles and peasants alike are equally vulnerable to the allure of tobacco and alcohol."

Tags:arkadyich, dmitrich, konstantin, stiva, sviyzhansky

Abstract
"Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama" by X.J Kennedy and Dana Gioia is a magnum opus and a literary contribution that is one of a kind. This highly informative piece of writing comprises of several student essays, brief author biographies and reflections by the authors pertaining to their self-written works thereby covering a broad range of ideas, topics and literary as well as art forms and styles. From this masterwork, the paper selected two short stories titled "A Pair of Tickets", written by Amy Tan and "The Lady with the Pet Dog" written by Anton Checkhov for thorough analysis. The paper primarily focuses on the character development and changes that occurred in the lives of the characters.

From the Paper
"The characters develop rapidly, however in a backward direction. For instance, the story begins and proceeds with the female heroine of the masterwork traveling with her father to China and visiting various places in the country that is supposedly her motherland. From there, an interested reader can observe the smooth transition and the character growth throughout the story. As the story unfolds, the reader realizes the main themes that the author is concentrating on. The unfashionable mother gradually reserves a special place in the heart of her American daughter and successfully manages to convey the real essence and the beauty hidden in the foundations of "their" Chinese cultural legacy and historical evolution of their heritage. As the plot develops, the characters develop too, uncovering the attributes of the main characters."

Tags:Dmitrich, Gurov, Anna, Sergeyevna, Jing-Mei, Woo