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Psychology of the Holocaust, 2008.
This paper takes a look at Christopher Browning's 'Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland', which discusses a mass killing during the Holocaust.
3,372 words (approx. 13.5 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 95.95
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Abstract
In this article the writer explores Christopher Browning's controversial 1992 text, 'Ordinary Men: Reserve Police Battalion 101 and the Final Solution in Poland'. The writer both summarizes the text's salient points as well as discusses the opinion of the academic community as to its veracity and merit. Every bit as importantly, this paper examines the methodology employed and looks at why Browning's text, if not a great book, can at least be described as an important one. In the end, by looking at the psychology of the killers as he does, the writer maintains that Browning forces the reader to confront "the banality of evil" which made the Holocaust possible on such an unimaginable scale.
From the Paper
"The book is, simply put, a vivid portrayal of a horrifying event. It begins with the first mass-killing at Jozefow in the early morning hours of July 13, 1942. On that day, the members of Reserve Force Battalion 101 were roused from their bunks - they were effectively sequestered in a school building in the town of Bilgoraj - and ordered into waiting trucks. After a short time, they stopped at the small, aforementioned town of Jozefow and were ordered into a semi-circle around their 53-year old commander, Major Wilhelm Trapp. At this point, the first bit of horror in Browning's narrative unfolds. As he describes it, a tearful and badly-shaken Trapp tells his troops that the 1800 Jews in the small community were to be rounded up and separated into two groups - males of working age and everybody else."
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Culture, Society and Gender in 17th Century England, 2008.
An analysis of the letters between Henry More and Anne Conway and what they reveal about the characteristics of seventeenth century English society.
2,280 words (approx. 9.1 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 70.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at what the personal correspondence between noblewoman Anne Conway and intellectual Henry More - as well as at least one letter from her brother - reveal about the characteristics of seventeenth century English society. More specifically, the paper looks at the social ramifications of the age, the religious predilections of the period, the preferred consumption patterns of upper-class women, and the proximity of death to those alive during the period as all of these items are touched upon by the private letters exchanged between friends and family. Ultimately, the paper argues that Anne Conway was saddled with a variety of social conventions and burdens that even her social status could not help her evade.
From the Paper
"Moving onward, the correspondence between Henry More and Anne Conway is marked (in many, but not all, instances) by an abiding interest in religion - one very good example of this occurring in one of the early letters sent by More to Conway shortly after she had been married (More, "21: Henry More to Anne Conway," 53-55). In any case, it should be borne in mind that the seventeenth century was an age of high religiosity - not unlike the century before it which produced the Reformation and then Counter-Reformation - and More's religious sentiments are extraordinary manifestations not only of his own interest in, and believe in, the Christian faith, but of the extent to which the thought of the age among even the most lettered persons was informed by Christian sensibilities. "
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Loman, Hamlet and Death, 2008.
A comparative analysis of the theme of death in William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman".
1,438 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the contention that the families of Hamlet and of Willy Loman drove them to their deaths. It looks at how, in the first instance, the faithlessness of Queen Gertrude, the stern injunction of the vengeful ghost of Hamlet's father and the evil-doing of Claudius push Hamlet towards the commission of a terrible crime that ultimately costs him his own life. It also looks at how, Willy's pain at seeing his son Biff fall short of his full potential drives the elder Loman to first melancholic madness and thence to death. In the end, the plays both reveal how the environmental stimuli provided by those around us are often the very stimuli which push us into the abyss.
From the Paper
"In Hamlet, it is soon enough apparent that the young prince's family is the chief cause of his descent into brooding madness. For example, Hamlet's mother, Gertrude, has married the sly and sinister Claudius - the brother of Hamlet the Elder and the man who has profited handsomely from his brother's death (Shakespeare, 154). For Hamlet, who would seem to venerate his father as only a son can, the decision of his mother to join hands in holy matrimony with a fellow Hamlet finds repugnant (Shakespeare, 163) is basically beyond the earthly power of Hamlet to endure."
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Deception and 'The Glass Menagerie', 2008.
This paper analyzes the theme of deception in 'The Glass Menagerie' by Tennessee Williams.
860 words (approx. 3.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 30.95
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Abstract
In this study, the writer examines the theme of deception in the Wingfield family in 'The Glass Menagerie' by Tennessee Williams. By analyzing the roles of Laura, Tom, and Amanda the writer notes that the crucial elements of self-deception can be realized within Williams' text. The writer points out that by critically analyzing how these characters deceive themselves, we can see that they also have a damaging impact on the very people they are trying to hide from within the play's storyline. In essence, the the writer maintains that the fantasy escapism of Laura, the sexist attitudes of Tom, and the materialism of Amanda are three aspects of deception that occur within 'The Glass Menagerie' by Tennessee Williams.
From the Paper
"In this vital narrative, it is Laura that is deceiving herself through an obsession within unreal or fantasy objects in her glass collection. Self deception in this case is by far more damaging to the spirit, since Laura is incapable to finding a relationship with anyone else but her glass objects. This perspective comes in the realization that she cannot escape the insular world she has created, and in unable to reach outside of her fantasy world. This is the mot damaging aspect of this character's self-deception, as it denies her any type of relationship with real people."
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"Surfacing" by Margaret Atwood, 2008.
This literary study analyzes the dualistic gender roles within the main character of Margaret Atwood's novel "Surfacing."
979 words (approx. 3.9 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 34.95
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Abstract
The paper examines the gender conflict of the main character in "Surfacing" by Margaret Atwood. The paper explains the ecofeminist position that allows the main character to integrate male gender role attributes into her own life. The paper illustrates the power of natural environments to reconstruct a woman's divided psyche.
From the Paper
"The main issue for Atwood's Surfacing is the conflict between gender roles that are present within the main character. The novel is set within the Northern Quebec, where the main character had grown up in an isolated cabin. She has suffered a divorce, the death of her father by drowning, and an abortion. Atwood creates this past history to help build the character around a return to her childhood, which forces the protagonist to face her fears and family history. The central aspect of Ecofeminism within this novel is defined by the main character's victimization of patriarchal domination."
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"In the Deathroom", 2008.
A review of the themes in Stephen King's story "In the Deathroom" from his collection "Everything's Eventual."
946 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 33.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes Stephen King's story "In the Deathroom" from his collection "Everything's Eventual." The paper discusses the theme of the story and King's own views on its plausibility. It argues that prior to the point in the story when its implausibility became apparent, King's story represents a remarkable exploration of the theme of human survival amid adversity.
From the Paper
"Such details of the inner-workings of Fletcher's consciousness amid the horrifying circumstances and imminent threat of death with which he is faced embody the theme of survival in the story "In the Deathroom". These are also the qualities that render the story most effective as a fictional work, for through them we can see Fletcher as an individual such as ourselves. The strategies that Fletcher employs for survival are those that we employ as part of our lives as well. Thus, this survival theme reinforces the plausibility of the story. This theme only ceases to be effective when Fletcher assumes a James Bond-like persona, at which point there is no longer any question of survival for we know that as with all superheroes everything will work out miraculously."
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The Industrial Revolution and Literature, 2008.
A look at some literary representations of the Industrial Revolution.
962 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 34.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at how poets and other writers of the Romantic and Victorian era were affected by the Industrial Revolution in England just as was the rest of the population. In particular, it discusses how in the Victorian era, Charles Dickens analyzed many aspects of the Industrial Revolution in books like "Hard Times" and how aspects of the era were addressed by poets such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Matthew Arnold.
From the Paper
"The anonymous poet who wrote "Poverty Knock" captured much of the angst of the era as faced by workers who could barely afford to keep their jobs let alone lose them. Work for this new class of worker was a "dreary old drive" (line 8). Many of the writings of note from the era were produced not by writers as such but by the workers themselves, as in the letters of Ada Nield Chew asking for a living wage for the girls working in the factory (Greenblatt 1579). "
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Evolution and the Romantic Poets, 2008.
An analysis of the relationship between Darwin's theory of evolution and the romantic poets in the nineteenth century.
1,107 words (approx. 4.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the conflict between evolution and religion since the publication of Charles Darwin's work in the mid-nineteenth century. It specifically focuses on the way in which this conflict affected the romantic poets. The paper shows how the romantic poets displayed a sense of physical change in the world, of the evolution of nature and of man over time. It suggests that their perceptions were not identical to Darwin's ideas.
From the Paper
"The Romantic poets had some sense of physical change in the world and of the evolution of nature and of man over time, though not in the way that Darwin would describe. Many also had a mystical link with Nature whether more as observers like Wordsworth or as spiritualists like Coleridge. Evolution and religion would conflict more in the next generation, but the Romantic poets found ways to accommodate both at a time when ideas about evolution were only just gaining strength."
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"Portrait of the Poet As Landscape", 2008.
An analysis of "Portrait of the Poet As Landscape" by Abraham Moses Klein.
1,898 words (approx. 7.6 pages), 0 sources, $ 60.95
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Abstract
The paper explains how A.M. Klien's title "Portrait of the Poet As Landscape" is suggestive of the loss of self and alienation from this world of falseness and that it reflects on the life of the poet. The paper then portrays the poem's apt images of bitter social critique, sardonic irony, self-flagellation and some good humor.
From the Paper
"The title does not use an article. The word landscape is left undefined, so where and who is the poet? He has blended into a landscape bereft of himself like a child blundering through a strange country, never knowing why. The title is an effacement, and the poem commences and continues as such with apt images of bitter social critique, sardonic irony, self-flagellation, some good humor, but in the end a nihilistic plunge into the depths he deprecates."
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Simon Winchester's "The Professor and the Madman", 2007.
A review of the book "The Professor and the Madman" by Simon Winchester.
2,098 words (approx. 8.4 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 65.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the many features of Simon Winchester's book, "The Professor and the Madman" - from its compulsively readable style to its arresting story to its comprehensive research. This paper examines the skillful way in which Winchester builds suspense vis-a-vis the odd relationship between William Chester Minor and Dr. James Murray. The paper looks at how Winchester piques the interest of the reader with regards to Minor's curious life-course and how he also explicates the factors which brought the idea of the Oxford English Dictionary into being.
From the Paper
"In Simon Winchester's "The Professor and the Madman", the ringing question which keeps being asked of the reader is to imagine a time when the modern-day dictionary simply did not exist. Suffice it to say, most readers alive in the early years of the twenty-first century can scarcely imagine such a thing - but that was precisely the case in nineteenth-century Great Britain. However, beyond the fact that Winchester's book forces its audience to re-examine our remarkable reliance upon the Oxford English Dictionary, his text is spell-binding because it offers a tale of intrigue, murder and insanity that reads more like a fanciful thriller than an actual real-life tale."
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The Low Man and the American Dream, 2008.
An analysis of the warping of the American dream in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman".
1,187 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 40.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how, in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman", the notion of dreams and aspirations is central to the play. More specifically, the paper looks at how, it is the perversion of the American dream that provides the hinge of the work and how Willy's supreme investment in and subsequent warping of the American dream ultimately destroys both himself and his family.
From the Paper
"In "Act Two" Charley asks Willy "Why must everybody like you?" (p. 97). It is because, more than anything, Willy wishes to be personally successful. He ties this success to the idea of landscape and to the American ideal of the frontier. His job as traveling salesman who is constantly expanding is key: he is always "going west" in search of different land to conquer (i.e. sell to). This spreading out is indicative of his drive to earn more and more wealth, the main component of his view of success. Secondly, he is a salesman; his very job hinges on selling and consuming. In fact he is essentially selling himself every time and his finical survival depends on his ability to sell not just his product, but himself as a provider of that product. It is this absolute reliance on his own self ability that feeds in to the ideals of Willy's American Dream. "
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Literary Studies - The Heroic Archetype, 2006.
An analysis of the tragic leader archetype in "The Epic of Gilgamesh", "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare, and "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe.
1,492 words (approx. 6.0 pages), 7 sources, APA, $ 49.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes the Jungian hero-leader archetype in "The Epic of Gilgamesh", "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare, and "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe. It explains how by understanding the collective unconscious within Prospero, Gilgamesh, and Okonkwo, the universal truth behind the tragic flaws that define their hero-leader personas is realized. The writer further discusses the basis of the unconscious excess of the hero archetype as part of major literary history of human behavior. In the conclusion, the writer suggests that, by evaluating how Jung's hero-leader archetype exists within the unconscious mind, one can realize the depth of the hero archetype that is found within the annals of literary tradition.
From the Paper
"These three heroic leaders often bring forth examples of Jungian archetype of heroism and valor in their leadership, but at crucial moments they misguided choices that doom them to failure. For the characters Prospero, Gilgamesh, and Okonkwo, the Jungian archetype of the industrious hero-leader often entails the tragic flaw of naivety and rash behavior that lead to their downfall. In essence, a Jungian archetypal analysis of these three characters will be brought forth in relation to the tragic leaders that reside within these classic literary tales of excess."
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Yasushi Inoue's "The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan", 2008.
A review of the book "The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan" by Yasushi Inoue.
1,467 words (approx. 5.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 48.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how the book "The Samurai Banner of Furin Kazan" by Yasushi Inoue introduces the reader to many aspects of the Samurai class in Japanese history and to the role of Bushido. The paper explains that the primary focus of Bushido is on loyalty and honor, tied to the mastery of the martial arts and the physical requirements for being a warrior. It then looks at how these elements are included as part of the texture of this novel, written in modern times about the Japan of the sixteenth century, a turbulent time in Japanese history through which the Samurai and its code provided a bulwark against deeper change.
From the Paper
"The Zen school placed its greatest emphasis on self-power, on the active mobilization of all one's energies towards the realization of the ideal of enlightenment. In its more austere forms Zen Buddhism had no time for rituals or philosophical study. It found favor with the samurai class for all these reasons. Their fortunes were then in the ascendant, and their members, men who lived constantly under the shadow of death, needed a spiritual way that would give them an authentic path of spiritual development. At the same time, Zen had an aesthetic side in the Zen virtues of spontaneity, simplicity, tranquility, and aloneness. "
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Stephen King's Novels "Apt Pupil" and "The Body", 2006.
A discussion of the theme of childhood in Stephen King novels, "Apt Pupil" and "The Body".
1,083 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 37.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how King represents the theme of childhood in his fiction as a platform of discovery for growth and how this growth, in turn, shapes the child's character profoundly. The writer discusses the journey of similar aged characters in "Apt Pupil" and "The Body". In the conclusion, the paper shows that, for Stephen King, the theme of childhood is important not so much as a value itself but as a platform for growth to another stage of maturity.
From the Paper
"One of the most common themes in literature is the growth of an individual from youth and innocence to maturity. Thus, when the theme of childhood is depicted in famous works such as Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the focus is often not so much on childhood itself but on the discoveries and experiences the main characters make that point the way towards maturity. This essay will argue that this approach to the theme of childhood can be seen in two texts from Stephen King's collection: Different Seasons. As will be seen, while in "The Body" the story focuses on a journey - told in retrospect - that symbolizes growth and an end of innocence in the primary character, in "Apt Pupil" the progress is not healthy growth but a movement towards evil and corruption."
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Commercial and Literary Fiction, 2007.
This paper examines "A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell and "A Municipal Report" by William Sidney Porter as literary fiction and commercial fiction, respectively.
942 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 33.95
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Abstract
The paper examines "A Municipal Report", which is an example of "commercial" fiction and "A Jury of Her Peers", which is an example of "literary" fiction. The paper outlines the character developments, plots and themes in order to underscore how "A Municipal Report" is intended as a light-hearted, diversionary romp through a Southern town, while "A Jury of Her Peers" is a troubling look at gendered stereotypes in early twentieth century America.
From the Paper
"As our course textbook indicates, commercial fiction is written primarily to make money and is designed to take us away from the world of our troubles; it is, in other words, all about giving pleasure to a reader who is seeking distraction ("Chapter One: Reading the Story," 52-53). In "A Municipal Report," the character development of the story clearly reveals the commercial features of the work. For one thing, there really is no character development to speak of. Instead, the reader is confronted with stereotypes: the vain Californians, blustery and stammering Chicagoans, appallingly slow restaurant service somehow managed with the utmost courtesy, the pompous Brit, Wentworth Caswell, and the dilapidated "Negro" nearly as old as Ham. There is also, unfortunately, an element of racism inherent in the story's depiction of the "old negro" insofar as he often finds himself unintentionally humorous - such as on the occasion when he informs the narrator that the seats "is clean" because his hack has just returned from a funeral (Porter, sec.1-6). As a last point, Azalea Adair is the quintessential polite, elegant yet sheltered and impoverished Southern belle one would expect to find in post-Civil War America (Porter, sec.9-10)."
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