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Literature and Community, 2008.
An analysis of the interactions between literature and community within the context of Sophocles' "Oedipus the King," as well as within the context of modern Canadian literature and culture.
1,287 words (approx. 5.1 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 43.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how a community generates literature that reflects its own attitudes and values and how literature simultaneously moulds community, and reflects it. It consider these interacting influences within the context of Sophocles' "Oedipus the King," as well as within the context of modern Canadian literature and culture. The paper also discusses this in the context of the writer's own experience of cultural community.
From the Paper
"One of these distinctly Canadian discourses may be said to be the discourse of sport, and particularly of hockey. As one theorist put it, "The rituals of sport engage more people in a shared experience than any other institution or cultural activity today." (Varda Burstyn, The Rites of Men, quoted in Coakley and Donnelly, 1) Watching hockey together has become a symbolic action that unites Canadians. Interestingly, sport as a component of ideology and community building is highlighted in John B. Lee's poetry collection, The Hockey Player Sonnets: Overtime Edition. Lee succeeds in making clear a significant aspect of Canadian hockey-related mythology, albeit one that is primarily white and male."
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Capital Punishment of the Mentally Handicapped, 2008.
A review of "Of Mice and Men," written by John Steinbeck and the question of whether mentally retarded individuals should receive capital punishment.
1,445 words (approx. 5.8 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the controversial issue of whether mentally retarded individuals should receive capital punishment for criminal offenses. It analyzes the book "Of Mice and Men," written by John Steinbeck, in order to illustrate these points. The paper discusses the outcome in the novel and questions the attitudes that are revealed in the book. It also describes how the character may have been dealt with differently in today's world.
From the Paper
"Many people believe that the mentally retarded should receive capital punishment if they murder a person and can be considered dangerous. Harrison Kane believes that a mentally retarded individual should receive punishment if it is "deemed equitable, just, and proportional if it fits the harm done by the offender and his or her established level of culpability" ((31). Kane states that IQ is a factor in whether a person should receive the death sentence, but it should not be the only factor. Perhaps Kane would have felt that Lennie should receive the death penalty because he could be considered dangerous because he killed a mouse, a dog, and a human. However, did Lennie know that he was going to kill these?"
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Existentialism and Oscar Wilde, 2007.
An examination of existentialism in Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest".
2,510 words (approx. 10.0 pages), 7 sources, MLA, $ 76.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the idea of identity in Oscar Wilde's play, "the Importance of Being Earnest" and in other Victorian works, and questions whether the individual or society shapes essence. The writer further discusses Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialist philosophy and how it relates to Wilde's play.The paper also looks at works by other authors where the characters decide how to behave based on their social status.
From the Paper
"The plot of Oscar Wilde's play The Importance of Being Earnest is much involved with questions of identity and toys with the meaning of identity, especially in terms of the social conventions of British Victorian society. Wilde is not normally thought of as an existentialist, but many of the concerns he raises in this play and some of his other works mirror concerns of the existentialists, including the issues of identity and authenticity."
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Treason in "Invisible Man", 2008.
An analysis of perceptions of treason in the "Battle Royale" episode in Ralph Ellison's novel "Invisible Man".
1,671 words (approx. 6.7 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 54.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how analyzing the "Battle Royale" episode in Ralph Ellison's novel "Invisible Man" indicates that whether one is being a traitor or not depends upon whether one is a racist or a victim of racism. It concludes that when the grandfather in "Battle Royale" describes the life of blacks as a war and says he has been a traitor all of his life and a spy in the enemy's country, he means that his contempt for white racism makes him a traitor in their eyes.
From the Paper
"The narrator's grandfather's bitter words of recrimination just before he died confused, bewildered and haunted the narrator for years. He failed to understand the context of his grandfather's defiant words and mistakenly believed that his grandfather was the one who was confused and haunted. His parents told him to ignore his grandfather's dying words, but as he begins to suspect that he always seems to be acting in accordance with his grandfather's belief that blacks should "yes" white people to death, he realizes that he has been running away from his true self, which is the ultimate treachery. "
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English Protestantism Poets, 2008.
This paper compares the 17th century English Protestantism poets, John Donne (1572-1631) and George Herbert (1593-1633), to whom religion was a central part of their entire lives.
2,305 words (approx. 9.2 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 71.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that English Protestantism framed many events in the lives of John Donne and George Herbert, generating many of their most intense conflicts, as reflected in the religious themes of their poetry. The author points out that, although both men's poetry was metaphysical, Donne's poetry was enormously intellectual and intricate while Herbert's poetry was far simpler. The paper relates that both Herbert and Donne lived in an age of tremendous scientific discovery, particularly by Galileo and Kepler, which had tremendous impacts on religious institutions and thought. The paper includes several examples of their poetry.
From the Paper
"The term "metaphysical" was coined in some disapprobation by John Dryden, but on the other hand T.S. Eliot argued that the poems of the metaphysical poets fused reason with passion. It is argued that Eliot was closer to the truth: after all, these were poets who lived in intellectually challenging times, as science for the first time posed a serious challenge to religion - and this in a society where religion was ubiquitous and largely unquestioned. No wonder they struggled with these issues, no wonder they were passionate about them, and no wonder the greatest poets of the times applied their considerable intellects to the crisis."
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Arthur Miller's "Death of A Salesman", 2007.
This paper discusses the issues of Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft in the extreme contrasts of the relationships between the people in Arthur Miller's "Death of A Salesman".
820 words (approx. 3.3 pages), 5 sources, APA, $ 29.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Gemeinschaft is a fraternal social bonding based on reciprocal relationships; whereas, in Gesellschaft, mutual affirmation is replaced by a mechanical construction existing in the mind. The author points out that this contrast is most vividly seen in the character of Willy Loman. The paper relates that the Gesellschaft justifies to Willy the end of his frantic pursuit of the American dream of material wealth, spliting him away from himself and from his family. The author believes that Happy is losing himself in the betrayal of the ideal of Gemeinschaft, which is one of the major themes of the play. The paper includes many quotations.
From the Paper
"That is what Gesellschaft means, there is no one home; like Willy, people are all out selling something, and being sold out. There is no greater contrast than this between the daily, supportive personal relations of a Gemeinschaft family and the Gesellschaft society of "business and profit". In that same last scene, Biff clearly observes of his father that "he had the wrong dreams". Charley's famous retort that "A salesman has got to dream, boy" misses the point of Willy's anguished life entirely."
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Bias in Gender Roles, 2008.
This paper discusses the portrayal of males and females in children's books.
1,974 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 5 sources, APA, $ 62.95
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Abstract
Many children's books contain myths and stereotypes which, although they appear to be commonsense understanding, are actually completely inaccurate. Children learn from text and images that represent the culture, and then they organize their perceptions of the world based on that information. This paper makes use of symbolic interactionism and structural functionalism to argue that gender as it is depicted in children's books has a social purpose and that very young children are capable of interpreting the meaning. The four themes of gender bias, gender role socialization, gender-based traits, and pseudo gender equality are discussed.
Outline:
Introduction
Gender Bias
Gender Role Socialization and Stereotypes
Pseudo Gender Equality
Conclusion
From the Paper
"At the same time, Gooden and Gooden provide a persuasive rationale for the over-abundance of males in children's books and picture books they surveyed that were published from 1995 to 1999. The authors were all simply accepting of the traditional view of the work role assigned to the male, and these values were therefore promoted in the books. Diekman and Murnen found that even in nonsexist books for children, gender segregation and the traditional idealization of femininity result in an unequal representation of the sexes. The patterns pointed out by these authors exist for a purpose. That purpose, as is perceived through structural functionalism, is to maintain social equilibrium which depends on male dominance and female subservience. Symbolic interactionism allows us to see that very young children are aware of and are quite capable of interpreting and internalizing these patterns through the books they encounter."
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Mythic Histories, 2008.
This paper provides a critical analysis of 'Pocahontas' by Paula Gunn Allen and 'The Kongolese Saint Anthony: Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita' by John Thornton.
1,285 words (approx. 5.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 43.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer explores how, in "Pocahontas", Allen imbues her narrative representation of the life of Pocahontas with the qualities of the sacred. The thesis is argued that Allen, in keeping with the hybrid nature of her subject and the overarching American myth within which her subject is a critical figure, achieves her objectives by combining the narrative conventions of Indian oral traditions and mythic elements together with western narrative models and an anthropological understanding of myth. The paper further explains that this hybrid approach, as is seen with comparative reference to the story of Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita, allows access to the multiple cultural perspectives necessary to understand these otherwise elusive and complex historical figures. From this perspective the paper shows how important an appreciation of the reality of the mythic can be in the comprehension of such women as Pocahontas and Dona Beatriz who would otherwise be alien and opaque to our western secular modes of analysis.
Outline:
Introduction
The Reality of Myth
The Importance of Being Hybrid
From the Paper
"In the realm of the strictly empirical as opposed to the mythic, Allen's hybrid narrative model yields insights into our understanding of her subject and the events of her time that would not otherwise be apparent. Consider, for example, the story of the initial contact between John Smith and the tsenacommacah of which our primary narrative perspective is a text of Smith's written years afterwards. Smith believed - understandably from his English perspective - that the young Pocahontas must have fallen in love with him, as this was the only explanation he could discern for her flinging herself upon his to save him from ritual execution at the hands of her father."
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Cultural Separation, 2008.
This paper discusses symbols of cultural separation in "The Jade Pendant" by C. Lim and "The Cage" by N. Bissoondath.
1,423 words (approx. 5.7 pages), 5 sources, APA, $ 47.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer studies the two works, "The Jade Pendant" and "The Cage". The writer discusses that in both these stories the chief symbols invoked emphasize the uniting of the abstract themes of social and familial segregation. Further, the writer discusses that in the two stories symbolism is used as a vehicle to explain both the societal and individual separation of identity, thereby underlining and progressing the themes within the stories. The writer concludes that the stories "The Jade Pendant" and "The Cage" use central symbols as a means to capture the abstraction and further the themes of the stories.
From the Paper
"The name becomes a very oppressive symbol then, a symbol that separates the narrator that defines her past and personal history and ultimately separates her from the very family the name identifies. The ancestral name as symbol strengthens the themes of foreignness and separation that permeates the story."
"Similarly, "The Jade Pendant" uses its central symbol, the pendant as a means to underline its themes of societal and familial separation. The story's beginning is a perfect example: Lim begins by dictating the history and myth surrounding the Jade Pendant, forgoing any sort of character or family description; immediately the reader knows that the Jade Pendant is more important than anything. However, it is Mrs. Khoo activates the Pendant that is important, as a symbol of social standing."
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Toni Cade Bambara's "The Lesson", 2007.
A look at how the plot and theme of Toni Cade Bambara's short story, "The Lesson", reflect communist ideology.
1,645 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 53.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, in "The Communist Manifesto", Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx deplore the emergence of classes, such as the bourgeois and the proletariat, which they consider to be products of the rise and dominance of capitalism in Europe. The author points out that, in "The Lesson", Toni Cade Bambara relates how the African-American children, who are intimidated by the displays of white wealth they see on Fifth Avenue, are reluctant to enter the F.A.O. Schwarz toy store and express their resentment through scorn. The paper demonstrates how Bambara uses plot, themes, characterizations and the symbolism of the settings to create the conflict between social classes that is also suggested by Engels and Marx. The paper includes quotations from the book.
From the Paper
"Examples from "The Communist Manifesto" and this scene from "The Lesson" confirm this and demonstrate how literature can be an ideological force. For example, Marx himself observed that literature is not a static mirror image of culture; rather it is itself a contributing force to the social dialectic of history. Furthermore, he noted that literature does not just reflect the hegemony of the ruling class; it also reflects the oppositional forces that counter that hegemony. It carries the vestigial traces of past modes of production and the germs of the future modes of production."
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Comedy in "Twelfth Night", 2008.
An analysis of the use of comedy as a form of instruction in William Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night".
1,754 words (approx. 7.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 56.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how "Twelfth Night" is a powerful vehicle for teaching its audiences several important lessons and how the play draws people in because it is an entertaining romantic comedy, complete with cross-dressing and the titillating misunderstandings that derive from the cross-dressing. It argues that the lessons are made more accessible because they are conveyed by characters and actions in a romantic comedy, frequently in a comic way, than they would have been if the lessons were simply stated in a didactic way.
From the Paper
"In Shakespeare's time, his plays provided entertainment and often comedy to people who had far less access to entertainment than we do in our time, with our highly commercialized and ubiquitous entertainment industry. His plays were therefore much enjoyed, and any lessons he intended were keenly listened to. This is the first reason why the comic antics portrayed in Twelfth Night would have been likely to communicate the lessons Shakespeare intended - simply because the play would have been so greatly enjoyed. It is a classic romantic comedy, dealing as it does with the never-failingly-interesting topic of romance, and providing the audience with a satisfying happy ending. "
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Fluvoxamine vs. Placebo, 2007.
A comparative analysis of articles on the use of fluvoxamine versus the use of a placebo.
1,969 words (approx. 7.9 pages), 3 sources, APA, $ 62.95
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Abstract
This paper provides a review of three articles related to the use of fluvoxamine or controlled-release fluvoxamine and the use of a placebo for generalized social anxiety disorder (GASD) and for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A third article is a literature review that details the efficacy of placebos for dopaminergic disorders and emphasizes the strong biochemical basis for the use of placebos. The first two articles are compared in a formal comparison and then both are contrasted against the third.
From the Paper
"In order to gain the most knowledge one can from reading published research one must assess the work beyond the normal article critique in order to glean the greatest benefits and applicable knowledge. Primarily when working in the field, often one has to compare the relative merits of the published work in relation to other published work on the same topic. This paper presents a classic comparison between two articles and then contrasts both with a third. Each deal with the use of a placebo either studying the efficacy of fluvoxamine compared to a placebo or reporting on the physiological/neurological basis for the efficacy seen in studies where placebos are used."
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Capitalism and Society, 2007.
A review of the affect of capitalism on society through literature and philosophy.
1,493 words (approx. 6.0 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 49.95
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Abstract
This paper examines the influences of capitalism on society. It does this by comparing and contrasting Henry Miller's "Death of a Salesman" and C. Wright Mills' "The Sociological Imagination" with two outside sources: Max Weber's "The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism" and Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels' "The Communist Manifesto". Through these sources, the paper aims to identify the various positive and negative influences capitalism has had on individuals, families, relationships, politics and on society itself.
From the Paper
"But Weber disagreed with Marx's claim that social alienation is only a transitional stage on the road to man's true emancipation from the chains of capitalism and did not accept Marx's rigid assertion that capitalism had led to the expropriation of the worker
from the mode of production. Weber believed that what Marx defined as expropriation was simply an inevitable consequence of any societal system of rationally coordinated production.
In contrast to Marx's position on this issue, Weber argued that people could not participate in socially significant action unless they joined large-scale organizations."
"He conceded that upon joining such organizations they would have to place their own personal desires and goals secondary to the impersonal goals and procedures of the organization. This could have personal consequences in the form of social alienation, but the advantages of membership in large organizations would enable them to contribute
to socially significant actions. (Weber 98)"
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"Disgrace", 2007.
An analysis of the roles of victim and villain in the novel "Disgrace" by J.M. Coetzee.
732 words (approx. 2.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 26.95
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Abstract
This literary study examines the villain and the victim in the novel "Disgrace" by J.M. Coetzee. It analyzes the characters of David Lurie as the main villain of the novel and David's daughter Lucy who is considered to be the victim of the novel. The paper describes the plot of the story with quotes as it focuses on these two protagonists and their roles in the story.
From the Paper
"When David is fired for seducing Melanie at the College, he eventually goes to live with his daughter, Lucy. Lucy owns a farm and also works at an animal shelter in the region. Although David has been disgraced, his daughter takes him into her home and he begins to work alongside her as a farmer. However, the simplicity of life that David is seeking is not present, as he and his daughter are attacked by three black men. Lucy is raped, which changes David's misogynist view of women. Certainly, Lucy is the victim in this story, as she must now live with the memory of her attackers and the pain that she endured."
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"The Lamp at Noon", 2007.
An analysis of the insanity of the character of Ellen in Sinclair Ross' novel "The Lamp at Noon".
723 words (approx. 2.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 25.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the themes of loneliness, isolation and survival in Sinclair Ross' novel "The Lamp at Noon". It particularly focuses on the insanity of the character of Ellen and the reasons for her becoming insane during the story. The paper shows how this story epitomizes the struggle of the Canadian farmer during the depression in the 1930s.
From the Paper
"This story epitomizes the struggle of the Canadian farmer during the depression. The refusal to listen to advice for changing farming practices in the face of drought; sacrificing long-term prosperity for short term cash grab, is the hallmark of many 1930s failed farms. The relationship between Ellen and Paul plays out another story, that of the poor man who marries a rich wife. The chip on his shoulder and foolish pride prevent him from listening to his wife and acknowledging when it is time to change, to move on, and to put aside his pride to save his marriage and family. Ellen is the traditional wife, needing her husband, but locked in the rules of marriage and staying at the farm even though she knows she should leave to save her baby. Yet she stays and the baby dies. The guilt and shame of that decision and the isolation ultimately cause her insanity."
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