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"A Raisin in the Sun", 2008.
This paper analyzes the protagonist in the play "A Raisin in the Sun" by Lorraine Hansberry.
1,012 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
The paper describes the Younger family who, although they each have different goals, dreams and ambitions, ultimately work together as one character to achieve the dream of home ownership. The paper shows how the author uses the entire family as a type of larger-than-life protagonist, indicating it takes more than one family member to fight the white "system" and attain the dreams of the entire family.
From the Paper
"At the beginning of this emotional play, all the Younger family characters are introduced in the first act. At first glance, it would not seem as if the playwright had the idea of altering the traditional protagonist role to include the entire family. Each member of the family seems to have a different agenda at the start of the action. Walter wants to buy a liquor store, Mama wants to buy a house, Ruth is afraid to bring another child into the world, and Beneatha wants to go to medical school. In the 1950s, when they play is set, all of these are lofty goals, especially for a struggling black family living on the South Side of Chicago."
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"The Faerie Queene", 2008.
An analysis of Edmund Spenser's representations of nature in the poem "The Faerie Queene".
1,585 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 0 sources, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" is one of the greatest allegorical poems ever written in English and how the religious symbolism connected with the poem is practically the key of the entire allegory. In particular, the paper examines how the way in which Spenser represents nature in his poem is very significant precisely because the text is an allegory in which the real, natural setting is symbolic. Furthermore, the paper attempts to show that Spenser represents nature in two adverse ways which illuminate his vision of the world. The paper concludes that Spenser represents nature as a sympathetic force which is part of God's divine creation and which is moreover able to reflect the spiritual qualities of a certain being.
From the Paper
"Nature is therefore itself a part of the great allegory. In fact, Spenser's allegorical poem is a synthesis of his vision of the world, comprising the forces that drive the world and human behavior at the same time. The poem relates mainly the adventures of Redcorsse, the errant knight of Holinesse, and Una, his female companion and the symbol of truth. The Faerie Queene is no less than Queen Elizabeth of England, whom Spenser regarded as a holy person because she was the defendant of Protestantism against the corrupted Catholicism. The allegory opposes these two religions, making it clear that Protestantism is the right religious view. In the first Book of the poem, nature is depicted in its entirely luxurious wilderness. There is a great array of mythological characters and beasts which are met, in turns, by the wandering knight. The divide between the natural and the unnatural forces obviously corresponds to that between good and evil. Although natural law is condemned by Puritanism, Spenser did not reject it. "
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Janie in "Their Eyes Were Watching God", 2008.
A character analysis of Janie in "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston.
1,063 words (approx. 4.3 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 37.95
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Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to introduce, discuss, and analyze the book "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. Specifically it contains a character analysis of the main character, Janie. It looks at how Janie grows to be a woman in this story, and eventually finds her own brand of peace, as well. At the beginning of the story, she is unsure of herself, and begins to rely on men to prove her own self-worth. By the end of the book, she is strong, independent, and alone, but she has found her peace and her place in the world.
From the Paper
"Janie, the main character in this novel, is a mulatto woman who has lived most of her life the way other people thought she should instead of the way she has always wanted to live. Her mother abandons her when she is young, and her grandmother (Nanny), raises her. The story takes its title from the passage, "They seemed to be staring at the dark, but their eyes were watching God" (God 151). Throughout the novel, she attaches herself to men who are not right for her, trying to establish her self-worth through others. However, each man teachers her something about herself, so that finally, she learns something important from each of them in turn, and then can create a viable and happy life for herself. Her first husband is Logan Killicks, an older man that Nanny chooses for her. "
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Cardiovascular Disease and Low Fitness, 2008.
A review of the limitations of "Prevalence and Cardiovascular Disease Correlates of Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Adolescents and Adults," written by Mercedes R. Carnethon, Martha Gulati and Philip Greenland.
872 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 1 source, APA, $ 31.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses and reviews the article, "Prevalence and Cardiovascular Disease Correlates of Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Adolescents and Adults," written by Mercedes R. Carnethon, Martha Gulati and Philip Greenland. It discusses the purpose of the study, the results and conclusions and the limitations of the study's methods.
From the Paper
"The age selection was quite broad, so the study could control for other fitness factors relating to age impinging upon the results. But there is an obvious weakness in using such a large sampling. The population size is so diluted and generalized in its composition that the conclusions drawn from the study may be too vague to be of prescriptive use. To conduct the study, the authors submitted the test subjects to submaximal treadmill testing so they reached at least 75% to 90% of their age-predicted maximum heart rate. Maximal oxygen consumption, or VO2 max, was estimated by measuring their heart rate response to their effort. Low levels of fitness were defined by using percentile cut-off points of estimated VO2 max from existing external referent populations. In other words, the VO2 max definitions of fitness were derived purely from preexisting literature and studies. Similarly, the other physical and laboratory CVD risk factors measured according to standard methods were derived from preexisting literature."
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"The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Scarlet Letter", 2008.
This paper examines the symbolism in "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe and "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
1,329 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 8 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
The paper examines the literary techniques used in "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe and "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The paper describes the deterioration of the human mind in Hawthorne's character, Dimmesdale, and in Poe's narrator and shows how they share the same lack of knowledge that they are victims of their own mental deterioration.
From the Paper
"Authors often use metaphors and symbols as techniques to make statements about characters. Character often lives parallel lives in novels and short stories and it is with great pleasure that we learn from them. Writers employ several different techniques to engage readers. Two stories that illustrate powerful symbolism are "The Fall of the House of Usher" by Edgar Allan Poe and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Each of these stories bring us into characters by allowing us see them change in a radical way. In "The Fall of the House of Usher," Poe uses the house as a metaphor for the narrator and Roderick's condition. The readers' attention is initially drawn to Roderick, whom we suspect might be mentally unstable. Through careful techniques Poe manages to illustrate how the fall of the house represents the fall of both the narrator and Roderick. In the same way, The Scarlet Letter demonstrates how one person can fall through another type of symbol and that is hidden but, nevertheless, powerful. Both stories demonstrate how the human mind can break down over time, given the right circumstances. "
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Marcus Rediker's "Villains of All Nations", 2008.
Evaluates historian Marcus Rediker's book about pirates, "Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age" and the phenomenon these pirates represent.
1,045 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 4 sources, MLA, $ 36.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, unlike most historians, Marcus Rediker in his book "Villains of All Nations: Atlantic Pirates in the Golden Age" takes a positive view of piracy and what they represented for the period in which they lived. The author points out that Rediker believes that the issue of piracy should not be observed from the damages they caused but rather from social, economic and human aspects, which justify their actions. Rediker offers several arguments; however, they are easily countered by suggesting that the actual motivation of these pirates was strictly connected to the accumulation of wealth and power. The paper states that Rediker's book is a shallow and inaccurate account of history of pirates.
From the Paper
"By discussing the history of the first pirates at sea, the author points out the difficulties they are considered to have suffered especially during the Spanish war when they were sent in battles without their expressed will. In this sense, he considers that the eventual freedom they came to have after the end of the armed conflicts was an equitable reward of the situation. Through this perspective, the author tries to justify their actions from a moral point of view."
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"Young Goodman Brown", 2008.
An analysis of the beliefs of the character, Goodman Brown, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's story, "Young Goodman Brown."
1,228 words (approx. 4.9 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 41.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the character, Goodman Brown in "Young Goodman Brown," by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The paper focuses on Goodman Brown's character and personality and his beliefs. It discusses how Brown's beliefs change and the effect that has on him. The paper also describes the plot of the story and Brown's relationship with the other characters.
From the Paper
"Soon, however, Goodman Brown learns the worst. It is not only "a wretched old woman" who is sinning, but his wife, Faith, as well. He hears the arrival of other community members and follows them. As he continues down his path something, "fluttered lightly down through the air and caught on the branch of a tree. The young man seized it, and beheld a pink ribbon." The pink ribbon falling downward from the heavenly sky towards towards hell represents Brown's loss of faith and understanding that evil exists. Brown cries, "My Faith is gone!" (Literature Network, para 27). This sentence has a double meaning. Faith is also gone from the house and is entering the forest, as well. Even Faith cannot be trusted. "There is no good on earth; and sin is but a name. Come, devil; for to thee is this world given.""
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"The Human Abstract", 2008.
An analysis of William Blake's abstract of the social injustices of modern society in his poem "The Human Abstract" .
921 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 32.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how, in "The Human Abstract", the poet William Blake muses that the virtues of orthodox, believing Christians and pious individuals in general are often founded upon making certain members of society impoverished and unhappy.
From the Paper
"Blake's anger intensifies in the poem's second stanza. "And mutual fear brings peace;" he rages, in other words, the fear fostered in the hearts of the lower classes peace to his society, but it is a society that is not just. "Till the selfish loves increase. /Then Cruelty knits a snare, /And spreads his baits with care." The good, middle and upper class persons of society may feel society is peaceful, but it is only because it satisfies their selfish, self-love, and although they are unaware of it, they are ensnared by devilish cruelty. Cruelty, personified in the next stanza, "Sits down with holy fears./And waters the ground with tears" and any false, seemingly pious humility encouraged in the churches is really founded upon the cruelty that keeps the system of injustices in place and merely addresses the aftereffects of injustice with small, half-hearted measures."
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Fairy Tale: "Beauty and the Beast", 2008.
Examines the elements of social and cultural censorship in the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast".
1,580 words (approx. 6.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 51.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that the leitmotif of the husban- beast in Madame Du Beaumont's classical version of the fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" reoccurs in many stories. The paper points out that, in this version of the famous fairytale, the attraction between the sublimely beautiful and the monstrously ugly may hide a fetishist desire at the core of the culture. The paper stresses that the union between a beast and a human being, which forms the plot of the fairytale, obviously hints at the beast-like, sexual desires, which lurk in the human subconscious.
From the Paper
"Another erotic element in the story is the dream Beauty has of the Beast after having delayed her return because of her sisters' wickedness. Thus, Beauty dreams of the dying Beast, longing for her presence and reproaching her for breaking her promise: The tenth night she spent at her father's, she dreamed she was in the palace garden, and that she saw Beast extended on the grass-plot, who seemed just expiring, and, in a dying voice, reproached her with her ingratitude. It is at this point that Beauty actually realizes she has strong feelings for the Beast."
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Family Literacy Programs, 2008.
A research paper that attempts to identify a family literacy program which assists English language students to develop their language skills.
9,389 words (approx. 37.6 pages), 16 sources, APA, $ 193.95
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Abstract
This research paper discusses a study to identify best practices for the effective delivery of educational services to English literacy learning students using a family literacy program approach. The paper comments that the challenges of educating students who do not speak a societal language are enormous and that educating such students is not just a question of teaching English: It is rather a question of providing large numbers of students with access to the curriculum at the same time that they are learning English. The paper uses a five-chapter format to discuss questions related to the topic with the fifth chapter providing a summary of the research, salient conclusions and recommendations.
Outline:
Introduction
Review of Literature
Design of the Study
Summary And Recapitulation Of Main Themes
From the Paper
"The day when a third of America was plagued by apartheid is long gone of course, and "white-only" waiting rooms and drinking fountains are a nasty thing of the past. Today, a black man and a white woman are candidates for the presidency of the United States, and it is clear that although much remains to be done, much has been accomplished in the last five decades to advance the rights of women and African Americans. In fact, there may come a day when blacks and white find themselves at a distinct disadvantage because of shifting demographic patterns in the U.S., and sharing a common language and a common - albeit shameful in some cases -- legacy will bring them closer together in the face of these multicultural trends. Even together, though, blacks and whites may be faced with a new United States in the mid-20th century where Spanish is the predominate language in a majority of the states of the union, and they will be seeking out family literacy programs to help them survive in this new environment just as ELL learners are doing today. Given these trends, it is clearly in the best interests of an increasingly polyglot nation to ensure that everyone can communicate, and the English-only initiatives springing up across the country will not solve the problem. What is needed is a more informed view of the problem by mainstream Americans, particularly since they or their children may well find themselves in the ELL predicament sooner than they might think. All in all, family literacy programs were shown to just be good business. These programs provide an enormous return on their investment, and because the investment is in the nation's future, they are also the right thing to do today to help ensure the viability of a different America in the coming years."
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"The Road" by Cormac McCarthy, 2008.
An analysis of the book "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy in which the author presents to the reader, the raw basic facts of a nuclear aftermath.
1,518 words (approx. 6.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, $ 50.95
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Abstract
The paper is a a critical essay about a Pulitzer prize-winning novel. In discussing "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy the paper focuses not on what the author may have intended to present, but rather on what the internal elements of the text reveal. The paper states that by writing this novel author McCarthy, is not protesting the nuclear stockpiles in Russia and the U.S. but he is allowing readers to share a story that is compelling, engaging, disturbing and yet brilliantly executed.
From the Paper
"Indeed, this is clearly a book that touches on the unspeakable horrors that likely will follow a nuclear cataclysm, including humans turning into savages and criminals, and survivors rummaging through the rubble for the tools and food needed to keep going. And it is a story about the male mentality, the male quest for the will and the power to go on in a world where power has destroyed what was there before. "No sign of life...a corpse in a doorway dried to leather" (12). Saying the book is grim is an understatement. In terms of the humanity, this book is dark, darker, and black like a total eclipse. In the first twenty-five pages the word "gray" appears nineteen times. McCarthy is presenting to the reader the raw basic facts of a nuclear aftermath, and one need not try to read any more into than that, as far as the actual narrative. Life after a nuclear blast - in the best case scenario, experienced by the characters, is be bleak and not fun - and in the worse case scenario, at the end, life will be snuffed out."
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Revenge in Drama, 2008.
Compares the theme of revenge in Henrik Ibsen's "The Wild Duck", William Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and Aeschylus' "The Oresteia".
1,325 words (approx. 5.3 pages), 3 sources, MLA, $ 44.95
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Abstract
This paper states that revenge makes for some of the best stories ever written and suggests that "The Wild Duck" by Henrik Ibsen is one of the best revenge tales ever told. The paper maintains that the theme of revenge in "The Wild Duck" is far stronger than that in "Hamlet", which is more similar to "The Oresteia". The paper relates the plots of each of these stories and argues that, in "Hamlet" and "The Oresteia", the characters are motivated by the death of someone they love. Thus, their revenge is more justified than Gregers' motivation in "The Wild Duck" because they are avenging the death of a loved one.
From the Paper
"Gregers' first plan of action is confronting his father about his past. He argues with him about his mother and tells his father that it was the "suffering and humiliation she had to undergo, till at last it broke her down and drove her to such a miserable end." It is clear from their conversation that nothing is going to be resolved. What we do learn from this conversation is Gregers inability to forgive or forget his father. That is not to say that Werle asked for forgiveness or deserved it even but the fact that Werle is not remorseful at all does not make things between the two men any better."
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The Cultural Role of Advertising on Society, 2008.
An analysis of the cultural role of advertising on society, as discussed by Sut Jhally in "Advertising at the Edge of the Apocalypse."
997 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper analyzes Sut Jhally's article, "Advertising at the Edge of the Apocalypse," in which he tackles the issue of the cultural role of advertising. It discusses his arguments regarding the influence of ads on society and the power of advertising as a global phenomenon. The paper also looks at Karl Marx' definition of western societies and how it relates to Jhally's arguments.
From the Paper
"The definition provided by Margaret Thatcher to the concept of 'society' can help elucidate the ways in which advertising relates to society. Thatcher said, "There is no such thing as 'society'. There are just individuals and their families." This definition means that society is not to be perceived as an entity made up of its members, but as a large group of individuals who follow their own interests. This is, in fact, how advertising relates to the idea of society. Ads do not address this idealistic united body of people, but individuals. This capitalist view of society opposes Marx's view which holds that society is not a collection of separate individuals with competing interests, but of competing classes which are determined and defined in terms of their relationship to production. I believe that the definition provided by Margaret Thatcher is better suited to the issue of advertising, and it accurately reflects the world we live in. In this sense, I argue in favor of Thatcher's view on society because I think that in society we operate as individuals. This could also account for the ways in which advertising talks to us; as Jhally points out, advertising does not address our collective concerns such as healthcare or poverty, but our individual values which in turn, determine our pattern of consumption."
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Fear and Madness in Edgar Allan Poe, 2008.
An analysis of the mood and tone in Edgar Allan Poe's "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-tale Heart".
778 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 6 sources, MLA, $ 27.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses how Edgar Allan Poe's works, "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-tale Heart", are stories that reveal Poe's incredible technique of establishing mood and tone through fear and madness with his narrators. The paper explains that by making the men in the stories appear normal, Poe tricks us into fear and creates a perfect horror story.
From the Paper
"Edgar Allan Poe is a master at creating the perfect moss and tone for his horror stories. Two stories that emphasize this fact are "The Black Cat" and "The Tell-tale Heart," in which Poe heightens mood and tone with fear and madness. Both stories are psychological thrillers, a trademark for Poe. Jack Sullivan maintains that Poe transformed the horror story by "endowing it with new psychological insight and consistency of tone and atmosphere" (Sullivan 323). He adds that Poe's stories are "painfully artful" (323). These statements cannot be argued, as Poe delighted in the macabre and making his readers feel uncomfortable. Jay Parini agrees with this, adding that Poe's stories are stories of "intrusion--whether culmination in the act of violent murder or in the psychological violation of another person or in describing the internal war of the divided self" (Parini 269)."
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Ancient Literature and Modern Day Life, 2008.
An analysis of how closely modern day life is connected to the life depicted in "Everyman," "Gilgamesh," Homer's "The Odyssey," and in ancient Egyptian poems.
959 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, $ 34.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, on first glance, the atmosphere of the ancient Mesopotamian epic "Gilgamesh," Homer's "Odyssey," the Egyptian songs for the dead and the medieval allegory "Everyman" seem quite foreign to our modern culture and sensibilities since the works depict heroes grappling with the gods in a one-on-one fashion, and valor and might are the ultimate determinants of a man or woman's prowess. The paper then argues that the issues these heroes must deal with, however, are also basic human issues common even today and that because of this, these pieces are not simply curiosities, but still resonate as vital works of literature.
From the Paper
"The plea for companionship in the face of death "Everyman" takes on a transcendent power because of its universality and the desire for home in "The Odyssey" gives the work a timeless quality, and makes the amoral protagonist sympathetic. Likewise, in "Gilgamesh," the protagonist's sorrow about losing his beloved best friend makes him sympathetic, even though like King Odysseus, King Gilgamesh is often violent, deceitful, and cruel. When he is punished by the gods, like Odysseus, it is not in an especially just fashion, but simply because he has been cursed for killing the evil demon Humbaba of the Cedar Forest, when provoked and attacked. Instead of Gilgamesh losing his own life, his dearest friend Enkidu is taken to the cruel place in the underworld, which like Homeric conceptions, is a terrible place, regardless of how morally one behaves in life."
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