Atticus, a deeply affecting novel by Ron Hansen, opens in winter on the high plains of Colorado to the tropics of Mexico, as well as from the realm of whodunit detective mystery to the larger realm of the Mystery, which has its own heartbreaking, consoling, and redemptive logic. Misunderstanding, dissolute, prodigal, wayward, wastrel, alias, and…
William Faulkner was born in New Albany, Mississippi where he became a high school dropout and was forced to work with grandfather at a bank. In 1925 Faulkner moved to New Orleans and worked as a journalist, here he met the American Sherwood Andersen, a famous short-story writer. Anderson convinced Faulkner that writing about the…
Arrowsmith is a classic American novel written by Sinclair Lewis. Lewis wrote this book in the early 1900’s as a current outlook on the world of science in that time. The main theme it focuses on is commercialism and its effect on science. During this time period there were many advances in the field of…
The Pearl, by John Steinbeck, evil transforms certain humble citizens into envious savages. Evil was exhibited by the doctor who refused to treat Coyotito because his parents had no money. When the doctor heard of Kino and Juana’s fortune in finding “the pearl of the world” (722), he boasted that they were patients of his…
The plot of “Much Ado About Nothing” is an elaborate network of schemes and tricks. This statement is confirmed throughout “Much Ado About Nothing”. The play contains many examples of tricks and schemes that are used to manipulate the thoughts and feelings of characters. The major examples of such manipulation include- Don Pedro, Claudio and…
J.D. Salinger’s youth and war experiences influenced his writings. J.D. went through four different schools for education. He then went to World War II. After the war, he had a lot to say, so he wrote down his thoughts. And, he sure had some things to say. Jerome David Salinger came into this world on…
Joseph Conrad develops themes of personal power, individual responsibility, and social justice in his book Heart of Darkness. His book has all the trappings of the conventional adventure tale – mystery, exotic setting, escape, suspense, unexpected attack. Chinua Achebe concluded, “Conrad, on the other hand, is undoubtedly one of the great stylists of modern fiction…
The Catcher in the Rye has truly earned it’s place among great classic works. J. D. Salinger created a literary piece that was completely unique. The entire novel was written in the first person view of the 17-year-old, Holden Caulfield. The majority of the story is compiled of Holden’s rudimentary monologue of ‘complexly simple’ thoughts,…
The title of the story is Annie’s Baby. The date of it’s original publication was in 1998. The author was an Anonymous pregnant teenager. But was edited by Beatrice Sparks. The main character of the story is Annie. Annie lives with her mom. After her dad left she became a different person. Annie is a…
Anne Sullivan Macy was born on April 4, 1866 in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. Her parents were poor Irish immigrants. Anne had trouble with her eyes her whole life. When Anne was eight years old her mother died and two years later her father left. Anne’s younger sister went to live with relatives and Anne and…
The oldest pig on the farm, Old Major, gathered all the farm animals into the barn. He told them of a dream he had about one day animals ruling the world. He said there was to be a rebellion in the farm against their cruel farmer, Mr. Jones. Old Major did not know when the…
Angela’s Ashes, by Frank McCourt is a genuine memoir that vividly tells the story of a young, Irish Catholic boy during the 1930’s and early 1940’s. Frank’s memory of his impoverished childhood is difficult to accept, however, he injects a sense of devilish humor into his biography. He creates a story where the readers watch…
Ten people are invited to an island, called “Indian Island”, by letters that were signed by people they had met before. When they got to the island, they found out that their host, U.N. Owen, had not arrived yet. At dinner, they heard a voice, accusing each of them of a murder, which they were…
The Scarlet Letter is a novel that deals with the never-ending theme of sin. Throughout history, people have committed all types of sins, and whether they are major or minor, people have been punished. However, the severity of a punishment is very difficult to agree on. Some people feel that sinners should be deeply punished…
Amazing Grace is a book about the trials and tribulations of everyday life for a group of children who live in the poorest congressional district of the United States, the South Bronx. Their lives may seem extraordinary to us, but to them, they are just as normal as everyone else. What is normal? For the…
Voltaire’s Candide is the story of an innocent man’s experiences in a mad and evil world, his struggle to survive in that world, and his need to ultimately come to terms with it. All people experience the turmoil of life and must overcome obstacles, both natural and man-made, in order to eventually achieve happiness. In…
Margret Atwood a long time celebrated author has most recently published Alias Grace. Atwood has taken a different approach to this novel. Although fictional this story has been based on reality. Grace Marks, the main character is indeed, on of the mid-eighteen hundreds most famous criminals. She was the celebrated villain of the Kinnear-Montgomery murders.…
Summary The Agony and the Ecstasy depicts Michelangelo’s struggle to become the embodiment of Renaissance humanism. In the course of the novel Michelangelo must overcome the interference of his family, religious dogma, political intrigue, papal patronage, military campaigns, and artistic jealousy to realize his artistic ambition. Despite his father’s opposition, twelve-year-old Michelangelo becomes an apprentice,…
Agatha Christie is the best-known mystery writer in the world. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language. Another billion have also been sold in forty-five foreign languages. Her works have been translated into more languages than those of William Shakespeare. Only the Bible and Shakespeare outsell her novels, thus making…
The conflict between society and the individual is a very important theme portrayed throughout Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Many people see Huckleberry Finn as a mischievous boy who is a bad influence to others. Huck is not raised in agreement with the accepted ways of civilization. He practically raises himself, relying on…
