Red In Stephen Crane’s novel “The Red Badge of Courage”, we examine the episodes of war through the eyes of the main character, Henry Fleming. Because the book is rather vague about many details, we don’t know how old Henry is, what he looks like, or where he comes from. We do know that Henry…
Setting The setting changes all throughout the book as Raptor Red migrates from one place to another. In some settings she is in thick rich mossy forests looking for plump Iguanodons to eat, to other desert like lands where the sun is so hot she must sleep through the midday and hunt late afternoon when…
Professor Higgins is seen throughout Pygmalion as a very rude man. While one may expect a well educated man, such as Higgins, to be a gentleman, he is far from it. Higgins believes that how you treated someone is not important, as long as you treat everyone equally. The great secret, Eliza, is not having…
Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston, was a novel about one woman’s self-revelation. It began when she was a very young girl, first being pushed, then chosen, and finally choosing. Born a victim of circumstance, Janie was subject to her position in life. She was raised to uphold the standards of the…
Hamlet is the most popular of Shakespeare’s plays for theater audiences and readers. It has been acted live in countries throughout the world and has been translated into every language. Polonius is one of the major characters in Hamlet, his role in the play is of great interest to scholars. Parts of Hamlet present Polonius…
Our Town, by Thornton Wilder is a play that takes place in a small fictional town of Grover’s Corner, New Hampshire; beginning in 1901 and ending in 1913. The play takes the audience through the cycles of life, with the purpose of getting a universal message stating that life shouldn’t be taken for granted. Emily…
Ordinary People by Judith Guest is the story of a dysfunctional family who relate to one another through a series of extensive defense mechanisms, i.e. an unconscious process whereby reality is distorted to reduce or prevent anxiety. The book opens with seventeen year old Conrad, son of upper middle-class Beth and Calvin Jarrett, home after…
Characterizations Oliver Twist – A loving, innocent orphan child; the son of Edwin Leeford and Agnes Fleming. He is generally quiet and shy rather than aggressive. Oliver’s affectionate nature, along with his weakness and innocence, earn him the pity and love of the good people he meets. Dicken’s choice of Oliver’s name is very revealing,…
The play “Oedipus Rex” is a very full and lively one to say the least. Everything a reader could ask for is included in this play. There is excitement, suspense, happiness, sorrow, and much more. Truth is the main theme of the play. Oedipus cannot accept the truth as it comes to him or even…
Fate is an issue that is mentioned in almost every religion. The majority of people living since the beginning of time up until the present, have had a some sort of opinion on the subject. Oedipus Rex is a story that is held together by the fact that fate is more powerful than anyone’s free…
Summary It starts out in the 1770’s during the Revolution War. Samuel Meeker, or Sam for short, just enters the room of the tavern and chiming in to everybody who is waiting to eat, he comes in saying that he’s fighting for the lobsterbacks. His father, Eliphalet Meeker, called Life for short, starts arguing with…
Author Willa Sibert Cather, Nebraska’s most noted author was born in Virginia. At the age of ten she moved with her family to Webster County, Nebraska. Many of Cather’s acquaintances and Red Cloud area scenes can be recognized in her writings. Cather wrote poetry, short stories, essays and novels, winning many awards. In 1920 she…
In the novel A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens, the author uses many minor characters. Although labeled “minor”, these characters contribute fully, and are essential to the depth and excitement of the novel. Three such characters are: Miss Pross, Gaspard, and Jerry Cruncher. These three characters take on a couple different roles, depending…
Plot Summary Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy are the March sisters. Their father is off to war and they rely on their mother, Marmee, to see them through the hard times of the Civil War. In the first part of this book the reader is introduced to the characters. Meg is the sensible one, Jo…
John Neufeld is the author of “Lisa Bright & Dark”. He lives and works in New York City these days. He was educated at Yale. His style of writing is usually touching stories. Finding information about John Neufeld is quite difficult since the Internet nor the book has provided any help whatsoever. Lisa Shilling is…
In Laura Esquivel’s novel, Like Water for Chocolate, the food (recipes) and tradition are the main part of the book just as they are the main part of the Mexican tradition. Esquivel’s novel is very different from most books. Her novel incorporates recipes into the book in order to tell a story. These recipes, however,…
In William Shakespeare’s play, Julius Caesar, there is a major difference between two of the characters, Brutus and Mark Antony. Brutus was very honorable and Antony was very persuasive. When Brutus spoke at Caesar’s funeral, he appealed to the people’s logic and Antony spoke to the emotions of the people. Antony is very smart and…
Howard Griffin was a journalist and a specialist on race issues. After publication, he became a leading advocate in the Civil Rights Movement and did much to promote awareness of the racial situations and pass legislature. He was middle aged and living in Mansfield, Texas at the time of publication in 1960. His desire to…
Jack London fought his way up out of the factories and waterfront dives of West Oakland to become the highest paid, most popular novelist and short story writer of his day. He wrote passionately and prolifically about the great questions of life and death, the struggle to survive with dignity and integrity, and he wove…
Island of the Blue Dolphins, by Scott O’Dell, is an unforgettable tale about courage, hope, and discovery of yourself and the world around you. It deals with love and respect for animals and people. The story takes place on an island in the Pacific Ocean that looks like a big fish sunning itself on the…
