Ethan Frome, the main character in the book entitled Ethan Frome, by Edith Wharton, has many complex problems going on at the same time. His family has died and he has a wife that is continually sick, and the only form of happiness he has is from his wife’s cousin Mattie. This, however, at times…
The poem “Ah! Sun-Flower” by William Blake is both beautiful to the eyes and pleasant to the ears. However, its content entails much more than the name suggests. After closely reading the poem, one learns that Blake’s intentions lie far into the depths of human thought of the afterlife. Specifically, Blake addresses who reaches the…
It is evident that most if not all teenagers face challenges through the transformation of becoming an adult. J.D Salinger describes teenage behavior such as phoniness and confusion, teenage depression and their need for attention, and their desire to protection innocents in our society. I personally agree that Salinger delivers an accurate depiction of teenagers…
The society of Grand Isle places many expectations on its women to belong to men and be subordinate to their children. Edna Pontellier’s society, therefore, abounds with “mother-women,” who “idolized their children, worshipped their husbands, and esteemed it to a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals”. The characters of Adele Ratignolle and Mademoiselle Reisz…
The representation of A Clockwork Orange as a whole both supports Burgess’ acclaims to original sin and presents a case in which the government intervenes with spiritual purification and consequently shifts, becoming tyrannical. Alex is at the center of this representation and he provides well to support Burgess’ view on this subject as presented in…
The social order of Gilead fails to completely convert its citizens because the programming of contemporary society will never successfully contaminate their deepest passions and most sincere desires. What is left of the original human being is that which lies deep within our soul, or whatever one may call that eternal spirit, which serves as…
Traditionally, Brave New World presents an undesirable and horrific society portraying a future quite uncomforting; this is an irrefutable fact but the depiction is ambiguous enough to establish a justifiable argument towards the antithesis. Art is abolished, and this is a terrible thing, but something must be said of the satisfaction and efficient stability of…
In the novel, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, Catherine Ames is one of the main characters. She is introduced to the reader as a monster and as time goes on, she possesses both monster like and animal qualities. As Catherine she gets older and wiser, she gets more evil and displays her monster and…
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, with its meaningful message of individualism, was an extremely influential novel during the 1960’s. In addition, its author, Ken Kesey, played a significant role in the development of the counterculture of the 60’s; this included all people who did not conform to society’s standards, experimented in drugs, and just…
A common idea presented in literature is the issue of the freedom of the individual in opposition to the controlling pressures of society. Willy Loman, the main character in Death of A Salesman by Arthur Miller, epitomizes this type of person; one who looks to his peers and co-salesman as lesser individuals.Not only was he…
Despite Willy’s claims that his sickness activates as a result of his two children, Biff and Happy, and his desire for them to meet success, his true sickness originates from his own personal flaws, those mainly being his poor judgment and weak character. Throughout the play Death of a Salesman, Willy is influenced by the…
The key to happiness is often unveiled by our dreams. To unlock one’s happiness, one must find the right key. However, a lock will only unlock with one key. The wrong key will not open the lock no matter how hard one tries. So the dreams of someone else cannot bring one happiness. Just as…
“But if injury ensues, you shall give life for life, eye, for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” These words, stated from Exodus 21:23-25, are often used to justify the death penalty and serve as a purpose to make punishment fit crime. …
Every generation has its own heroes that display, what they believe to be, ideal characteristics. While each is different in their own way, many of these role models share similar qualities. Most tend to have courage, strength, compassion, or another respected trait, but this is not necessarily why they win the adoration of their followers.…
The destruction lead by the witch trials in Salem formed conflicts between characters in existing relationships. The book is filled with accusations, twists, drama, and excitement as you watched the town of Salem twist itself into one complicated knot. The characters are interesting and complex, as the play goes on you really see them develop…
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby presents a complex network of plot twists, ambiguous characters, and uncertain motives, combined in a novel which requires a deep analysis of its content and the development of unsure opinions from frequently strange facts. The complexity and ambiguity of the plot is such that, without proper guidance, its fluctuations…
In Maryse Condé’s The Last of the African Kings, the main characters have been dispersed throughout the Caribbean and United States due to years of oppression and colonialism. In the preface to the novel, Richard Philcox writes: “African American music influences not only the atmosphere of the novel but also its structure.” He continues by…
There is an excessive amount of prejudice, intolerance and ignorance all around society in the today’s world, nevertheless there are some individuals who are aware of this and are trying to change the amount of it around them in their own society. As one can see, in the novel the author deals with these subjects…
In Beyond the Horizon, Eugene O’Neill reveals that dreams are necessary to sustain life. Through the use of the characters Robert Mayo, Andrew Mayo, Ruth and Emma Crosby, O’Neill proves that without dreams, man could not exist. Each of his characters are dependent on their dreams, as they feed their destiny. When they deny their…
Summary of The Story In the beginning of this short story we are introduced to Sarah, an aging black servant living in South Africa. She works hard for an upper-class white family and spends all of her money on education for her three children who are sent to a boarding school. They come home once…
