Throughout American history, very few authors have earned the right to be called “great.” Herman Melville is one of these few. His novels and poems have been enjoyed world wide for over a century, and he has earned his reputation as one of the finest American writers of all time. A man of towering talent,…
The book “The Art of Rock and Roll” by Charles T. Brown basically proposes methods for analyzing music and anyone who reads the books should be able to develop techniques for listening to music and making legitimate statements about it. It treats rock and roll as a serious art form and traces it cultural roots…
The book is called The Touch of Magic written by Lorena A. Hickok. The story was about Anne Sullivan Macy, Helen Keller’s wonderful teacher. Anne Sullivan Macy was born on April 14, 1866 in Feeding Hills, Massachusetts. At the age of nine she was taken to the outskirts of Tewksbury, Massachusetts with her three year…
This was an extremely powerful book. Ron Kovic is very able to get his point across to the reader. He brings you throughout his life showing you, no. . .Showing cannot describe the feeling adequately enough. He puts you into his life, when he goes through the trenches, you go with him. When he hits…
“Six Years in Hell: A Returned Vietnam Pow Views Captivity, Country, and the Future”, is a book written by one Lt. Colonel Jay R. Jensen in a first person manor. He was a military pilot who flew over Vietnam and was captured and taken as a POW. This book covers his time in the military…
In the story To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Atticus is a very courageous character. In the novel Atticus tried every way to help others, who were in the need of it. First of all it is courageous of Atticus to take the Tom Robinson case. Even his own family disagreed of taking the…
The Last Supper, by Dan Rosen, supposedly dares to take on deep subjects in a vein of sarcastic humor. But, what it says is that liberals, because of their belief, have the right to pass death sentences on opponents. The story was amusing at times and there was some comedy in the film, but it…
Stephen Crane’s “The Open Boat,” is thought to be one of the finest stories ever written by an American. Crane uses a theme of cosmic irony. Cosmic irony is the belief that the universe is so large and man is so small that the universe is indifferent to the plight of man. In “The Open…
In the book Feeling Good, David Burns, MD, the author, outlines certain cognitive techniques an individual suffering from depression could use in combating the disorder. He begins the book by briefly describing the pertinence and the prevalence of depression. The author captures the audience’s attention in the first paragraph: ” In fact depression is so…
The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley, is not only an example of a Medieval Romance, but also tells the story of the women who stood behind King Arthur during his infamous reign in the Middle Ages. This novel explains the reasoning and decisions that Arthur made in the women’s perspective. The Mists of…
Griffin’s Egg is a story about Gunther, a man who lives on the moon. And his adventures, as he gets into all kinds of situations. He, along with many others, have inhabited the moon because Earth is engaged in a full thermonuclear war. The dangers of the moon however, also come along. Solar flares, dangerous…
Three recurring themes in Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe are greed, vanity, and repentance. Theme is defined as an underlying or essential subject of artistic representation. These three themes play an important role in the development of the story of Moll Flanders. The first theme, greed, is shown in Moll’s acts of prostitution. Moll turns…
The word Christmas comes from the old English “Cristes maesse” meaning Christ’s Mass. The Holiday celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The actual birthday of Jesus is not known; therefore, the early Church Fathers in the 4th century fixed the day around the old Roman Saturnalia festival (17 – 21 December), a traditional pagan festivity.…
We would like to think that everything in life is capable, or beyond the brink of reaching perfection. It would be an absolute dream to look upon each day with a positive outlook. We try to establish our lives to the point where this perfection may come true at times, although, it most likely never…
Several examples of physical courage in this excellent novel. One example of courage however insignificant to me or you is Jem’s courage to run up to the Radley’s house, now to me or you that is nothing but to a young child that has grown up not knowing this person it was a physical challenge…
Many poems are concerned with a sense of loss or deep sadness at a particular event. The poem ‘Dulce et decorum est’ by Wilfred Owen deals with both loss and deep sadness. Immediately in the poem there are very strong images being used throughout the poem and this shows the sadness from the very start.…
Waterlily is a book based on the events that happen within a particular Dakota Indian family’s life. Not only does it depict the affairs of blue Bird’s life and her family, but it documents the rituals and culture of the Dakota people. With illustrative words and graphic details, the incidences within the story can be…
Trainspotting is a captivating story of the random events that occur during a critical time in a group of Scottish junkies’ lives. Irvine Welsh illustrates the confusion, anger and turmoil many drug addicts are subjected to and what happens once they try to quit. The story is centered around Mark Renton, an ordinary twenty-two year…
“The Wanderer” is an Anglo-Saxon poem about a lonely wanderer hopelessly alleviating his woes in the posthumous period of his fallen lord. Characteristic of the Anglo-Saxon period, the poem portrays themes of fraternity and loyalty, allegiance and the tradition of a warrior’s passing. Imagery of the warrior, “the byrny-clad warrior, / The prince in his…
“The Trip to Halawa Valley,” is a short story written by Lynne Sharon Schwartz. The story is about a son succeeding and getting married in Hawaii, and the reunification of his divorced parents. The parents become the main focus of the story when the son suggests that they go on a trip to Halawa Valley.…
