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 from 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 to…
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-old who…
“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. The imagery of the warrior, “the byrny-clad warrior, / The prince in…
“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.…
In Ernest Hemingway’s story “Hills Like White Elephants” an American couple is sitting at a table in a train station in Spain. They are discussing beer, travel, and whether or not to have an abortion. The train station and its surroundings are symbolic in this story. The station itself represents the choice on whether or…
Jean Valjean was an alluring hero of Les Miserables for many reasons, one of which was his drastic conversion from a miserable criminal into a heroic, peaceful man. Jean Valjean seems like a three-dimensional character at first. But deep inside his emotions, he shows a defined viewpoint on life making him a flat character. One…
The movie “The pit and the Pendulum” was nothing at all like the book. The movie started out as a man walked along the ocean to enter a huge castle. His sister had moved there when she married Dom Madena, but now she was dead. The castle was used to torture Catholics during the Inquisition.…
The mystery of the Monkey’s Paw is a cleverly thought-out short story. This story had three main parts. These parts were the first wish, the second wish, and the third wish. The first wish was the only tragic wish that was granted. Mr.White, his son Herbert, and an old man were sitting around playing chess.…
The story The Last of the Mohicans takes place in eastern Canada and in the area of modern New York State. This area is also called the St.Lawernce Low Lands. The book takes place in the year 1757 during the third year of the colonial wars between England and France. The books main character is…
Of Dogs was written by Elizabeth Thomas who is currently well known and highly respected for her books. Elizabeth Thomas was born in America and currently lives in New Hampshire. This is a book that is unlike any book ever written as it takes the perspective from a different angle. It was first published in…
Douglas Noel Adams has successfully tried to show us another aspect of our daily-life routine. By using many cynical elements, he creates extremely funny situations which represent much deeper aspects. The destruction of Earth in order to create Inner-Galactic Highways as the definition of Earth in the universe encyclopedia both represent the smallness of human-beings,…