The short story, House Opposite by R. K. Narayan is an example of a man and his struggle with his own humanity. The basic plot of the story includes a holy man (only referred to as “the hermit”) that is living along with the traditions of an Indian lifestyle. He considers himself to be a…
Crime and Punishment are considered by many to be the first of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s great books. Crime and Punishment is a psychological account of a crime. The crime is double murder. A book about such a broad subject can be made powerful and appealing to our intellectual interests if there is a link between the…
In the tragedy “Macbeth” there are many examples of corruption. When Macbeth became Thane of Cawdor his wife, Lady Macbeth, was very delighted to hear of such news. And when hearing that Duncan, the king, would be coming to dinner at their castle, gave her an idea that maybe they need a new king, Macbeth!…
Shakespeare wrote many plays during his lifetime. Some of his plays have similar comedic characteristics and then other plays are the exact opposite of comedy. Shakespeare wrote tragedies, romance, history, comedy and problem plays all with great success. During the performance of these plays there was no scenery so great time was taken when developing…
Christopher Marlowe contributed greatly to English literature. He developed a new meter which has become one of the most popular in English literary history, and he revitalized a dying form of English drama. His short life was apparently violent and the man himself was supposedly of a volatile temperament, yet he managed to write some…
Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote, “ If someone succeeded in proving to me that Christ was outside the truth, and if, indeed, the truth was outside Christ, then I would sooner remain with Christ than with the truth” (Frank 68). It was by no means easy for Dostoyevsky to reach this conclusion. In Dostoyevsky’s life, one sees…
Mrs. Sommers, of Kate Chopin’s “A Pair of Silk Stockings” faces a major Man-vs.-Society conflict. She is a perfect example of how humans are tempted by material gain, “the life of luxury”, and the vicious way society judges things (or people). Society views people who live in the lap of luxury as “gods”, they are…
It is about how the to forces battle for superiority over one another. The book tells how one of the sides over powers the other to claim its spot on top. The people are like pawns to two of the characters, Archie and Brother Leon because they use the people to get what they want…
Childhood barely existed for most British children at the end of the eighteenth century, since they began a lifetime of hard labour as soon as they were capable of simple tasks. By contrast, the fortunate children of the wealthy generally were spoiled and enjoyed special provisions for the need of a lengthy childhood, yet who…
A character’s environment reveals a great deal about his personality. In Chee’s Daughter by Juanita Platero and Siyowin Miller this theory is displayed. In this story, a young Navajo Indian girl is taken from her home by her deceased mother’s parents. Two different environments which reflect values and personalities are conflicting. A young traditional Navajo,…
This characterization of Uncle Henry focuses on the two main ways that he is portrayed in “Luke Baldwin’s Vow.” These two ways are: what Morley Callaghan, the author, reveals through the narrator and what other characters say about Henry. In this short story, Henry is usually referred to as Uncle Henry because he is Luke’s…
In The Cask of Amontillado by Edgar Allen Poe, the dark side of human nature is exemplified through the character of Montressor and his victim, Fortunato. Montressor is a manipulative and vengeful person. These characteristics lead to the death of Fortunato, a man who has wronged him. Through the acts, words, and thoughts of the…
In the book A Separate Peace by John Knowles, one of the main themes is the effects of realism, idealism, and isolationism on Brinker, Phineas, and Gene. Though not everyone can be described using one of these approaches to life, the approaches completely conform to these characters to create one realist, one idealist, and one…
In Charles Dickens’ novel A Tale Of Two Cities, Sydney Carton is a man of several distinct characteristics. Carton is shown originally to be a frustrated alcoholic but then turns out to be a very noble and genuine man. Sydney Carton is also shown in the novel to be somewhat immature in his actions and…
Mr. Pignati is just a big kid at heart. He was very lonely until John and Lorriane came along. He is a closed man and tries to hide his feelings about his wife’s death. He is a very nice and kind hearted man and tries to be nice to Lorriane and John. “Make yourself’s at…
Throughout The Crucible we are introduced to and follow four or five important characters that Arthur Miller elaborated upon. One of those characters is Reverend Samuel Parris, a bitter minister who came to Salem for unclear reasons. That reason may have been he was looking for a small town to control, maybe he was trying…
Anyway Estelle is the only thoroughly developed character in Margaret Atwood’s “Rape Fantasies.” Though she is the narrator and quite thoughtful of the ideas and reactions of the story’s supporting players, it is her almost obsessive preoccupation with a singular topic that actually prompts her to fully illustrate her own ideas and reactions, drawing a…
The Scarlet Letter is a story of characters that have to live and deal with the effects of sin in different ways. Of these characters, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is the character portrayed as the weakest and ennoble. Despite this portrayal, Dimmesdale was a stronger character than given credit for. His unbelievable amount of control in…
The love described in the novel, The Great Gatsby, contains “violence and egoism not tenderness and affection.” The author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, writes on wealth, love, and corruption. Two coupes, Tom and Daisy Buchanan and George and Myrtle Wilson, match perfectly with these categories. Both couples are different in the way they choose to live…
Chaim Potok lives a very full life he has served his country, peoples, and religion very well and with great impact. First, to be discussed is his life birth through the present. He was born at a very early age on February 17, 1929, in New York, New York to Benjamin and Mollie Potok. The…