Newest Literature Essays

Over 2,000 years ago, the philosopher Aristotle stated that with regards to “the origin of poetic art as a whole…the habit of imitating is congenital to human beings from childhood and so is the pleasure that all men take in works of imitation.”...

The poem “Evolution” by Sherman Alexie is about the business ventures of a man called Buffalo Bill who does business with the Native Americans on a reservation, opening first a pawn shop where they pawn all that can be given away. Buffalo Bill...

“The Nightingale and the Rose” by Oscar Wilde is a children’s story within his collection, “The Happy Prince and Other Tales.” In this story, a student pines over a romantic interest who ultimately rejects him, despite the help he receives from...

In The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander, the protagonist, Taran, faces similar situations as Harry Potter from the Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling, which involves seeking victory against the evil villain to become a hero....

Although Salman Rushdie's Shame is considered by some critics a feminist text, others find that Rushdie's novel "reinscribes the patriarchal role of women as passive", as commented by Stephanie Moss, in her essay “The Cream of the Crop: Female...

Sir Gawain, as an extension of King Arthur, and folk hero Robin Hood, are heroic characters that both figure in the British literary tradition. Their narratives have both contributed to the construction of national history, and have been used to...

At one point in Paul Kalanithi’s life he somewhat let go of his love for literature and decided to commit himself one hundred percent to medicine. He had started on his path to become a neurosurgeon and to discover the answer to a question that...

Theology of Adoption in the Pauline Epistles The concept of being a son is an essential element of many Biblical texts. For example, the parable of the prodigal son told by Jesus in the book of Luke illustrates the value of belonging to a family...

Although faith is a major component of Christianity, Christians and Atheists alike can see the benefit of trying to prove the existence of God from a philosophical viewpoint. The accuracy of the transmission of New Testament text can easily be...

In Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the major external obstacle faced by Hermia and Lysander appears in the form of Hermia’s father, Egeus, who intends for his daughter to marry another man, Demetrius. Throughout the play, Shakespeare...

Lord Byron’s poem Solitude, is at its core a piece about true solitude; showing that it is not something achieved in nature but within the chaos of society. But it goes beyond this, becoming a criticism of those who find comfort within in society....

Written in 1884, the novel, Ramona, by Helen Hunt Jackson tells the story of a Native American orphan living in Southern California following the Mexican-American War. Because of this unique narrative and glimpse into the hardship and...

The short story Paul’s Case follows the character Paul through his exploits in his short-lived life. Paul is introduced as a rather troubled young man as demonstrated by the dynamic between him and his teachers. He is infatuated with artistry...

Identity is critical for our understanding of our everyday interactions with others. It refers to who we are and how we appear in a society. Who we fundamentally are, our personal identity, is based on intrinsic qualities that define us, such as...

Dante Alighieri uses Hell in his epic poem,The Inferno, to show the perfection of every act committed and idea thought by God. Dante’s purpose in writing the first part of his Divine Comedy was to demonstrate that God's action in human history can...

At first, references to fish in Jennifer Egan’s A Visit From The Goon Squad seem fleeting and insignificant. Fish appear to serve as nothing more than dinner for Lou’s family or an odd prop for Scotty to carry around. Upon further investigation,...

Instances of failed communication occur extensively in Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. In some cases — Oskar and his mother, William Black and his father — increased communication would improve the way characters deal...

Orientalism, as defined by Edward Said, is the system by which the West comes to understand the East by “making statements about it, authorizing views of it, describing it, by teaching it, settling it: in short, [. . . by] dominating,...

Richard Matheson’s novel, I Am Legend, displays a great deal of horror, presented in a magnificent way. Matheson includes realistic, believable details in plot to give the reader a more realistic feeling towards the vampires. Robert Neville, the...

At first, references to the four seasons in the Pearl Poet’s Sir Gawain and the Green Knight seem to function merely as devices to paint a picture of the story’s setting. Upon further investigation, however, it grows apparent that the seasonal...

Role models influence our understanding of self, perception of reality, and personal growth. Parent’s are biologically programmed to serve as primary role models for their children, however some achieve more success than others. In her short story...

Philosopher John Locke claims that all of mankind has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of property, and while many accept this claim as fact and truth, there are those who contest whether this idea is right and proper in regards to the...

Privilege alters perspective. In her text Beloved, Toni Morrison explores the role that white privilege plays on a character’s ability to fight for social justice. While Morrison’s character, Mr. Bodwin, demonstrates positive intentions in his...

Employing a feminist while analyzing Jeannette Winterson’s The Passion allows for the use of many tools that can assist the reader while conducting a close reading of this work. Some terms from Tyson’s Critical Theory Today that will aid in the...