Literature essays

Caryl Churchill’s Cloud Nine paints a poignant portrayal of the oppressive forces our society continues to suffer under, such as colonialism, patriarchy, homophobia, and the antiquated power dynamics of the traditional family, delving deeply to question the roles that society asks everyone to assume and fit into. The first act presents a commentary on the … Read more

Der Kleine Herr Friedemann tells of the tragic, yet pitiful suicide of an impotent man, who suffers with a disability that has prevented his personal romantic desires. On the surface, Herr Friedemann, as the name suggests, is ‘at peace’ with himself, however this is merely a form of Ibsen’s ‘Lebenslüge’; he is constantly at odds … Read more

The rare combination of imagination and self-determination are two very powerful forces that can empower the individual to transcend a lived experience mired in racial oppression and poverty. Although for some, the emotional suffering from constant subjection to the effects of hunger and inhumane treatment makes it nearly impossible to see the world objectively and … Read more

Any accurate story of a personal journey is predicated on a comprehensive retelling of their past. Throughout the novel How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents, Julia Alvarez articulates an abundance of stories that range from her earliest memories into her adulthood. These stories help to illustrate how traumatic the refugee experience can be, especially … Read more

In Lispector’s ‘Hour of the Star’ (1977) and Porter’s ‘Pale Horse, Pale Rider’ (1939) the psychological effect of modernity is portrayed in a variety of similar and contrasting ways. Through a plethora of literary techniques both authors highlight how their respective protagonists are affected by the process of modernity. This can be seen most prevalently … Read more

Both the Northern and Southern states have always had sectional differences throughout their history. This began back in the colonial time period where the Northern economy differed greatly with the economy of the South. The North generally dealt with commerce and some farming whereas the South was generally plantations that made their money through cash … Read more

Sophocles uses the arrogance of the tragic hero archetype to inform the audience the significance of cultural morals. Oedipus and Creon are arrogance, the quality of exaggerated self pride. Their city, Thebes, is an extremely religious city. Greek religion plays a major role in their culture. Prophets are a significant aspect to keeping the gods … Read more

Fundamental to Nabokov’s Lolita is the persuasive and empathetic – yet undeniably shocking and monstrous – narration of Humbert Humbert. As an autodiegetic narrator, Humbert’s narration presents himself as the heroic protagonist who takes ownership of Lolita’s tragic story, and in using him as a character focaliser, Nabokov prevents the reader from perceiving any other … Read more

The Rites of Passage by Arnold van Gennep, is a book describing the rituals that people endure when they cross boundaries of time or social status. Rites of passage typically describe something that is done that marks a sacred transformation. These rituals are usually physical rituals, but can also be philosophical rituals as well. Van … Read more

Main Character Miles lived his life as an underdog. He is tall and skinny, that is why his friends at Culvers Creek called him Pudge. He had been obsessed with the last words from people who died since he was 12. One of his favorite quotes is “I go to seek a great perhaps”—François Rabelais. … Read more

Experts lament the loss of childhood—the pressures placed upon the young right from birth, technology’s snuffing out of imagination and play—but childhood, it turns out, has far more recently been found. Perhaps, even, invented. It all began with the 1960 release of Centuries of Childhood: A Social History of Family Life by French historian Philippe … Read more