Othello Essay #1

Othello Essay #1 In William Shakespeare’s tragic play Othello, Iago manipulates Othello’s poor judge of character, insecurity, and jealousy by deceiving the Moor into lies and doubts. Although Iago appears to be an honest and good man, he is very ambiguous as he brings the downfall of Othello. Iago is skillfully manipulative as he utilizes … Read more

Siren Song by Atwood / Ulysses and the Sirens by John William Waterhouse

Introduction In the human experience, it is so easy to fall for simple tricks that seem like acts of kindness. One way to prove this is the mythological creature the siren. The sirens sing a beautiful song, which seems like an act of kindness, but they sing it for evil. The song traps sailors on … Read more

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart

In this fictional literary novel, the protagonist struggles with inner emotions that cause aggressiveness and skepticism. What is not perfectly clear is whether or not the main character, Okonkwo, wars more with himself or the White people that have brought their government and insane, seemingly hypocritical, religion with them. With that I will break down … Read more

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Imperialism, Race, Disease, Victorian Women, and Edgar Allen Poe

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: Imperialism, Race, Disease, Victorian Women, and Edgar Allen Poe Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was one of the most prolific British writers at the the turn of the 20th century. He opened up new doors in the literature world by introducing his detective genre stories, with the Sherlock Holmes stories taking the helm. … Read more

The Themes of Robinson Crusoe

Robinson Crusoe is one of the most famous and important novel of the eighteennth century. This period has an important place for the rise of the novel. This book that is written by Daniel Defoe in 1719 is known as the first Engilish novel of the eighteenth century. Thereby, it occupies a central place in … Read more

Differencing: Feminism’s Encounter with the Canon by Griselda Pollock

In Differencing: Feminism’s Encounter with the Canon, Griselda Pollock discusses the ways in which feminism has entered Art Historical discourse. Historically, the place of women in art’s history has been minimal compared to that of men. Pollock highlights that the recognised History of Art is in fact a history of art created by and for … Read more

The revolutionary potential of the Uncanny in writing

According to Sigmund Freud, the Uncanny is a particular type of fear that is both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time, ‘the uncanny is the class of the terrifying which leads back to something long known to us, once very familiar.’ Freud explains the origins of the Uncanny to be infantile memories, desires and murderous … Read more

Feminism in Islam (analysing Michael Grech, Fatima Seedat)

Feminism in Islam has been thought to be practically non-existent and something off-limits to the women in Muslim countries. This is most likely due to the stereotypes that numerous cultures have built up concerning women and their opinions of equality amongst the men in their countries. However, contrary to popular belief, feminism in Muslim countries … Read more

Junot Diaz’s “The brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao”

This essay will analyse Junot Diaz’s book “The brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” , the themes of transculturalism, diaspora, identity and in what way the book can be seen as a carnivalesque meditation on new transcultural latin american subjects, agents and their complex trajectories. Oscar De Leon, is an obese Dominican boy  who is … Read more

Reasons behind Barthes ‘death of the author is the birth of the reader’

In this essay, I will be discussing the reasons behind Barthes proclaim about ‘death of the author is the birth of the reader’ As well as referring to Barthes’s arguments in ‘Death of the Author’, and discussing the significance of intertexuality. Barthes Roland ended his critical essay with “Death of the author is the birth … Read more

The Chosen by Chaim Potok

Hasidism is a denomination of the Jewish religion with very strict and conservative ideals. Founded by Baal Shem Tov, members blindly follow their tzaddik, or leader, who they believe is a direct relative to the founder. The group’s core faith and beliefs revolve heavily around the Torah and firmly believe that the Torah is God’s … Read more