A Separate Peace – John Knowles

A Separate Peace is a fiction book written by the famous American author, John Knowles. Gene Forrester looks back at his former school, Devon, mainly his confusing friendship with his best friend, Finny. The two young men are appeared to have direct inverse viewpoints on the world. Though Finny sees the world as basically agreeable … Read more

Cultural analysis: Lord of the Flies

CULTURAL ANALYSIS: THE LORD OF THE FLIES The use of norms, culture and attitudes is strongly influential in sustainability and natural resource control. “The Lord of the Flies” by William Golding is a great example of resource allocation and sustainability. “The Lord of the Flies” and its thesis of controversial intergroup relations and human survival … Read more

The savage nature of man: Lord of the Flies

In William Golding's best-selling novel, "Lord of the Flies" man's inherent evil and savage nature is revealed through Golding's strident world view, extraordinary use of literary devices, and superb structure. 'Lord of the Flies' was published in 1954 when it quickly became wildly popular. The novel has had a difficult history following its immediate fame. … Read more

Machiavelli’s The Prince and William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar

Intertextual perspectives reveal the attitudes, perceptions and point of view of composers which inspire new conceptual understandings. Both, Machiavelli’s The Prince and William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar study the ambition to obtain power and maintain it, intertwined with issues such as morals and ethics. The issue of personal morality underpins the examination both texts provide. The … Read more

Gothic themes or elements in literature

The gothic theme or element in literature was mainly to instil or arouse one of humanity’s ancient feelings: fear. English gothic fiction blossomed between the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Novelists who ventured into the gothic writing of literature would aim to create a thrill in the mind of their readers presenting situations where horrid events … Read more

Nabokov’s Mary and Kundera’s The Book of Laughter and Forgetting

The state of exile never ends, and the longer one is in exile, the more distanced one becomes from their past and their memories. Russian writer Vladimir Nabokov and Czech writer Milan Kundera both composed works inspired by their exiles to different countries. Recurring themes of memory are prominent in both Nabokov’s Mary and Kundera’s … Read more

“Biological Weapons” by Jeanne Guillemin

In the book “Biological Weapons” by Jeanne Guillemin, the author’s purpose is to contextualize the current concerns of biological warfare on a global scale by providing a detailed history of the conception and development of the biological warfare programs in multiple countries. With this understanding of the background of biological warfare, the audience can better … Read more

Things Fall Apart / One Hundred Years of Solitude / Persepolis I

1. Things Fall Apart by Achebe Ogbuefi Ezeudu, a greatly respected elder, is speaking to Okonkwo about Umuofia’s decision to kill Ikemefuna, a boy brought from another clan who has been living in Okonkwo’s household. This passage is critical to the novel, as Ikemefuna’s killing is central to the story. It also reveals a lot … Read more

Monsters over the centuries are indicative of moral & existential challenges faced by societies

The monster by definition has always been identified as ‘a large, ugly and frightening imaginary creature’  or someone who deviates from abnormal or acceptable behavior or character. Furthermore, the word monster can denote “a thing of extraordinary size” or “a congenitally malformed or mutant animal or plant”. Apart from this, monstrous can refer to someone … Read more

“The Fires of Jubilee Nat Turner’s Fierce Rebellion” by Stephen B. Oates

In book, “The Fires of Jubilee Nat Turner’s Fierce Rebellion” by Stephen B. Oates’ telling of the slave rebellion that happened in Virginia during 1831. In the book, it recalls the events of Nat Turner, a talented and gifted black slave who single handedly assembled many indentured servants and slaves into a bloody rebellion against … Read more

Night written by Elie Wiesel – religious struggles

Have you ever expected something from your parents for behaving good or achieving something commendable and all your parents do, is criticize you and call you greedy for expecting something in the first place? Putting this question to reality should tell you a lot about the followers of Jewish faith. In countries such as Germany, … Read more

Male and female bodies through history in literature

With the onset of the early modern period, genital homology dominated beliefs about male and female bodies. The ‘one-sex theory’ formed the foundations of this, affirming that men and women shared the same genitals.  Throughout the early modern period however, this evolved into the two-sex theory, accompanied by the transition from one to two-seed models. … Read more

‘Short History of Everybody’ & ‘Why Nations Fail’

Guns, Germs and Steel: A Short History of Everybody for the Last 13,000 Years – by Jared Diamond Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty – Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson I particularly enjoyed Diamond’s discussion of “idiosyncrasies” such as Adolf Hitler, Alexander the Great, Buddha, and so forth in the way … Read more