Rubric: One of your peers made the claim that rather than being about “The History of Love,” this novel is largely about the history of loss. Argue for or against this assertion. Whether you support or refute this claim, be sure to explain the significance of yours. The History of Love: A Novel is the second…
Category: Literature
Heights of feminism in the works of Salman Rushdie
Literature is an exercise in trying to understand the human condition. Women, who comprise half of humanity have historically been silenced and stifled. In this respect, a feminist take on select literary works is both a worthwhile and interesting exercise. Adapting the feminist approach to literary studies to The Ground Beneath Her Feet and Enchantress…
Shakespeare in Love (1998): A critical evaluation
Shakespeare in Love, produced by David Parfitt, Donna Gigliotti, and others and released in 1998, is the movie chosen for this essay. There are several aspects of the movie that impressed me. These include the acting performances by lead actors Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Fiennes, the fictitious storyline surrounding the greatest English poet of the…
Ode on a Grecian Urn by John Keats: A Critique
Ode on a Grecian Urn (also titled as Ode to a Grecian Urn) is one among John Keats’ series of Odes (songs) written in contemplation of various subjects. Collectively referred to as the Great Odes of 1819, they include the Ode on Melancholy, Ode on Indolence, Ode to Psyche and Ode to a Nightingale. Keats…
How can the literary characters Tonio Kroeger and Meursault be described as ‘outsiders’?
Tonio Kroeger by Thomas Mann and The Stranger by Albert Camus are both existentialist investigations. Existentialism as a school of philosophy ponders over the meaning of life, the relations of individuals to society, the conflicts inevitable in interpersonal relationships, etc. Such inquisitions are very much in evidence in the two novels in question. In particular,…
The Open Boat by Stephen Crane
Despite the unease it elicits, nature is indeed indifferent to human concerns. Western Civilization holds principles of fairness, justice and equality in high esteem. But a study of history would not reveal the triumph of these principles in any reasonable measure. Conversely, the forces of nature play a dominant role in determining the fates and…
The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe: A Personal Reflection
The poem The Raven is one of the classics of the American literary canon. Its author Edgar Allan Poe, the quintessential American poet and short story writer, brings rhythm, style and high metaphor to bear on this work. Published in the era preceding the American Civil War, the poem captures sentiments common during the time….
Gender Issues in Africa Expressed Through Literature
Post-colonial literature has been instrumental in bringing awareness and understanding of indigenous culture to outsiders. This could be said of post-colonial African Literature too. Gender issues are one important aspect of indigenous African culture. And African women writers of recent decades have investigated and evaluated these issues from both historical and sociological viewpoints. The two…
Censorship of Slaughterhouse Five
Written by Kurt Vonnegut and released in 1969, Slaughterhouse Five is a modern literary masterpiece. It is a novel rich in plot, characterization and theme that it is difficult to pin it down within one genre. For example, the novel has elements of science fiction and dark satirical comedy embedded in the drama of war. …
Performance Review: The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams
The Glass Menagerie is one of the classic pieces of performing art to have been made in the twentieth century. First published by Tennessee Williams in 1944, it is a memory play with four main characters – Amanda Wingfield, Tom Wingfield, Laura Wingfield and Mr. Wingfield. The Gentleman Caller is the other character in the…