Introduction: John Steinbeck is arguably the most prominent littérateur of his generation to have adopted the cause of working class America. His most famous work The Grapes of Wrath depicts the everyday travails of a westward migrating white American family in search of better economic opportunities. Of Mice and Men, another prominent work, is a…
Category: Literature
Comparison between Aldrich’s Unguarded Gates and Whitman’s A Broadway Pageant
Both Walt Whitman and Thomas Bailey Aldrich are important poets in the American literary canon. While Whitman continues to influence and contextualize contemporary American poetry, the popularity and reference to Aldrich have greatly diminished. One can see why this disparity has come about from the two poems dealt with in this essay. Whitman’s poem titled…
Psychological aspects of Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher
The book Reviving Ophelia, which is written by Mary Pipher, deals with the topic of adolescence in girls. The author peruses widely accepted concepts in the fields of psychology, sociology and gender studies to illuminate her thesis. At the outset, Pipher talks about the numerous challenges imposed on adolescent girls by the society of today. …
Compare and Contrast the characters Hanna and Michael from the book “The Reader” by Bernhard Schlink and the movie of the same name
The novel ‘The Reader’ written by Bernhard Schlink as well as its movie adaptation starring Kate Winslet as Hanna received critical acclaim. The movie version got several nominations in the Academy Awards. But, as is the case with motion pictures based on works of literature, certain aspects of the written work tends to manifest itself…
Why Does Iago Hate Othello?
Iago’s hatred of Othello emerges from a variety of reasons. At the outset, Iago is Othello’s servant and there is bound to be a systemic hatred against one’s masters. Then there is Desdemona, the most gracious and virtuous wife of Othello. The intimate and exemplary nature of their mutual love and devotion inspires envy and…
The influence of books & reading on the main character in the novel “Anton Reiser” by Karl Philipp Moritz
The novel Anton Reiser by Karl Philipp Moritz deals with issues of growing up in Germany toward the end of the eighteenth century. This semi-autobiographical work traces the first twenty one years the author’s own life. The author performs a retrospective analysis of his psychological development during these years. This essay will pertain itself to…
Important Scenes in King Lear
King Lear is widely acknowledged as one of William Shakespeare’s great tragedies. This essay will identify and analyze a couple of key scenes from the play which makes a significant contribution to the overall development of plot, its character and the theme. Act 1 Scene 1 The very first scene from the first act is…
Desirable Daughters by Bharati Mukherjee: Summary, Themes & Characters
In the novel Desirable Daughters, the main character Tara Lata struggles with recurrent themes of Self versus Society, Self Destruction and Self Discovery. Desirable Daughters belongs to that genre of American literature which deals with issues of immigrant life and cultural assimilation. There are sufficient works in this genre that represent Hispanic, African and Chinese…
What historically inspired Patrick Henry to write the speech “Give me liberty or give me death”?
Patrick Henry is still regarded as the ‘Homer of Orators’ within the American literary canon. He is most renowned for his words ‘Give me Liberty or Give me Death’ which he uttered to his followers on the eve of the Declaration of Independence. A recently taken public opinion poll by Gallup found that nearly one…
Two Kinds by Amy Tan: Analysis & Themes
‘Two Kinds’ is the last story in the second segment of Amy Tan’s highly popular debut book, The Joy Luck Club. The book is divided into four interconnected segments with each of them containing a group of stories which can stand alone themselves. While the author had intended the book to be a short-story collection,…