Darkness and Light Manto uses images of darkness and light to demonstrate the difference between the men and the natural world around them. Darkness represents the men, blindness, and what is negative, and light represents nature, sight, and what is positive. During the night, the soldiers light huge fires in an attempt to ward off…
Tag: Themes
Dante and the Lobster: Themes
Dante As suggested by the title, Dante is an important presence in ‘ ‘Dante and the Lobster.” The medieval Italian poet Dante Alighieri wrote an epic poem, the Divine Comedy, in 1307-1308. It is difficult to accurately assess the importance of Dante’s accomplishment, but it is certainly not an overstatement to say that Dante brought…
Bright and Morning Star by Richard Wright: Themes
Racial Violence Wright’s story “Bright and Morning Star” begins with Sue standing at the window of her house, looking for her son, worried that he might have been caught by local officials and beaten. Sue’s son is not doing anything illegal; he is merely trying to organize a group of oppressed people (mostly black people)….
America & I by Anzia Yezierska – Themes
Poverty Yezierska describes the impoverished circumstances in which the immigrants in New York find themselves. People such as Yezierska came to America to escape such poverty; in Russia, they had to work all the time simply to survive. America, the land of opportunity, is supposed to be much different, but Yezierska finds this is not…
Young Goodman Brown: Themes
“Young Goodman Brown” tells the story of a Puritan man who loses faith in humankind after he thinks he witnesses his wife and respected members of his town participating in a Black Mass. His experience dooms him to a life of gloom and mistrust. Guilt vs. Innocence Hawthorne presents Young Goodman Brown’s evening of diabolical…
The Yellow Wallpaper: Themes
“The Yellow Wallpaper” is the story of a woman who suffers from depression. Advised by her husband to rest, the woman becomes obsessed by the yellow wallpaper that decorates the room in which she has been confined. Role of Women “The Yellow Wallpaper” examines the role of women in nineteenth-century American society, including the relationship…
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been: Themes
The tale of an insecure, romantic teenage girl drawn into a situation of foreboding violence,”Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” presents several themes that arise from the interaction of sharply drawn characters engaged in psychological manipulation. Appearances and Reality Connie prides herself as a skilled flirt who has never been in a situation…
Through the Tunnel: Themes
In Lessing’s story, the eleven year-old Jerry braves an underwater tunnel while he and his mother are on vacation. The tunnel evolves, into an enormous challenge for Jerry, as he deals with his loneliness and his attempts at separating from his mother. Rites of Passage Jerry’s beach vacation becomes the site of an intense personal…
There Will Come Soft Rains: Themes
Bradbury’s tale, devoid of human characters and concerned with failed technology, presents several themes that explore the dark side of the symbiotic relationship between people and their inventions. Individual vs. Machine Although the tragedy in this story has already taken place by the time the story opens, it is actually the conflict between human beings…
The Secret Sharer – Themes
Initiation and Self-Definition The captain in “The Secret Sharer’ undergoes a process of initiation and self-definition. When confronted with the duties and responsibilities of a captain, he is not only overwhelmed but also impressed with all the responsibilities that he has taken on. He is constantly looking for reassurance from his crew that he is…