Literary Criticism essays

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1 Page 1046 Words
Meursault, the protagonist of the novel, discovers that his mother died in an old home. The death of his mother seems to have little effect on him due to his detached emotions and self centered belief of living which makes him look 'The Stranger' to the society. Meursault gets into relationship with his former coworker while celebrating life merry go...
Literary CriticismStateThe Stranger
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2 Pages 879 Words
Introduction The concept of the hero's journey, first articulated by Joseph Campbell in his seminal work, "The Hero with a Thousand Faces," serves as a framework for understanding the transformational odyssey of protagonists across diverse narratives. Hermann Hesse's "Siddhartha" exemplifies this archetypal journey, chronicling the spiritual ascent of its eponymous character. Siddhartha's passage from the constraints of societal expectations to...
Hero’s JourneyLiterary CriticismState
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2 Pages 1103 Words
Introduction "The Alchemist," authored by Paulo Coelho, is a seminal work that intricately explores the protagonist's journey towards self-discovery and fulfillment. Central to the novel is the character Santiago, a shepherd boy whose pursuit of his Personal Legend exemplifies the archetypal Hero's Journey. This narrative framework, popularized by Joseph Campbell, outlines a universal pattern of adventure and transformation that many...
Hero’s JourneyLiterary CriticismState
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2 Pages 900 Words
Introduction Toni Morrison's 'The Bluest Eye' is a profound exploration of race and identity, delving into the pernicious effects of internalized racism on African American individuals and communities. Set in the racially charged environment of 1940s America, the novel focuses on Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl who yearns for blue eyes, symbolizing the societal ideal of beauty. This desire...
Literary CriticismRacism in AmericaState
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1 Page 979 Words
Novelist Paulo Coelho once said, “When we least expect it, life sets us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change.” Much like this, Amir is influenced by challenges put in front of him by the cultural environment in Khaled Hosseini’s, “The Kite Runner”. This cultural environment, represented by the settings, characters, and the Afghan culture in the...
HonorLiterary CriticismState
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1 Page 1000 Words
There was a time when the goal of all good, great, and decent men was to obtain honor. Every motive, dictated by their sense of honor, was aimed at bolstering it or regaining some that had been lost. To fulfill their sense of honor, men of valor would slay the dragon, overthrow an evil villain, or defeat the monster. In...
HonorLiterary CriticismState
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2 Pages 1538 Words
The Stranger by Albert Camus begins with Maman’s death, the mother of Meursault, and also portrays the murder of the Arab, committed by him. The post-murder deals with the custody and trial of Meursault. Meursault’s life changes drastically with the circumstances that come along his way. The circumstances and his behavior to it are evident in the novel, through which...
Literary CriticismStateThe Stranger
like 432
1 Page 517 Words
Living by ideals breeds hypocrisy. This was evident in the Victorian era: the era of contradiction. The societal morality during this time placed a great value on sexual restraint, low tolerance of crime, and a strict social code of conduct. One was expected to live life earnestly. This obsession with the pursuit of earnestness made people, specifically the upper class,...
like 432
1 Page 653 Words
Introduction "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins is a captivating dystopian novel that follows the journey of Katniss Everdeen, a young girl forced to participate in a brutal televised competition. Through the lens of Joseph Campbell's concept of the Hero's Journey, this essay critically examines the narrative structure of "The Hunger Games" and explores how Katniss embodies the archetypal hero...
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2 Pages 1444 Words
 American literature shows the relationship between traditional and modern values in Tennessee Williams's psychological drama A Streetcar Named Desire (1947). After the brief introduction, the author focuses on two main characters Blanche DuBois and Stanley Kowalski who symbolize significant historical pressure between the traditional values of the Old South, and the modern values of the New South. The central heroine...
DramaLiterary CriticismState
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1 Page 526 Words
Introduction 'The Lottery' by Shirley Jackson and 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins are two thought-provoking works of literature that explore the theme of dystopia and the dark side of human nature. Although written in different time periods and contexts, both stories share common elements and raise similar questions about society, power, and the individual's role within it. This essay...
Literary CriticismThe Hunger GamesThe Lottery
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1 Page 563 Words
Introduction "The Pact" by Sampson Davis is a compelling memoir that recounts the lives of three young men from a disadvantaged neighborhood in Newark, New Jersey, who made a pact to support each other in achieving their dreams of becoming doctors. This essay provides a critical character analysis of Sampson Davis and examines his journey, personal attributes, and transformative growth...
CharacterLiterary CriticismPersonal Experience
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1 Page 529 Words
Introduction "Tea Party" by Betty Keller is a captivating play that takes us on a thought-provoking journey through the lives of three generations of women. Set in a small Canadian town in the 1960s, the play explores themes of identity, feminism, and the struggle for autonomy. In this narrative essay, we will delve into the story of "Tea Party" and...
Coming of AgeLiterary CriticismPerspective
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1 Page 590 Words
Introduction 'The Shoemaker and the Tea Party' by Alfred F. Young is a captivating historical analysis that explores the events leading up to the Boston Tea Party in 1773. In this critical essay, we will delve into the strengths and weaknesses of Young's work, examining its historical accuracy, narrative style, and the insights it provides into the motivations and actions...
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1 Page 608 Words
Introduction 'The Shoemaker and the Tea Party' by Alfred F. Young is a captivating account of the events leading up to the Boston Tea Party in 1773. In this critical essay, we will examine the strengths and weaknesses of Young's work, evaluating its historical accuracy, narrative style, and overall contribution to the understanding of the Boston Tea Party and its...
1 Page 604 Words
Introduction The story of Ruby Bridges is a powerful account of courage, resilience, and the fight for equality. In this critical essay, we will delve into the literary elements and techniques used by Robert Coles in his book about Ruby Bridges, analyzing its narrative structure, character development, and thematic significance. Through a critical lens, we will examine how Coles effectively...
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1 Page 684 Words
Modern Dramas engage audiences by bringing the problems of life to the stage. The play Twelve Angry Men written by Reginald Rose, is a Modern Drama that covers real-life social issues, portraying themes of social class, race, justice, and innocence. The play is based on 12 jurors who are instructed to deliberate a case where an 18-year-old, Hispanic boy from...
DramaLiterary CriticismState
like 234
1 Page 761 Words
When two people look at the same image, it can be seen differently depending on their own experiences. Sensory is based on how people perceive things, their habits, and their outlook on life. Everyone chooses different aspects of a message to focus on whether it is what interests them or what someone considers important. In the novel, The Stranger, Meursault’s...
Literary CriticismStateThe Stranger
like 303
1 Page 782 Words
Contrastingly, although duality in The Picture of Dorian Gray is portrayed by dividing one’s self into two, in The Importance of Being Earnest, there are several instances of characters taking on dual identities. Jack Worthing is an especially interesting case of this dual identity because, in the end, he becomes the person he has been portraying all along. This causes...
like 127
2 Pages 1793 Words
The novel L'étranger, which translates as 'The Stranger' or 'The Outsider,' bears a striking resemblance to Camus' philosophical concept of absurdity. The book L'étranger translated as The Stranger or The Outsider strongly resembles Camus' philosophical idea of absurdity. Camus claims in his writings that individual lives and human existence lack rational meaning and order. However, because individuals struggle to embrace...
Literary CriticismStateThe Stranger
like 432
1 Page 492 Words
In most tales, there is an epic quest played out by a protagonist character. This character can be openly declared as the hero, or be a simplistic and mundane person who unintentionally takes the hero role. In The Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins ends up being that hero and works through a wild crusade he never consummately signed up for. Our narrative...
Hero’s JourneyLiterary CriticismState
like 108
1 Page 439 Words
In Thor: The Dark World, Thor develops through the Hero’s Journey. He starts off wanting to be the king of his father’s realm, but an attack on Asgard and the love of his life contracting an Infinity Stone teaches him otherwise. The first part of the Hero’s Journey starts in the hero’s ordinary world; in this case, Asgard. Thor was...
Hero’s JourneyLiterary CriticismState
like 433
4 Pages 2869 Words
 The significance that the grandfather’s deathbed speech had on the narrator is unclear. The narrator himself seems confused by the speech and tries to ignore it for most of his life, but once he starts seeing the world and the people in it as they truly are, he uses the speech to give his own life new meaning. I think...
Invisible ManLiterary CriticismState
like 348
1 Page 587 Words
In the story Of Mice And Men by John Steinbeck, The characters Candy, George, and Curley's wife have unrealistic dreams given their circumstances because Candy wants to do things without them being taken from him, George has hopes to work for himself, and Curley's wife wants to be a movie star. The character Candy in Of Mice and Men has...
Literary CriticismOf Mice and MenState
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1 Page 869 Words
In the Shakespearian dramatic tragedy play, Romeo and Juliet, there is much visible or known information detailing the importance of the minor characters. The friends of Romeo’s, Mercutio, and Juliet’s nurse are both characters that are not considered a major or main focus of the play, but play a crucial role in the advance of the play’s momentum, turning points,...
Literary CriticismRomeo and JulietState
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1 Page 1030 Words
In Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare portrays Romeo as an impulsive and immature character who is ruled by his emotions. He is presented as a Petrarchan lover and his language at the start of the play characterizes him as an inexperienced lover, however, as the play progresses he has an increased maturity as a lover which is marked in his...
Literary CriticismRomeo and JulietState
like 359
2 Pages 859 Words
'I cannot make you understand. I cannot make anyone understand what is happening inside me. I cannot even explain it to myself.' The preceding quote is an excerpt from Franz Kafka's 'The Metamorphosis' which is an absurdist fiction novella about Gregor, a salesman, who unexpectedly transforms into an enormous parasite one morning. 'The Metamorphosis' is an allegoric story that is...
like 239
5 Pages 2535 Words
The main aim and purpose of this paper are to analyze Robert Frost's poem 'The Road Not Taken' from the point of view of stylistic analysis. This analysis deals with the different aspects of stylistics such as the lexico-syntactic, patterns and choices, semantically, grammatically, graph logically, and phonological. This poem is about the selection of choice between right and wrong...
Literary CriticismPoetryThe Road Not Taken
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1 Page 435 Words
Sojourner Truth had many accomplishments. She escaped slavery with her daughter and started to live her life in Michigan. And when living in Michigan she started to work with well-known people that abolished slavery. Ain’t I a Woman talks about Sojourner Truth's life as a slave and how she escaped. Truth wanted equality between men and women. Truth also wanted...
Critical ThinkingLiterary CriticismTruth
like 111
2 Pages 1021 Words
A Christmas Carol follows the redemption of a rich and miserly character called Scrooge. He learns how important it is to be responsible for others in society. Dickens wrote the novella in 1843, just after the Poor Law Amendment Act which further worsened the conditions for those living in poverty. Victorian society was extremely religious and polite, yet it had...
A Christmas CarolHuman NatureLiterary Criticism
like 170
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