Literary Criticism essays

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1 Page 401 Words
“Beloved,” was written by Toni Morrison in 1987 and it is based on a true story. This difficult and gruesome novel tells the story of Margaret Garner, a young mother, who escaped from slavery. She was arrested for killing one of her children, attempting to kill all, rather than let them return to slavery. In her twisted way, she demonstrates...
BelovedLiterary CriticismLiterary Devices
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2 Pages 905 Words
It has been argued that motherly love has challenged the horrors of the institution of Slavery. Examine Harriet Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin (1850) and Toni Morrison's Beloved (1987) in light of this view. Toni Morrison illustrates Beloved as 'reflecting the harrowing legacy and long-term effects of Slavery as it chronicles the life of a Black woman'. Morrison's description reflects the...
BelovedLiterary CriticismLiterary Devices
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2 Pages 825 Words
The Kite Runner is a novel emblematic of the concept of redemption through the use of symbolism as well as metaphor. The primary idea enforced by Khaled Hosseini is redemption, which is shown through the portrayal of Amir seeking his father’s approval, for he holds Amir accountable for the death of his wife. However, this is not the only effort...
Literary CriticismMetaphorThe Kite Runner
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3 Pages 1431 Words
At the beginning of the novel, Toni Morrison establishes many modes to create a world. The narrator allows an interplay of voices at the beginning of the novel. Fragments of the past reveal Sethe and Paul who met after eighteen years. Then, Baby Suggs and Denver join the voices. The voices are filled with pain and suffering that we can’t...
BelovedLiterary CriticismPerspective
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2 Pages 893 Words
Confessional poetry was considered bold and daring from the late 1950s to the 1980s as it was a break from the more modernist forms of poetry at this time. Confessional poetry is a form of self-revelation in a lot of cases and is extremely personal. (Beach, 154) Anne Sexton is one of the most known poets to use this form,...
Literary CriticismPoetryTruth
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4 Pages 1697 Words
Abstract This paper is an endeavor to present a reading of Beloved by Toni Morrison and Wise Children by Angela Carter from the perspective of magic realism. By giving examples from both of the stories, we will try to explain our approach and also try to show the aspects of magical realism in both of the stories. Magic realism is...
BelovedLiterary CriticismRealism
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7 Pages 3163 Words
Edgar Allan Poe occupies a unique position in American Literature. He delves headfirst into the nature of the subconscious in his short stories and leads readers by the hand into the heart of the human psyche and unfurls it to them. Poe deals with paranoia in his supernatural fiction – a paranoia deeply founded in human psychology. Feverish dreams and...
Edgar Allan PoeLiterary CriticismRomanticism
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1 Page 437 Words
Paul D’s tobacco tin can be seen as a symbol of him repressing memories and holding back emotions. Sethe and Paul D connect through their mutual pain of being slaves. Paul D has suffered as a slave, so much that there is a “tobacco tin buried in his chest where a red heart used to be” (86). He has locked...
BelovedLiterary CriticismSymbolism
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2 Pages 1012 Words
In the novel All Quiet on the Western Front, the author portrays the true horrors and fragility of war through the experiences of young soldiers. The boys are all fighting for one country, and the novel completely shows the differences between the perceived image of war versus the true image of war. In the novel All Quiet on the Western...
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1 Page 555 Words
Introduction Geoffrey Chaucer's "The Pardoner's Tale" is a classic exemplar of medieval literature, rich with elements of irony that add depth and complexity to the narrative. Among the various forms of irony employed by Chaucer, verbal irony stands out as a prominent device, serving to illuminate the characters' motivations and the overarching themes of the tale. The Pardoner's Deceptive Rhetoric...
IronyLiterary CriticismThe Pardoner’s Tale
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1 Page 448 Words
Introduction Irony, a literary device often used to convey subtle meanings or add depth to a narrative, plays a significant role in Arthur Miller's play, "The Crucible." Miller utilizes various forms of irony, including verbal irony, to underscore the dishonesty of the characters and create tension within the narrative. Examples of Verbal Irony In "The Crucible," characters frequently engage in...
IronyLiterary CriticismThe Crucible
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1 Page 439 Words
Introduction In Roald Dahl's short story "Lamb to the Slaughter," the theme of irony pervades the narrative, adding layers of complexity and depth to the storytelling. Through various forms of irony, Dahl challenges readers' expectations and engages them in a tale of deception and unexpected twists. Situational Irony in Mary Maloney's Actions Mary Maloney is initially depicted as a loving...
IronyLamb to The SlaughterLiterary Criticism
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1 Page 547 Words
Every minute, 20 people leave their homes to escape war, persecution, or error, according to the U.N. They are called refugees; a refugee is someone who is forced to leave their home due to a “well-founded fear of persecution.” The persecution must be because of his/her race, religion, nationality, and membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Refugee...
Critical ThinkingLiterary CriticismRefugee
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1 Page 500 Words
Introduction The release of the film "V for Vendetta" brought Alan Moore's acclaimed graphic novel into the spotlight, sparking discussions about its adaptation. Alan Moore's graphic novel serves as the source material for the film, yet the author distanced himself from the project due to creative differences and concerns about the adaptation's fidelity. This essay will compare and contrast the...
Literary CriticismMovie ReviewV For Vendetta
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3 Pages 1433 Words
Joseph Sciuto once declared, “Humanity, the earth with its streams and gardens, animals, and innocence are the real victims of war.” The war affects all manners of life, especially the innocent ones, by corrupting and transmogrifying them into a dehumanized, soulless body with a complete lack of their original character. In his semi-autobiographical novel, All Quiet on the Western Front...
3 Pages 1314 Words
Ever wonder what it feels like to be the outcast of the group? Or have the feeling of being different from everyone else? For the creature in Mary Shelley’s 'Frankenstein', Victor Frankenstein did not even give his creation a chance. The way the language of the text is written seems to be related to someone, or something, being evil or...
CharacterFrankensteinLiterary Criticism
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1 Page 474 Words
In addition to the theme of the continuous decline of King Lear in William Shakespeare's play of the same name and his personal growth as the titular character, the theme of family relationships and their destruction is equally important. It is due to King Lear's initial misjudgment of Cordelia that the play catalysts towards tragedy. It could be argued that...
Family RelationshipsKing LearLiterary Criticism
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1 Page 618 Words
In ‘King Lear’, Shakespeare’s playwright offers a vivid yet negative portrayal of Lear himself. The audience confronts a hero king whose hamartia brings about not only his downfall but also the destruction of his surroundings and more devastatingly upon innocent people. Lear is portrayed as an arrogant king with an innate sense of superiority, great wrath, and error of judgment....
King LearLiterary CriticismWilliam Shakespeare
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1 Page 515 Words
In his works, the famous William Shakespeare made it a habit to raise numerous important topics. And his play 'King Lear' was no exception. In it, next to such themes as suffering, appearance versus reality, family relationships, the value of nothingness, and how much 'nothing' can represent is of great importance. In the first scene, Lear banishes Cordelia, which as...
King LearLiterary CriticismWilliam Shakespeare
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3 Pages 1456 Words
Outline of the Story Kite Runner(2003) by Khaled Hosseini often reads like a fable, a parable of love, friendship, and above all redemption. Though it would be naive to limit the novel and its themes to just these three facets, Kite Runner is a lot more. The history of a troubled and savaged nation is told in miniature. The rise...
like 195
2 Pages 884 Words
Introduction Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," first published in 1843, is a compelling narrative that continues to resonate with audiences due to its profound exploration of themes such as redemption and compassion. The novella is a critique of the socio-economic disparities of Victorian England, embodied in the transformation of its protagonist, Ebenezer Scrooge. The tale serves as a didactic allegory,...
like 432
3 Pages 1295 Words
Life is an inconsistency. It is excellent and hard. It is the confinement along with the opportunities. It is everything and some of the time insufficient. It is incomprehensible but, the conceivable outcomes are unfathomable. It is baffling because while it is every one of these things, it is distinctive for every individual. It contrasts in the manner they live...
like 292
1 Page 605 Words
Beloved shows the reader that people will forever be haunted by harsh times in their lives, specifically slavery. Although Beloved was not the reason slavery was so horrific for Sethe, her murder happened because of the trauma slavery caused. Beloved haunts Sethe and doesn’t allow her to move on from her past. Paul D’s tin can represents his heart, forcing...
BelovedCritical ThinkingLiterary Criticism
like 319
1 Page 677 Words
Although Morrison attempts to provide a more complete understanding of the sexual abuse that female slaves were subjected to, she also uses the trope of silence to indicate the impossibility of fully disclosing and voicing such a traumatic event. In Beloved Ella, a former slave, refers to her sexual abuse at the hands of white males as the ‘lowest yet,’...
BelovedCritical ThinkingLiterary Criticism
like 251
1 Page 401 Words
The short story A Christmas Memory, which is written by Truman Capote, is a story about a small child and an older person celebrating Christmas together. They have many rituals that they complete every year, and the beginning talks about them. But, in the end, the 2 characters get separated, never seeing each other ever again. This invokes sorrow in...
ChristmasCritical ThinkingLiterary Criticism
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2 Pages 1054 Words
The word lottery implies a fortunate outcome: the lottery will result in a winner who will receive a treasure or money. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson contradicts the positive connotation of a lottery: in the story, the villagers participate in an annual tradition by having a lottery to choose a winner, someone they sacrifice to ensure a plentiful harvest for...
Critical ThinkingLiterary CriticismThe Lottery
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1 Page 656 Words
Introduction Edgar Allan Poe begins his poem called “The Raven” with the narrator, who is nearly asleep when he hears a sudden knock on the door and chooses to ignore it. The poem revolves around the narrator, who is in a sad mood from his actions. He opens the door, gazes at the dark, and calls out Lenore in a...
Edgar Allan PoeLiterary CriticismThe Raven
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1 Page 651 Words
Soraya, the chosen character to be analyzed and illustrated, always supported Amir’s decisions as his wife throughout the narrative by acclaimed author Khaled Hosseini, “The Kite Runner”.This document will demonstrate how this woman played an essential role in the life of Amir. After Amir fled with his father from Afghanistan they found refuge in San Francisco, California, where Amir grew...
CharacterLiterary CriticismThe Kite Runner
like 432
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