Literary Criticism essays

1291 samples in this category

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2 Pages 973 Words
In the essay 'The Case for Reparations', the author, Ta-Nehisi Coates, analyzes African-American history in order to further his argument that African Americans deserve some form of reparations. He argues that America has allowed for the 'plunder' of African Americans in the past and continues to do so in the present. To back his claims, Coates uses stories and evidence...
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2 Pages 972 Words
‘A Raisin in the Sun’ is a play written in 1959 by Lorraine Hansberry about a family struggling with oppression and discrimination as they try to improve their financial situation with an insurance payout following the death of Walter and Beneatha’s father. The play deals with several different themes. The three biggest themes are the value of dreams, racial discrimination,...
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2 Pages 789 Words
‘Advice to Youth’ (1882) by Mark Twain is a satirical essay. It was written several centuries ago, but it still offers a powerful message. It is hilarious, caustic, and all-around good advice. He was asked to write it for America's youth. Twain tends to take advantage of opportunities to address society's standards and to criticize authoritative figures who shape youth....
Critical ReflectionLiterary CriticismMark Twain
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2 Pages 868 Words
Imagine taking a daily stroll down the street and witnessing something unexpected: a bully in action. As a witness to this terrible incident, the immediate thought is to intervene, but the physical response is to ignore and avoid the situation. This is the exact dilemma the seventh man faced in the story 'The Seventh Man'. Many people believe that the...
GuiltLiterary CriticismShort Story
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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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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...
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2 Pages 1053 Words
Ibsen made the primary 'ladies' extremist' character all through the whole presence of theater. Nora is a fragile and tormented creature who attempts to be seen as an individual essentially like each other individual. She promises her qualification to life while understanding her interminable state of deficiency. Nora states, 'I think I am an individual before whatever else. I was...
A Doll’s HouseFeminismLiterary Criticism
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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,...
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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...
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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...
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
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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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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 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 401 Words
In the story 'Blue Winds Dancing' by Thomas S. Whitecloud, the setting is important in revealing the character’s situation as well as the theme of the story. The character is originally from a Native American village, but most of the story is in the U.S. Throughout the story, the character is in various places around the United States. It’s at...
Critical ThinkingLiterary CriticismShort Story
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1 Page 621 Words
Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" delves into a tapestry of intricate themes that transcend the boundaries of the animal world and offer profound insights into the human experience. This critical essay seeks to unravel the multifaceted themes woven throughout the narrative, exploring the interplay between instinct, courage, the cycle of life, and the harmony between humans and nature. Thesis Statement "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" intricately...
Literary CriticismRikki Tikki TaviShort Story
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1 Page 637 Words
Rudyard Kipling's short story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" engages readers in a web of foreshadowing and suspense, deftly weaving clues and hints that offer glimpses into the unfolding narrative. This critical essay delves into the art of prediction through foreshadowing, examining the story's expert use of hints, the tension-building effect of suspense, and the ways in which readers are enticed to anticipate events....
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1 Page 543 Words
Rudyard Kipling's short story "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" presents a vivid exploration of the main conflict that drives the narrative—the intense clash between instinctual survival and territorial dominance. This critical essay delves into the complexities of this conflict, examining the roles of characters, the implications for the story's themes, and the narrative's broader implications for human nature. Thesis Statement The main conflict in...
ConflictLiterary CriticismRikki Tikki Tavi
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1 Page 419 Words
Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ published in 1843, explores the psychological paranoia which facilitates the psychoanalytical journey of a madman. The grotesque deviation of the murderer’s seemingly sane mindset dramatizes the equivocation which, instead of its attempts to separate from madness, rather highlights it. The wide range of imagery and sensory descriptions used within Poe’s story illuminates the light...
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2 Pages 732 Words
To analyze the theme of insanity in Edgar Allan Poe's short story ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’, would require a definition of insanity. The American Journal of Insanity defines insanity as a chronic disease of the brain, producing either a derangement of the intellectual faculties or a prolonged change of the feelings, affections, and habits of the individual. Legally, one is considered...
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1 Page 543 Words
The piece I plan on investigating is ‘Harlem’ by the late incredible Langston Hughes. This piece is curated by the voice of the Harlem Renaissance, he affected road language and clear symbolism in his verse. The poem suggests conversation starters about the yearnings of a people and the outcomes that may emerge if those fantasies and expectations don’t happen as...
Langston HughesLiterary CriticismPoetry
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3 Pages 1250 Words
Whereas this story was written during a period of rapid advance in Aboriginal rights, the First Nation’s people still were not compensated for the sacrifices made by them. The levels of respect shown to the Native community were close to none, and the ‘immigrants’ to Canada were still trying to assimilate them into different cultures. Presenting the story from a...
Critical ThinkingLiterary CriticismShort Story
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1 Page 590 Words
Katherine Paterson's novel "Lyddie" weaves a tapestry of a young girl's journey through adversity, resilience, and self-discovery as she navigates the harsh realities of life in a 19th-century textile mill. This critical summary delves into the intricacies of the plot, character development, and overarching themes that define the narrative. Thesis Statement "Lyddie" is a poignant exploration of a young girl's...
Literary CriticismLyddieNovel
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2 Pages 943 Words
Throughout an era of war, we dominantly sympathize with those offering their lives on the battlefield; nevertheless, those who aren’t directly involved in the war still personally derive the detrimental effects by losing their innocent mindset into a path of vigilance. Thus, Yolanda is a Dominican immigrant who is attending her first year in a Catholic school where her English...
Critical ThinkingLiterary CriticismShort Story
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4 Pages 1777 Words
Black slavery in the U.S. was made illegal in the mid-1800s. However, the effects have lasted more than a few lifetimes. Lynching, segregation, and discrimination have all diminished greatly since the Civil War, yet the trek for equality seems to be an uphill battle for black Americans. Between the Civil War and the present day, black Americans have been at...
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