Literary Criticism essays

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The first poem of Neruda’s that illustrates loss through masterful use of imagery, symbolism, metaphor, and allusion is “Sonnet 17.” The poem adopts the form of a Petrarchan sonnet, which often follows an “abb abba” rhyme scheme, this type of verse usually presents a problem within the first eight lines, using the remaining six lines to offer a resolution. In...
Literary CriticismPablo NerudaPoetry
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4 Pages 1954 Words
Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” is a frightening illustration of a society that has only two classes, specifically a working class and an oppressive wealthy class. Looking at the text through a Marxist lens makes the distinction between classes even more apparent. The bourgeoisie, or the wealthy upper class, are those who hold power over the lower class using oppression. This...
CharacterLiterary CriticismThe Lottery
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3 Pages 1508 Words
William Shakespeare wrote many plays, and of those plays, many were tragedies or comedies. One of Shakespeare’s tragic plays is called “Macbeth” in which a nobleman of Scotland receives a prediction from witches that he will be King. The king who was in charge during the time he received the prophecy is King Duncan. Macbeth gets ambitious about becoming the...
Literary CriticismMacbethTragedy
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3 Pages 1313 Words
The Epic of Gilgamesh is recited through the literacy mechanisms of poems that survived from Sumerian Literature, as further enlightening how ancient times contended and how ancient people lived reflected on moments that revolved around key components: death, life, and what is life beyond death, relying on how someone conjured these stages of life, whiles evolving as an individual in...
Epic of GilgameshLiterary Criticism
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2 Pages 928 Words
Marriage as an essential for women to gain a favorable social standing is a common Austen theme. In Jane Austen’s era women were expected to settle in their households, they were very dependent on their partner’s income and financial status. Unlike any other woman, Jane Austen was well-raised and had a comprehensive education. Through her passion for reading and writing,...
Literary CriticismSense and SensibilitySociety
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2 Pages 797 Words
Lord of the Flies As An Allegory If read from the surface level, Lord of the Flies can be interpreted as a novel about the struggle to survive on a deserted island and the effects it has on its residents. When the reader looks in depth, they see an allegorical novel that has an underlying meaning and is filled with...
AllegoryLiterary CriticismLord of The Flies
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2 Pages 1124 Words
Happy endings are common in literature and they end the story with a positive resolution or outcome. I believe that happy endings are also predictable in the sense that you can make the assumption that the protagonists will have everything work out in their favor before reaching the end of the story. However, not all endings are happy or have...
Epic of GilgameshLiterary Criticism
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2 Pages 922 Words
You can be oblivious to the people around you. An example of this phenomenon is shown in the movie The Ugly Truth. The main character, a woman who is looking for love, and a man who doesn’t believe in love come together and they fall for each other. The man doesn’t open up to the idea that love is real...
CharacterLiterary CriticismOedipus
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1 Page 640 Words
Oedipus submits the deplorable demonstration of slaughtering his dad and wedding his mom. The sad occasions that follow appear to be well-suited discipline for this transgression. In any case, in Sophocles' Oedipus the King, Oedipus is simply 'an offspring of Fortune' (Sophocles, 1080), not liable for his wrongdoings since his destiny was resolved before birth. In endeavoring to dodge his...
CharacterLiterary CriticismOedipus
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2 Pages 817 Words
Reality is filled with an uneven balance of fate and free will, with free will being a stronger force. A person may have his or her life planned to the last second, but a random force may intervene and can affect the person’s future instantly. Some belief in destiny, claiming that our lives are predetermined at birth. Others believe that...
Literary CriticismOedipusOedipus the King
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3 Pages 1360 Words
A single protagonist or antagonist is difficult to identify throughout the play Antigone. The author, Sophocles, allows the audience to see all sides of the same story by relying on the neutrality of the Elders who narrate the plot. Considering the time period of the writing, it is surprising that two characters who compete for the spotlight are women. Antigone...
AntigoneLiterary CriticismProtagonist
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3 Pages 1286 Words
In Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling, Lord Voldemort attempted to kill young Harry Potter and succeeded in killing Harry’s parents in order to stop a prophecy concerning the child. This plan backfired as Lord Voldemort could never succeed in killing Harry due to special circumstances involving Harry’s parents that occurred when Lord Voldemort first tried to kill Harry. This situation...
1 Page 562 Words
Pride comes in all shapes and sizes. It could be the feeling of a parent whose child graduates from college or using pride to help uplift one's self-confidence and esteem by reflecting an intrinsically motivating “can do” attitude. To some degree, every living being needs pride, but when this self-confidence is so overwhelming that it blinds the person to the...
Literary CriticismOedipusOedipus the King
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1 Page 584 Words
Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to enchanted light” is a poem that utilizes alliteration, word choices, and metaphors to explain the vast possibilities that come with change. While Mary Oliver’s “Sleeping in the forest” is a poem that explains the sounds and visions of the beautiful land (with figurative language as well). Neruda’s poem is an ode (a poem that deals with...
Literary CriticismOdePoetry
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7 Pages 3184 Words
Invisibility of women The role of women in different periods and countries of each text is almost the same and women are equally evaluated during different times. The main role of women is presented as a mother who cares for children and who is responsible for their safety and prudence. Except for men’s women-relatives (mother, sister, etc.), there are other...
Epic of GilgameshLiterary CriticismWoman
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2 Pages 760 Words
One of the biggest struggles people deal with in life is getting through an obstacle and doubting themselves in the process. Whether it be a physical, emotional, or mental struggle, having the strength to persist through it is a very important characteristic that will give you the confidence to get through anything that comes along the way. Each of these...
Jack LondonLiterary CriticismTo Build a Fire
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2 Pages 1077 Words
All actions have consequences is something that has been drilled into every person's mind since the minute they first got into trouble. However, people seem to forget about this idea until after the deed is done and the consequences start to arrive. But, what a lot of people seem to forget is that consequences can be both good and bad....
3 Pages 1222 Words
The play Macbeth takes place in Scotland during a time of turmoil and battle, in the tragedy Macbeth and his wife Lady Macbeth commit regicide to become King and Queen. This theme of ambition thrives in the play and is the main catalyst for the entire tragedy. Lady Macbeth is a significant character in Macbeth as she is one of...
Literary CriticismMacbethProtagonist
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3 Pages 1449 Words
Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragic play written around 1603 by way of William Shakespeare, which addresses the encounters of Othello, the protagonist. Othello is a Venetian army commonplace who falls prey to Iago’s devious schemes, which are precipitated by means of jealousy, deceit, and quest for power (Hundley 4). Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragic...
Literary CriticismOthelloProtagonist
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2 Pages 1109 Words
Destined to be or not to Be Learnt Shakespeare’s famous tragedy “Romeo And Juliet” offers a timeless value that demonstrates his reflection on human nature and behavior, writes JENNY SU. Imagine not being able to express yourself through the 1700 words Shakespeare invented. The English language has developed throughout time, evolving many centuries impacted greatly by key events and figures...
Literary CriticismProtagonistRomeo and Juliet
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3 Pages 1466 Words
The glass menagerie is a critically acclaimed memory play written by Tenessee Williams. The story is heavily influenced by Williams’ own personal life and follows the story of a young man named Tom, his mother, and his sister in their home in Wingfield apartment in Saint Louis. The play is set in the 1930s, in what is dubbed as the...
Literary CriticismProtagonistThe Glass Menagerie
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3 Pages 1270 Words
Introduction Friends, Writers, and philosophers are not what we do every day influenced by our environment, our laws, and our morals. Do you intend to write nonsense? Or do you intend to write something timeless? What message do you want your audience to take in through your themes and morals and characters? This is prevalent in my most recent play...
Literary CriticismThe Tragedy of Julius Caesar
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2 Pages 850 Words
How can people tell if they know how someone can act without a true experience? In Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, Lee uses Scout a character to bring a challenge and understanding of what it was like to live in a segregated society. Mrs. Lee's, classic To Kill a Mockingbird has many valuable life lessons that...
like 259
1 Page 625 Words
Anne Dillard’s, “Living Like Weasels,” offers a statement all throughout the entire piece contrasting the behavior of weasels with the behavior that all individuals ought to attempt to live by. Ordinarily, one does not connect the weasel with being intelligent or a good example among different species, however, the effortlessness and startling quality of the creature in this setting is...
Annie DillardLiterary Criticism
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3 Pages 1158 Words
The story of Jeannette Walls is nothing short of what you could describe as nightmarish. From living in houses with caving walls to dealing with a narcissistic, alcoholic father, Walls endured a childhood of horrors. Through Walls’ traumatic childhood, we experience the constant turmoil, dysfunction, and broken promises that she lived with throughout these crucial years of her life. Walls’...
DramaLiterary CriticismThe Glass Castle
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3 Pages 1224 Words
One stated by Bryant H. McGill, “There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.” People go through many things in their lifetime. At some point, they will come across obstacles. Some are caused by them, and the rest are caused by others. Forgiveness is a simple, yet complex concept. It can be done easily, or...
DramaLiterary CriticismThe Glass Castle
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1 Page 498 Words
In Jeannette Walls's memoir the glass castle she is able to convey a theme of lost dreams through the constant letdown caused by their father, Rex, and mother, Rosemary. Rex Walls always dreamed of the day when they would have enough money to build a glass castle. The Glass Castle is symbolic of a dream that everyone knows will never...
DramaLiterary CriticismThe Glass Castle
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3 Pages 1393 Words
For those unfortunate to have dealt with a near-death experience, combat exposure, childhood physical abuse, sexual violence, and physical assault have faced what is known as a traumatizing event. Many people are lucky enough to recover sooner than others; however, the rest often face at-risk exposure to ASD (Acute Stress Disorder), Adjustment Disorder, and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). According...
DramaLiterary CriticismThe Glass Castle
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3 Pages 1385 Words
I think that many Americans don’t trust the government. Maybe it's part of that breaking off from the British. I think for most people this is a cultural thing, but for Rex Walls, a character in the memoir, The Glass Castle, by Jeanette Walls it is a reaction to his life experiences. Rex is an interesting person who is sometimes...
DramaLiterary CriticismThe Glass Castle
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2 Pages 823 Words
Could you imagine being forced to make your own meals at the age of three? Well, that is exactly what Jeanette Walls experiences in The Glass Castle, a novel written about her life growing up. Throughout the book, she tells her readers about difficult times in her life that she experienced during her childhood. Rex, the author’s father, displays anger...
DramaLiterary CriticismThe Glass Castle
like 432
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