Literature Essays

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Anne Lamott's Journey of Maternal Transformation

2 Pages 960 Words
Introduction Anne Lamott's "Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year" offers an intimate look into the transformative journey of motherhood. It chronicles not only the physical and emotional challenges that accompany the first year of a child's life but also the profound personal growth that Lamott experiences. Her narrative, infused with humor and raw honesty, provides a nuanced...

Abina and the Important Men by Gets and Clarke

3 Pages 1450 Words
‘Abina and the Important Men’ by Trevor R. Gets, and Liz Clarke tells a story about a young girl who attempts to have her voice heard by people of higher class and status. However, her voice is constantly silenced and people with the agency are always the people in control of Abina’s life. In Abina's story, class, status, and agency...

Analysis of Anthony Doerr's ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ Main Theme

1 Page 522 Words
Oftentimes there are many people who feel they are unable to escape their feelings. In ‘All the Light We Cannot See’, there are three main characters who have gone through a series of traumatic events emotionally, physically, and knowledgeably that have made them feel as if they were trapped. A vital theme in ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ is...

Bilbo Baggins' Character Development in 'The Hobbit'

2 Pages 936 Words
Throughout J. R. R. Tolkien's novel ‘The Hobbit’, Bilbo changes significantly as a protagonist which is quite evident in the novel. There are many strong references from the novel that clearly states how Bilbo Baggins used to live before undertaking his first quest with the 13 dwarves. In the start, before the adventure takes place, we see Bilbo as a...

Time Theme in The Loom of Time and Package for the Distant Future

2 Pages 746 Words
Poetry is a type of literature that expresses emotions or an idea through poetic devices about a genre. Through powerful devices such as imagery, metaphors and similes, the reader deciphers the poem from the literal meaning to what the poet is actually trying to say. ‘The Loom of Time’, written anonymously, and ‘Package for the Distant Future’, written by Sylvia...
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Time in Slessor's 'Out of Time' and 'Wild Grapes'

2 Pages 1124 Words
Texts are able to represent and explore the human experiences that shape our society and world. Have you ever felt like time was running past you? That the world kept spinning, while you just stood still? Time is a central theme in many of Kenneth Slessor’s poems, however it is primarily explored through ‘Out of time’ and ‘Wild Grapes’. Slessor...
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Frenchie in 'The Marrow Thieves'

2 Pages 812 Words
Introduction "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline presents a dystopian vision where Indigenous people in North America are hunted for their bone marrow, which holds the key to recovering the ability to dream. Within this narrative, survival is not merely a biological necessity but a profound act of resistance and cultural preservation. At the heart of the story is Frenchie,...

The Quest for Equality in 'The Hate U Give'

2 Pages 1131 Words
Introduction In Angie Thomas's novel, The Hate U Give, the struggle for social justice is meticulously portrayed through the lens of systemic racism, police brutality, and the fight for equality. The narrative follows Starr Carter, a 16-year-old African American girl, who navigates the complexities of her divided world. Raised in the impoverished and predominantly black neighborhood of Garden Heights, Starr's...

Comparing Power in 'The Tempest' and 'Hag-Seed'

1 Page 400 Words
Shakespeare's ‘The Tempest’ textual converse with Atwood’s ‘Hag-Seed’ examines the gradual descent of power and authority in society, infecting individuals with merciless corruption leading to disastrous consequences. Through the dramatic plot and characters, Shakespeare represents the volatile aspect of the human nature, reflecting the complex issue of power and authority related to the context of rising political power and the...

Atwood's 'Hag-Seed': Reconstructing Shakespeare's Power & Revenge

2 Pages 1006 Words
Authors may dismantle and reconstruct elements of another text to remodel enduring ideas for new audiences, positioning us to embrace new perspectives, values and contexts. By dismantling and reconstructing the Jacobean drama ‘The Tempest’ (1610), Margaret Atwood is able to imitate William Shakespeare’s timeless ideas, through her postmodern novel ‘Hag-Seed’ (2016), which resonates with ‘The Tempest’ by exploring the ability...

Power in ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ and ‘The Power’: A Comparison

7 Pages 2984 Words
‘The Handmaid’s Tale’, Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel, explores, through the character of Offred, power within the totalitarian state of Gilead – where fertile women are treated as the property of the state, subject to systematic rape and subjugation. ‘The Power’, also a dystopian novel, published by Naomi Alderman in 2016, explores a world in which women become the dominant...

The Dynamics of Power: Exploitation and Control

2 Pages 999 Words
Introduction Power dynamics have been a central theme in sociopolitical discourse, often illustrating the tension between the strong and the weak. The assertion that power is wielded by the strong to exploit the weak reflects a historical pattern observed in various societal structures. This essay critically examines the interplay of power and exploitation, questioning whether it is an unavoidable outcome...

Lady Macbeth's Power in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth'

6 Pages 2670 Words
‘Macbeth’ is a catastrophe which was written by one of the most notorious playwrights in history. Shakespeare wrote ‘Macbeth’ in 1606, but it took place in the 11th century. He wrote it for the pleasure of King James I and his royal court who ruled over medieval Scotland. The play features themes of betrayal, which is ironic because King James...

Power Corrupts: Examining 'Macbeth' and 'Matilda'

2 Pages 1030 Words
The nature of power can undoubtedly corrupt the human mind, as power in itself manifest our inability to develop a way of thinking and thought process that is rational and logical. This can have a profound impact on the individual and society, as ones over ambitiousness can create a lack of moral consciousness, which ultimately results in a corrupt human...

Power's Destructiveness in 'Lord of the Flies': Critical Analysis

2 Pages 928 Words
In social science and politics, power is the capacity of an individual to influence the conduct of others. The term 'authority' is often used for power that is perceived as legitimate by the social structure. Throughout the novel ‘Lord of the Flies’, William Golding presents how power can be destructive. It discusses that without law and order, humans revert back...

Power of Characters in 'Les Misérables'

1 Page 664 Words
What makes characters worth reading about is their struggles. This is especially the case in ‘Les Misérables’, the well-known novel written by Victor Hugo. Jean Valjean was born into a poor family. He had seven children that he needed to support, leading him to stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family and sent to prison for nineteen years....

Power Theme in 'An Inspector Calls'

3 Pages 1292 Words
In the play ‘An Inspector Calls’, Priestley presents the theme of power through many characters, such as Mr. Birling, Sheila and the Inspector, and portrays them in different ways based on their use or lack of power. To begin with, Priestley presents the theme of power through the character of Mr. Birling by immediately illustrating his social power with his...

Motherhood Theme in Buchi Emecheta's 'The Joys of Motherhood'

2 Pages 1127 Words
The theme of motherhood is central to the plot of Emecheta's novel 'The Joys of Motherhood'. That is because motherhood is regarded highly in Igbo culture. According to the culture, the best thing that a woman does is have children. Thus, motherhood is considered a central tool of the patriarchal machine to control women. According to Emecheta, “Women have been...

Challenging Motherhood in 'We Need to Talk About Kevin'

4 Pages 1619 Words
Many texts often explore androcentrism and are repressive in relation to women, perpetuating ultimately degrading representations of women and assigning cultural constructs of gender roles. As H. Bertens writes in ‘Literary Theory: The Basics’, women are traditionally seen with “helplessness and renouncing all ambition and desire”, where “female independence…gets a strongly negative connotation”. However, Lionel Shriver’s ‘We Need to Talk...

Theme of Motherhood in Toni Morrison’s Novel ‘Beloved’'

3 Pages 1577 Words
Toni Morrison’s ‘Beloved’ revolves around Sethe, a former slave who lives in a haunted house at 124 Bluestone Road. Sethe’s past is complicated: her two sons abandoned her, and her house is haunted by an abusive ghost that everyone believes is the spirit of Sethe’s dead daughter. As the book furthers, it is released that Sethe herself killed her daughter,...

Home and Belonging in 'Everyday Use'

1 Page 575 Words
The theme of home and belonging is a wide theme, as has manifested in a number of stories. This is because home, being a central aspect of human existence, gets us thinking of such things as shelter and comfort. By definition, a home is where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family (Oxforddictionaries.com). According to this definition,...

Theme of Home in NoViolet Bulawayo’s ‘We Need New Names’

3 Pages 1438 Words
“In America, roads are like the devil’s hands, like God’s love, reaching all over, just the sad thing is, they won’t really take me home. There are two homes inside my head: home before Paradise, and home in Paradise; home one and home two. Home one was best. A real house. Father and Mother having good jobs. Plenty of food...

Concept of Home in the Novel 'The Golden Age': Critical Essay

2 Pages 1052 Words
In ‘The Golden Age’, the author Joan London explores the concept of ‘home’ in the novel. In the text, London expands the meaning of home to be a place that offers a sense of shelter and belonging and permeates love and warmth. Through various characters, London posits the idea that while it is difficult to replace people’s physical home, yet...

Odysseus and His Heroism: Critical Essay

2 Pages 1002 Words
Is Odysseus a true hero as popular opinion would have us believe, due to the crucial role he played in winning the Trojan War and returning home to his kingdom, Ithaca? Or is he a self-serving leader with numerous faults? In Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’, Odysseus is portrayed as a hero, but, when one examines his quest, actions, deeds, and various...

Theme of Heroism in Homer's ‘The Iliad’: Critical Essay

1 Page 613 Words
In ‘The Iliad’, Homer explained that various characters displayed traits of heroism. A hero is a person who puts their life up for the greater good of other people. They also, could be a person who you would look up to as role model for yourself. The characteristics that various gods displayed in ‘The Iliad’ by Homer were honor and...

Critical Essay on Heroism in Homer's 'Iliad': Hector Vs. Achilles

2 Pages 905 Words
Before I begin to compare the heroism between Hector and Achilles and pick a winner, I want to talk about the difference between a hero and a superhero. A hero can be anyone. Any man without an eye, without an arm or even without a big brain can be a hero. Because being hero doesn't require physical strength, anyone can...

Concept of Heroism in Mary Shelley’s Novel ‘Frankenstein’

4 Pages 1748 Words
In this essay I aim to discuss and analyze the concept of heroism in Mary Shelley’s gothic novel ‘Frankenstein’. I will also discuss the way in which both Frankenstein and his monster are heroes. Furthermore, I will explore the different archetypes of heroes, e.g., the romantic hero, the tragic hero, the Byronic hero and the anti-hero. Additionally, I will discuss...

Heroism in The Longest Memory and Black Diggers: Character Analysis

2 Pages 689 Words
The novel ‘The Longest Memory’ written by Fred D’Aguiar and Tom Wright’s play ‘Black Diggers’ explore the racist domination of our past societies. When faced with difficult circumstances, people can either make the easy choice: to ignore it and carry on, or to face the problem head on and put the safety and well-being of others first, despite jeopardizing their...
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