Literary Criticism essays

1412 samples in this category

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3 Pages 1360 Words
The short story ā€œArabyā€ is about an unnamed young boy living with his aunt and uncle in Dublin, Ireland. The boy lives on a quiet, blind street with several houses and the Christian Brotherā€™s school, which the boy attends. He likes looking through the belongings left behind by the former tenant of his house, a priest who died in the...
2 Pages 993 Words
Literary theories provide limitless perspectives on the way individuals read the text making each interpretation unique. Through different literary criticisms, individuals appreciate Fitzgeraldā€™s portrayal of a theme, event, or character in The Great Gatsby. The Marxist theory analyzes the amount of power in numerous socioeconomic classes, the consequences of these power differences, and the interactions between characters from different classes....
4 Pages 1614 Words
The transition of how women are perceived from the 20th century to then, post-modern times is differential and quite arguably, dramatic. In both 'A Streetcar Named Desire' and 'Catcher In The Rye' there is a significant pattern of subversion against stereotypes, specifically women. More specifically, this is shown through the contrast of both female protagonists in 'A Streetcar Named Desire',...
1 Page 561 Words
Segregation has been rooted in society since the start of civilization. It has been more than just a simple means of separation based on skin color. It is more based on the differences in moral values between each race, and the values that are considered more accepted and ā€œbetterā€. Art has always been an outlet for people to express their...
4 Pages 1632 Words
The Color Purple by Alice Walker strongly portrays the acts of Religion, Domestic violence, and Women/Femininity. Domestic violence shapes every aspect of Celieā€™s life in The Color Purple; it keeps her isolated and fearful of the world around her. This circumstance drives the plot and paints a reasonable picture of what life may have been similar to inside an African...
1 Page 531 Words
Catherā€™s view of immigration encompasses a perspective that points out foreign distinctions of immigrants but also upholds an overarching sentiment of empathy and admiration. There are evident cultural differences, challenges of societal integration, financial struggles, unfortunate pasts, and brutal suicides. Conversely, there are also numerous fond memories and successes for immigrant characters. Catherā€™s portrayal of immigrants in this manner highlights...
5 Pages 2133 Words
Mary Shelleyā€™s Frankenstein, a gothic epistolary novel, is a narrative of a scientist who in his quest to create life and therefore achieve personal greatness, assumes the role of God. He creates life in a laboratory, thus eliminating not only the femaleā€™s cultural power but also her biological role, and as a result, suffers the horrible consequences of it. The...
4 Pages 1759 Words
In todayā€™s world, cloning technology is growing at a fast rate, but is it morally correct to perform? In Aldous Huxleyā€™s novel, Brave New World, the concept of cloning is covered. Cloning can be performed on humans and animals, but in our society, there is usually controversy associated with cloning for several reasons. The use of cloning in society today...
3 Pages 1031 Words
Humans have relied on cultural and traditional stories forever.Ā  Throughout history, stories ranging from epic sagas to current literary works by authors such as J.K. Rowling have captivated, motivated, and challenged our ideas. Literary critics play Crime Scene Analysts, tracing patterns and meanings in texts with trained eyes. We discover extra levels of meaning when we examine them more attentively....
1 Page 568 Words
By masquerading as an autobiography, Robinson Crusoe attempts to blur the lines between fact and fiction. Although written by Daniel Defoe, the novelā€™s first edition credits the fictitious and titular Robinson Crusoe as the storyā€™s true author. In order to add validity to the claim of Crusoe acting as the workā€™s author, Defoe crafts an entire preface featuring a fake...
4 Pages 1809 Words
Nilanjana Sudeshna ā€œJhumpaā€ Lahiri born on July 11, 1967, is a contemporary Indian American author based in New York City. She is best known for her short stories, novels, and essays in English, and, more recently in Italian. She has been a Vice President of the PEN American Center since 2005. She contributed a lot to the Diasporic writings and...
3 Pages 1506 Words
Of Mice and Men: Steinbeckā€™s Controversial Novel Some of the most iconic novels in American Literature are those that are shrouded in controversy, and John Steinbeckā€™s Of Mice and Men is no exception to this list. Steinbeck paints a realistic image of what life would be like for farmers during the great depression while providing an intriguing narrative of a...
4 Pages 1656 Words
ā€œSuicide as a deviant way of success: A study of Psychosocial approach in the Death of a Salesmenā€ Arthur Millerā€™s ā€Death of a Salesmanā€ portrays the miserable conditions inflicting the lives between lower-class people and upper-class people during the 1940s in America. The story setting takes back to the ā€˜financial depressionā€™ when the USA is held between the great world...
6 Pages 2586 Words
Strength can be subjective whether it's physical to mental it all has the same great importance. In my opinion, the most important strength is moral and spiritual strength. I think this because when you have a strong grounding in your own values and spiritual morals everything else comes and falls into place. Things like physical strength and mental strength come...
2 Pages 1111 Words
Zac Efron will be portraying the beast villain, Grendel, in the 2019 reboot of the Anglo-Saxon epic poem BEOWULF, and many people are speculating if the choice was right. While most people view Zac as the comedic relief or the Epic Hero, the directors of this new version have decided to take a different route and choose someone who they...
2 Pages 988 Words
Protestant work ethic is a sociological concept developed by Max Weber in 1904-05. He looked at economic developments in regions of Europe and concluded that it was the result of religious belief that led them to success or failure. He suggested that Protestantism promoted a way of life and a daily code of conduct that pushed it ahead of Catholic...
2 Pages 1007 Words
The moment we laugh at something for the first time is the moment we change its truth value, undermining its solemnity, its accuracy, its authority, and become free to discard it. This is the effect Joseph Heller and Stanley Kubrick intended to evoke in their respective satires. Heller and Kubrickā€™s protagonists live in a world where individuals are subjected to...
2 Pages 1034 Words
Major characters in A Thousand Splendid Suns are Mariam, Laila, Rasheed, and Tariq. Secondary and supporting characters can be seen in this book as the parents, friends, and children of our main characters. Mariam is the first main character that we get to know in the book. Her beginning story is that of an illegitimate childā€™s struggle in Afghanistan. Mariamā€™s...
1 Page 451 Words
The elements in the story that can be seen as humorous are when the narrator starts describing Fortunato he uses words as quack but fixes it up saying that he was sincere. He also described Fortunato when he was drunk, giving elements of humor to his clothing and the way he treated the narrator. Characteristics of the short story form...
2 Pages 1132 Words
Both Voltaireā€™s satiric novel Candide and Frederick Douglassā€™s autobiographical Narrative shows the life of two men. Each young man experiences injustices in the course of his development. Candide faces his struggles by seeking material gain. Douglass faces his by discovering and applying his inner strength to find reliable sources to aid him in his journey. The result of Candideā€™s journey...
2 Pages 1007 Words
The debate among English teachers in Bataan Peninsula State University-Balanga Campus whether it is the standard to use literary theory to teach the literature for undergraduate with the specialization of English. In a mandated curriculum for undergraduate English majors there are typical textbooks for literature class. Those different textbook have almost the same structure, bibliographical information about the author, brief...
2 Pages 865 Words
The film Romeo and Juliet, 1996, displays the Shakespearean play in a modernised world, the film is set in Los Angeles, and various modern props are used, such as guns and cars. Similar to the play, the film presents the rebellious feud between two rival families: the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo and Juliet have some underlying themes and ideas...
2 Pages 780 Words
ā€˜The lust for power and control brings out the worst in us.ā€™ The longing for power and control can bring out the worst in mankind. The lust for power and control can lead to immense devastation. In William Golding's, Lord of the Flies, Jackā€™s everlasting desire of control leads to catastrophic impacts. Similarly, in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', Macbethā€™s devastating acts and...
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