Literary Criticism essays

1409 samples in this category

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3 Pages 1360 Words
The short story “Araby” 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 Brother’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...
ArabyLiterary CriticismShort Story
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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 Fitzgerald’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....
Literary CriticismMarxismMarxist Criticism
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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 “better”. Art has always been an outlet for people to express their...
Critical ThinkingLiterary CriticismTolkien
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2 Pages 1034 Words
Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird (1960), is considered a classic text because it consists of these elements; there is insight into the time in which it was set; the 1930’s, at the time of the pre-civil rights movement. It also fits into the place it is set in; in the state of Alabama in the fictional town of...
2 Pages 971 Words
Mark Twain called the late 19th century the 'Gilded Age.' By this, he meant that the period was glittering on the surface but corrupt underneath. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book “The Great Gatsby '' is a story about a man who is constantly chasing a dream yet not seeing the crumbling reality behind it. The illusions and lies are always changing...
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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 Celie’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...
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4 Pages 1623 Words
The Literature ‘Top Girls’ by Caryl Churchill is shaped by the concern of women in work throughout the play. The concern of ‘roles’ in work that women have been reinforced to take and women climbing the ladder of success in work breaking the gender hierarchy are seen in ‘Top Girls. Also shows us that one woman’s success in society does...
Critical ThinkingLiterary CriticismShort Story
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1 Page 531 Words
Cather’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. Cather’s portrayal of immigrants in this manner highlights...
Critical ThinkingLiterary CriticismMy Antonia
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5 Pages 2133 Words
Mary Shelley’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 female’s cultural power but also her biological role, and as a result, suffers the horrible consequences of it. The...
Critical ThinkingFrankensteinLiterary Criticism
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5 Pages 2467 Words
Since antiquity, we have challenged ourselves to the best of our limits, from what we can understand about the world, to the human condition. But as we gain more understanding of ourselves and the universe at large, the bolder we became and have left our traditional values. Will there be a point of understanding where we can free ourselves of...
4 Pages 1759 Words
In today’s world, cloning technology is growing at a fast rate, but is it morally correct to perform? In Aldous Huxley’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...
Brave New WorldCloningLiterary Criticism
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3 Pages 1331 Words
Mending Wall is a poem by Robert Frost. Robert Frost: Robert Frost was a leading American poet of the 19th & 20th centuries who is well known for his use of imagery in poetry. He dabbled with both farming and was also an English teacher but was always convinced that his real calling was to be a poet. He is...
Literary CriticismLiterary DevicesMetaphor
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1 Page 471 Words
In chapter one of “Invisible Man,” through his use of imagery and metaphors, Ralph Ellison conveys the premise of how vulnerable and powerless the people of color are made by the whites while living in such an unequal and racist society. Ellison describes a battle royal scene in which a group of 10 young black boys was blindfolded, stripped, and...
Literary CriticismLiterary DevicesMetaphor
like 139
3 Pages 1028 Words
Humans have relied on cultural and traditional stories forever.  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....
Literary Criticism
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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 novel’s first edition credits the fictitious and titular Robinson Crusoe as the story’s true author. In order to add validity to the claim of Crusoe acting as the work’s author, Defoe crafts an entire preface featuring a fake...
Literary CriticismRobinson Crusoe
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4 Pages 1809 Words
Nilanjana Sudeshna “Jhumpa” 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...
Literary CriticismReading BooksThe Namesake
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3 Pages 1506 Words
Of Mice and Men: Steinbeck’s Controversial Novel Some of the most iconic novels in American Literature are those that are shrouded in controversy, and John Steinbeck’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...
Literary CriticismOf Mice and Men
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4 Pages 1656 Words
“Suicide as a deviant way of success: A study of Psychosocial approach in the Death of a Salesmen” Arthur Miller’s ”Death of a Salesman” 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 ‘financial depression’ when the USA is held between the great world...
Death of a SalesmanLiterary Criticism
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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...
Literary CriticismNovel
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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...
GrendelLiterary Criticism
like 432
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...
Literary CriticismRobinson Crusoe
like 290
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 Kubrick’s protagonists live in a world where individuals are subjected to...
Catch 22Literary Criticism
like 251
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 child’s struggle in Afghanistan. Mariam’s...
A Thousand Splendid SunsLiterary Criticism
like 236
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...
Literary CriticismThe Cask of Amontillado
like 64
2 Pages 1132 Words
Both Voltaire’s satiric novel Candide and Frederick Douglass’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 Candide’s journey...
CandideLiterary Criticism
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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...
Brave New WorldLiterary CriticismReading Books
like 251
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...
Literary CriticismRomeo and Juliet
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2 Pages 780 Words
‘The lust for power and control brings out the worst in us.’ 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, Jack’s everlasting desire of control leads to catastrophic impacts. Similarly, in Shakespeare's 'Macbeth', Macbeth’s devastating acts and...
Literary CriticismLord of The Flies
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3 Pages 1523 Words
There is a man who is known for the tales he has sown, told to children young and almost full-grown. One is a cat that wears a hat, another a Horton that hears a who, and a Grinch who stole Christmas got a new heart, too. He was a Dr. named Seuss, but not a doctor at all. Just a...
BiographyLiterary CriticismReading Books
like 222
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