Literary Criticism essays

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The prison industrial complex is a term used to describe the massive increase in prison population across the nation due to a rapid increase in privatized prisons, and big businesses that supply different goods and services to these private prisons for profit. Angela Davis describes the prison industrial complex as the government and certain industries having an overlapping interest in policing, surveillance, and imprisonment as their solution to solve economic, social, and political problems going on in the country. The...
1 Page 609 Words
Shakespeare uses symbolism to depict ambition and express Macbeth’s inner conflict which he encounters subsequently from his actions. Blood is a symbol of the way Shakespeare displays ambition throughout the play as blood illustrates the change in Macbeth’s character. At the start of the play, blood is a representation of Macbeth’s loyalty and honor. Throughout the development of the play, Macbeth deceives King Duncan and murders him, where the blood is presently connected with the homicide and Macbeth’s untruthfulness and...
1 Page 681 Words
It’s easy to think that the world, or your world, would be a better place if everything were “perfect”. Each of us has our own perspective as to what “perfection” means. We see the rules, problems, and scenarios of life and have ideas about the change we want to see. This is true today, especially in the political arena, but it isn’t a new concept. We see the way George Orwell portrays this in his book, Animal Farm. When a...
2 Pages 948 Words
In Judith Jarvis Thomson's excellent essay “A Defense of Abortion” she asserts that even if a fetus is a person at conception, some abortions should be moral permissibility. At the start of her eloquent essay, Thomson acknowledges that a fetus has a right to life as it is considered a person at conception. The real lesson about the fetus's right to life is not that killing a fetus is always wrong but killing it unjustly is always wrong (Vaughn pg....
5 Pages 2132 Words
The American Dream or a False Promise? Countless generations have been dreaming of an equitable America… but, as Rehnuma Tarannum writes, it’s time to wake up. The American dream apparently captures our faith in progression, opportunity, and prosperity. It represents hopes for a large and stable middle class. Every single person, would go to college, and become a homeowner and children would always live better than their parents. Who could oppose this supposedly utopian ideal? Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald and...
3 Pages 1559 Words
The American dream is a goal that is attainable with time, hard work, and perseverance. Four percent of people who are born into a lower class rise to the top to become the top one percent of America’s earners. It is called the American dream because it seems that it is impossible to reach but if someone strives for it they can achieve it. The American dream is difficult, but possible, to attain, as exemplified in The Great Gatsby through...
1 Page 568 Words
“Yellow skin, black lips, and a shriveled complexion” are all gruesome descriptions of the monster in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The monster’s ugly appearance is frightening to society, and the people see him as something less than human, or as an “other.” Victor Frankenstein, a well-known scientist in society, becomes isolated and decides to create a companion for himself that has similar personality traits. Victor’s creature represents society’s rejection of people (including himself) who don’t fit within social norms, which leads...
2 Pages 1137 Words
Complex Culture in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Example In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe the author teaches us how the Ibo and are both uncivilized in their own ways. The Ibo are uncivilized in their technology. While are uncivilized in their worldview and the way they treat other people. The text states He had an old rusty gun made by a clever blacksmith who came to live in Umofia long ago pg.38. This shows how technologically primitive...
5 Pages 2210 Words
Juliet expresses her love for Romeo by stating “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny is saddened by the fact that Romeo and her are star-crossed lovers because Romeo is Juliet's only love. Their families are enemies therefore, they are bound to be apart forever. Juliet does not want Romeo to be a Montague, she can see that Montague is merely a name and has little to do with who he is as a person. She realizes that one...
4 Pages 1881 Words
SHYLOCK I hate him for he is a Christian, But more for that in low simplicity He lends out money gratis and brings down The rate of usance here with us in Venice. If I can catch him once upon the hip, I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him. He hates our sacred nation, and he rails, Even there where merchants most do congregate, On me, my bargains, and my well-won thrift, Which he calls 'interest.' Cursèd...
2 Pages 893 Words
An assorted number of women have a very important and influential role in the Odyssey, which for most of the poem, is about Odysseus's adventures and his voyage to come home, a journey complicated by women and their interests. The women in The Odyssey are a great example of what women in ancient Greek culture went through. For the Greeks, The Odyssey was more than just an amusing story about adventure, intrigue, and revenge, but a cultural model or example...
2 Pages 764 Words
The idea of revenge as a means of catharsis in Shakespeare’s The Tempest is revealed in the prison setting of Hag-Seed through the characterization of the prisoners and Felix. Prospero’s magical performance on the island enables his discovery of an ethic of forgiveness and eventually the relinquishment of the control he has over others through renouncing his magical powers thus reflecting Shakespeare’s idea of revenge as a means of catharsis. After the politicians enter the green room and eat Felix’s...
3 Pages 1470 Words
The creator authentic Heathcliff into a consummate villain. He used to be a gypsy of discrimination with a darkish and soiled appearance and being dressed in rags. His photographs used to be portrayed with the aid of the usage of skill of the author from three stages. The first stage used to be Heathcliff's definite arrival at Wuthering Heights. At that time, he was once gloomy and endurable even going through Snyder's fists. Because of that, Heathcliff hated Snyder very...
2 Pages 1114 Words
I do believe outsiders are simply those who are misunderstood or misjudged. For example, Steve Jobs was an odd man. He even agreed that he was an outsider, and he still was a very successful man. (How Steve Jobs’ differences ended up changing the world for all of us). That's just one example showing that those who may be successful today, or that you can relate to today were not always popular. It seems that outsiders happen to be misjudged...
1 Page 488 Words
The Scholarship Jacket is a short story full of emotion and conflict by Martha Salinas. She has written various short stories that have been published in collections and journals, her most popular story being ‘The Scholarship Jacket’. The main character of the story, Martha, is a young and frail-looking girl who is highly intellectual. She lives with her grandparents in a small town in Texas as her parents were unable to afford to raise eight children. Although she isn’t raised...
1 Page 456 Words
What are human experiences? Well, people have different definitions of what a human experience is. In my opinion, a human experience is when someone does something that could be good as it could be bad, and by doing something they can learn if they should do it again or if it was a bad idea and not to repeat it again. A human experience also includes mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical characteristics of human life. The two texts that will...
1 Page 499 Words
Pi's multiculturalism and abstract mindset have been seen through his numerous beliefs and solid qualities likewise mirror that of post pioneers. Generally speaking, Life of Pi from numerous points of view shows a solid association and joins the idea of postmodernism into the novel in different manners. I totally agree that Life of Pi relates to post-modernism and even more in order that Yann Martel purposely creates paradoxes to form you define the word 'truth” with regard to the book...
3 Pages 1368 Words
Appearances often hide reality is a significant part of the play, revealing the tragedy in which the characters must cloak up their nature, indicating things are not always as they seem. The reality of someone can be changed depending on their desires and ambitions. Shakespeare presents appearance as a visual outforward form of what we see, where reality is what is actually going on. Appearance vs. reality is presented in Macbeth, changing the flow of the play, allowing us to...
1 Page 535 Words
Marxist philosophy believes that society views the world by way of a purely financial lens. Marxism dictates that society is separated into two classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie makes use of ideology to suppress the proletariat in the major with the useful resource of manipulating their perceptions of their free agency. One ideology that the greater type perpetuates onto the working class is consumerism. Consumerism is the faith that the notable objects that one acquires can beautify...
4 Pages 1665 Words
Recalled... “Things Fall Apart is a novel written by a Nigerian author Chinua Achebe. Published in 1958, its story chronicles pre-colonial life in the south-eastern part of Nigeria and the arrival of the Europeans during the late nineteenth century.” The novel serves as a mirror to me; I’m from West Africa, Liberia. I came to the United States as an exchange student when I was sixteen. The older I got; I was also able to understand some of the beliefs...
3 Pages 1257 Words
Science played a major role in Pi’s survival during his journey. Life of Pi is a book written by Yann Martel which was based on a sixteen-year-old boy by the name of Piscine Molitor Patel. The main themes of this book are belief, science, and religion, telling a story of survival and coming of age. There are few characters whether real or fictional who believe as strongly as Pi does in both science and religion which are two central themes...
3 Pages 1396 Words
For a long time, the colonial discourses have Africa and African humans very badly; they justify their colonial mission by way of portraying a faux image of African people. Postcolonial writers such as Chinua Achebe produced an anti-colonial discourse to withstand these colonial stereotyped pics and to show that Africans are equal to different nations and have a wealthy subculture and heritage. In his novel, Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe depicts the pre-colonial Igbo existence by means of using African...
2 Pages 993 Words
For this essay, I will be choosing the character Okonkwo. Similarly, as his dad was inconsistent with the estimations of the network around him, so too does Okonkwo become incapable of adjusting to changing occasions as the white man comes to live among the Umuofians So pretending that I'm Okonkwo and the missionaries and commissioners come I would not agree with what they are doing. When these Westerners came Okankwo was not there at the tribe's village because he was...
2 Pages 793 Words
Democracy gives one many rights, but when they are taken away; it creates a system where the only people prospering are the ones making the laws. Animal Farm is a symbolic novella by George Orwell. It is a story about the evolution of Communism in Russia, with each animal representing a different social class of that time period. Benjamin is a donkey on the Manor Farm, which was later known as the Animal Farm. He is one of the oldest...
2 Pages 709 Words
If we were to combine strong leadership with strong workers, what could we achieve? It has been proven time and time again, that we as a human race have the capacity to stand up against times of crisis. Whether it be famine, hunger, or natural disasters, time and time again have we seen humanity stand firm together in times of need. Strong leaders make for strong people. But what happens when leadership turns corrupt? What damage is done to society...
2 Pages 1035 Words
The quest to find one’s path and beliefs is a very convoluted journey. Whether or not one chooses to believe in something or not is solely up to them. In the novel, The Life of Pi believability is a key idea as the protagonist sixteen-year-old Pi Patel survives 227 days at sea on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. At the beginning of the novel, in the author’s note, the author stumbles across a man named Francis Adirubasamy who tells...
2 Pages 846 Words
Death of a Salesman was written by Arthur Miller. Arthur Miller was an American playwright and essayist in 20th-century American Theater He was born on October 17, 1915, in Harlem, New York, United States, and died at the age of 89 years old, February 10, 2005. Arthur’s father was Isidore Miller and her mother was Augusta Miller. Arthur Miller was also the author of “The Crucible” and “All My Sons” these are some of his famous plays. Arthur Miller graduated...
2 Pages 804 Words
A Perfect World: Would Clover’s idea from George Orwell’s ​Animal Farm​ be Feasible or a Fiasco? Clover, from Orwell’s ​Animal Farm, originally believed that the reformed farm would be a perfect world. In her mind, all animals would work peacefully alongside each other to benefit them all. Soon after Napoleon became the sole leader on the farm, his ulterior motives became clear and the originally ‘perfect’ animal farm became the breeding ground for propaganda and suspicion. The so-called ‘perfect’ world...
1 Page 591 Words
In this last passage of the novel Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe declares that stories told from an outside perspective that neglects to delve into the culture are often incorrect. The actions and events within a culture can be easily misunderstood without full understanding. It is important to note how the last paragraph is written from the District Commissioners’ point of view. Achebe does this to show how the white men have taken over, and the story he is telling...
1 Page 460 Words
Death of a Salesman is a play written by Arthur Miller in 1949. The play focuses on the last 24 hours of the main character, Willy Loman's life. It also shows flashbacks which include memories that Willy has experienced. In this essay, I will analyze the main themes along with the structure of the play and how the characters are revealed within the text. The main themes in this essay are betrayal, abandonment, the American Dream, and family. As a...
4 Pages 1643 Words
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