Literature Essays

... samples in this category

Essay examples
Essay topics

An Analysis of Racial Injustice Through the Novels 'Holes' and 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

In this essay I will discuss a crucial topic that does occur on a daily basis, which is racism. Racism is a term used to describe the views and actions of an ethnic group of people towards another based on the idea that the two groups are distinguished by ‘race’ and that the group with racist views believes itself to be superior to the other. Racial injustice remains a real vulnerability in our democracy, one that foreign powers are only...
1 Page 656 Words

The Theme of Human Conflict Between Aspirations and Social Responsibility in R.Dobson's 'Cock Crow' and J.Joyce's 'Eveline'

“One life behind and one before, and I that stood between”, - wrote Rosemary Dobson in her poem 'Cock Crow'. This illustrates the universal human experience of paradox between individual's aspirations and their social responsibility which confronts us all. Dobson's poem 'Cock Crow' examines the inner struggle of a young mum who is overwhelmed by domestic duties and yearning to know what lays beyond. The entrapment arising from conforming to societal expectations can shapes a women's life as clearly expressed...
1 Page 516 Words

Key Idea and Purpose of Walt Whitman’s Poem ‘A Noiseless Patient Spider’

In Walt Whitman’s poem, ‘A Noiseless Patient Spider’, Whitman explores the idea of a reserved individual taking on the unknown of his/her new step in life. The poem is voiced subjectively by an individual who has already reached the desired stance in his/her life. This speaker is attempting to reach many other individuals who have achieved their desired position life and now have no idea where to go from there. The poem’s purpose is to try to radiate inspiration and...
1 Page 409 Words

The Importance of Robert Louis Stevenson's Novel 'The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'

'Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind' is a well-known quote from Albert Einstein. Gothic literature is defined as a style of writing that utilizes a dark and picturesque setting, astonishing and melodramatic narrative devices while also having an atmosphere that is full of mystery, exoticism, fear and dread. In this essay I will discuss the importance of ‘The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde’, written by the Robert Louis-Stevenson in 1886. In Victorian England religion and...
3 Pages 1255 Words

Meaning of the Room Image in Virginia Woolf's ‘A Room of One’s Own’

‘A Room of One’s Own’ by Virginia Woolf is one of the most-read books even though it was written over ninety years ago. At the same time, this same book continues to gain more popularity and recognition in different spheres of life. The justification for its continued prominence and success is the fact that it addresses a societal issue that is yet to be harmonized. The main theme of this book in on empowering women financially for them to become...
2 Pages 843 Words

Guns Don’t Kill People, People Do

What is violence? The definition of violence is behavior involving mental or physical force intended to hurt, damage, or destroy someone or something. There are many beliefs as to why man is violent. One belief is that man is born violent and knows no other way. Another being that man is born with no violence known to them and it is learned in many different ways and aspects. The last belief being that man is born pure but violence is...
2 Pages 726 Words

Kurt Vonnegut’s “So It Goes” as a Mantra of Resignation and Acceptance

Throughout the novel ‘Slaughterhouse Five’, Kurt Vonnegut uses the phrase “so it goes”. At times used tragically, at other times absurdly, this phrase, repeated more than 100 times, comes to represent the occurrence of death in the novel. As the phrase follows every mention of death, it conveys a sense of fatalism during wartime. The idea of death is strongly connected to this statement and the constant repetition of the phrase makes readers question the meaning of death and the...
2 Pages 879 Words

Reflection of William Blake's Attitude to Society in the Poem 'London'

Romanticism was the period of time which extended from 1750 to 1870. The major areas in the world vanguarding the movement were Europe, United States of America and Latin America. This movement was countering the rules of law formulas and was embracing imagination, subjectivity, freedom, expression and idealization of nature. During the Romanticism many writers were involved such as William Blake, William Wordsworth and others. They showed their support to the movement through illustrations and writings. Romanticism preferred the use...
1 Page 561 Words

The Advantages and Disadvantages to Ritzer's Four Dimensions of McDonaldization

McDonaldization is a fast growing process being implemented in numerous businesses worldwide. With all business tactics there come pros and cons along with outcomes that were predicted or perhaps not foreseen. In this essay I plan to analyse the advantages and disadvantages to Ritzer's four dimensions of McDonaldization and respond to his ideas. To begin, I think we should discuss what McDonaldization is. McDonaldization is commonly understood as “when a society adopts the characteristics of a fast-food restaurant”. The developer...
2 Pages 1098 Words

Arthur Miller's ‘The Crucible’ as a Protest Against Communist Hysteria of McCarthyism and HUAC Actions

Arthur Miller utilises his literary masterpiece ‘The Crucible’ as a vehicle to expose to the audience that maintaining personal integrity requires great courage and strength in the face of hysteria and frenzy and refusing to name names can come at a high cost, especially amidst an autocratic rule. He does this through thoughtful characterisation, symbolism, language, allegory, imagery and characters’ moral dilemmas. Arthur Miller's outstanding 1953 play, effectively utilises allegory to draw parallels between the period of McCarthyism within the...
2 Pages 936 Words

Enduring Narratives of Robert Louis Stevenson’s and Gwen Harwood’s Bifurcated Protagonists

Enduring narratives play a powerful role in challenging social and cultural expectations through the manifesting in social divisions which reflect a particular type of literary characterisation, the bifurcated protagonist. This is demonstrated through in social divisions illustrated within the characterisation of a bifurcated protagonist, and also in the use of setting to generalise divisions to each composer’s social context. Respectively, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Victorian sci-fi narrative ‘Strange Case’ depicts divisions between social classes through the characterisation of Hyde and Jekyll...
2 Pages 786 Words

Narratives That Shape Our World

Narratives have been universally told since the beginning of human existence because they highlight social issues, shaped by their contexts. ‘Purple Hibiscus’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and the film, ‘The Color Purple’ directed by Stephen Spielberg are no exceptions of such narratives. Through analysing and comparing narratives, truths about society- both previous and current are revealed. Such narratives allow future generations to be well-versed of the hardships endured by their ancestors. The two narratives highlight the issues endured by Black...
2 Pages 818 Words

Reflections on the Problem of Abuse of Power

We are not so different today as in the Seventeenth Century. People in positions of power abusing their positions is as prevalent today as it was then. ‘The Crucible’ is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay. Abuse of power is using power and authority for personal gain, and it is twice as bad when it causes an ill effect on other...
2 Pages 881 Words

The Marginalization of African-American Women in Society

Literature and films have the power to change the way we perceive others, specifically those who are at the edges of society. The representation of African-American women, in the past, have revealed that they have been exploited in numerous ways. The Black Women Civil Right Movement in the 1950s significantly contributed to the fight for African-American civil rights. It is solemnly important that all young people are taught to have an open mind towards people of different races, religions and...
3 Pages 1432 Words

Criticism of the Current Systems in Society by Orson Scott Card in ‘Ender’s Game’ and Michael Bay in ‘The Island’

Film and book composers are showing their concerns for the future by over-exaggerating the future. They are showing us faults that our world has by exaggerating the consequences of our actions. ‘Ender’s Game’ written by Orson Scott Card is a novel about militarism and ‘The Island’ directed by Michael Bay is a film about the will to live. Although our world right now is doing fine, dystopian literature serves as a form of criticism of the current systems in society...
2 Pages 1007 Words

The Story and Character Development of Gregor Samsa in ‘The Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka

‘The Metamorphosis’, by Franz Kafka, is story about Gregor Samsa who is a traveling salesman forced to keep his job in order to pay off his father’s debts and to support his family. There is a great change in the character’s physical appearance considering he wakes up as a giant insect. Gregor goes through many challenges and unusual situations in the story but seems as if he only cares about being able to work for his family, and almost completely...
3 Pages 1198 Words

Rich Dad, Poor Dad' and Robert Kiyosaki's Lessons Leading to Wealth

Author Biblography Robert Kiyosaki who wrote using Sharon L. Lechter 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' was born on 8 April 1947 in Hilo, who was in the area of Hawaii at the time. He is the oldest son of Ralp H.Kiyosaki and Marjorie O. Kiyosaki. His father was an academic opfeeder while his mother was a nurse. Robert has 2 sisters and one brother namely Emi, Beth and John.Robert not only reached an even sudden success. He attended Hoërskool Hilo and...
6 Pages 2710 Words

Critical Analysis of the Personality of Abigail Williams

‘The Crucible’ is a 1953 play by an American play writer, Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch hunt trials that took place in Massachusetts in 1692. One of the main characters of the play, Abigail Williams is one the main character in the play who is the antagonist and involved in most of the conflicts because she represents the theme off jealousy. She is a victim of what is happening in her...
2 Pages 1104 Words

Climbing Everest: the Transformation of Mountaineering from Personal Exploration to a Commercial Guided-Tour Industry

On the evening of May 9, 1996, large groups of climbers stationed at Camp IV, situated 8,000 meters on the South Col route of Mount Everest, were preparing summit the peak of the world’s highest mountain. Throughout the day a series of dangerously high winds had persisted, and the windows of opportunity for summiting were narrowing drastically. When the winds began to calm down in the evening, the climbers advanced on the opportunity and embarked on the 18 to 24...
7 Pages 3090 Words

The Legend of King Arthur in British Literature

The mysterious story of King Arthur is one of the fantastic topics of British writing. Anyway is there any validness at the rear of the illustration and why has it come to be so compelling all as the centuries progressed? The King Arthur that we ken nowadays is a lot of various legends, indited through elite creators, at particular examples. They're totally cumulated through the not unwonted theme that King Arthur transformed into a fifth century British trendy who battled...
3 Pages 1222 Words

Huckleberry Finn's Journey of Self-Discovery and Independence from Society

In ‘The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ by Mark Twain, Huck Finn embarks on a journey of self-discovery and independence from society. The narrative acts as a bildungsroman, a story of maturation, where a series of adventures lead Huck to overcoming and understanding bigotry in society. He shows he is disconnecting from society with his realization that Jim is important to him, despite Jim being a slave. Huck continuously conforms to social pressures, always following the people around him; however, he...
3 Pages 1182 Words

Comparison of Shakespeare’s Rosalind and Viola in 'As You Like It'

Rosalind and Viola are seen as a dominant and independent figure in Shakespeare’s plays. Because, each exemplifies the power and intelligence to confront other characters with their gender-based disguises. They use their disguises as a way to take control of the romantic aspects in their lives, and they engage into different roles with the ability to defy the constraints that the society imposes on women during the Elizabethan period. In Shakespeare’s play, female characters obtain more power and freedom within...
3 Pages 1337 Words

Nature as an Element of Inspiration and Ideological Freedom in W.Wordsworth's and S.T.Coleridge's Works

The nineteenth century romantic movement promoted nature as an element of inspiration and ideological freedom. From William Wordsworth to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, to Lord Byron, to John Keats, the romantics envisioned a new form of poetic expression that deviated from older standards. Wordsworth and Coleridge, in particular, shared a desire to explore poetic expression that elevated both nature and the magical human insight. They were distinguished by their agreement in which Wordsworth accepted to write about nature that gave “the...
2 Pages 727 Words

Nel's Personal Development in the Novel 'Sula' by Toni Morrison

Imagine swinging through 192 pages and realizing your assumptions led you stray? Oddly enough, Toni Morrison’s plot has a plethora of twists and happens to deceive us from the instant we set our eyes on the cover. With the novel being titled ‘Sula’, when we first hear her name in the readings, we automatically click to thinking she's the main character. However, due to the changes and pains that Nel endures throughout the novel, the way that Sula's actions affect...
2 Pages 753 Words

Analysis of ‘Hercules and Deianira’ by Antonio del Pollaiuolo

The universal definition of art states that it is “(1) something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings; (2) the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power” (Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary, 2020). The beauty of art is controversial to the eyes of others. This can be...
2 Pages 1081 Words

Types of Investors Based on 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' by Robert Kiyosaki

Different investment avenues are to be had to buyers. Mutual budget also offers correct investment opportunities to the investors.Like all investments, they also bring positive dangers. The traders must compare the dangers and predicted yields after adjustment of tax on numerous units at the same time as taking investment choices. The investors might also are seeking for advice from professionals and specialists consisting of dealers and vendors of mutual budget schemes at the same time as making funding choices. In...
2 Pages 999 Words

Arthur Miller's Vision of John Proctor' Personality in his Novel 'The Crucible'

In the beginning of the play, Miller introduces the character John Proctor as an individual that remains unalterable with Proctor’s stance on honesty and integrity, unlike the narrow-minded Salem community. In Act I, Miller presents John Proctor as a bold man, standing up to hypocrites. Further on, Proctor argues with the Putnams and Reverend Parris due to bizarre accusations about witchcraft. Miller exhibits John Proctor's indications that Putnam cannot chide the devil for his children's deaths arguing. “I see none...
5 Pages 2174 Words

Prejudice as the Main Theme of Harper Lee's Novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird'

The novel ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ by Harper Lee demonstrates a large extent of prejudice that prevents us from seeing the good in people. A person will never really understand another until they look at things from their point of view, by stepping in their shoes, by climbing into their skin and walking around in it. Prejudging a person will prevent them from seeing who they truly are. There is a large extent of prejudice occurring in the society of...
2 Pages 749 Words

The Ways to Conquer the Victorian Doctrine of Thomas Hardy’s and Elizabeth Gaskell’s Heroines

The authors, Thomas Hardy in ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’ (TOTD) and Elizabeth Gaskell in ‘North and South’ (NAS) convey their female protagonists as independent women who brim with confidence and reject the expectations of Victorian womanhood. Interestingly, in TOTD, Hardy does not convey Tess as a saintly paragon nor in NAS does Gaskell include experiences of serendipity in Margaret’s life but both authors allow their female protagonists to be as realistic and relatable. Through this Tess Durbeyfield and Margaret Hale...
2 Pages 1108 Words

Portrayal Women's Issues in Poems 'Still I Rise' and 'Story of an Hour'

The ‘Story of an Hour’ by Kate Chopin, takes place in the 19th century, where women had hardly any rights, no opportunities and were expected to be a stereotypical housewife. The story is based upon a married woman who has underlying heart conditions. The wife’s name is Mrs. Mallard, she was told that her husband had died, however after her grief had passed, she came to a sense of freedom and joy, this represents the theme that women are oppressed...
3 Pages 1194 Words
price Check the price of your paper
Topic
Number of pages
Email Invalid email

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Use & Privacy Policy.

Join our 150k of happy users

  • Get original paper written according to your instructions
  • Save time for what matters most
Place an order

Fair Use Policy

EduBirdie considers academic integrity to be the essential part of the learning process and does not support any violation of the academic standards. Should you have any questions regarding our Fair Use Policy or become aware of any violations, please do not hesitate to contact us via support@edubirdie.com.

Check it out!