English Essays

One Hundred Years of Solitude
One Hundred Years of Solitude Since the beginning of time, man has clung to the notion that there exists some external force that determines his destiny. In Grecian times, the epic poet Hesoid wrote of a triumvirate of mythological Fates that supposedly gave "to men at birth evil and good to have". In other words, these three granted man his destiny. Clotho "spun the thread of life", Lacheis distributed the lots, and Atropos with his "abhorred shears" would "cut the thread at ...

The Hospital Window
The Hospital Window The death of a loved one can put unimaginable stress on the loved ones of the deceased. This stress can make one's life chaotic and unpleasant for long periods of time if the mourners do not understand the death. James Dickey, who believes, "poetry is the center of the creative wheel," wrote the poem, "The Hospital Window". The relationship between mourners and death becomes apparent in this "simple 54-line poem . . . about a parent's dying as a transf...

Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice The passage which best relates the theme of Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austin, is on page 125, in the middle of the page. This is where Mr. Darcy is proposing to Elizabeth, and is informing her of the inferiority of her family and connections. This passage is significant because it is one of the few times where the characters openly acknowledge that the sole purpose of a person's life is to achieve a high salary and a high social position. It ...

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen The title of the novel Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen, can be interpreted as a theme running through the novel. Pride, observed Mary, . . . is a very common failing, I believe. By all that I have ever read, I am convinced that it is very common indeed, that human nature is particularly prone to it, and that there are very few of us who do not cherish a feeling of self-complacency on the score of some quality or another, real or imaginar...

Red Badge of Courage
Red Badge of Courage The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane traces the effects of war on a Union soldier, Henry Fleming, from his dreams of soldiering, to his actual enlistment, and through several battles of the Civil War. Henry Fleming was not happy with his boring life on the farm. He wanted to become a hero in war and have girls loving him for his glorious achievements in battle. He knew his mother would not like to see him go to war, but it was his decision to make. H...

Social Criticism in Literature
Social Criticism in Literature Many authors receive their inspiration for writing their literature from outside sources. The idea for a story could come from family, personal experiences, history, or even their own creativity. For authors that choose to write a book based on historical events, the inspiration might come from their particular viewpoint on the event that they want to dramatize. George Orwell and Charles Dickens wrote Animal Farm and A Tale of Two Cities, respecti...

After the Bomb - Book Summary
After the Bomb - Book Summary After the Bomb written by Gloria Miklowitz is a thrilling novel that takes place before, during, and after a bomb which supposedly was sent from Russia by accident. L.A. and surrounding cities are all altered by the disastrous happening. Philip Singer a teenager is in a position as leader of the family. His brother Matt is awfully sick, possibly from radiation, his father was away at work during the blast and for all Philip knows he might be de...

Anna Karenina
Anna Karenina Leo Tolstoy's novel, Anna Karenina, upon its release received a mix critical reception, with Russian critics either condemning or applauding the novel primarily on its views of Russian society. Thematically, the novel parallels its heroine's, Anna Karenina, moral and social conflicts with Constantin Levin's internal struggle to find the meaning of life. There are many others underlying themes which links the novel as a whole, yet many critics at the time only loo...

Babi Yar - Analysis of the Poem
Babi Yar - Analysis of the Poem Yevtushenko speaks in first person throughout the poem. This creates the tone of him being in the shoes of the Jews. As he says in lines 63-64, "No Jewish blood is mixed in mine, but let me be a Jew . . . " He writes the poem to evoke compassion for the Jews and make others aware of their hardships and injustices. "Only then can I call myself Russian." (lines 66-67). The poet writes of a future time when the Russian people realize that the Jews ...

Yevtushenko's Babi Yar
Yevtushenko's Babi Yar Babi Yar, a poem written by Yevgeny Yevtushenko, tells the story of the Nazi invasion into a small part of Russia, in which, throughout the duration of World War II, over one-hundred thousand Jews, Gypsies and Russian POW's were brutally murdered. However, what is unique about this particular perspective is that the narrator is not a Jew, but a mere observer who is aghast at the atrocities that took place during the Holocaust. It is through allusions, as...

The Message of Babi Yar
The Message of Babi Yar There are very few people in the world who are willing to go against the popular trends and do what they feel in their hearts is correct. But Yevgeny Yevtushenko is one of those people. In his poem Babi Yar, he tells the story of the modern persecution of the Jews, focusing on atrocities like those of the massacre at Babi Yar and the pogroms at Beilostok, and also the general anti-Semitism that killed men like Dreyfus and pervades the entire Russian peop...

Analysis of the Poem "Babi Yar"
Analysis of the Poem "Babi Yar" In the poem, Babi Yar, Yevgeny Yevtushenko does a wonderful job of paying tribute to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. He does this by portraying the history of the Jewish people. Yevtushenko also uses various literary devices to heighten the sentiment of the poem. The poem is told in the first person, by the author of the poem. In the poem it is also apparent that he is addressing all Russian citizens when he writes "O Russian people". ...

Candide - A Contrast to Optimism
Candide - A Contrast to Optimism Francois Marie Arouet de Voltaire was the French author of the novella Candide, also known as "Optimism"(Durant and Durant 724). In Candide, Voltaire sought to point out the fallacy of Gottfried William von Leibniz's theory of optimism and the hardships brought on by the resulting inaction toward the evils of the world. Voltaire's use of satire, and its techniques of exaggeration and contrast highlight the evil and brutality of war and the wo...

Candide - Voltaire's Writing Style
Candide - Voltaire's Writing Style In Candide, Voltaire uses many writing techniques which can also be found in the works of Cervantes, Alighieri, Rabelais and Moliere. The use of the various styles and conventions shows that, despite the passage of centuries and the language differences, certain writing techniques will always be effective. One common literary technique is the author's use of one or more of his characters as his 'voice' to speak out the authors views ...

The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden views the world as an evil and corrupt place where there is no peace. This perception of the world does not change significantly through the novel. However as the novel progresses, Holden gradually comes to the realization that he is powerless to change this. During the short period of Holden's life covered in this book, "Holden does succeed in making us perceive that the world is crazy".1 Shortly after Holden lea...

Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment The main character of the novel Crime and Punishment by Feodor Dostoevsky, Raskolnikov, is in reality two totally contradicting personalities. One part of him is the the intellectual. He is cold, unfeeling and inhumane. He exibits tremendous self-will. It is this side that enables him to commit the most terrible crime imaginable - taking another human life. The other part of his personality is warm and compassionate. This is the side of him that does chari...

And Then There Were None
And Then There Were None I recently read a mystery book by the name of "And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie. I read this book because I have read other books by Agatha Christie that were pretty well written. Ten people are invited to an island, called "Indian Island", by letters that were signed by people they had met before. When they got to the island, they found out that their host, U.N.Owen, had not arrived yet. At dinner, they heard a voice, accusing eac...

Crime and Punishment
Crime and Punishment In Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, Raskolnikov's dream about the mare can be used as a vehicle to probe deep into his mentality to discover how he really feels inside. The dream suggests that Raskolnikov is a "split" man; after all, his name in Russian means "split". He has a cruel and thoughtless side as well as a caring, compassionate side to his personality. Through the dream and the symbols therein, a reader can cast Raskolnikov, as well as other ...

Fahrenheit 451 & Brave New World
Fahrenheit 451 & Brave New World For more than half a century science fiction writers have thrilled and challenged readers with visions of the future and future worlds. These authors offered an insight into what they expected man, society, and life to be like at some future time. One such author, Ray Bradbury, utilized this concept in his work, Fahrenheit 451, a futuristic look at a man and his role in society. Bradbury utilizes the luxuries of life in America today, in a...

Two Tramps in Mud Time
Two Tramps in Mud Time On the surface, "Two Tramps in Mud Time" seems to display Robert Frost's narrow individualism. The poem, upon first reading it, seems incongruent, with some of the stanzas having no apparent connection to the whole poem. The poem as a whole also does not appear to have a single definable theme. At one point, the narrator seems wholly narcissistic, and then turns to the power and beauty of nature. It is, however, in the final third of the poem where...

Wyrd - Analysis of the Novel
Wyrd - Analysis of the Novel This essay will discuss the novel Wyrd. It will explore some of the concepts that are found in the novel and attempt to extend the issues to a point at which they become more clear, and prove the assertion that, just as Wyrd is a fast moving narrative that spans continents and ages, it is a novel of ideas. Wyrd was, in length, a short to medium length novel that was written by Sue Gough. Briefly, it was the story of Berengaria, Saladin's dau...

Reality, Illusion and Foolish Pride
Reality, Illusion and Foolish Pride In the plays The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov, A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, and Galileo by Bertolt Brecht, the protagonists' mental beliefs combine reality and illusion that both shape the plot of each respective story. The ability of the characters to reject or accept an illusion, along with the foolish pride that motivated their decision, leads to their personal downfall. In The Cherry Orchard, by Anton Chekhov, Gayev an...

Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart There was a man who dreamed as a child of being well known and respected throughout his village and neighboring villages. This man, Okonko, worked hard at his goal, and he achieved it. Okonko, a man with great strength and personality, had achieved his goal to become rich and famous, a privilege that was unseen before in his family. Although Okonko reached his goal at an early age, his life began to Fall Apart when tragic episodes took place. O...

The Scarlet Letter - Symbolism
The Scarlet Letter - Symbolism The Scarlet Letter is a book of much symbolism. One of the most complex and misunderstood symbols in the book is Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne. Pearl, throughout the story, develops into a dynamic symbol - one that is always changing. In the following essay, I will explore some of the symbolism which Pearl came to represent throughout the novel. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester, for her sins, received a scarlet letter, "A" wh...

To Kill A Mockingbird
To Kill A Mockingbird The book To Kill a Mockingbird was written by Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 then it went on to win the Pulitzer prize in 1961 and was later made into an Academy Award winning film. Harper Lee always considered her book to be a simple love story. Today it is regarded as a masterpiece of American Literature. There are so many characters in this book that I can't name all of them. Here are most of the characters. The Finch family conta...