Category: Essays Samples on Literature

Child Called it was a tragic tale. The saddest thing about child abuse is that no one pays attention to it. Brianna López and Terrell Peterson are both examples of horrific child abuse. Terrell Peterson, 5 years old, was tortured and killed while his case was still under state surveillance. Many calls were made to authorities claiming that Terrell Peterson's mother was using welfare checks and...

Anatole French, a recipient of the 1921 Nobel Prize, said that irony was only lighthearted reflection. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses irony to expose the deeply sad themes in The Scarlet Letter. Hester Pryne is a vibrant young woman who falls for the temptation to commit adultery in Boston, a small Puritan community. Hester must wear a scarlet A to symbolise her sin. Hester is now publicly aware of her...

Alice Walker's The Color Purple tells of the life of Celie, a young girl. Celie writes daily in her journal. The book's beginning reveals that Celie lives in constant turmoil, confusion, and hardship. She is also insecure and hopeful that she will find a way to overcome these hardships. The novel ends with an inspiring transformation. Some would say she was able to transform herself through...

Charlotte Perkins Gillman, an American author, wrote "The Yellow Wallpaper" as a way to vent her frustration over women's oppression. Gilman's intent in writing "The Yellow Wallpaper", is to show the way women are treated today and how it has been treated over time. This book was written for women suffering from postpartum depression, and those who feel trapped in unjust relationships. This...

Most people don't consider the entire process animals go through before they become their dinner. "Consider the Lobster," was launched to raise awareness about the cruel treatment that animals are subject to, in particular the treatment given to lobsters at the festival. Foster Wallace wrote the article in Gourmet, a magazine that published his work in 2003. People who love food and are...

A Streetcar Named Desire depicts the cultural tension which pervades post-World War II. It was the attempt by an ambitious, idealistic American nation to prove that it could defeat Nazi Germany and its superiority to the international community. Stanley Kowalski (an ex-soldier) was an engineer in the American Army. He later returned to his home. He returned to normal life after many years of...

"Your heart is the world," says Hesse 7. Although the importance of a soul cannot be overemphasized, it does not mean that the entire world is inaccessible to others. Siddhartha (Hermann Hesse) is the title character. He searches for answers all his life, but discovers that they are inside him. Siddhartha comes to this realization after he's abandoned all his loved ones. He calls it the...

Richard Wright, an influential black writer, stated in 1937 that their Eyes Were Looking God had no theme, message or thought. Wright's strong critique exemplified a nationis attitude to Zora Neale Hurstonis second book. African-Americans were satisfied by the iwhite manisi stereotypes of African American culture. This book also contained the humor that Caucasians see in this prejudice. The...

Sir Gawain, the nephew of King Arthur and Camelot's most revered knights, appears in "Sir Gawain's Green Knight". Gawain, however, is not static and ideal, but real and human, as opposed to other medieval characters. Gawain is an example of virtue in fit one, fit two and fit three. However, in fit three, Gawain hides the green girdle he received from his host. Gawain's honesty is valued more than...

After modernism, postmodernism was born. This term can be used as a description of a historical period. This term can also be used as a reference to a group of ideas. Postmodernism refers to a thought trend that emerged in America after World War II and in Europe. Postmodernism can be defined as both the real and imaginary side of an idea. It also refers the other sides of phenomena and...