Free essays on books are academic papers that analyze various aspects of literature such as the plot, characters, themes, motifs, symbols, and literary devices used by authors to convey their messages. These essays can be found online and cover a wide range of literary genres including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama, and biographies. They offer insights into the literary techniques employed by authors, the cultural and historical contexts that inform their work, and the relevance of these texts to contemporary audiences. Students, researchers, and avid readers can use these essays as study materials, examples for their own writing, or sources of inspiration for their literary analysis.
A Comparison Between “Grapes of Wrath” and “Nickel and Dimed”
After World War II, compensation has increased while discrimination, members of unions, and workers with benefits decreased. Themes of rich versus poor and corporate greed from Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich portray the low wage working class during the Great Depression and in 2001, respectively. Minimum wage jobs and its compensation, discriminations, unions, and benefits have all changed, drastically or slight, throughout the years since the Great Depression. The Great Depression of…...
Minimum WageNickel And DimedUnemployment
Summary of Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich
In the book, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America, the author Barbara Ehrenreich investigates the impact the 1996 welfare reform act had on the working poor in America from the perspective of an undercover journalist. On August 22, 1996 then President Bill Clinton signed "The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996" or the 1996 welfare act which replaced the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families…...
EmploymentNickel And DimedPoverty
The Story of the Mirbal Sisters in “In the Time of the Butterflies”
The story of four sisters fighting against a brutal regime in their country would be interesting whether told in a book or made into a movie. In the situation where there is both a book and a movie of a certain story, many people wonder whether they should watch the movie or read the book and then if they do both they always wonder which one is better and more effective. A movie provides a visual experience that is quick…...
CultureIn The Time Of The ButterfliesLiterature
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Life Under the Rule of Rafael Trujillo in “In Time of the Butterflies”
"Voz del pueblo voz del cielo" (Alvarez 199), meaning "Talk of the people, voice of God". The novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, portrays what life was like under Rafael Trujillo's regimen from 1930 to nearly 1961. His rigorous laws are brought out through many situations each Mirabal sister faces. Citizen's of the Dominican Republic come together amongst the revolution to spread their opinions, and develop an awareness of whom they're living under. Throughout In the Time of the…...
CultureIn The Time Of The ButterfliesReligion
The Lives of the Mirabel Sisters in the Novel In the Time of the Butterflies
Julia Alvarez painted a beautiful illustration of a peaceful family living in the Dominican Republican, "sitting in the cool darkness under the anacahuita tree in the front yard, in the rockers, telling stories, drinking guanabana juice” (Alvarez 8) but, who would have known that "only one [would be] left to tell their story" (Alvarez 10). Alvarez reincarnated the Mirabel sisters through her vivid imagination in this historical fiction account of their lives under Trujillo's thirty-one year regime. In her novel,…...
CultureIn The Time Of The ButterfliesLiterature
Information About the Mirabal Sisters “In the Time of Butterflies”
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez was a great book and an inspiration to any kind of age. To break the book down and to understand the book more Charlotte Rich wrote a literary criticism on the book called Talking back to El Jefe: polyphony, and dialogic resistance in Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies. This source argues how In the Time of the Butterflies correspond to the Russian philosopher's discussions of dialogues of the…...
CultureIn The Time Of The ButterfliesLiterature
The Importance of Reading and Writing in Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie
Superman and Me is a memoir written by Sherman Alexie, published originally in the Los Angeles Times. Alexie is a young Native American who narrates how, in spite of having grown up on a Spokane Indian Reservation, he learned to read at an early age by looking through Superman comics. He tells how he continued learning even more over the years until it turned him into a writer. Alexie's Superman and me is addressed to the children on Native American…...
CultureReadingSuperman And Me
Analysis of “Superman and Me” and “The One Who Walks Away From Omelas”
The benefit of narratives is gaining perspectives from a good short story. Some writers use narrative to tell the audience a story or reflect on past events. It can be motivational, educational, or solely for entertainment. In writing a good narratives, the fundamental purpose is to captivate the audience and keep them engaged as the story is told. Narrative writing can provide a therapeutic outlet for the author, allowing you to relive an event and gain clarity or peace about…...
EthicsExperienceSuperman And Me
A Life of Crisis and Hardships in the Jilting of Granny Weatherall
The Jilting of Granny Weatherall is a story of self-realization, regret, and irony. On her deathbed, a memory of sixty years ago, Granny (Ellen) Weatherall could no longer repress the day she was jilted by her husband-to-be. Voices and visions, imagined and real, linger and emerge throughout the story as this bold woman lives out her final moments. The name Weatherall is a suitable name for Granny as she has weathered many crises and hardships. In the beginning of the…...
FictionLiteratureThe Jilting Of Granny Weatherall
An Introduction to the Jilting of Granny Weatherall by Katherine Anne Porter
Voices and visions, imagined and real, mingle and merge throughout Katherine Porter s short story The Jilting of Granny Weatherall as this hardy woman, one who has weathered so much, lives out her final moments. It is better to read the story and then watch the film because you are able to see the atmosphere the writer created turn into real life, not the opposite. At first, the video was confusing. That is, until after I had read the story…...
CultureFictionThe Jilting Of Granny Weatherall
An Overview of The Talented Tenth and Locke in the Essay Enter the New Negro
While Alain Locke and W.E.B. Dubois certainly differ in their views, they do agree in their essays that there is a social stigma attached to the black man and there is a way to fix it. W.E.B. talks about this in his article "The Talented Tenth" and Locke in his essay "Enter the New Negro". Dubois cites the problem as "Talented Tenth" and it "is the problem of developing the Best of this race that they may guide the Mass…...
CultureEducationThe New Negro
An Analysis of the Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Michael Shaara was an American writer of historical fiction, science fiction, and sports fiction. He has written five novels and four short stories. Of them all, The Killer Angels being one of his more well known and earning him a Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is also a national best seller among other things. He received his viewpoints and information behind the Killer Angels from his family. Shaara was born in Jersey City, New Jersey to Michael Joseph Sr., an…...
ConflictMilitaryThe Killer Angels
An Analysis of the Theme of Alienation in the Story the Ministers Black Veil
"The Ministers Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story about one clergymans alienation due to his outward dressing. Reverend Hooper was a well-respected preacher who got along well with the townspeople until one day when he appeared wearing a black veil over his face that consisted "of two folds of crape, which entirely concealed his features, except the mouth and chin" (Hawthorne 253). From that day onward, he was alienated both socially and physically from his community and from…...
ChristianityCultureThe Minister'S Black Veil
The Minister’s Black Veil, a Story by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthornes, The Ministers Black Veil is a story of willful sacrifice towards an eternal cause. Father Hooper, the main character of the story, appears one day with a black veil covering his visage. Questions arise as to what is the reason to this peculiar practice. (And it remains a mystery throughout the story, one can only hypothesize on its meaning.) Below, we will discuss some of the possible reasons for wearing that veil. There are several instances, where Hawthorne…...
ReligionThe Minister'S Black VeilTheology
An Analysis of The Minister’s Black Veil, a Story by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Do you really know what the classic story "The Wizard of Oz" is about? I'll give you a hint, it's notabout some girl flying over a rainbow, playing with living scarecrows, and battling witches. Eachcharacter in the story symbolizes something much deeper. It was a metaphor of a young girl leaving herhome facing the harshness of life on her own. The moral of the story is that no matter how wonderful aplace may be, there is no place like home.…...
AllegoryFictionThe Minister'S Black Veil
Thanatopsis and other Literary Works of William Cullen Bryant
William Cullen Bryant was an exceptional writer that helped make New York a center for the rising tide of American literature. As a poet, editor, journalist, and critic, Bryant became a leading citizen of New York City and had a great influence in the literary world. His involvement with the Knickerbocker group, as well as the New York Evening Post, greatly contributed to his rise as a literary influence. His recognition enabled him to use his writings to address issues…...
LiteratureRomanticismThanatopsis
A Review of William Cullen Bryant’s Early 19th Century Poem, Thanatopsis
In William Cullen Bryants early nineteenth century poem Thanatopsis, a collage of imagery and ideas surround a central theme of the cycle of life. Within this poem lies a story of great wonder and hope. The story is that of the afterlife in which Bryant conveys a lot of the same ideas of a majestic and heavenly paradise that are present in the Christian Bible. Since Bryant was schooled heavily in theology, is Thanatopsis based on the ideas that the…...
AfterlifeReligionThanatopsis
The Transformation of the Earth Throughout Poem Thanatopsis
William Cullen Bryant was taught a harsh Calvinistic religion, which sets the stage for his views of nature reflected in the poem, . Nature speaks through many ways in his poems. He used metaphors to demonstrate melancholy and disintegration. Throughout the poem, William Cullen Bryant shows a transformation of the earth! In the following line, To him who in the love of Nature holds Communion with her visible forms, she speaks; a various language; for his grayer hours, She has…...
MetaphorPoetryThanatopsis
The Description of Death Through the Use of Metaphors in Thanatopsis
The poetry piece "Because I could not stop for Death" by Emily Dickinson and "Thanatopsis" by William Bryant both use metaphors with houses to describe death. Bryant writes, "And breathless darkness, and the narrow house, / Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart:" to give a metaphor that the dark narrow house is a coffin. Bryant makes the house narrow like a coffin, breathless like a dead body in a coffin, and the haunting feeling of death. The…...
PoemsPoetryThanatopsis
The Issue of Slavery in The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
When Frederick Douglass wrote this story in 1845, he wrote it is as an autobiography, beginning at the time he was born into slavery towards his escape into the north to find freedom. Throughout the 1840s and the 1850s countless ex-slaves wrote narratives regarding their lives and journeys to freedom. Fredrick Douglass's Narrative stands apart because it addresses deeper philosophical issues. This narrative is an effective argument against slavery because instead of debating the legal status and politics of slavery,…...
Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassPhilosophySlavery
The Masters of Frederick Douglass in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
It's easy to see that the cruel institution of slavery is very corrupt indeed. This is shown especially through the life of Frederick Douglass, who recounts in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass the many different masters he had to deal with. Although at first glance, some of them seem to be more sympathetic and understanding, in the end Douglass is forced to acknowledge that simply being a single part in the grand scheme of slavery will induce moral…...
Human RightsNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassSlavery
The Importance of Knowledge in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
In this book, Frederick Douglass describes both his journey of slavery and significance or importance of knowledge versus ignorance. Frederick Douglass, a born slave, tells not only his life events and experiences in this book but also takes his readers into the mind of a child who is trying to understand what it means to be a slave. The response of critics was in words like "vivid" and "shocking" for the book, 'Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.' It…...
Human RightsNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassSlavery
The Tragedy in the Autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas
The tragic life of a slave is detailed in Fredrick Douglas' autobiography Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas: An American Slave. Douglas recounts many stories and details of his time as a slave. Early on, slavery flourished in the colonies, causing much harm and difficulties to African slaves. It is important to note that slavery was considered acceptable by many who benefitted from slave labor. The chance to become rich was more important than a human life. Slavery was,…...
Human RightsNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassSlavery
Imagery and Parallelism in Chapter 5 of Frederick Douglass’s Memoir
In Chapter 5, Frederick Douglass uses imagery and parallelism to describe the conditions he and the other children had suffered from, persuading the reader that the slaves were not treated fairly through shock. Douglass quotes that the living conditions were terrible as to when they get allowanced, it is not consistent. They were given food in a large tray on the floor, and Douglass explains that "The children were then called, like so many pigs, and like so many pigs…...
Human RightsNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassSlavery
Analysis of the Story of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
In the memoir Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave by Frederick Douglass, Douglass manages to preserve his humanity as a slave through knowledge, in which he believed is a passage to freedom. When Douglass came to live in Baltimore as a child, he was introduced to the Auld family, and he especially took a liking to Ms. Auld, the wife of Hugh Auld. She was portrayed as a kind and sympathetic woman, and she also did…...
LiteratureNarrative Of The Life Of Frederick DouglassSlavery
The Theme of Love in the Science Fiction Genre in Flower for Algernon by Daniel Keyes and Blade Runner by Ridley Scott
When one thinks of science fiction, a genre where dystopian futures full of emotionless androids, ruthless totalitarian leaders, and dehumanized societies are not uncommon, very rarely does the word "love" first come to mind. Instead, as is common with many other genres, readers will tend to find a hero setting out on some prodigious quest, usually following a formulaic template, and coming out as a changed man or woman in the end. But, in a few rare cases, some science…...
Flowers For Algernon
A Comparison of the Motivations and Reactions of Charlie to Dr. Strauss and Dr. Nemur’s in Flowers for Algernon, a Short Story by Daniel Keyes
fCharlie from "Flowers for Algernon," is a 37 year old grown man, who has a very serious mental disability. Charlie's goal is to get more intelligence and have freedom in his head. He goes to a laboratory to take tests to see if he is improving at all. Dr. Nemur and Dr. Strauss assign the tests to see his progress. Although, Charlie's motivations and reactions compared to Dr. Strauss' and Dr. Nemur's motivations and reactions are widely different and closely…...
Flowers For Algernon
A Summary of Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The book «Flowers for Algernon» by Daniel Keyes is about a 32 year old mentally challenged man named Charles Gordon who gets a special operation. This operation has never been done on another human being and therefore Charlie would be the first. This operation is said to be able to change a mentally challenged human into a regular person, even greater. It all starts when Charlie is nominated to be a possible Candidate of this new operation. He is told…...
Flowers For Algernon
The Intelligence Operation in Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keys
Medical operations are carried out every day, but for some, an operation can change a person's life. One experiment was done on a mentally retarded person to try to raise his intelligence. The experiment worked, but after months, the patient regressed dramatically. In the book, Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, this intelligence operation was performed, and the patient was Charlie Gordon. After the operation, Charlie was very bright, but experienced psychological traumas, loneliness, disillusionment, and social inadequacies. Charlie's psychological…...
Flowers For Algernon
Absurdity in Literary Works
Europe had been plagued with waves of mass destruction and despair during the 20th century as it had faced the onslaught of two consecutive wars. Millions had suffered; families were torn apart, wives had been widowed, the list can go on and on. Social unrest and chaos can be witnessed through the works of 20th Century Literature as many of them discuss the horrid conditions people had to adapt to in order to survive. Much like literature, 20th Century fashion…...
Metamorphosis
Growth & Change in Kafka and Cortazar
Positive Physical and Mental Metamorphosis Metamorphosis is a complete change of form, structure, or substance by magic or witchcraft. Metamorphosis demonstrates positive growth and ironic change with Franz Kafka's short stories: "The Metamorphosis" and "A Report to the Academy," and Julio Cortazar's short story, "Axolot." In Franz Kafka's short story, "The Metamorphosis," both ironic transformation and positive growth occur. In the beginning of the story the main character Gregor Samsa immediately experiences metamorphosis and transforms into a bug. "When Gregor…...
Metamorphosis
Include Kafka’s The Metamorphosis?
The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka for First Year Experience at School I believe that students should be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of their minds (King James Version, Rom. 12.2). When new freshmen begin their matriculation to CSM, they are starting their lives as adults. Because the incoming students' lives are changing, they should read a book that gives them a new insight to changing and adapting. CSM's vision statement is "Transforming lives through…...
Metamorphosis
Gregor Samsa’s Similarities in The Metamorphosis
Franz Kafka has undoubtedly left behind a vast legacy; he is considered by many academics to be one of the foremost figures of 20* century literature. His life, however, was far less absolute - he was often unsure, conflicted, and doubtful. Works by Kafka often examine or explore themes of alienation, doubt, and displacement, and his 1915 novella The Metamorphosis is an analogy of estrangement and isolation. The Metamorphosis is an exploration of Kafka's own life, with large and distinct…...
Metamorphosis
Kafka vs Brecht
The words freedom and control for most people generally intwine. We tend to define freedom as having control over decisions concerning our lives. Typically we would rather be a boss controlling the lives of our employees than an actual employee under the control of the boss. Though we generally have a rough overview of what is to be control versus in control, we don't particularly analyze the various themes of freedom and control. While comparing and contrasting the short story…...
Metamorphosis
Character Comparison: Hermione Granger vs The Englishman
The character I have chosen to compare and contrast are Hermione Granger from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s stone and The Englishman from The Alchemist. These two characters have many characteristics in common and in contrast. Such characteristics in common are being well-educated, book-worms, and anti-social. Some in contrast are advancing in personality, helping others, and career choice. Both Rowling and Coelho do a magnificent job at communicating these characters in such a way as to demonstrate their personalities. Hermione…...
FictionHarry PotterThe Alchemist
The Conflicts Which Santiago Faces in The Alchemist, a Novel by Paulo Coelho
In The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, the main character Santiago often referred to as “the boy” runs into many conflicts throughout the novel. He often faces challenging obstacles that are later resolved at the end of the novel an example of a conflict that the boy faces, is when he runs out of money during his travels and is forced to sell his shop. Another major conflict in the novel is when the boy loses his tour guide and has…...
CultureFictionLiteratureThe Alchemist
The Book The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, the author uses magical realism to show that you can ask for help from what’s around you by just believing in yourself and god’s inside you, it’ll be possible in the book “Alchemist”, Santiago is captured by the tribes on the opposite side of where he had traveled from. The alchemists said to the Chief of the tribe that he was just a traveler and Santiago was an alchemist who can transform himself into…...
CultureLoveReligionThe Alchemist
Mother Night and Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
In Mother Night and SlaughterhouserFive by Kurt Vonnegut. the use of being "unstuck" in time. Having no time restraints, allows the author to foreshadow important events and create links between events separated In time. Billy Pilgrim, the main character In SlaughterhouserFive, travels back and forth In time to events that are significant In his life. Just as Pilgrim travels In time, so does Howard W. Campbell, Jr. from Mother Night. There are significant differences In the way that each character…...
CultureFictionPhilosophySlaughterhouse Five
Crime and Responsibility in Vonnegut and García Márquez
Sometimes people use cultural norms to commit crimes justifying it by the cultural factor. The law does not allow anyone go unpunished having murdered someone. but people in this community believed that cultural traditions were enough of an excuse to commit murder and be justified in the eyes of the law. The colonel was aware of the conviction concerning honor. so he should have taken action as a law enforcement officer. If he had. Santiago would have been alive and…...
EthicsPhilosophySlaughterhouse Five
Mental Anguish of War in Kurt Vonnegut’s Novel Slaughterhouse-Five
Kurt Vonnegut was there » he was at the Slaughterhouse, Although felt his experiences weren't extraordinary, he chose to write one that was. He merged time travel and menial escapism. Vonneguts imprisonment In war experiences is then translated into Slaughterhouserfive. The novel. Slaughterhouse-five. is one of the feW novels that explores the mental anguish of War. The novel proves that War can play With people's minds, especially soldiers who have become prisoners of war (POWs). The mental effect on prisoners…...
EthicsPhilosophyPsychologySlaughterhouse Five
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