Free essays on literature refer to the writing pieces that are available to everyone online without any charges. These essays can cover a wide range of literary topics, such as the analysis of a character or a theme in a novel, a review of a poem or a play, or an interpretation of a literary movement. They can be written by students, scholars, or literary enthusiasts, and can offer diverse perspectives and insights into the world of literature. Free essays on literature can be useful for those interested in learning more about a specific literary work or genre or for those seeking inspiration for their own writing.
Day: The Culmination of Elie Wiesel’s Holocaust Trilogy
Elie Wiesel's "Day" is the third and final installment in his poignant Holocaust trilogy, following "Night" and "Dawn". These books, written as semi-autobiographical novels, trace the arc of Wiesel's personal journey from the horrors of Auschwitz to the pursuit of a meaningful existence post-Holocaust.In "Day", previously titled "The Accident", Wiesel continues his exploration of the human condition in the aftermath of unimaginable trauma. The narrative centers around a Holocaust survivor named Eliezer, who grapples with existential angst while living in…...
Literature
Celie: The Blossoming Flower of ‘The Color Purple’
"The Color Purple", the celebrated novel by Alice Walker, introduces readers to an enduring character, Celie, a resilient African-American woman whose heartrending journey from oppression to liberation forms the book's core narrative. This profound exploration of her character provides readers a window into the struggles, strength, and spirit of African-American women in the early 20th century American South.From the outset, Celie's life is marked by hardship and cruelty. As a young teenager, she is subjected to unthinkable abuse from the…...
The Color Purple
Langston Button Gwinnett Intriguing Figure From History
Langston Button Gwinnett is a less commonly known but highly intriguing figure from history. Born in 1735 in Down Hatherley, Gloucestershire, England, Gwinnett emigrated to America in his early thirties, setting up as a merchant in Charleston, South Carolina. He later moved to Georgia, purchasing land and becoming a planter. His life is a testament to ambition, enterprise, and also the vagaries of fortune.Gwinnett became heavily involved in Georgia's politics, taking a stand against Britain's restrictive colonial policies. He was…...
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Sweat: A Riveting Tale of Liberation and Triumph by Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston's "Sweat" is a masterful short story that delves into the life of an African American washerwoman, Delia Jones, exploring themes of marital strife, oppression, and ultimately, liberation. Published in 1926, at the heart of the Harlem Renaissance, Hurston's narrative is more than a mere exploration of Delia's struggle; it is a potent depiction of a woman's journey from victimhood to empowerment.Set in a small town in Florida, the narrative revolves around Delia and her abusive husband, Sykes.…...
Writer
Embodying Hope and Resistance: An Ode to Langston Hughes’ “I, Too”
Few poems capture the essence of the African American experience with the poignancy and profound resonance of Langston Hughes' "I, Too." Written during the Harlem Renaissance, a time of intellectual, social, and artistic explosion, Hughes used his poetic prowess to give voice to the African American community's hopes, dreams, pains, and indomitable spirit."I, Too" is a powerful statement of self-affirmation, resilience, and resistance against racial inequality. It is a retort to Walt Whitman's patriotic poem "I Hear America Singing," an…...
Literature
Finding Illumination in the Dark: A Reflection on Raymond Carver’s ‘Cathedral’
Raymond Carver's "Cathedral" stands as a paragon of minimalist storytelling, employing simple language and stark realism to probe the complex depths of the human experience. The story revolves around an unnamed narrator, his wife, and an unexpected guest named Robert, a blind man whose visit serves as the catalyst for an unexpected epiphany.At the outset, the narrator's discomfort with Robert's impending visit is palpable. He confesses his ignorance about blindness, demonstrating a deep-seated prejudice and discomfort with difference. Carver deftly…...
Raymond Carver
The Lesson: A Stark Look at Socioeconomic Disparity by Toni Cade Bambara
"The Lesson" by Toni Cade Bambara is a poignant short story that paints a stark picture of economic disparity, social injustice, and the challenging process of awakening to inequality. This tale, narrated by a young, spirited girl named Sylvia, takes us on a transformative journey, revealing how a simple excursion can illuminate the deep-rooted divisions in our society.The story unfolds in a poor neighborhood in Harlem, where a group of children led by Miss Moore, a college-educated woman, venture out…...
The Lesson
A Comparison of the Differences Between the Story of Perseus and the Movie Percy Jackson and the Olympians
The story of Perseus is quite different than the movie Percy Jackson & the Olympians The Lightning Thief. One difference is the movie is based on a book written by Rick Riordan. Riordan used parts of the Perseus myth in his book and changed some parts. Perseus and Percy are both demigods however Perseus father is Zeus and Percy's father is Poseidon. One of the myths of Perseus is he had quest to find Medusa. Perseus received weapons and advice…...
Perseus
American Themes Phillis Wheatley in James Fenimore Cooper’s Pioneers and Its Connection to the Works of Other Writers
The American themes in Cooper's writing have both to do with the country itself, and some core ideas established by writers such as Benjamin Franklin. I believe the main theme of Pioneers to be that America arose quickly because of hard work. Cooper writes mostly about how America was previously, and at the time of writing, largely untamed wilderness; Cooper wrote, "only forty years have passed since this whole territory was a wilderness”. It was because of dedication and perseverance…...
CultureEthicsPhillis WheatleyWilderness
An Overview of the Phillis Wheatley Revolution in American and Its Major Players
How does one write about revolution? Must he describe the powers that rule, or should he paint in the reader s mind a picture of the rising anger the persons seeking justice withhold? In the midst of the 1770 s, three writers expressed such vivrd opinions. A speech presented by Patrick Henry on March 23 of 1775, the poem To His Excellency General Washington, by Phillis Wheatley. and the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson all share the theme…...
CulturePhillis WheatleyPolitics
Americans Oppressing Americans in the Literary Works of Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley was certainly an anomaly of her time. Having shown a keen intelligence when she was bought into the Wheatley family, Phillis, despite her slave status, was granted the right to an education, which fostered in her a love of writing and, especially, of poetry. Her writing, having emerged during colonial struggles for independence, defines Wheatley as a sympathizer to the American cause against British oppression. But, as a black servant within those very colonies that called for freedom,…...
ChristianityPhillis WheatleyPoetrySlavery
The Lives, Works, and Contributions of Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley
Anne Bradstreet and Phillis Wheatley are two of a kind. These two women defied the odds and proved that there‘s a brain behind every woman’s womanly beauty. Phillis Wheatley, an African slave taken from her home at the young age of 7, was the first African American woman poet to be published, as well as the second African American to ever be published. Anne Bradstreet, a puritan housewife and mother of 8, was the first published poet in America Both…...
ChristianityCulturePhillis WheatleyReligion
Racism and Counter Racism in the Images by Phillis Wheatley and Johann Closterman
Colonial images of American people were in most instances colored by a racist bent which is evident in the paintings of the time. The white painters held a certain perspective and attitude towards African-Americans, and this was reflected in their paintings. The African- American painters, on the other hand, sought to counter this by painting themselves from their own perspective. In the picture, the perspective of the two races with regards to the identity of African—Americans is quite evident. In…...
PaintingPhillis WheatleyRacismStereotypes
Argument of the Equal Amount of Guilt of Whites and Blacks in the Poem On Being Brought From Africa to America by Phillis Wheatley
Johnathan Swift finds recognition around the world for his not so modest proposal, but this paper does not intended to write about Swift’s proposal. Instead, this paper‘s focus resides on a proposal that is actually quite modest in its unassertive and unassuming toner Cleverly concealed in the writing of Phillis Wheatley exist propositions largely countercultural to her time Unlike the ironic, not-so-modest proposal of Johnathan Swift, Phillis Wheatley’s proposal, in the poem On Being Brought from Africa to America, of…...
ChristianityCulturePhillis WheatleyReligion
The Civil War in Sierra Leone in 1991 in the Novel A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
The novel A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah, is basically a description of the civil war in Sierra Leone, occurring in 1991. The twist is that the author (Beah) was 12 years old when he was officially “touched by the war"(6) in 1993, being forced to give up his childhood in order to survive the war. Until Beah gets into the army, fighting against the ‘Rebels’, his life seems only to get worse. When Beah begins to be rehabilitated…...
A Long Way GoneHealthMental HealthPsychology
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah‘s story of being a boy soldier in Sierra Leone are told, He goes from a scared child, to a feared soldier, wielding weapons made to kill, to a spokesperson to another civilian in just another war. He loses his family and friends, makes more and loses them too. Ishmael paints a gruesome image of a war without a cause, save for revenge. Ishmael’s story begins when be, his brother Junior, and their friends…...
A Long Way GoneMilitaryWar
A Reflection on A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
In A Long Way Gone, Ishmael Beah narrates his own personal account of enduring the pain and anguish of living through man’s most virulent habit. wan Living as a peaceful child in a belligerent world, Ishmael's life of poverty did not affect his affection for American music and aspiration to be in a hip-hop group. Ignorant of the civil turmoil occurring in Central Africa, Ishmael was left unguarded against what would be the most unbearable perils and trials of his…...
A Long Way GoneEthicsPsychologySocial Psychology
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
In A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. we are able to see the different aspects of family life along With the relationships that oneself makes with those close to them. Beah shows how one persons life can be influenced and changed by the people they surround them selves With. Webster dictionary states that family means a group of indivrduals livmg under one roof and usually under one head. This is evrdent iri Beahs story as we see how the…...
A Long Way GoneHopePsychology
Nikki Giovanni, The Princess of Black Poetry
Some people descried Nikki Giovanni as been a Histon/ of Nikkis Family and Early Childhood. Awoman named Emma Watson was born in 1890, then at the early age of nineteen was married to John Brown Watson. John was a shy, gentle man who was twenty years older than his Wife Emma. Emma gave birth to their first daughter on January 5, 1919, thins was Nikkis mother, Yolanda Cornelia Watson. Soon after the birth of their child the Wastons had to…...
ChildCultureNikki Giovanni
A Look at the Society’s Mindless Assumptions in Nikki Rosa by Nikki Giovanni and Richard Cory by Edwin Arlington Robinson
Nikki Giovanniis " Nikki Rosa " and Edwin Arlington Robinsonis " Richard Cory " both reveal that monetary wealth does not bring forth happiness. Each poem embodies unexpected conclusions which lead the reader to realize that the true lives of the speaker are misconceived by societyts narrow-minded use of assumption and face values. Richard Cory, awealthy and unhappy man, and Nikki Rosa, a poor yet happy child, are both lodged by their wealth or lack of wealth, praying that one…...
ChildNikki GiovanniWealth
The Importance of Love, Relationships and Family Traditions in the Poem Legacies by Nikki Giovanni
For generations family traditions have been passed down from the eldest family members to the next in line. In the poem Legacies by Nikki Giovanni, the theme of independence is used to describe the relationship between the grandmother and the granddaughter. In my opinion, the poem gives an example of the grandmother showing she wants to be in the company of her granddaughter and the granddaughter is afraid of learning how to make the rolls because that would mean she…...
LoveNikki GiovanniTradition
Society During the Black Arts Movement in the Poem For Saundra by Nikki Giovanni
Within Nikki Giovanni poem, “For Saundra”, one can assume that poem speaks about the society during the Black Arts Movement. In stanza 2. lines 879, the speaker's neighbor asked ".t. do you ever write/ tree poems..." In line 15, Giovanni replies through her view point that the environment which she was living in was filled with asphalt...” This help reveal the image of what the mid 20th century In New York looked like with black musicians. artists. and poets trying…...
Nikki GiovanniPoetryPolitics
The Qualities of the Characters in The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
In The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston, qualities portrayed by various characters represent the same qualities necessary in a woman warrior, Brave Orchid and the Quiet Girl serve as foils to each other to help distinguish individual distinct traits. The qualities of a woman warrior are independence, and mental strength. and to have an assertive personality. The true definition of a woman warrior is displayed throughout the stories of Brave Orchid and the Quiet Girl, Independence is a large…...
CulturePsychologyThe Woman Warrior
Woman Warrior, a Book by Maxine Hong Kingston
Marine Kingston’s memoir, The Woman Warrior: Memories ofa GirlhoodAmong Ghosts, integrates Kingston‘s life experiences in cahoots with spoken stories that entail Chinese history, myths, and beliefs. The feminist autobiography, more specifically the “No Name Woman" chapter, underlies the issues of sexism in early Chinese culture. Sexism is defined as “attitudes or behavior based on traditional stereotypes of sexual rolesi” Through the dichotomy of myth and reality, Kingston reveals the Chinese tradition of male dominance and female oppression. Kingston‘s use of…...
CultureGenderSexismThe Woman Warrior
The Effects of the Time Period and Culture on the Writing Style Present in Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior
The purpose of Genre Crossing: Kingston's The Woman Warrior and its Discursive Community is to show the different way to analyze any text in a demeanor that is both sensitive in a political and cultural aspect. The author focuses on The Woman Warrior, as an example of how the time period and the culture heavily influenced the writing of the author’s writing style and the themes that are recurring in the novel. Kingston alludes to ideas such as Chinese American…...
CommunicationCulturePoliticsThe Woman Warrior
The Girl in the Book The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston
Even when faced with physical and verbal abuse, the silent girl in “A Song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe” refused to speak, By this act, the silent girl is the most sympathetic character in The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston Asian children, especially daughters, have a tendency to listen to their parents and do not dare to retort or fight back, “I reached up and took the fatty part of her cheek, not dough, but meat, between my thumb…...
CulturePoliticsSocial PsychologyThe Woman Warrior
A Critique of The Woman Warrior, a Book by Maxine Hong Kingston
What is a warrior? By definition, a warrior is a person who shows or has shown great vigor, courage, or aggressiveness We typically do not think of women when we hear the word ”warrior“ but many of the women in The Woman Warrior have these qualities. In the book, Maxine Hong Kingston writes about her experiences as a first» generation Chinese girl growing up in America, Maxine struggles to find her own identity in a culture where girls are expected…...
CourageCultureFictionThe Woman Warrior
The Troubled Relationship Between Kingston and Brave Orchid in The Woman Warrior, a Memoir by Maxine Hong Kingston
In Maxine Hong Kingston‘s memoir, The Woman Warrior, the author Kingston has a troubled relationship with her mother Brave Orchid. The memoir takes place during the Vietnam War when Chinese Americans are being discriminated against in America. Kingston, a California born Chinese American, is trying to fit in with the rest of the boys and girls her age. However, Kingston’s mother, A Chinese immigrant, believes it‘s important to incorporate traditional Chinese traditions to the American lifestyle Kingston and Brave Orchid…...
CultureMotherSocial PsychologyThe Woman Warrior
Symbolism of Characters’ Personalities in “Young Goodman Brown”
Within the "Young Goodman Brown" story, Nathaniel Hawthorne employs symbolism to highlight the personalities of various characters. For example, a certain character named Faith campaigns for religious purity. The name ‘Faith’ thus symbolizes the Godly inclination of its beareri Likewise, a certain unnamed man carries a snake-shaped walking stick Given that this character persuades Brown to attend a devilish meeting, the snake-shaped walking stick has symbolic meaning; this walking stick reflects the evil inclination of its bearer. This essay analyses…...
FaithReligionYoung Goodman Brown
The Conflict of Good and Evil in Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne draws on his puritanical upbringing in the story Young Goodman Brown. His familiarity with Puritans and the Salem Witch Trials probably inspired the underlying religious theme of the story. Although the story can be construed as the descent of man from Christian purity to evil as reflected by Goodman Brown being seduced by the devil, one may feel that much of the story revolves around the idea of the conflict between good and evil. In this story there…...
ChristianityCultureReligionYoung Goodman Brown
Hell in Young Goodman Brown and That Feeling You Can Only Say What It Is in French
American Gothic literature has an affinity for the dark side of human nature, but in over two centuries of writing, the vices discussed vary, reflecting the experiences of the era and beliefs of the era, A classic example of this dichotomy can be found when comparing Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown,” published in 1835, and Stephen King’s “That Feeling You Can Only Say What It is in French,” written in 1998i In their writing, Hawthorne and King explore different forms…...
CultureReligionYoung Goodman Brown
Dark Storylines in Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne presents many dark themes in his short stories and novels In his work “Young Goodman Brown" -- dark spirits, visions, imagery, afterlife, and character names are utilized to support the story’s theme Nathaniel Hawthorne contradicts the names of characters in the tale, Without the use of these names, the chain of events would not be as suspenseful and influential, Hawthorne uses names, such as Faith, to connect belief in God to Goodman Brown, If this allegory were not…...
CulturePhilosophyReligionYoung Goodman Brown
Devil Statement in Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne
This story by Nathaniel Hawthorne called, “Young Goodman Brown" is a faithful religious story that really test his faith. The story has major characters that have meaning to this story. Even some characters are symbolizing faith, the devil, and followers of the devil. The devil plays mind tricks on Young Goodman Brown to steal his faith away, Young Goodman starts to believe what the devil is saying about where the cruelest of evil resides in the hearts of all man.…...
FaithTheologyYoung Goodman Brown
A View on The Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Young Goodman Brown" is presented as an allegory of the peril innate of one’s decisions not following his heart and the cause and effect of Young Goodman Brown’s decision to take the wrong road. Hawthorne’s use of symbolism is obvious throughout this story. Perfect examples of symbolism begin with Hawthorne’s use of Goodman’s wife Faith representing his religion, use of scenery to symbolize the mood setting and, sunset, light, the darkness of the woods, Young Goodman Brown…...
CultureFaithReligionYoung Goodman Brown
John Rosemond’s View on Self Esteem How It Feels To Be Colored Me in the Article Living With Children
In the article “Living with Children,” by John Rosemond he talks about self-esteem and how it works, He mentions in the article how people with high self-esteem usually have low value for people because they care too much about themselves. He proves this when he says, “people with high regard for themselves have equally low regards for others.” (Rosemond 1) He also talks about how humble people pay attention to others and look for any opportunities to help. He then…...
HealthHow It Feels To Be Colored MeHumilityPsychology
The Concept How It Feels To Be Colored Me of Stereotypes in American Culture
Stereotypes are common in American culture they infiltrate society and serve to alienate a people. Daily, people are cast into a group because of their skin color, clothing, accent, or family background. Although stereotypes are sometimes hurtful. one might argue that they are often founded in truth. A stereotype is generally an extreme or radical characterization of a group or of an individual. Matt Groening's 5 Family Portrait of the Simpsons reveals a great deal about stereotypes Within American culture.…...
ClothingDrawingHow It Feels To Be Colored Me
Annotated Bibliography of Zora Neale Hurston How It Feels To Be Colored Me
For my research paper I plan to focus on Zora Neale Hurston‘s essay How it Feels to be Colored me and Langston Hughes‘ essay Bop to look closer into African American lives during the Harlem Renaissance With using these two authors, I plan to address the issues of cultural identity, and if Hurston or Hughes had any bias in writing the essays that they did. I plan to answer the research question, “What was it like to be black in…...
CultureHarlem RenaissanceHow It Feels To Be Colored Me
Realizing Reality in How It Feels to Be Coloured Me by Zora Neal Hurston
At what moment in our childhood do we realize the real from the fantasy? Now a day the differences aren't as harsh as they were in the earlier times but they are still evident. For a simple example, once a child turns about 5 they realize that Santa Claus does not exist. Back in the day it was harsher like you realize that because your skin is darker, you won't be afforded simple things like education. How much does your…...
CultureEducationHow It Feels To Be Colored Me
An Examination of Zora Hurston’s How It Feels to Be Colored Me
Perhaps one of the most profound pieces of African American short story literature is Zora Hurstons' How It Feels to Be Colored Me. In the conclusion of her short story, Hurston depicts her own life experiences through the personification of a brown bag and its contents. To detail my life through the mere contents of a paper bag is a difficult task, however. I am a Simple man among many, trying not to drown in an ocean of complexity more…...
CultureHow It Feels To Be Colored MeOppression
Racial Identity in How It Feels To Be Colored Me by Zora Neale Hurston
Zora Neale Hurston’s autobiographical short story, “How It Feels To Be Colored Me" is a piece that uncovers the complexity of racial identity through the eyes of an African American woman in the 1920’s Hurston rejected the perceived idea that blacks were disadvantaged and refused to be part of “the sobbing school of Negrohood”. Instead, Hurston celebrates her cultural identity and uniqueness with an unwavering enthusiasm for life and the understanding that all races are cut from the same cloth…...
CultureHarlem RenaissanceHow It Feels To Be Colored MeMusic
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