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.
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
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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
Trying to Explain Tragedy in Oedipus the King, a Play by Sophocles
Sophocles' Oedipus the King tells the tale of Oedipus, the King of Thebes, who became king by marrying the widow of the previous king, Laius. From Oedipus, I studied the passage from line 249 to line 322. In an effort to "make sense" of the passage, I was able to recognize inconsistencies between what Oedipus was saying and the common beliefs of the time, which would distort the passage's meaning if read out of context. The passage is written in…...
Oedipus The King
Female Playwrights & Fate in Spanish Plays
The Spanish Golden Age and La Vida es Sueno According to Wilson and Goldfarb, there were several recognized women playwrights during the Spanish Golden Age (p. 201. Of them, the works of six are fairly well known. Unfortunately, of these women playwrights, the only one of whom we know much about is Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz. Juana was a nun (Sor means sister in Spanish), a scholar, and a writer of many genres. It is said that she…...
Oedipus The King
The Messages of Sophocles in Oedipus the King
I think Sophocles message to his audience was that fate is very important and that the gods control what goes on in your life. You will always fulfill your fate but when, depends on your actions you take in life. The gods do not control everything that you do in life but they set up your fate before you are born. No matter what you do to stop your fate it will not work; it may take longer to get…...
Oedipus The King
The Blessing and Curse in Oedipus the King, a Play by Sophocles
Oedipus is the problem and the solution in Sophocles's "Oedipus the King." Actions of his from the past negatively affect his present life and entire city. While on his way to the city of Thebes, Oedipus encountered and murdered a man who he did not know. He then proceeded to marry the Queen, Jocasta, as she recently became a widow. Oedipus's actions unknowingly fulfilled his destiny, and upset the god Apollo. The city of Thebes was cursed until the murderer…...
Oedipus The King
Sophocles Use of Syntax and Diction in Oedipus the King
Oedipus Diction and Syntax Response Sophocles proves how the gods have ultimate control over ones fate through the strategic use of syntax and diction. The punctuation is a vital tool to make the reader relate to the character. The select words persuade the reader to side with the character, even though they do not want to. Fear? What should a man fear? It's all chance, chance rules our lives. Not a man on earth can see a day ahead, groping…...
Oedipus The King
Oedipus and the Perfect Tragedy
The Golden Standard of Tragedies: Oedipus the King Aristotle was a Greek philosopher, a former student of Plato, and teacher in philosophy. As an important Western philosopher, he influenced many scholars and philosophers work. Aristotle wrote The Poetics in 350 B.C., which lists and explains the requirements for a good tragedy. Aristotle mentions several plays in The Poetics; however, it is clear Oedipus the King stands alone in Aristotle's estimation because it fulfills most of Aristotle's criteria for a good…...
Oedipus The King
Oedipus: Themes & Devices
Oedipus the King is a popular Greek play also known by its Latin title Oedipus Rex. Oedipus was written by Sophocles and was first performed in 429 BC. Over the thousands of years since its publication, Oedipus the King has been reviewed and analyzed by several renowned scholars who have all conceded that it is one of the best tragic drama pieces that draw their descent from ancient Greece (Rao, Wolf and Sophocles.). The current paper is a critical review…...
Oedipus The King
An Analysis of Physical and Mental Blindness in Oedipus the King by Sophocles
In Sophocles' Oedipus the King, the running theme of blindness--whether physical or mental, unknowing or willful-- takes center stage throughout the play. The main character Oedipus is completely oblivious (blind) to the mess his life has become until, ironically, he actually physically blinds himself. His father, King Laius of Thebes tosses the baby Oedipus out after hearing a bleak prophecy from an oracle. Laius is told that his son will murder him and marry his own mother, Jocasta. Oedipus, after…...
Oedipus The King
A Modern Reenactment of Oedipus the King by Sophocles
Theater has been around for thousands of years for the purpose of entertaining an audience. Plays have a way of capturing a crowd and releasing them from their current reality where they are then placed into the universe of the characters in the show. From the first play in Greece to those showing in New York City, plays have been altered throughout their history. At Randolph we have taken it upon ourselves to try to close the gap between ancient…...
Oedipus The King
Greek Theatre Transformation and Oedipus Theme
Classical Greek theatres didn't look much different from what you might expect today in their layout. The main parts included the skene, what we might call backstage today, the orchestra, what we call the stage, the theatron (audience), and the parados, what we consider the entrance (Wilson and Goldfarb, 44. One of the notable differences from what we might expect in a theatre is that in classical Greece, the orchestra (stage) was round. Nearly every angle of the performance was…...
Oedipus The King
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
Slaughterhouse-Five, a Novel by Kurt Vonnegut
Slaughterhouse » Five. by Kurt Vonnegut, is a novel about the senselessness of war, told through the protagonist, Billy Pilgrim. Slaughterhouse, Five is a satire, which is a work that makes fun of something serious. In this case it is war the plot of this novel is very scattered, and skips around a great deal. It goes from Billys experience of World war II as a soldier and POW, to Tralfamadore, the alien planet to which Billy was abducted, to…...
ClothingCultureLiteratureSlaughterhouse Five
Death of Valencia Pilgrim in the Novel Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
SlaughterhouseFive is a book about the bombing of Dresden. The book describes the state of mind and life of a person who has experienced World War II. It is an anti-war book, Kurt Vonnegut, the author of Slaughterhouse-Five, has fused together various literary allusions in this book, some have been taken from the Bible and some are taken from other authors. One of the literary illusions that Mr. Vonnegut mentions is taken from the famous play Romeo and Juliet which…...
FictionLiteratureRomeo And JulietSlaughterhouse Five
Different Tones in Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
In his novel, Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut uses various tones to emotionally affect his audience, By touching the feelings of his readers, the author suggests that a deeper meaning exists in his language rather than what appears in plain sight on the page This secondary understanding of diction allows Vonnegut to achieve his aim of creating an anti-war novel, which as described in the opening chapter, is his purpose. While Vonnegut uses numerous tones at different locations in the novel, the…...
CultureIronyLiteratureSlaughterhouse Five
An Overview of Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Billy Pilgrim‘s ability to time travel makes for an unconventional book in Slaughterhouse-Five. The plot is non-linear and the climax is anti- climactic. But common to many other pieces of literature, the secondary characters are disposable. They serve entirely to develop Billy Pilgrim's Tralfamadorian worldview. Many die, and the few who survive to the novel‘s end never develop as characters themselves anyways. Through the Tralfamadorian concept of time, Billy learns to cope with reality and death. When Billy is adbucted…...
FictionLiteraturePhilosophySlaughterhouse Five
A Summary and Interpretation of Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
World War II was a horrific war that cost several hundred, if not thousands, of people their lives. Through a multitude of bombings and attacks, many people were forever scared for the rest of their days. There are many books and novels that talk about World War II, and one of those fictional accounts based on the truth and facts of the war is SlaughterhouseFive by Kurt Vonnegut. Billy Pilgrim is a character who, among time traveling and being on…...
MilitaryPoliticsSlaughterhouse FiveWar
Tralfamadorian Perspective in Slaughterhouse-Five
We concluded that Vonnegut’s overall message in the book is that one can’t always control things in life because they are already predetermined (fate vs. free will), and that even in horrific situations life continues to go on. We came to this conclusion by understanding Vonnegut’s techniques in his writing and understanding his experiences. Vonnegut uses the Tralfamadorian perspective on life to show that even though there are things that are going to happen in life to you; life doesn’t…...
DestinyLiteraturePhilosophySlaughterhouse Five
The Portrayal and Use of Sex in Slaughterhouse Five, a Novel by Kurt Vonnegut
Sex can be used to explain many concepts. In science, Freud, the famous creator of psychoanalysis, used sex to explain relationships between parents and their children. Psychoanalysis can be used to challenge biological principles that explain social behavior. In movies, Marilyn Monroe, a well-known actress, used sex to explain body image, In literature, Kurt Vonnegut uses sex to explain his main character’s thoughts toward innocent people. In Vonnegut’s novel “Slaughterhouse Five”, he describes the life of Billy Pilgrim, an insane…...
LovePsychologySexualitySlaughterhouse Five
A Comparison of Geoffrey Chaucer’s the Miller’s Tale and the Wife of Bath’s Tale
In The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer, Chaucer is both a pilgrim on the journey and the writer of the book. Chaucer’s point of view of society and humans in general is best illustrated through the similarities and differences between “The Wife of Bath’s Tale and The Miller’s Tale" where the treatment of women in the fourteenth century, the justice system in the fourteenth century, and the behavior and justification of that behavior by men emerge at every turn throughout…...
CrimeJusticeRapeWife Of Bath
Chaucer’s Approval of Wife of Bath as Minority Advocate?
In The Mfe of Bath, Chaucer approves of The Wife of Bath not just because he likes that she is a liberated woman, but because she represents all disadvantaged groups of people, who Chaucer believes are being unjustly subordinated. To start out with, The Wife of Bath represents many groups at once. Not only is she a woman, but she is old, seemingly uneducated, and not very wealthy; she defies tradition and social norms, and at some point was a…...
CultureEthicsPhilosophyWife Of Bath
Canterbury Tales: Chaucer’s Approval for the Wife of Bath
In Chaucer‘s The Wife ofBath and its prologue, the implied author clearly approves of the eponymous Wife of Bath. The implied Chaucer’s depiction of the Wife shows the audience clearly not only her shrewdness but also her incredible ability to form both shallow and deep connections meant to appeal to both the uneducated and educated people of her time. The “dirty” sexual jokes of the Wife, while crude and simplistic at first glance, reveal an incredible level of intelligence and…...
ChristianityCultureTheologyWife Of Bath
The Canterbury Tales: The Implied Chaucer’s Approval for the Wife of Bath
In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer creates a very complex character in The Wife of Bath. Equally complex is the implied Chaucer‘s opinion of The Wife Some people, such as Sanjna Amin, argue that Chaucer disapproves of The Wife, her actions, and all that she symbolizes. Contrarily, other people, such as myself, argue quite the opposite: Chaucer supports The Wife and her actions because she challenges social norms he believes to be wholly unjust, The Wife is simultaneously both sympathetic and…...
CultureMarriageRapeWife Of Bath
Chaucer’s Approval of the Wife of Bath
In Chaucer‘s The Canterbury Tales, The Wife of Bath is portrayed as an incredibly intelligent woman with both a comprehensive grasp of a vast array of subjects and a clear insight into the faults prevalent throughout her society While Mimi Tomei claims the implied. Chaucer clearly questions the moral character and strength of judgment of The Wife, it is obvious the implied author actually approves of The Wife and her actions because of how she is so clearly able to…...
CultureEthicsPhilosophyWife Of Bath
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