Essays on Literature

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.
An Overview of the Minister’s Black Veil
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The veil, no more than a black scrap of cloth. represented a barrier that the minister decided to erect between himself and the rest of the World. This led to a profound change in the public 5 perceptions of him. However, more important than what the veil represents are the reasons behind Minister Hooper s decision to undertake an action that would completely sever him from the community where he lived and loved. One possibility is that he came to…...
Human NaturePhilosophyReasonThe Minister'S Black Veil
Symbolism in Hawthorne’s Veil and Mantle
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Nathaniel Hawthorne's two short stories, The Ministers Black Veil and Lady Eleanores Mantle. cover the same thematic topic, but are opposite In approach and differ in the symbols used, Both the veil that Parson Hooper wears and the mantle that dons the head of Lady Eleanore deal with issue of guilt. The differences between the two, however, lie in the wearers of the articles, and their attitudes towards their own guilt. Parson Hooper wears the cloth because he realizes his…...
CultureHumilityPrideThe Minister'S Black Veil
Anti-Transcendentalism in The Minister’s Black Veil
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In “The Minister’s Black Veil,” Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts the world in the view shared by other Anti Transcendentalists. This literary movement focused mainly on the darker side of human society and “saw human life in grim terms,” unlike their Transcendentalist brethren. In “The Minister’s Black Veil,” Hawthorne communicates that there is the possibility for people to be good or evil through the behavior of the townspeople in reaction to the veil, but also through the mystery of the minister and…...
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Religious Leaders and Wrongdoing in The Minister’s Black Veil
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Hawthorne’s "The Minister's Black Veil" story illustrates that, like all human beings, religious leaders engage in various types of wrongdoing. To this end, a clergyman named Mr. Joseph Moody commits the crime of murdering a friend. Similarly, the Reverend Mr. Clark, a Westbury clergyman, engages in wrongdoing by attempting to force the Reverend Parson Hooper to remove a veil from the face. This essay analyses "The Minister‘s Black Veil" to show that religious leaders are not exempt from wrongdoing based…...
CultureLawReligionThe Minister'S Black Veil
Habitual Human Nature in The Minister’s Black Veil
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Within “The Minister's Black Veil" story, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates that human beings are creatures of habit; human beings prefer it when situations remain the same without changing. When change happens, human beings become uncomfortable. To this end, when Reverend Mr. Hooper comes into the meeting house with his shin and mouth covered with a black veil, parishioners illustrate discomfort in various ways. For instance, several female parishioners depart the meeting house even before the service is over, Similarly, a male…...
CulturePhilosophyPsychologyThe Minister'S Black Veil
Emerson’s Idea of Nonconformity in Hawthorne’s The Minister’s Black Veil
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We live in a society where nonconformity is frowned upon, where people accept the ideas and thoughts of others because of tradition, time, and trust. Is nonconforming really detrimental and wrong? What do nonconformists gain from their struggles? Conformity is when an individual or group of individuals' ideas, personalities, practices and behaviors are affected by other influences. Their way of life is not entirely their own but based on the lives of others. Nonconformity, therefore, is failure or refusal to…...
ConformityMindThe Minister'S Black VeilThought
Symbolism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Parable, The Minister’s Black Veil
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Guilt, shame, and remorse are common emotions experienced by all men at some time in the course of their life. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s parable, “The Minister’s Black Veil”, a certain symbol is used to represent the guilt manifested by one man‘s secrets. The aforementioned black veil is worn by the minister of the Puritan village of Milford, Mr, Hooperr The significance of the veil itself is a major plot point in the tale. Though never explicitly stated, it is heavily…...
ChristianityCultureEthicsThe Minister'S Black Veil
Prejudice in Huck Finn and Minister’s Veil
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The prejudice in today’s society causes many people to pass judgment based on appearance rather than a true character on a daily basis. For example, someone with a green Mohawk and face tattoos, wearing ripped and baggy clothing may still be in the top of his class, However, its unlikely that one of his classmates would think to ask him for help with the homework. This is because of how society has decided to characterize an “intelligent” person Individuals are…...
CulturePrejudiceThe Minister'S Black Veil
The Minister’s Black Veil, a Short Story by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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As I woke out of my sleep and sat straight, I noticed Esther side of the bed was empty “maybe she went out to greet her mother” I thought, As I rushed out of my bed I almost forgot my morning prayers, as a good puritans I must never forget to say my grace, especially on this great Sunday. “Nathaniel are you there? Can you open the door?” a female voice said. I heard a voice who interrupted my prayers,…...
ChristianityCultureReligionThe Minister'S Black Veil
Sin in Hawthorne’s works
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In a religious society, such as Nathaniel Hawthorne creates, the worst thing a person can do is commit a known sin. In both “The Minister’s Black Veil” and The Scarlet Letter, this kind of social norm determines the main characters’ fates. To many in this society, a sin is an irredeemable act that forever limits one‘s future, but ironically, only those who outwardly accept their mistakes can grow as a person. The act of sin continues to be a defining…...
PhilosophyReligionThe Minister'S Black VeilThe Scarlet Letter
Themes in 3 Hawthorne Stories
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Throughout life, many people and many things are covered or hidden, never showing the full truth. It may be because of shame, horror, or just simply for the good of what could happen it the truth was revealed. It the stories “The Great Carbuncle”, “The Ministers Black Veil”, and “Rappaccini’s Daughter”, someone or something was hidden. This can be supported by symbols which are phrases or events that symbolize something but don’t always clearly show it It’s not always how…...
CultureFictionReasonThe Minister'S Black Veil
Puritan Religion in Literature
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In Jonathan Edwards‘ sermon, “Sinners in the hands of an Angry God,“ he lectures about the horrid sins of the people in his congregation, In the parable, “The Minister’s Black Veil,” Nathaniel Hawthorne exposes the hidden sin and hypocrisy of the villagers. While Hawthorne’s style may be characterized as melancholy and cynical, Jonathan Edwards challenges the reader's understanding of Puritan ideals of religion by using imagery and other types of figurative language to create fear and guilt, as well as…...
ChristianityCultureReligionThe Minister'S Black Veil
Hooper vs Jesus
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Two men, centuries dividing their stories, living what seem to be mirrored lives. The two individuals lived worlds apart but bear many similarities, they are Jesus Christ and Mr. L-looper of Nathaniel's short story The Minister's Black Veil. In fact, The Minister's Black Veil could be said to be an allegory of the Bible. The people that play a part in their lives also affix a connection between the two individuals these two men, will live out their lives in…...
ChristianityReligionThe Minister'S Black VeilTheology
The Original Sin in The Minister’s Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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In "The Minister's Black Veil", Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the esoteric nature of original sin in the context of his oft-used setting of Puritan New England The Puritans were a religious sect in England that was infamous for its strict rules and morals, so much so that today, the word “puritan” is a synonym for a killjoy” The Minister's Black Veil", however, is not concerned with spoilsports, Instead, Hawthorne focuses on Gothic horror elements such as mystery, obsessions, isolation, and arcane…...
CultureReligionThe Minister'S Black VeilTheology
Main Symbol in The Minister’s Black Veil, a Short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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The strongest symbolic piece in The Minister’s Black Veil is the black veil, which represents a power that minister possesses to make the parishioners feel vulnerable, The black veil strikes fear into a large majority of the minister‘s parishioners, who immediately assume he can expose their iniquities Nathaniel Hawthorne writes, “Each member of the congregation, the most innocent girl, and the man of hardened breast, felt as if the preacher had crept upon them, behind his awful veil, and discovered…...
CulturePsychologyThe Minister'S Black Veil
Personal Legend in The Alchemist
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In The Alchemist, there is a consistent theme of the idea of a “personal legend,” This idea is heavily emphasized in a conversation between the protagonist, Santiago, and Melchizedek, the king of Salem. The king states that the personal legend is not just a journey or a task assigned to someone, but the meaning of your life. The personal legend is one’s “mission on Earth”. A dream is not a figment that comes into your mind without any kind of…...
CultureMusicPhilosophyThe Alchemist
Spiritual Journeys in Novels
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Like it or not, the world around us is huge. Even humans are in the billions and they’re only a speck of dust in the history of the universe. It‘s an oven/whelming challenge to understand and figure out your role within this world. but it starts with yourself. Finding yourself spiritually can lead you to find the truth in everything around you. In Paulo Coelho‘s The Alchemist, the main character Santiago goes on a spiritual journey that leads him to…...
CulturePhilosophyReligionThe Alchemist
Social Status of Old Women in The Alchemist?
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Is the old women that helped Santiago poor? Since it mentioned that she has to live off what her daughters provide her with. In my opinion I think she is poor as she living with the proceeds that her daughters give her. And to me, she does not seem to be as a trustworthy teller as she gave blank and bad answers to Santiago and asked for a good portion of the treasure if Santiago can ever find it. People…...
DreamMindPsychologyThe Alchemist
Satirism in The Alchemist, a Play by Ben Johnson
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Literature is known to have always been an adorned mirror of its time, social situation, and life thereof. If a work of literature is to be properly analyzed, we have to go back to the time it was written in and look around through the author’s eyes. Ben Johnson, in his 'The Alchemist’, paints a vivid picture of his time with colors of satire; and he, sarcastically, chooses the art of alchemy to, simultaneously, unmask the conning profession which was…...
CultureLiteraturePhilosophyThe Alchemist
Alchemist’s Spiritual Confusion
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In The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, life is given to inanimate objects in order to help the reader understand the themes of the book and Santiago's journey. There are many confusing themes and spiritual concepts in the novel, and giving life to these objects was a clever way to make it easier for the reader to understand There are many times along Santiago‘s journey when he asks talk to these objects, and it helps the reader to better understand the…...
BooksFictionLiteratureThe Alchemist
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, a Novel by Sherman Alexie
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The Absolutely True Diary ofa Part-Time Indian is a first-person narrative from the perspective of Native American teenager Arnold Spirit Jr., who is 14 years old. This novel is very controversial in its discussions of a realistic way of growing up. Becoming a man in an old world and trying to create its own, is what is hard to comprehend, since the main character is only 14 years old, and is still considered stil just a little boy. The Absolutely…...
FictionLiteraturePovertyThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
Junior in a Part-Time Indian Novel
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Blame frequently plays a part in controversies often seen in novels and other stories, as it stirs up tension that quickly boils and explodes. In The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Junior, the first-person protagonist in the novel, suffered the many deaths of his friends and family. He felt unsure about his level of success in Reardan because of the social stereotype that he and other Indians are built to lose to others. He felt…...
EthicsPhilosophyPsychologyThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
The Absolutely True Diary
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In the fictional novel The Absolutely True Diarv of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, Junior is an American Indian adolescent in search of new opportunities who leaves his family’s reservation to attend a wealthy white high school. Junior’s sense of identity after transferring to Reardan High School changed by integrating two conflicting racial backgrounds: those of his wealthy white peers at Reardan High School, and those of his poverty-stricken Indian friends on the reservation in Wellpinit. A primary source…...
CulturePoliticsSocial PsychologyThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
Junior in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
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Ralph Ellison once wrote in his book, Invisible Man, “When I discover who I am, I’ll be free." In a world where individuals judge one another, people often try to live up to their stereotypes and never discover who they truly are. Sherman Alexie, in his novel, The Absolutely True Diarv ofa Part-Time Indian, encompasses the ideas and virtues of being one's true self within the main character, Arnold SpiritJunior. Each ofJunior's actions in his memory of climbing the skyscraper…...
CulturePsychologyStereotypesThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
Friendship in Alexie’s Part Time Indian
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In the book “The Absolutely True Diurv of a Part-Time Indian ” By Sherman Alexie. I think the theme is friendship. Friendship is a very strong bond. The most important lesson I think which was conveyed in the book was that friendship is something that will always be there for you in your time of need, and is something that everyone can experience Some ways that I believe this is because when Arnold got an email from Rowdy, when Rowdy…...
BasketballFictionReasonThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
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The novel “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie highlights problems faced by a native boy with a disorder living on a reservation. Junior is the main character of the story, and readers have the opportunity to read his diary and hear his thoughts on what goes on in his everyday life The story is about Junior’s life on the reservation where he is then encouraged to go to an all-white high school in Reardan, Washington.…...
CulturePoliticsRacismThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
Junior’s Poverty Problem in The True Diary
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Poverty is a worldwide issue that many people are going through because of our national economy's unfairness. Junior is going through these third-world conditions and is just unable to balance it out with schoolwork and friends. He tries to hide his true identity because he's too shameful to tell people, Instead of degrading him as a peer of Junior they should've just helped to build him up. In the book, Junior has transitioned to a new school and has a…...
CulturePoliticsPovertyThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
Alcoholism in The Absolutely True Diary
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In Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Port-Time Indian Arnold and Rowdy suffer greatly from the loss of multiple friends and family members in relation to alcoholism. For example, Arnold states the death of his grandmother with remorse when he finds out that she got run over by a drunk driver. This shows the loss of a very important person in Arnold‘s life. Other people on the rez are affected by her death; Rowdy and the rest of…...
AggressionHealthThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time IndianViolence
Trials in Absolutely True Diary
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Throughout the Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie uses the archetype of trials to portray the tough times in life, and to give emphasis to the good times. One of the first trials that Junior came across was “everybody on the rez [calling] [him] a retard about twice a day”, Junior was born with many medical problems and everybody else made sure he was very aware of how awkward he looked. However, this isn’t the only reason…...
HeroMentorshipPovertyThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
Border-Crossing Stories: Alexie, Gautier, Silko
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Throughout this last unit there were three main stories that related together through crossing boundaries All of these stories rap around the fact that all the main characters were trying to find out who they were or their identity, Within all of these stories every character must leave what they are used to and make a life change. In the book “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie, the main character Arnold has an identity crisis…...
FictionLiteratureStereotypesThe Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian
The Tragedy of World War II in Slaughterhouse-Five, a Novel by Kurt Vonnegut
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Every day, many people die in war. This is a fact that people shy away from talking about. Soldiers die too young, too soon. Someone’s child, brother, sister, mother, or father is dying in the wake of unnecessary violence When people are approached with this problem, they feel powerless to stop the untimely deaths of young men and women who fight our wars. People live in denial every day of the grief that is happening all over the world because…...
CulturePhilosophyPsychologySlaughterhouse Five
The Horrors of War in Slaughterhouse-Five, a Novel by Kurt Vonnegut
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War not only destroys buildings and kills many people, but also gives a tremendous impact on the rest of the world and the people who had to endure the journey. In Slaughterhouse- Five Vonnegut best demonstrates this by the bombing of Dresden, Billy’s interactions with the Tralfamadorians, and his repetition of “So it goes," According to Spiegel Online International, the bombing of Dresden was said to have taken the lives of so many people, up to half a million in…...
MindSlaughterhouse FiveThoughtWar
Billy Pilgrim’s Mourning in Slaughterhouse-Five
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According to the theory of Sigmund Freud, there are two categories of symptoms that a victim of trauma could suffer, mourning and melancholy. Mourning is explained as “the person realizes that the loved person or object that is lost is truly gone and turns away from reality....marked by dejection, loss of interest, inability to love and inhibition of all activities" (Aryckman) Someone in mourning can eventually come to terms with reality and overcome their trauma, unlike someone suffering from melancholy.…...
ExperienceMental HealthPsychologySlaughterhouse Five
The Dichotomy of Fate and Free Will in Slaughterhouse-Five
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Humankind is keen for knowledge Therefore when fate, an event beyond a person’s control, enters a conversation, the controversial topic could kindle some complications. The theory of fate is ancient, many different cultures, societies, authors, and even philosophers have tried to learn and understand this concept, Kurt Vonnegut, being one of those many authors, places his opinions on fate in his novel Slaughterhouse—Five. The story follows the life of Billy Pilgrim as he is thrown through time and put in…...
PhilosophyPsychologySlaughterhouse FiveThought
The Philosophy of Vonnegutism in Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
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A personal philosophy is the beliefs and ideas of one specific person. Every person has their own philosophy, crafted from bits and pieces that were acquired from others' philosophies, combined with original ideas, to create a single. unique philosophy that fits the person it belongs to. Some philosophies throughout time have gotten their fair share of popularity, such as Plato, Socrates, Confucius, and Gandhi, because they all had something in common: a new way to view the world around us.…...
BeliefCulturePhilosophySlaughterhouse Five
Opinion: Four Dimensions in Slaughterhouse-Five
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I was reading Slaughterhouse—Five and it got me to start thinking about whether or not we are all unstuck in time or if the things that happen to us really happen in chronological order. In the book, the main character experiences a multitude of life events that occur at the same time and they don't occur one after anothe. The book jumps around from scene to scene and he goes from being a child to an optometrist to a war…...
ExperiencePhilosophySlaughterhouse FiveTime
Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five Should Not Be Banned in High School Levels
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The banned book of “Slaughterhouse-Five” by: Kurt Vonnegut is a very interesting piece of work. The story revolves around Billy Pilgrim, a soldier in World War Two who does not even want to be there. This book follows him in a nonlinear order and rather sporadic change of events from Billy becoming a prisoner of war and the bombing at Dresden and how he survives. Billy has flashbacks and goes through time travel being “unstuck in Lime“ where he lives…...
CultureProfanitySlaughterhouse FiveViolence
The Portrayal of Death in Slaughterhouse-Five, a Novel by Kurt Vonnegut
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The author Simon Travaglia once said “Death is inevitable, but life - that’s the tricky bit where things happen. Within our world, in the great scheme of things, death is but a small, inevitable part of life. Similar to the quote by Travaglia, the author of Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut, portrays death as just another notch in the circle of life that is inevitable, but also has limited significance, represented through the various ways he uses diction and voice throughout the…...
CulturePhilosophyPsychologySlaughterhouse Five
De-Glorification of War in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five
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War is defined as a conflict carried on by Mof arms, as between nations or between parties within a nation. In the novel Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, the entire book is focused on a sole concept that war is wrong and how this book is, at its core, an anti-war books Using imagery and explicit detail, Vonnegut gives many reasons why people should be disgusted and appalled by wart Two of the most influential anti-war pieces that he talks about…...
MilitarySlaughterhouse FiveThoughtWar
The Amanda Aspect of Carrie, the Heroine of Theodore Dreiser’s Sister Carrie
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Naturalist writers, such as Tennessee Williams, place characters in situations they have to adapt to. The idea of naturalism comes from Social Darwinism, or constantly evolving to adapt to changing surroundings, In The Glass Menagerie, Amanda Wingfield is unable to adapt to the harsh realities of the present. In Amanda’s life, men have constantly contributed to a false reality. Caught up in the illusion of her Southern upbringing, Amanda has learned that a man will support a woman. Therefore, she…...
CulturePhilosophyRealitySister Carrie
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