«Humbert, throughout Lolita, creates an inescapable defeat through his interactions with Lolita and his antagonist, Clare Quilty. These interactions contradict his early confidence in possessing Lolita. These characters consciously threat Humbert’s...» Document abstract
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Language : english
literature
book review
date published
05/05/2008
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SummaryHumbert, throughout Lolita, creates an inescapable defeat through his interactions with Lolita and his antagonist, Clare Quilty. These interactions contradict his early confidence in possessing Lolita. These characters consciously threat Humbert’s exclusive relationship with Lolita. Their successful efforts, especially those of Lolita herself, against Humbert’s idealized romance with Lolita stand as manifestations of inherent vulnerabilities within committed relationships, exposing a common thread between masochism and monogamy.
Table of Contents
- Humbert loses his control over Lolita when he leaves opportunities for her to take initiative to help herself out of his authority.
- Wanda confesses that she can only love for a finite amount of time.
- There are a countless number of examples of Humbert's humiliations throughout Lolita including the example of the lollipop and the mechanic.
- Severin is able to maintain a last glimpse of empowerment.
- From the very start Quilty understands Humbert's attraction to nymphettes.
«American literature reveals a counter-culture of identity which undermines and even contradicts the popular optimism of national identity. Part of this undermining takes place in the ideologies of American literary characters, or in their “imaginary...» Document abstract
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Language : english
literature
book review
date published
21/05/2008
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SummaryAmerican literature reveals a counter-culture of identity which undermines and even contradicts the popular optimism of national identity. Part of this undermining takes place in the ideologies of American literary characters, or in their “imaginary relationships…to the real conditions of existence,” as defined by Althusser. These ideologies, rather than confirming the identities of the characters to which they belong, serve as a means of warping their perception of reality. I believe that this void of understanding (of the self, of the nation) can be attributed to an undercurrent of racism, solipsism, and immaturity, as seen in Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.
Table of Contents
- As Sal and Dean take on America, their reactions to the world around them are filtered through a lens given to them by the romantic fictions of Hollywood.
- Feeling the pull of her own life calling her back is a luxury that Terry simply never has.
- Dean's nostalgia is much more personal than Sal?s.
- Sal loses himself in Blackness.
- Pausing would also mean becoming familiar with the agency accessible to him in his time and place.
- Sal, unlike Dean, is able through his role as narrator to offer, the saddened wisdom of hindsight.
«If a producer was to make an adaptation of Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird and wanted to extricate Miss Maudie’s role from the film, not only would the dynamic of the characters be irreparably damaged, but the film would also be excluding one of...» Document abstract
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Language : english
literature
book review
date published
21/05/2008
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SummaryIf a producer was to make an adaptation of Harper Lee’s, To Kill a Mockingbird and wanted to extricate Miss Maudie’s role from the film, not only would the dynamic of the characters be irreparably damaged, but the film would also be excluding one of the most powerful humanizing forces in the novel. The novel is fundamentally about perspectives within a whole interconnected system of personal and societal forces, and Miss Maudie offers one of the only sensitive voices in the novel that enables Jem and Scout to develop this skill. Additionally, Miss Maudie is one of the only progressive female voices in the novel and her very presence can be used to counterpoint the other oppressive doctrines in the novel, adding an entirely singular and rich layer to the theme of the novel.
Table of Contents
- Miss Maudie plays an important role in introducing different traits and facts about the other characters.
- The fact that there is a woman as progressive as Miss Maudie to explain the ironies of Christianity to Scout is incredibly important.
- Aunt Alexandra's vision of my deportment involved playing with small stoves, tea sets, and wearing the Add-A-Pearl necklace.
- Flowers themselves play a pervasive symbolic role throughout the novel.
- The female perspective in To Kill a Mockingbird would not have been possible without Miss Maudie.
«The Great Gatsby relates Nick Carraway's experiences with a disillusioned assortment of wealthy individuals following his move to West Egg, the "less fashionable" counterpart to East egg, the home of antiquated affluence (5). In this harsh region of...» Document abstract
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Language : english
literature
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date published
22/05/2008
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SummaryThe Great Gatsby relates Nick Carraway's experiences with a disillusioned assortment of wealthy individuals following his move to West Egg, the "less fashionable" counterpart to East egg, the home of antiquated affluence (5). In this harsh region of unlikely opposites, the 1915 Yale graduate encounters Tom Buchanan, a rich W.A.S.P who contently lives with a prideful lack of conscience; Daisy, his flighty wife; Jordan Baker, a low-down golfing champion; and, most importantly, the mysterious Jay Gatsby, who possesses a talented "gift for hope," which ultimately leads to his destruction. Through these characters, Fitzgerald criticizes the American Dream, which is founded on the material principle of wealth instead of inner success. The disastrous effects of such an aspiration in life are shown to come at a heavy cost to the individual, demanding for remuneration the loss of essence, worth, and substance- all the distinctive features which make us unique, significant, and human.
Table of Contents
- Often criticized in this novel is the inhibition of honest expression.
- Her luster comes from a life imbued in carelessness.
- The unbelievable extent to which materialism is pursued is astounding.
- The American Dream, swallowed wholeheartedly, also leads to spiritual decay.
- Gatsby's purpose is ultimately empty and he could have seen this if he took time to look ahead.
«Being an adult usually implies that you have a power of perspective, that is, to see things in a larger system and then to understand these things as being symptomatic of this system. Naturally, children lack this ability and their sense of reality...» Document abstract
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Language : english
literature
book review
date published
23/05/2008
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SummaryBeing an adult usually implies that you have a power of perspective, that is, to see things in a larger system and then to understand these things as being symptomatic of this system. Naturally, children lack this ability and their sense of reality is tenuous and fragmented, and many times their only frame of reference is a shadowy emotional memory itself. Richard Wilbur in the poem “The Writer” and Margaret Atwood in her poem “A Sad Child” both recognize the violence of childhood consciousness and both have written poems suggesting where the child’s line of self and perspective will be or may be under certain conditions. Both poets recognize the severe circumstances, the conceptual intensity, and the wavering devastation of being either too close or far away from the ego.
Table of Contents
- Richard Wilbur begins his poem about his daughter writing a short story in her room.
- Perhaps the most poignant strength of the poem is the subsequent parallelism that he draws between the experience of his daughter to one of a bird that once got caught in her room.
- The poem 'A Sad Child' by Margaret Atwood.
- Atwood is ostensibly less compassionate.
- Though the voice of each poem distinctively carries its own spiritual energy
«While considering the time period and by closely evaluating how events and people play against each other, Shakespeare’s Othello can be considered a full bodied and consummate feminist work. In fact, Shakespeare’s close and dramatic critique of a...» Document abstract
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literature
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date published
23/05/2008
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SummaryWhile considering the time period and by closely evaluating how events and people play against each other, Shakespeare’s Othello can be considered a full bodied and consummate feminist work. In fact, Shakespeare’s close and dramatic critique of a system of absolutes in a patriarchal military society makes this work a template or preceding influence on what is known as feminist ethics, or care ethics today. While reading this play again I could not help but evaluate it under a feminist lens, and by scrutinizing how each character reacts in a system of events I feel that Shakespeare moves closer and closer toward an ethic of care, or one based on a personal relationships, individuality, and communal responsibility. This sharply opposes the existing system in the play that is military, justice-based, and overwhelmingly focused on honor.
Table of Contents
- Iago is undoubtedly one of the most finely hewn and crafted characters.
- It would obviously be bombastic to call Iago a care ethicist.
- The play can be considered a richly feminist work.
- Othello's tragic failure to break from the absolute ideas of the importance of chastity, honor, and the military.
- The essential goal of feminism is to destroy all limiting doctrines and templates.
«A great burden for human beings is to carry ourselves the way we want others to see us. Though each governed by a private set of beliefs, no man is an island for a reason, as we are subject to natural instinct, which compels us to strive for...» Document abstract
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5 word format
Language : english
literature
book review
date published
23/05/2008
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SummaryA great burden for human beings is to carry ourselves the way we want others to see us. Though each governed by a private set of beliefs, no man is an island for a reason, as we are subject to natural instinct, which compels us to strive for acceptance by others in society. However, though one part of life is about fulfilling the expectations of society in order to fit in, the other reflects how we see ourselves and what we hold our potentials to be. What we expect of ourselves is based upon the desire for self-improvement and attempting to come out of experiences with something we didn’t know before. While expectations give a sense of having something to look forward to, they may also cross the thin line of what is practical into what is idealistic. Having the mindset to act and respond in certain ways can be attributed to core beliefs, but to cultivate the lofty image of ourselves as nobler beings is as unrealistic as it is to hope for wings. The very struggle to straddle the border of reasonable expectations is evident in Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations, a Bildungsroman that follows the life of orphan Pip Pirrip, who seeks the values of his society as well as his own.
Table of Contents
- Education plays an important role in determining social status.
- Pip wants Joe to improve so that his own image may be improved.
- Because social class clefts the relationship between Pip and his uncle, Pip is faced with a decision.
- Pip attempts to climb the ladder of society in order to make himself worthy of Estella.
- Pride is the byproduct of the natural accumulation of personal successes.
A critical review of ‘A New Birth of Freedom: Lincoln and the Coming of the Civil War by Harry V. Jaffa
«A New Birth of Freedom: Lincoln and the Coming of the Civil War by Harry V. Jaffa is the long awaited sequel to the author’s 1959 book, Crisis of the House Divided. Although the specific objective of the A New Birth of Freedom is to examine...» Document abstract
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date published
03/06/2008
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SummaryA New Birth of Freedom: Lincoln and the Coming of the Civil War by Harry V. Jaffa is the long awaited sequel to the author’s 1959 book, Crisis of the House Divided. Although the specific objective of the A New Birth of Freedom is to examine Lincoln’s development of the Gettysburg Address, what makes the text so unique is that it focuses on Lincoln as a scholar. This aspect of Lincoln’s personality is often overlooked in the context of autobiographical data on Lincoln.With the realization that Jaffa spends so much of he text focusing on Lincoln as a scholar, this investigation seeks to provide a clear understanding of Lincoln in this light. By examining what Jaffa writes about Lincoln as a scholar and comparing this to what others have written on this historical figure, it will be possible to demonstrate that Jaffa’s work makes a notable contribution to scholarly understanding of Lincoln as both a man and a leader.
Table of Contents
- With the realization that Jaffa spends so much of he text focusing on Lincoln as a scholar, this investigation seeks to provide a clear understanding of Lincoln in this light.
- Jaffa goes on to argue that Lincoln's interpretation of the Declaration of Independence is what served as the basis for him to support the abolition of slavery.
- To illustrate this point one only needs to consider Francis Fisher Browne and John Y. Simon's recent biography which chronicles the everyday life of Abraham Lincoln.
- Other writers examining Lincoln's life also appear to be quite preoccupied with Lincoln's ability to fit into his surroundings.
- Neely maintains that Lincoln typically became rigid and inflexible in his attitudes and opinions, preferring to rely on to the strict interpretations provided by the Constitution.Although this may provide for provocative read material it does not appear to provide a fair and accurate picture of this historical figure.
- In the end, Jaffa's work provides a strong historical analysis of how Lincoln was able to effectively serve as president of the United States.
«In any unfavorable situation, we seek a solution and if there is none, then a way out. When one of main characters of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible finds herself in a vulnerable position, she not only manages to escape her problems, but also succeeds...» Document abstract
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literature
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date published
03/06/2008
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SummaryIn any unfavorable situation, we seek a solution and if there is none, then a way out. When one of main characters of Arthur Miller’s The Crucible finds herself in a vulnerable position, she not only manages to escape her problems, but also succeeds in placing the repercussions of her actions on the heads of others. An unmarried and orphaned young woman, Abigail Williams comes from a modest social class. She served in the well-respected Proctor household, but only briefly, as Elizabeth Proctor dismissed her shortly after discovering her husband’s affair with Abigail. With no real buttress of any kind in her life, Abigail only has her good name to lose. The niece of Reverend Parris, Abigail not only fears for her reputation if the word of her relationship with John Proctor were to be known, but also the contempt of her only relative in the town and with him, any chastisements the church may administer. Abigail also fears being an outcast, someone on a rung of society’s ladder that is even lower than her own. With her reputation ruined, she would be forced to live in shame as a so-called harlot.
Table of Contents
- The niece of Reverend Parris, Abigail not only fears for her reputation if the word of her relationship with John Proctor were to be known.
- Abigail is mainly motivated by her need for power and control.
- Abigail faces no single test, as her crucible is presented several times throughout the story, each time with more severe consequences as odds.
- Abigail Williams is crucial character in Miller's play and serves to answer the reader's question, 'How could something like this happen??
«Jim, an eleven year old boy, and his parents are living in a wealthy European area in Shanghai during World War II. The novel begins the evening before the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. Most of the European families had already been evacuated from...» Document abstract
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Language : english
literature
book review
date published
27/06/2008
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SummaryJim, an eleven year old boy, and his parents are living in a wealthy European area in Shanghai during World War II. The novel begins the evening before the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. Most of the European families had already been evacuated from China, and there were many scrambling to get aboard ships even with the threat of German submarines near the Yangtze River. Jim and his family, on this night, were planning to attend a Christmas party at a friend, Dr. Lockwood’s house.
Everywhere in the city people were watching movie reels of the war. Even Jim, after church the Sunday morning of December 7th, was taken down to the crypt of the church with the other choir boys and forced to watch reels of the war before they could go home.
Everywhere in the city people were watching movie reels of the war. Even Jim, after church the Sunday morning of December 7th, was taken down to the crypt of the church with the other choir boys and forced to watch reels of the war before they could go home.
Table of Contents
- Everywhere in the city people were watching movie reels of the war.
- Behind Dr. Lockwood's estate was the Hungjao airfield where the Chinese faught the Japanese in 1937 trying to keep them from reaching Shanghai.
- Jim woke up in his room on the 10th floor of the Palace Hotel they stayed in that night and looked out the window to see the Shanghai waterfront.
- Finally the reality of his situation is sinking in.
- Jim was half his size and looked older from the time he spent scrounging for food.
- Jim is happy to have been caught because he is hoping to be sent to the same camp his mother or father are being held at.
- The truck full of prisoners of war set off for the camp in Woosung.
- They traveled in the truck for days trying to find an already established prisoner camp.
- Jim is doing whatever he needs to survive and the book takes a new turn in part two.
- Dr. Ransome told Jim to eat the tomatoes himself and gave Jim two condoms to give to Basie.
- The prisoners were so weak they could not make the journey and sat down to die.
- Jim still has no sense of security but the food dropped from the sky gives him happiness.
- Even though Jim is reunited with his parents and has his belongings back from his previous life, nothing is the same.
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