«Langston Hughes's poem, "Trumpet Player", is both a celebration of and reach for a Black identity. The poem's vivid imagery and careful metaphors connote to a theme consistent among Hughes's work. The poem quietly speaks of oppression, of a...» Document abstract
$1.95
2 word format
Language : english
literature
presentation
date published
30/05/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : General public
requested 0 times
SummaryLangston Hughes's poem, "Trumpet Player", is both a celebration of and reach for a Black identity. The poem's vivid imagery and careful metaphors connote to a theme consistent among Hughes's work. The poem quietly speaks of oppression, of a violent past, of desperation and ongoing struggle, of a search for identity, but at the same time celebrates the grace and beauty of the "Negro." The poem's rhythmic structure and rhyming scheme give it a musical flow appropriate to the title and the subject matter. The poem is about Black man; a trumpet player playing at a club and the poem serves to speak how the music this man plays mellows the violent conflict within him.
Table of Contents- The persona of this poem is not necessarily the trumpet player but more likely an observer at the club in which he is playing
- The words 'vibrant hair tamed down' refer to the suppression of African Americans in our society.
- In Hughes's "Trumpet Player" the repetition of certain words and lines lend to the suggestive structure of the poem, almost like lyrics that repeat, or a pattern of notes that form a chorus.
«A viewer watching the 1948 and then the 1967 film versions of Anna Karenina (directed by Julien Duvivier and Aleksandr Zharkhi, respectively) for the first time might think that there is much in common between the two films. They look very similar,...» Document abstract
$9.95
15 word format
Language : english
literature
research papers
date published
30/05/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : Expert
requested 0 times
SummaryA viewer watching the 1948 and then the 1967 film versions of Anna Karenina (directed by Julien Duvivier and Aleksandr Zharkhi, respectively) for the first time might think that there is much in common between the two films. They look very similar, and this is due in large part to attempts, by the film-makers, to be meticulously literal both to history and to their source, Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. However, despite this seeming faithfulness to the original, the films also diverge wildly from each other at certain important turning points in the plot, and it is in these key moments that a different viewpoint, the directors’ own, asserts itself and distinguishes the film adaptations as, in some sense, original works of art (whether successful in this regard or not is a different matter). These adaptations are unique not because they are “spins” or “take-offs” on the original, rather, they are valuable as cultural commentary, as attempts to define and relate the society that produced the films with the society that Tolstoy lived in and wrote about. Some might question whether the films actually present unique viewpoints or if, due to censorship issues and the cruel drive of market forces, they simply represent the prevailing societal views of their times. But it must be kept in mind that Tolstoy also wrote during a time of censorship and strict morals and yet was able to produce a meaningful work of art.
Table of Contents- Introduction
- Behind the Scenes: Adaptation, Censorship and Production
- Much of this stereotype is rooted in the belief that all art being produced in the Soviet Union conformed to the proletariat-glorifying aesthetic of Soviet Socialist Realism.
- Literalism and Interpretation
- Horse-Racing and Ballroom Scenes
- Conclusion.
«The memoirs of Anna Evdokimovna Labzina, a noblewoman during the reign of Catherine the Great, might be expected to contain numerous references to the salon of St. Petersburg and the fashions of the time. Titled Days of a Russian Noblewoman, her...» Document abstract
$4.95
5 word format
Language : english
literature
presentation
date published
29/05/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : Advanced
requested 0 times
SummaryThe memoirs of Anna Evdokimovna Labzina, a noblewoman during the reign of Catherine the Great, might be expected to contain numerous references to the salon of St. Petersburg and the fashions of the time. Titled Days of a Russian Noblewoman, her account is remarkable for its religious tone and adherence to virtues and morality. The first part of her work is an extensive memoir written in 1810 which focuses on her married life with her first husband, Alexander Karamyshev, whom she married in 1772 at the age of thirteen. The latter part is a diary written from 1818-1819, after she had married her second husband Alexander Labzin, a prominent Petersburg Freemason. Labzina had a difficult time adjusting to life with Karamyshev and his infidelities, and the majority of her memoir documents her struggles with him. Although her second marriage was happier, the diary describes more of the strains she experienced as a religiously idealistic woman trying to understand the noble class.
Table of Contents- Labzina's fervent religiousness put her at odds with some of the Russian nobility.
- Trying to understand her husband's nature was a particular trial for Labzina.
- When they moved to Siberia Labzina continued her practice of seeking paternal benefactors.
- Labzina did not just play the role of an obedient 'orphan' who receives favors from those above her.
- Her old-fashioned beliefs were challenged by the new worldliness and materialism.
- Her old-fashioned practices might have been unsuitable for the city.
- Labzina's insights into the Freemasons are interesting.
- It would be easy to disregard Labzina for her religious tangents.
- Days of a Russian Noblewoman focuses on Labzina's struggle to reconcile religion and worldly attitudes.
Subplot and Plot: The Commentary of the Madhouse on the Castle in Middleton and Rowley’s The Changeling
«In the seventeenth-century Jacobean revenge tragedy The Changeling, Thomas Middleton and William Rowley present two seemingly separate worlds in both location and action. The main plot is characterized by the locale of the castle in Alicante, ruled...» Document abstract
$4.95
5 word format
Language : english
literature
presentation
date published
29/05/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : General public
requested 0 times
SummaryIn the seventeenth-century Jacobean revenge tragedy The Changeling, Thomas Middleton and William Rowley present two seemingly separate worlds in both location and action. The main plot is characterized by the locale of the castle in Alicante, ruled by Vermandero. This setting is centered on the appetite of Vermandero’s daughter, Beatrice-Joanna, against the paternal will. Further, the action of this setting develops through the love triangle between Beatrice, Alsemero, and De Flores that magnifies Beatrice’s character. The subplot is distinguished by Doctor Alibius’ madhouse within which Alibius becomes increasingly fearful of his wife, Isabella, potentially acting disloyally; the playwrights also present the “mad” characters of Antonio and Franciscus and their actions toward Isabella, of which Alibius grows extremely jealous.
Table of Contents- Initially, Middleton and Rowley divide the play.
- Beatrice's desire for Alsemero stems from her objection to her father's will.
- De Flores tells Beatrice that she has been transformed by her crime, and it now defines her.
- While Isabella, as the wife of the madhouse's doctor, is locked up, she becomes an object of desire for outsiders.
- As Antonio is a changeling, the players in both the main plot and subplot experience conversions in character.
- Beatrice's own inability to act reasonably causes her to follow her desires.
- Middleton and Rowley create a relationship between the setting of a castle and a madhouse.
The Absent Wife and Mother as the Source for the Downfall of a Family and Kingdom in Shakespeare’s King Lear
«In King Lear, Shakespeare incorporates a theme that is prevalent in many of his other works, that of family structure, specifically, absent wives and mothers. The nonexistence of King Lear’s wife and his daughters’ mother also implies the absence...» Document abstract
$5.95
6 word format
Language : english
literature
presentation
date published
28/05/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : General public
requested 0 times
SummaryIn King Lear, Shakespeare incorporates a theme that is prevalent in many of his other works, that of family structure, specifically, absent wives and mothers. The nonexistence of King Lear’s wife and his daughters’ mother also implies the absence of a Queen and a female political figure to balance the king’s authority. While it may seem that male rule is self-sufficient, it can be argued that King Lear’s reason is overshadowed by his power, causing him to hastily hand down his kingdom to Goneril and Regan. Had there been another position at the throne with whom to discuss this matter, perhaps King Lear would have used more sound judgment in determining the transference of power. Without a female figure of authority at the throne, he views his daughters as surrogate wives, relying on them to the point that he gives up protection, the one thing that he needs the most to remain sane and maintain the kingdom’s order.
Keywords: Coppelia Kahn
Keywords: Coppelia Kahn
Table of Contents- In deciding to give up his power to the eldest daughters, King Lear reveals a tension between his body natural and body politic.
- Lear asks his three daughters to make declarations of love in order to attain their rightful portions of the kingdom.
- King Lear rejects Cordelia and instead trusts in Goneril and Regan's proclamations of love.
- King Lear is without a nurturing wife.
- The word 'mother' is also used negatively.
- He is unable to balance masculine and feminine traits.
- Lear's moment of madness on the heath.
«Writing is not for the faint-hearted. Writers do the hard work of expelling ignorance, trying to change the way people think while taking in every chance to learn about the lives of others. The business of fiction is people, but in order to write...» Document abstract
$5.95
6 word format
Language : english
literature
presentation
date published
28/05/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : General public
requested 0 times
SummaryWriting is not for the faint-hearted. Writers do the hard work of expelling ignorance, trying to change the way people think while taking in every chance to learn about the lives of others. The business of fiction is people, but in order to write about people, one has to understand them well. T.S. Eliot once said that this process, the course of a writer creating something that mimics life is a “continual self-sacrifice, a continual extinction of personality,”1 because he must be thoroughly absorbed in what he does in order for it to be effective. A writer never stops writing. Leaving the desk doesn’t end the process. A true writer continues to write in his head long after he’s left the typewriter—his “relationship with the world is one of narrative.”2 The test of character involved is immense yet there must be something worth the struggle; there wouldn’t be any writers otherwise. Committed writers find satisfaction in what they do. Anne Sexton found confessional poetry meaningful because it showed her who she was. Lee Smith writes because she sees something “wonderful about being able to get inside the skin of people unlike you.”
Keywords: Tom Grimes, Frank Conroy, Janet Burroway and Elizabeth Stuckey-French, Ismail Muhammud, Personal interview, Stephen Koch. The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop
Keywords: Tom Grimes, Frank Conroy, Janet Burroway and Elizabeth Stuckey-French, Ismail Muhammud, Personal interview, Stephen Koch. The Modern Library Writer’s Workshop
Table of Contents- Great writing depends on the writer's imagination.
- The brilliance of workshop comes from its organicity.
- The subsequent paragraphs relate only to prose-writing.
- Valerie Brelinski's workshop took off on a similar start in that discussions had to be jump-started at times.
- The reason why writers attend workshops is revision.
- A surprising outcome of workshop.
- The more I think about it, the more I believe that the stories I write aren't really fiction.
«Writers employ a wide variety of devices to further enhance the nature of their works. Whether through eloquent description or profound repetition, certain aspects of an author’s technique lend a stronger reflection of the theme or idea behind the...» Document abstract
$2.95
3 word format
Language : english
literature
presentation
date published
27/05/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : General public
requested 0 times
SummaryWriters employ a wide variety of devices to further enhance the nature of their works. Whether through eloquent description or profound repetition, certain aspects of an author’s technique lend a stronger reflection of the theme or idea behind the simple story. The effect can be likened to an onion, where upon layer after layer is firmly established making something so simple so much more complex and aningful. Symbolism is a very powerful and engaging factor to the reader, who may use it to form an even stronger bond or understanding with the material through association. In comparison with themselves, the reader begins to note the differences such symbols and allegories hold with relation to the actual character in the work, realizing that these
differences can be attributed to the subject’s point-of-view. The author’s ability to expound and tailor the devices of literature gives words a power beyond themselves.
differences can be attributed to the subject’s point-of-view. The author’s ability to expound and tailor the devices of literature gives words a power beyond themselves.
Table of Contents- Elisa Allen is a character that many of the period could relate to.
- When the strange man comes asking for work, she denies his request.
- As her encounter ends, she feels a kind of rejuvenation or awakening.
- Emily was once a very prominent figure in the town, her father a wealthy colonel.
- Both stories are equally impressive with regards to the writer's talent and mastery of story-telling.
«America’s Declaration of Independence gives all men an equal and unalienable right to the pursuit of happiness and this right cannot be usurped by any other principle unless the latter is governed by free will. However, because free will is subject...» Document abstract
$4.95
5 word format
Language : english
literature
presentation
date published
27/05/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : General public
requested 0 times
SummaryAmerica’s Declaration of Independence gives all men an equal and unalienable right to the pursuit of happiness and this right cannot be usurped by any other principle unless the latter is governed by free will. However, because free will is subject to individual beliefs and happiness occurs in a state of conscious being, a person makes the choice to be happy or otherwise. By the same token, if a person can choose to be happy, he or she may choose to act on any other emotion, or any other aspect of life. The temporality of choice is what makes the constant transition of past to present, but when the same choice is made repeatedly, the only thing that moves is not life itself but rather the dull hands on one’s biological clock. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s riveting novel The Scarlet Letter, each character is bound to his or her past in an attempt to find justice in what is already history.
Table of Contents- Introduction.
- Individualism.
- Potential.
- Perspective.
- Conclusion.
«Arthur Miller once wrote that the reason so few tragedies exist is because the world is in lack of heroes and the common man thinks too little of himself to be otherwise. The reluctance to be anything more than ordinary is attributed to the inherent...» Document abstract
$6.95
7 word format
Language : english
literature
research papers
date published
27/05/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : General public
requested 0 times
SummaryArthur Miller once wrote that the reason so few tragedies exist is because the world is in lack of heroes and the common man thinks too little of himself to be otherwise. The reluctance to be anything more than ordinary is attributed to the inherent assumption that heroes can only come from sophisticated and complex individuals superior in form who are exceptionally courageous in the face of adversity. Intimidated by such a misconception, persons fully capable of committing virtuous acts are unable to. The pedestal that heroes are put on seems impossibly and hopelessly high from a distance, but at a closer look, it is in fact within reach. Even the most laudable of heroes who during great moments of peril choose altruism and put the lives of others before their own walk on earth afterwards like everyone else. Though putting one’s life at stake is heroic, a hero is not merely defined by that one act but by his or her state of mind and admirable qualities that are put to use in matters of serving the greater good. And for the common man, because human beings are intrinsically entitled to govern their own lives, he has the choice to be more than himself and by that, choosing to fight for a just cause regardless of its outcome merits him the title of a hero in his own right.
Table of Contents- Introduction.
- Hamartia.
- Expectations.
- Death and effect.
- Conclusion.
«When I’m old and gray, I probably won’t remember very well every book that I’ve read. In fact, upon recollection, the contents of each novel will most likely be condensed to a single descriptive sentence; for textbooks, a verb and noun will do (i.e....» Document abstract
$2.95
3 word format
Language : english
literature
school essay
date published
27/05/2008
review : not yet assessed
level : General public
requested 0 times
SummaryWhen I’m old and gray, I probably won’t remember very well every book that I’ve read. In fact, upon recollection, the contents of each novel will most likely be condensed to a single descriptive sentence; for textbooks, a verb and noun will do (i.e. Napoleon loses). As insignificant as that sentence may sound, it is considerably more than two words. Fiction simply stays with me better because I think it’s more meaningful than any other type of writing and up until a month ago, I thought the line between fiction and nonfiction was very clear. Anne Fadiman’s The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down confuses the intricacies of my brain, which do not know whether to allot a sentence or two parts of speech in the dimly lit section of my cerebral cortex, a precious reserve for very succinct memories only. Her writing style distances her book from a typical nonfiction one because not only does she make facts very personal with her strong sense of “I,” the filter she puts on her research and use of frequent anecdotes make me believe she is more of a unique storyteller than an intellectual gatherer of knowledge
Table of Contents- I've seen many researchers with open textbooks spread all around them, copious notes, and eyes glued to the microfilm scanner screen.
- Everything she passes on to the reader is a direct result of her experiences.
- In fiction, a filter is used to allow a reader to see from a character's point of view.
- What is most deftly done and distinguishes Fadiman's book most from nonfiction writing is her role as a storyteller?
- Fadiman's book is one I enjoy reading and admire.
knowledge network
Sort by
Results 61 - 70 out of a total of 487
Subject :
Type :
Extension :
Language :
Size :
Document>philosophy & literature