American Literature

    Eurocentrism is a practice in the world where people belief in European culture, values and perspectives. This practice was common in late 20th century during decolonization period. People who believe in Eurocentrism copy European culture, dress code, lifestyle and other practices. Basically, it is taking Europe as the driving force all over the world and that for human beings to progress they should be westernized. Eurocentrism makes individual to perceive things as per European...

    The ability to shun discrimination, promote cultural diversity and embrace democracy among the different races in a community is critical in facilitating greater commitment, justice, innovation and faster development.  Though addressing racism takes a lot of time, its application brings together all races to develop common developmental objectives.  However, it demands great commitment especially from the dominant groups a consideration that Glenn (2008) indicates is...

Literary realism refers to the representation or depiction in literature of the society and day-to-day happenings and experiences as they are in reality (without idealism and subjective prejudice, which are the hall-marks of romanticism). The literary realism movement rose in the 19th century, particularly following the American Civil War. In the years after the Civil War, the literary world was divided into three camps the romantics, the realists and the naturalists who came later. The romantics,...

Raymond Carver climbed through the ropes of the American literary boxing ring with his first collection of short stories, Will You Please Be Quiet, Please (1976). By the time of his early death from lung cancer in 1988, he had quite a few knockouts under his belt. Carvers father was a laborer and saw-sharpener, and his mother was a homemaker. His parents names were already literary material Clevie Raymond Carver and Ella Beatrice Casey. The author was born on May 25, 1938 in the logging town of...

S. T. Coleridges masterpiece, the Rime of the Ancient Mariner, is an allegory of sin and expiation, guilt and redemption or regeneration, loneliness and suffering. It tells us how a human being suffered both physically and spiritually for killing a bird unjustly. Here the killing of the bird does not demand murder of the Mariner, the punishment here is of a different kind. The sinner, in this poem, has to undergo a long terrible suffering which is actually a process of expiation of the purification...

The expedition focuses on Eliza Houghton who was part of the ill fated California bound emigrant party. The Donna party expedition pays much attention on the childhood of Houghton, their tragic overland journey, the rescue and how she picked up the pieces after her parents perished in the tragedy.     Eliza was the daughter of George Donner and Tamsen Eustis Dozier who was a widow by the time he got married in May 24, 1839. Tamsen was a renowned teacher and writer who had transformed...

1. Passage As I passed the wreck of the old meeting house..... till I reached freedom or the grave (Andrews and Gates 836).Significance The passage is narrated by Linda Brent when she was walking by the remnants of the old meeting house and her desire to be free was resurrected as a result of the memories of her father. It was because of this rebirth of motivation that she attempted to leave her children behind and make a desperate attempt to acquire freedom. 2. Passage The calm, deliberate composure...

Birches and Into My OwnRobert Frost is one of the brightest poets of his generation as what can be proved by his several Pulitzer Prize recognitions for poetry (Robert Frost). As a child who grew up under the influence of Shakespeare and Wordsworths works, Frost grew up liking poetry and literature. At a very young age, Frost already liked reading and analyzing poems, and this became one of the strongest catalysts that moved him into pursuing poetry. Frost became renowned for his vivid and imaginative...

Kate Chopins short novel The Awakening tells of the experiences of Edna Pontillier, who struggles within the roles of wife, mother, and woman in 19th century society. Edna is repression embodied her love affair with Robert frees her to confront the binding straits of her life as more than an acceptable norm. This freedom, and Ednas slow realization of self, are often viewed as concluding in her suicide in the comforting embrace of the ocean waves. However, as Robert Treu explains in his examination...

Prose in literature usually refers to ordinary form of spoken and written language such as novels, short stories, essays etc. As opposed to poetry the unit in prose is sentence and not line. Prose is derived from the Latin word Prosa which means in phrase, which was from the phrase prosa oratio that refers to straightforward or unadorned speech. (Bercovitch  Patell, 2005) During the period of the First and Second World Wars works of literature were referred to as Modernist literature. The period...

A Short Story of Undying Love and Devotion    A Worn Path (1940) is a short story written by Eudora Welty about the undying love and devotion of Phoenix Jackson to his grandson. Every year she goes to town to get the supply of medicine which his grandson needs in order to survive after he accidentally swallowed lye a few years passed (Welty, 1940). The throat of the boy is severely damaged that he sometimes experiences difficulty in swallowing and breathing. His grandmother is the...

Present essay focuses on Walt Whitmans two missions in American poetry and society, as reflected in Whitmans poems, such as Song of Myself, and When I Heard the Learned Astronomer. These missions may be interpreted as promoting democratic values and individualism through picturesque poetic images and ideas. Whitmans MissionThe theme of individual freedom and valuing individual, as a center of autonomous decisions and creative development is among central themes in Whitmans Song of Myself. Whitman...

    This early 20th century novel takes the reader through a fictional journey that is more akin to the wonderful world of utopia, where social setups are ideal and the system works efficiently to everyones benefits. The place is described as the land of women and referred to as Herland, where there is a complete absence of all men and the children are all girls. The story follows the narrative of Vandyck Jennings who coupled with two of his old school mates Terry Nicholson and Jeff...

The man named Felterman is hired to investigate Allison Jane Rose. Allison Jane Ross is suspected to have a possible involvement with a master organization or back-up group involved in a continuing action of the subversive kind of charges. Though there is no direct connection to be found between her and in the present trial, Felterman together with his group wouldnt risk the possibility. Felterman became friends with her to discover her secrets secrets that may lead a particular case to truth. But...

The elegance of a high-class society  elegant balls, splendid outfits, noble men, glamorous women and an affluent life  has always been a popular theme in novels. Most often than not, people are always attracted to this kind of stories as they are being taken into a world where everything seems to be perfect and flawless. However, as Edith Wharton takes readers into this kind of world through her book, The Age of Innocence, it can be realized that indeed, not everything about high-class...