Abstract
This essay examines the importance of "The Crowd" in modernist writing and how the dramatic growth of urban areas affected lifestyle at the end of the 19th century. Examining in detail The Man of The Crowd by Poe as well as Joseph Conrad's The Secret Agent and the poems of Baudelaire and relating them to modernist thinkers.

Tags:conrad, crowds, modern, modernity, new, modernism, literature

Tags:camelot, chivalry, courtly, round, table, king

Abstract
This paper reviews the novel "Things Fall Apart" by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe which portrays Nigerian tribal life before and after the arrival of colonization. It examines how the themes covered by the book are those of interest to black people and how the novel has views of racial politics. It shows us how as a black writer, Achebe is able to covey language and feeling in a way which is very different than white writers. It describes how the main character in the novel is Okonkwo, a self-made man and how everything seems to fall apart for him, hence the title. It is not just Okonkwo that things fall apart for. It discusses how villagers and tribe members (and indeed Nigerians as a whole) must adapt to a whole new way of life when the white man takes over.

From the Paper
"Although there were earlier examples, notably by Achebe's fellow Nigerian, Amos Tutuola, none has been so influential, not only on African literature, but on literature around the world. The aim of the novel is to create a complex and sympathetic portrait of a traditional village culture in Africa. Achebe is trying not only to inform the outside world about Igbo cultural traditions, but to remind his own people of their past and to stress that it had contained much of value. Achebe intensely resents the stereotype of Africa as an undifferentiated primitive land. Throughout the novel he shows how African cultures differ among themselves and how they change over time."

Tags:white, blacks, nigeria, colonization

Abstract
A detailed critical analysis of "Zaynab" and the social and political situation of Egypt at the time of its publication. This study draws on the criticism of Alle, Hafez and Jad to explore the literary merits of Haykal's text. The paper answers the question: Does a critical analysis of Haykal's Zaynab justify critics' assertion that it was "the first real Arabic novel?" This study is not intended as an historical overview of the literature available to readers of Arabic in the early decades of the twentieth century.

From the Paper
"Zaynab has often been referred to as the "first real Arabic novel", a title which rarely seems to be called into question. Allen suggests, however, that it is more useful to see Zaynab as a stage in a continuing process of literary evolution, and it is therefore of interest to see how the text stands up to critical analysis of its quality as a novel in general rather than the "first" Arabic novel in particular. The quality of Haykal's writing cannot be denied and his ability to elicit his readers' empathy is highly effective. His story is engaging and it has resonance for readers today just as it must have for Haykal's contemporaries. He treats the themes of love, death and unhappy marriages, themes which are timeless in their relevance despite being sited in this instance in a very particular historical and geographical setting."

Tags:arabic, east, egypt, literature, middle

Abstract
This paper examines how the novel "Things Fall Apart", written by the African novelist Chinua Achebe, is a story about the change that the Ibo tribe goes through upon the arrival of the European missionaries. In particular, it looks at how Achebe is skilled in the fact that he shows both the culture of this tribe and the change it undergoes, through the characters of the novel and mainly through the most important one, Okonkwo. Another important character that catches the reader's attention is Obierika. It explores how both of these characters are successful heads of households, how they both depict certain values and customs of the Ibo culture and how they are integral to the novel in that they offer the reader insight into how the tribe "falls apart".

From the Paper
"However, seldom do we find a hero with good qualities alone, and we soon find out that all of the aforementioned qualities were driven by the fear of becoming a failure like his father - a fear which drove him to many other, worse, qualities. The most prominent of these is his sternness and harshness in his dealings with people, deriving from a hate of gentleness and showing of emotions. Thus, he beats his wives and children, continuously shouts at them and is afraid to show any emotions he may be holding. These emotions are shown to us in his thoughts; for example, he shows his love for his daughter Ezinma by collecting medicine for her when she was dying, and his guarding of the cave of Agbala when Ezinma was summoned to her, as well as his feelings of loss when he kills his "son" Ikemefuna."

Tags:africa, clan, tribe, values

Abstract
This paper explains the Sonnet VII, by John Milton, in general terms and in the context of the concept of "time". It shows, in particular, how Milton shows the inevitability of aging and of the mental anguish that Milton faces when facing the responsibility of adulthood. The second part of the paper offers an analysis of the sonnet, looking closely at how Milton plays with the concept of time in the sonnet.

From the Paper
"The sonnet changes aspect from a spiritual level to a more inward looking level from line 6 onward. "Perhaps my semblance might deceive the truth / That I to manhood am arrived so near" shows the internal struggle that Milton is having in coming to terms with the change in his stage of life. In the case of many young people on the threshold of "manhood" " particularly those in the era of Milton - they are all too willing to jump headlong into it. However, Milton is somewhat more somnolent towards adulthood, perhaps since he was relatively mature intellectually speaking compared to his peers, and thus wishes to distance himself from it since he knows of the more serious aspects to it."

Tags:aging, biography, renaissance, youth, english, poet, london, paradise, lost, puritan

Abstract
This paper discusses 'Things Fall Apart' by the Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe. It is informed by a sense of history and how it reflects on the process of colonization. It explores Achebe's motivations behind 'Things Fall Apart' and evaluates the ways in which the novel acts to reclaim Africa's genuine past. It describes the novel's plot and analyzes the use of tragic irony.

From the Paper
"The Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe is one of the most prominent figures in post-colonial literature and he actively seeks to reclaim African heritage. Western colonization of Africa destroyed native religions, languages and forcibly replaced African heritage with the European culture. In this sense, people of post-colonial countries feel they have been denied their true history and seek to rediscover their past. Achebe strongly disagreed with the existing portrayal of his homeland and it is through his novel Things Fall Apart (1958) that Achebe realizes his desire to expose the Western view of African history as false and repossess Nigeria's genuine past."

Tags:Chinua, Achebe, Africa, colonial, colonisation, culture, heritage, history, Nigeria, post

Abstract
This essay looks at how Calvino views the nature of narrative in the novel "If on a winters night a traveler" and how his intentions can be both serious and satirical. The paper explores the narrative devices that Calvino uses in his novel, and his lack of adherence to generic and narrative conventions. The paper also looks at the demystification of the notion of authority and authorship in the novel, and cites in this subject Roland Barthe's "Death of an Author."

From the Paper
"In Alan Haspel's essay Calvino's Fairy-tale, he states that 'The didactic beginning of this novel is a mechanism Calvino utilises to ensure the reader that a fantastic, adventurous story is about to begin'. This is true to a certain extent as it does help build up suspense but I feel that the main reason Calvino uses this style is to parody the words of a storyteller reading to a young child. I think that this is his way of mocking both, the storyteller role of the writer, and the position of the innocent reader who has just picked up the book. Calvino begins the novel by speaking to the reader in a patronizing tone, as if to a child. Calvino has comic intentions because he uses an intrusive and knowing tone to satirize the authority that other writers feel they have. On the other hand Calvino's intentions could be serious and the tone could be seen as conversational, a way of helping the reader to become more engaged in the novel. The storyteller beginning is a great contrast to the complex, psychological nature of the last few stories. This represents the way in which the reader develops through reading the novel."

Tags:meta-fiction, genre, meta, stories, structure, convention, archetype, postmodern, fairy, tale

Abstract
This paper provides a description of the general themes apparent in Ibsen's play 'A Doll's House' and the characters Ibsen creates. In defining the play as a "realism" play, the unique setting Ibsen chooses is analyzed.

From the Paper
"All of the characters in A Doll s House are ordinary, everyday people with whom the 19th Century audience would undoubtedly identify. This notion works in the same way as the naturalistic staging, as it prevented the audience from distancing themselves from those type of people . One of the most acclaimed aspects of Ibsen s work is the profound depth and complexity of his characters. The temptation is to label characters as good or bad , moral or immoral , but their complexity makes such a definite distinction difficult. This is perhaps one of the things that most disturbed people at the time. Ibsen disregarded simplistic definitions and introduced the idea that all people contain elements of both good and bad."

Tags:characterisation, feminist, ibsen, realism, realist

Abstract
This essay includes analysis of the way Friday is described by the author in comparison to the way he is described in 'Robinson Crusoe' by Daniel Defoe, a look at the importance of Friday's feet and what they represent, discussion of class implications,and the symbolism within the novel.

From the Paper
"In this essay, I intend to discuss the opinion that the character of Friday is central in the book Foe by the South African writer, J. M. Coetzee. I will look at the importance of his character and how he influences the story as a whole. I feel that the quote below is very true, and I shall go on to prove this in this essay. ""J. M. Coetzee deconstructs the text of Robinson Crusoe in his novel Foe, which subtly centralizes the character of Friday" (James McCorkle) Foe is a book in which Coetzee raises many interesting issues. The four main areas that are dealt with are: the treatment of the truth in narratives, pro-feminism, race and the treatment of ethnic minorities, and the truth about history. It also contains ideas about society and the class struggle. At one point when Susan speaks, it is almost as if Coetzee is talking about his own writing: "Alas my stories seem always to have more applications than I intend"" (Foe, 81) "

Tags:character, class, coetzee, crusoe, defoe, foe, island, race, robinson, symbolism