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African-American Identity, 2008.
This paper explores African-American self-definition and development.
999 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 7 sources, MLA, £ 21.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses the need for a communal African-American identity, with a commitment to acknowledging racism and combating it. The paper looks at the works of Chinua Achebe, Kwame Gyekye and Aime Cesaire who, from different viewpoints, each make a strong call for African-Americans to form a community or family that remembers and reclaims its cultural legacy. The paper explains that claiming membership in a global community of Africans is a way of building a well-grounded and powerful identity that can heal and liberate.
From the Paper
"The question of the self-identity of African Americans is a complex one. On the one hand, their identity is clear - they are Americans, with all of the challenges and responsibilities that go with this identity in 2007. On the other hand, however, they have a broader identity: their African identity. To some extent, this is true of most Americans - for example, there are many Americans of Irish descent. However, there are two important differences. One of them is that African Americans comprise a visible minority, merely by being clearly and visibly African. The second is that unlike Irish people, millions of Africans today still live in extremely difficult circumstances. Moreover, as famous Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe claims, this is arguably part of the legacy of racism."
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"The Time Machine" and Socialism, 2008.
A reflection on H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine" and its ideas about socialism.
1,040 words (approx. 4.2 pages), 1 source, APA, £ 21.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses how H.G. Wells' "The Time Machine" is more interesting for its social and intellectual commentary than the idea of time travel in science fiction. The paper describes the Eloi, the peaceful, degenerate people of the future England and shows how Wells conveys his objections to the main ideas of socialism and Utopianism. The paper also explains Wells' belief that instead of creating that perfect society without class conflicts, it is better to work to correct the injustices of capitalism and the large gaps between classes.
Outline:
Introduction
The Block Theory and Time
Wells's Rejection of Utopian Ideas
Concluding Remarks
From the Paper
"Herbert George Wells (1866-1946) remains famous for his great novella, The Time Machine, often mentioned as an important work of science fiction for how it inspired other efforts of science fiction. People may remember this novella for its idea of time travel that Wells was the first to employ in fiction, a story appearing in serial form in New Review in 1894 and 1895, then published in book form by Heinemann in London in 1895. However, The Time Machine seems more important for its indication of what Wells saw in several ideas of his day, beyond matters of science fiction and the Block theory of the universe on which the idea of traveling forwards in time implies. If studying a little of the late 19th century in Britain and the ideals debated by the educated classes, one reads The Time Machine with an appreciation of much that the author believed was incorrect about then important ideas of socialism."
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Loyalty in "Beowulf", 2008.
An analysis of the theme of loyalty and faithfulness in the epic poem "Beowulf".
947 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 20.95
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Abstract
The paper details how Beowulf's followers follow him when his strength is at its peak, but desert him when he is confronted with his deadliest test. The paper explains that Beowulf's loyalty to others is fueled by a profound sense of honor while his warriors, lacking his courage and sense of honor, are weak-willed and turn away from him when he needs them most. The paper shows how this poem is a testament to the extraordinary faith of Beowulf in others and in the warrior's code.
From the Paper
"While Beowulf must endure faithlessness on the part of some of his men, this lack of constancy is not immediately apparent in the text. For instance, on the first night in the castle of Hrothgar, Beowulf lies surrounded by his sturdy retinue of Geat soldiers: "The Geats' great chief/dropped/His head to his pillow/and around him, as ready as they could be, lay the soldiers who had crossed /the sea/At his side, each of them sure that he was lost/to the home he loved" (688-692). These are men prepared to die with their leader, if the fates willed it, and loyalty is surely not an issue for any of them."
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A Timeline of "A Separate Peace", 2008.
This paper presents a timeline of twelve major events that comprise the core of John Knowles,' book "A Separate Peace."
1,285 words (approx. 5.1 pages), 1 source, APA, £ 26.95
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Abstract
The paper outlines twelve major events in chronological order in John Knowles' book, "A Separate Peace", and explores their significance. The paper highlights the ideas of coming-of-age as an adult, personal transformations and about friends finding fulfillment through each other. The paper shows how the story is about being forced to confront painful realities; war, human frailty and the loss of innocence being chief among them.
Outline:
First Major Event: The Return to Devon
Second Event: Climbing up the Tree (the Second Climb)
Third Event: Finny's Confession of Friendship and Gene's Hesitation
Fourth Event: Gene Flunks the Trigonometry Test
Fifth Event: Finny's Fall
Sixth Event: The Visit in the Infirmary and the Failed Confession
Seventh Event: The Confession at Finny's Home in Boston
Eighth Event: Gene's Decision to Enlist - and how It Is Interrupted by Finny's Return
Ninth Event: Gene Decides to Become an Olympic Athlete
Tenth Event: the Fight with Leper at Leper's Home in Vermont
Eleventh Event: the Tribunal
Twelfth Event: Finny's Death
From the Paper
"In chapter one, the narrator of the story returns to the elite Devon school campus in New Hampshire 15 years after graduation. Upon his return, the narrator is re-introduced to the fear he felt at the time (he was a student during the height of the Second World War) and he is prompted to recollect the summer of 1942 when his room-mate, Phineas or "Finny," persuaded him to jump off the branch of a tree found on the Devon campus; the tree, as it turns out, is located right beside a river and it is into the river that one must jump. Ultimately, the act of jumping into the river, and the wrestling that Finny and the narrator do afterwards, causes them to miss dinner that evening."
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"The Awakening" and The Life of Kate Chopin, 2008.
A brief analysis of the life of Kate Chopin and a review of the theme of her work, "The Awakening."
776 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 16.95
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Abstract
This paper describes the life of Kate Chopin and reviews her book, "The Awakening." It begins by providing an overview of Chopin's early life and discusses how she began to publish stories and then went on to become a serious and prolific writer. The paper then focuses on her work, "The Awakening," written in 1899. It specifically looks at how Chopin may have been expressing some of her deepest feelings and emotions through the character of Edna.
From the Paper
"Kate married Oscar Chopin when she was 20 years old, and spent her honeymoon in Europe. Oscar was a successful cosmopolitan cotton broker from New Orleans, and shortly after marriage, the couple moved there to begin their married life and eventually raise a family. Oscar was a surprisingly accommodating husband in this male dominated society, and Kate took advantage of every opportunity of her freedoms. She "took long solitary walks, daringly showed her ankles when lifting her skirts to cross a street, smoked cigarettes and kept an intermittent diary" (Lichtenstein). She did not hide her obvious intelligence nor did she hide her disdain and rebellious attitude for "proper society" (Lichtenstein). Oscar died only 12 years after the couple married, but in that time, Kate bore him six children and performed the role of the perfect homemaker as society expected."
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Greek and Roman Philosophy, 2008.
This paper studies the issue of Greek and Roman philosophy and the attempt to give meaning to life.
1,200 words (approx. 4.8 pages), 4 sources, MLA, £ 24.95
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Abstract
In this article, the writer notes that philosophy was created by the Greeks as a way of delving into many of the questions about life and the relationship of the individual to the rest of the world. The writer also explains that the philosopher asked about the meaning of life and offered answers to how that meaning could be found. The writer notes that one aspect of philosophical inquiry was intended to help understand the meaning of life and to explain the value of philosophical inquiry itself to understand the meaning of life. The writer concludes that philosophers ever since the beginnings of philosophy in the Greek world have considered how to give meaning to life and what aspects of life are most important in making that determination.
From the Paper
"One of the key issues in philosophy is what constitutes a moral life, which entails questions of the meaning of happiness and its importance, the definition of moral character and its necessity, conflicts between the two elements, and the question of what other elements are necessary for living a good life.
"Happiness can be identified not as an element in living the good life but as the act of living the good life. Aristotle indicates this with reference to the issue of wisdom. For Aristotle, practical wisdom means knowledge concerning the good life and how to achieve it. In addition, for Aristotle the good life is the happy life, and everything that is good is good only as it leads to and is conducive to human happiness. Aristotle argues that not all ends are final ends, and some are the means to other ends. Yet there has to be a final end in sight or the process would be infinite and never reach the good, the chief good that is something final. There can be only one final end, and that is the end human beings are seeking. Identifying what this is requires a consideration of its nature and the nature of competing goals."
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Science Fiction, 2008.
An analysis of the three different eras of science fiction.
1,004 words (approx. 4.0 pages), 7 sources, MLA, £ 21.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how setting in science fiction is a key element, as it is in all fiction, though the way it is used and the emphasis given to it among the various elements of fiction may differ. In particular, the paper discusses how, in his anthology "Masterpieces", Orson Scott Card divides science fiction somewhat arbitrarily into three categories according to era ("The Golden Age," "The New Wave," and "The Media Generation"). The paper then examines the style and settings of each of these eras with reference to different novels.
From the Paper
"Setting is important in the structure of the novel Count Zero by William Gibson. The setting is the future, but it is not a distant future. It is rather a projection of the present into what Gibson sees as the next logical step as the use of the computer makes the cyberspace that Gibson named in an earlier book into a parallel reality set alongside the "real" world in which we live. Both worlds have evolved in the direction of increasing corporate control accompanied by further surrender of individuality and autonomy on the part of the human inhabitants of the planet. "
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"Atlas Shrugged", 2008.
This paper provides an analysis of Ayn Rand's beliefs in "Atlas Shrugged".
953 words (approx. 3.8 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 20.95
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Abstract
The paper relates that Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged" is set some time in the future in the United States, which is experiencing a severe economic depression. The paper explains that the destruction of the railroad in the novel is a metaphor for the rise in socialism and the end of capitalistic competition in its purest form. The paper also discusses Rand's fears of a socialist society, one which is subordinate to an irrational majority that is drunk with power and greed. The paper further discusses Rand's belief that a government who strips individuals of rights and values will only lead to despair and hopelessness in the end.
Outline:
Introduction
Factors That Make the Destruction of the Phoenix Durango Railroad Possible
Relation of the Meaning and Theme of Atlas Shrugged to the Destruction Factors of the Phoenix-Durango
From the Paper
"The influential characters in the novel include John Galt who initiates, conceives and implements the strike of the great minds, and invents the motor and the "destroyer" (343). Dagny Taggert is the vice president of Taggart Transcontinental railroad, who tries to keep her railroad afloat and out of the hands of looters. She eventually joins in a strike against the looters. Hank Reardon is a steel baron, one of the nation's greatest industrialists, and Dagny's lover. He also joins the strike against the looters. Francisco d'Anconia is a hedonist, playboy, a copper industrialist, and the wealthiest man in the world, who is an ally of Galt and the first to join him on strike. He is Dagny's first lover and suffers the most for joining the strike. Dan Conway is the builder and owner of the Phoenix-Durango Railroad, which is a dominant force in the southwest United States, and overtakes Taggart Transcontinental as Colorado's major freight transporter."
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"Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit", 2008.
An analysis of the novel "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" by Jeanette Winterson.
776 words (approx. 3.1 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 16.95
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Abstract
The paper looks at the novel, "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" that tells the story of a young girl in England who lives in a home with her adoptive evangelical parents and who develops a lesbian lifestyle. The paper relates that this is a story with a consistent point of view, but with a varying tone, depending on Jeanette's age in the story. The paper relates further that it is romantic, comedic, with a rich theme, interesting motifs and a satisfying resolution when Jeanette is satisfied and accepts herself as she is.
From the Paper
"The novel, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit tells the story of a young girl in England, as she comes of age, living in a home with her adoptive evangelical parents. Winterson claims the book is only somewhat autobiographical, although the family life and encounters she describe seem to mirror her experiences growing up. The author was born in 1959 in Manchester, England and was adopted by a Pentecostal Evangelical couple, who fueled Winterson's desire to become a missionary. She discovered she was a lesbian, which led to the church and her family cutting off ties to her when she was only sixteen years old. She eventually began to write about her life experiences, which let to Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit being published in 1985. Winterson has followed up "Oranges" with several successful books she calls "metafiction"."
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Holy War and Osama bin Laden, 2008.
This paper provides a critical review of Peter Bergen's book "Holy War, Inc.".
2,237 words (approx. 8.9 pages), 6 sources, APA, £ 41.95
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Abstract
In this essay, the writer notes that perhaps the most striking element of Peter Bergen's book about the life of Osama bin Laden, 'Holy War Inc.', is the impeccable timing of its release, as the author was well prepared to write a book on the world of al-Qaeda and their motivations for war. The writer points out that Bergen's book had taken six years to write, but after September 11, it was swiftly pushed into print with a hasty update and no index. The writer discusses that the work is an interesting read that traces a solid background of the FBI's most wanted man - Osama bin Laden. The writer concludes that this would be an appropriate book for those coming new to the topic of al-Qaeda, as well as those with an interest in the new forms of postmodern war being waged across and beyond borders.
Outline:
Summary of Main Themes
Outline of Thesis
Evaluation of Thesis and Purpose
Evaluation of Bergen's Use of Evidence
From the Paper
"The key finding of the book, however, is Bergen's close analysis of the way in which global terrorism - and in particular Holy War - is now waged. Postmodern attacks are no longer launched from a single national base against a foreign national power, which has shifted the entire strategy for waging war. New terrorist networks are not filled by ragged mountain men leading a guerilla war from their thatched huts. Instead, postmodern terrorism utilizes cutting-edge communications and weapons technology to carry out its aims. The 'average' terrorist is well educated, well funded, international in scope and uses global contacts and sophisticated business planning to wage war. Thus, the aims of Holy War - an ancient Islamic calling of martyrdom and sacrifice - are blended into the high-tech structures of our postmodern communication age to achieve strategic international political goals."
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Frank Herbert's "Dune", 2008.
A literary study of Frank Herbert's novel, "Dune", focusing on the issue of human relationship with the metaphysical within the novel.
930 words (approx. 3.7 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 20.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that, by understanding the textual interpretation of the death with the poison tooth of the character Leto in Frank Herbert's novel "Dune", the reader can comprehend how the 'flesh' of human beings interacts with the metaphysical forms Leto sees before his death. The author points out that Herbert defines the struggle between abstract metaphysics through Leto's narrative, which is also present in how his son and others are constructed within the novel. The paper concludes that Herbert designed "Dune" to be a novel in which religiosity is used by human beings to create order in a highly unstable and chaotic universe.
From the Paper
"At the end of the novel, Paul has finally conquered Shaddam IV of the House Corrino and taken over Arrakis. Thufir Hawat, his father's military trainer and also Paul's teacher, comes forth from the lines of people suspicious of being an enemy to Paul and his mother. Herbert's inference on the unstable and ever-changing nature of the universe in Leto's death statement become clear when Paul makes a comment about never having his back to the door--a lesson that Hawat taught him to protect himself from intruders."
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What it Means to be English, 2008.
This essay is an analysis of the idea of "Englishness", as discussed through policy, society and literature in Great Britain throughout history.
3,134 words (approx. 12.5 pages), 9 sources, MLA, £ 55.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses the development of England as a national entity which paralleled the development of ideas of "Englishness", of what constituted British society and the British soul, often contrasted with what was not English. This paper states that the idea of what constitutes England and Englishness can be traced through historical shifts as England developed as a unique entity. Furthermore, this idea can be considered in terms of political and social commentary from different ages, the literature of the time that reflected the same ideas, and the way these ideas helped form the Britain of today.
From the Paper
"Certainly, the image created in the poem is of a society in disarray, but it is also a society where the truth can be found, where there are institutions dedicated to assuring that the truth is revealed, and that is a society where there is a good element as well as a bad. The sense of the poem is really that in spite of the lapses at the top, the run-of-the-mill people like the ploughman see the truth and uphold the values of society and of the church, or at least attempt to do so. In this aspect of the work, the poet shows a connection to long-standing traditions that indeed suggest that "The more things change, the more they remain the same." England by this time was established as a political entity, a social construct, and a developing philosophy based on Christian principles married to many of the ideas of chivalry offered first by the French and then adapted to the British experience."
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The Vicissitudes of Samurai Culture, 2008.
This essay compares two early Japanese texts, "Shomonki: The Story of Masakado's Rebellion", translated by Judith Rabinovitch, and "The Tale of the Heike", translated by Burton Watson.
2,057 words (approx. 8.2 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 38.95
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Abstract
This paper examines two texts which were written more than one hundred years apart, both detailing samurai wars but written at two disparate points in samurai history. The paper also assesses the changes in the way in which samurai exploits were portrayed, and in particular, attempts to chart the progression of the concept of loyalty within the samurai realm over the course of its early history. The first text examined is "Shomonki: The Story of Masakado's Rebellion", written in 1099, when the samurai was a relatively new figure in society. The second text "The Tale of the Heike", also known as "Heike Monogatari", was written in 1221, when samurai involvement in government had increased, wars between clans had escalated, and samurai culture had become a distinctive and ubiquitous feature of greater Japanese culture.
From the Paper
"Shomonki was written during the Heian period, by someone who was probably a first-hand observer (Rabinovitch, 44-45), and it is instructive in detailing the types of disputes which did, in the end, lead to the rise of the Samurai and also to the fall of the Heian court. Tales of the Heike, on the other hand, was written during the Kamakura period, when the samurai had become such a force in society that the traditional aristocracy of the court had been replaced by a new warrior aristocracy--with warring samurai clans fighting for and seeking control. In particular, Tales of the Heike, chronicles the Genpei war, between the Heike (or Taira) and Minamoto (or Genji) clans. It tells the tale from the perspective of both sides and, interestingly, focuses not only on battles, military strategy and the lives of warriors, but also on lesser players, such as women and servants, and their stories and plights throughout. The samurai, of course, gained government power in the twelfth century and it seems that around the tie that The Tales of the Heike were written, the samurai ethics, including that of loyalty, had changed to such an extent that it become an expectation of all people--a cultural value, rather than a warrior code."
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Alice Walker's "Beauty", 2008.
A summary and review of Alice Walker's essay "Beauty: When the Dancer is the Self".
750 words (approx. 3.0 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 15.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that Alice Walker's essay "Beauty: When the Dancer is the Self" is a brief summary of how her perception of beauty has had an impact on her internal life. The paper relates that the essay describes how, when she was young and perfect in her own eyes, she was confident. This confidence was lost when she perceived herself as greatly flawed, only to return when the scar tissue is removed. The paper then relates that, regardless of what Walker wants the reader to take away from the essay, the ending reminds the reader that even Walker's alleged acceptance of her remaining flaw is flawed in itself.
From the Paper
"Rather than simple and straightforward anecdotes, Walker has to take the reader back from a moment of doubt to previous moments of acceptance. Rather than leave the reader with the idea that her doubt about her self and her beauty remains, Walker relates several brief stories that culminate in an anecdote that takes place nine years earlier, when her daughter notices the "world" in her mother's eye."
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