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Dissimulation in "Decameron" and "Heptameron", 2008.
An analysis of the theme of dissimulation in Boccaccio's "Decameron" and the "Heptameron" of Marguerite of Navarre.
1,350 words (approx. 5.4 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 27.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses the differences and similarities between Boccaccio's "Decameron" and Marguerite of Navarre's "Heptameron". The paper focuses on the theme of "dissimulation" in both works, that is the deliberate withholding of information in order to deceive for a specific purpose. The paper looks at two stories from both works in order to highlight this theme and concludes that both works contain a mixture of fact and fiction, but both use this mixture with the higher goal of showing human hypocrisy and that deceit and dissimulation often rebound against the errant.
From the Paper
"The are large differences as well as strong similarities between Boccaccio's Decameron and the Heptameron of Marguerite of Navarre. The works are separated by about two hundred years in time, and also by the difference between the French culture of Marguerite and the Italian culture of Boccaccio. Also, Boccaccio wrote in the time before the Protestant Reformation, and his work is clearly of a strong Catholic bent, despite his constant criticism and poking of fun at clerics and church bureaucrats. Marguerite, on the other hand, wrote during the time of the Reformation and put strong Protestant leanings in her work, which caused some controversy at the time and put her into a certain amount of danger, according to the introduction in the anthology. Even so, the cynicism and critiques that both writers express toward the established churches of their day show strong similarities and suggest that clerical corruption and hypocrisy is a ripe topic of satire in nearly any century."
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Young Women Coming of Age in Jamaica, 2008.
A review and comparison of the books "Lucy" by Jamaica Kincaid and "Small Island" by Andrea Levy.
1,781 words (approx. 7.1 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 34.95
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Abstract
This paper examines how the two young women who are the subjects of the coming of age novels "Lucy", by Jamaica Kincaid, and "Small Island", by Andrea Levy are complicated characters. The paper compares the main protagonists in the stories and explains that Jamaica Kincaid's novel is told from the perspective of Lucy, the main character in the novel, and focuses only on Lucy's, as seen from her own perspective. The paper then looks at how in "Small Island", the character of Hortense is contextualized more fully, with the perspective and history of her husband, her landlady and her landlady's husband also being represented--and giving more perspective to her own, by surrounding it. The paper then points out that the background of race and post-colonial features strongly in these insights about difference, but the impact of these two novels is even further-reaching -- it is an impact which has everything to do with what it means to be human.
From the Paper
"Both Hortense and Lucy are highly unpleasant people. Spoiled, selfish, self-absorbed, with a sense of entitlement that confounds belief, they are supremely uninterested in anyone other than themselves, and unable to see the suffering of others with any empathy. Hortense is convinced that she is special because of her golden skin and her well-known father. She has completely absorbed the colonial indoctrination of her education and believes herself to be truly English, and therefore above her home country and its people. In fact, upon arriving in England it becomes clear that she considers herself more English than the English."
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Bronte and Chopin's Nineteenth Century Women, 2008.
A look at Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" and Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" and how both novels show that society of the nineteenth century was not an egalitarian society.
1,645 words (approx. 6.6 pages), 3 sources, MLA, £ 32.95
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Abstract
This paper explores the role of feminism in the depiction of Jane Eyre in Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" and Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin's "The Awakening", as women that are ability to rise above the expectations of a patriarchal society and become determined independent women.
From the Paper
"Similar to the depiction of Bertha in Jane Eyre, Edna's new independence makes her husband question her sanity. Luckily for Edna the doctor that Leonce visits on behalf of his wife understands the path that Edna is on and explains to Leonce in simple terms that she is fickle and her bizarre mood is part of being a woman. Leonce seems able to accept this definition for his wife's behavior and settles back into his life and work willing to wait for Edna to become the oppressed prudish woman he married."
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"Gods Go Begging", 2008.
A review of Alfredo Vea's novel on the world after the war in Vietnam, "Gods Go Begging."
1,134 words (approx. 4.5 pages), 16 sources, MLA, £ 23.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses Alfredo Vea's novel, "Gods Go Begging" that presents many vignettes and interrelated stories in a strange canvas of the real and the imaginary, that force the reader to provide his own definition of the world in the wake of the war in Vietnam. The paper discusses the plots and characters of the book and what the reader can take away from the novel as a whole.
From the Paper
"In their own way, these various characters are like characters in Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson: grotesques. But Anderson was not quite right in his belief that these various characters had become grotesques because they had seized upon some single and incomplete truth (Anderson, 23-24), but because of their inability to express themselves. (Cowley, Introduction," 14) In much the same way, Vea's characters in Gods Go Begging suffer from a similar inability to express themselves. Trying, failing, trying again, they often lash out against whatever is in their path, sometimes attacking the very things they love. (Vea, 312)"
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"Sonnet 126" by Petrarch, 2008.
An investigation into premise and images of "Sonnet 126" by Francesco Petrarch.
1,404 words (approx. 5.6 pages), 6 sources, MLA, £ 28.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at one of Francesco Petrarch's most challenging poems, his "Sonnet 126" or "Canonziere". The paper discusses the form and structure of Petrarch's poem and suggest that the work is, at least in part, inaptly named: It is not really a "sonnet" at all as such an item is characteristically defined. The paper also describes the premise of the song and discusses the major images and metaphors in the poem.
From the Paper
"Drawing from our class notes, we know that Petrarch, if sonnet 89 is any indication, would much rather be a prisoner of love than a man free of the entanglements of love. Seen in that light, he is a man who happily confines himself to a prison of his own making for a woman who either does not wish to love him or cannot love him. When observing how Petrarch idealizes Laura, and when one considers how he relentlessly employs the first person, it is hard not to arrive at the conclusion that the writer is really writing about himself as a love-struck bard. Ultimately, Petrarch has made a virtue out of being a love-struck suitor condemned to fall short of receiving the love of his "Laura" in his lifetime."
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Frederick Douglass, 2008.
An analysis of the relevance of Frederick Douglass' writings today.
3,310 words (approx. 13.2 pages), 13 sources, MLA, £ 57.95
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Abstract
This paper looks at how Frederick Douglass was a former slave who went on to become a leading abolitionist. It discusses how his speeches and writings had great influence during his lifetime and how his concerns over the ability to think freely, the unified family, education, and other cultural concerns continue to have relevance in today's world.
Outline:
Admonitions
Conclusion
From the Paper
"In part, Southern slave owners kept their slaves' minds captive by promoting their illiteracy. Individuals who are unable to read and write are also prone to what Harris, Kamhi, and Pollock (2001) refer to as "functional illiteracy," the inability to use certain resources that society provides for the convenience and for the success of its inhabitants (p. 6). While the slaves might not have had access to the technology that is used in the authors' example, they were kept from accessing the technology of their times, being limited to the physical labors and primarily unskilled household tasks to which their masters assigned them. Illiteracy also kept these slaves from participating in society and learning of things that might have freed them from slavery had they known about them. "
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"Diamond Grill", 2008.
An analysis of how Fred Wah reflects on his multicultural heritage in his biofiction work, "Diamond Grill".
1,165 words (approx. 4.7 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 24.95
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Abstract
This paper examines Fred Wah's bio-fiction work, "Diamond Grill." It describes how Wah's words and ideas challenge binaries and how he reflects on his multicultural heritage throughout the book. The paper also questions why deconstructing oppositional thinking is important and discusses this in the context of Wah's work, "Diamond Grill."
From the Paper
"One must deconstruct oppositional thinking and analyze whether one can be both taken at face value based only on their individual person (regardless of race), and at the same time still champion a love for one's racial origin. Wah asks, "Why deny the immigrant his or her real world?" (125) and, at the same time, rejects society's ideal of what his family's "residue" must be: "Sorry, but I'm just not interested in this collective enterprise erected from the sacrosanct great railway imagination dedicated to harvesting a dominant white cultural landscape" (ibid). Again, even Wah admits it is difficult to loosen oneself from the bias that directs us to categorize people based on their race. The author himself notices glimpses of Chinese in his children's body posture, and searches for the hint of the "Nordic gloom" in their countenances (133). His brother Donnie is "the blondest Asian in our family" (140), "too blond to be the best Chinese cook in the family" (ibid). This is a bit of comic rhetoric on behalf of the writer: it is difficult to rid ourselves of these illusions, as society imputes them on a continual basis."
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Toni Morrison's "Beloved", 2008.
An analysis of the themes of ghosts, time, memory and trauma in Toni Morrison's "Beloved".
1,814 words (approx. 7.3 pages), 5 sources, MLA, £ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how Toni Morrison's "Beloved" offers sometimes confusing allegories stressing the power of the past over what may be bizarre events of the present and future. The paper also examines the ghost in the story, called "Beloved", and how the power of Beloved can be seen in how it forces attention to the past in those who need to exhume it and that whatever or whomever Beloved was, she had worked a kind of magic in evoking the deepest feelings of those with whom she insisted on living. The paper concludes that the surviving adults in the novel must make an effort to overcome their pasts, realizing they are past what harmed them, and transform themselves.
Outline:
124 Bluestone Road, Cincinnati
Beloved
From the Paper
" At the beginning of Beloved, Morrison commented that Paul D had read of an incident in Cincinnati involving a slave woman who killed one of her children when her owner caught up with her, an example of the way in which Morrison added details in a matter of fact way that leaves the reader to knit together the story as he or she will. The manner in which characters arrive and leave is part of Morrison's able way of suggesting fluid time and how characters are often distracted by matters not of the immediate present. For instance, Sethe's son's, Howard and Buglar, ran away in 1873 after years of life with phenomena that made the household a misery. (Beloved 272) As for Paul D, upon his arrival he comes to terms with an obviously haunted house. "
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The Construction of Childhood and the Child, 2008.
An analysis of the construction of childhood and of the child within historical and cultural contexts.
1,257 words (approx. 5.0 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 25.95
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Abstract
This paper discusses how the theoretical constructions of the child and of childhood have both changed significantly over time. In particular, It looks at a brief short story, "The Orange-Man, or the Honest Boy and the Thief," by Maria Edgeworth, penned in the late eighteenth century, that captures the optimism many elites felt about the prospects of children being molded into good citizens through instruction rather than through fear and recrimination.
From the Paper
"The construction of childhood and of the child has certainly changed over time. Harry Hendrick writes that children prior to the late seventeenth century were universally - more or less - perceived as being the inheritors of original sin; after about that point, perhaps because of the influential work of John Locke, the notion began to emerge that children were really "blank slates" who could be molded into either something good or something ill. In "The Orange-Man, or the Honest Boy and the Thief" we are confronted with a didactic tale in which a boy who is honest is lavishly rewarded by a grateful orange-man with (unsurprisingly) oranges while a thieving boy receives nothing for his trouble (Edgeworth, 165). "
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Poem: John B. Lee's "Hockey Heart", 2008.
An analysis of John B. Lee's poem, "Hockey Heart".
1,810 words (approx. 7.2 pages), 1 source, MLA, £ 35.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that John B. Lee's poem, "Hockey Heart" reflects the Canadian spirit towards hockey, not simply as a sport for the nation, but as a way of life. The paper goes on to discuss the significance of the opening line of the poem, how Lee is able to capture the very personal relationship to hockey that each Canadian has even though it is an activity held dear by all Canadians, and the effective use of images in the poem. The paper concludes that Lee's poem "Hockey Heart" is like a national anthem, in that it is identifiable to those who had played and loved hockey.
From the Paper
"Lee's hockey player however is the most committed boy of the bunch: he is "always the last to leave" a game. In each Canadian child hockey player's mind, they are the most passionate about the sport, and usually the most adept, committed player. However, Lee's hockey player is revealed here to be not only a committed player but the most romantic and dedicated one. The fact that he is the last to leave shows that he is the one who lags around after the game, reflecting on the game, his performance and his love of the sport."
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The Nature of Evil, 2008.
An analysis of the concept of evil in John Milton's "Paradise Lost" and Shakespeare's "Othello".
2,220 words (approx. 8.9 pages), 1 source, APA, £ 41.95
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Abstract
The paper examines pathological narcissism and how it manifests itself in Milton's "Paradise Lost" and Shakespeare's "Othello". The paper looks at the characteristics of jealousy, revenge, war and self-glorification and describes the devious, ingenious means by which both Satan and Iago wreak their havoc. The paper shows how these two characters portray how the nature of evil is to destroy and cause harm at any cost.
From the Paper
"Paradise Lost, a poem by John Milton, is one of his most highly acclaimed poems. This particular poem is about the birth of Adam and Eve and how they lost their place in the Garden of Eden, or Paradise, caused by Satan. In this poem Milton deals with many issues regarding concept of evil. The concept of evil is prevalent in the character, Satan, just as it is prevalent in the character of Iago. Predictably, they also harbor some of the psychological features of those inclined to evil-doing: incorrigible jealousy, narcissism (from which springs jealousy), an inability to look at oneself honestly, a taste for violence, and an irrepressible commitment to self-glorification. Going further, there are other similarities between Satan and Iago. Chiefly, the similarities revolve around their actual activities in the stories; to wit, each individual is far more interested in securing revenge."
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"Prozac Diary" and "Falling Angels", 2008.
A review of the effects of drug and alcohol abuse by mothers as portrayed in "Prozac Diary" by Lauren Slater and "Falling Angels" by Barbara Gowdy.
2,753 words (approx. 11.0 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 50.95
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Abstract
This paper compares and contrasts "Prozac Diary" by Lauren Slater and "Falling Angels" by Barbara Gowdy, both of which are based around the role of the mother figure. The paper discusses the plot of both the memoir by Slater and the novel by Gowdy, as well as the issues that are portrayed by the two writers, specifically drug and alcohol abuse of mothers and how they affect families.
From the Paper
"Both books hint at the threat posed by the mother, with the novel being more explicit about how damaging this might become. This is understandable given that Lauren Slater is talking about her own mother and her own life, though she does see the connection and does understand how much her problem might derive from her mother. She shows many of the same behavioral symptoms as the Field girls, though she finds her way of coping with this in Prozac, while the Field girls have not yet had to face the issue that squarely. Gowdy suggests that they will and that they will also be able to do so without cracking. They are stronger in their way than Slater was, though it would also seem that they have even more reason not to be given what they learn about their mother and how that makes them suffer even more."
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Peer Relationships, 2008.
This paper analyzes the peer relationships of Vittorio Innocente in Nino Ricci's "Lives of the Saints" and of Paddy Clarke in Roddy Doyle's "Paddy Clarke, Ha, Ha, Ha".
2,084 words (approx. 8.3 pages), 2 sources, MLA, £ 39.95
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Abstract
The paper discusses how the peer relations of Vitto, the protagonist in Nino Ricci's "Lives of the Saints", are marred by bullying, recrimination and the threat of violence. The paper then looks at the friends of Paddy, the protagonist in Roddy Doyle's "Paddy Clarke, Ha, Ha, Ha", are both a stand-in for something his home life cannot provide and a relatively good source of solace and replenishment when things grow tense. The paper shows how these children are classic examples of embattled youngsters trying to find a refuge or safe-house in an inhospitable world.
From the Paper
"In the opening pages of Ricci's arresting 1990 novel, we are made aware of the fact that Vittorio Innocente is an intelligent but rather rebellious and indolent boy who would rather be out of class sharing "smokes" with his friend, Fabrizio, then engaging in the burdensome task of acquiring an education (Ricci, 3). We also learn that "Vitto" has been born into fairly privileged circumstances; to wit, his mother is the daughter of the town mayor (Ricci, 11). Thus, the willful young man who lies at the center of the story is blessed with a measure of social standing that not all children his age are fortunate enough to enjoy. It may also be said that Vitto is spoiled, not by the standards of a North American, perhaps, but certainly spoiled by the standards of his community."
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Stories about Womenc, 2008.
Compares Tillie Olsen's "I Stand Here Ironing" and Alice Walker's "Everyday Use".
870 words (approx. 3.5 pages), 0 sources, APA, £ 18.95
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Abstract
This paper explains that "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker and "I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen, are both stories about a relationship between a mother and her daughter and both emphasize the environment and its effect on the character. The paper further points out that the women in these stories are separated from men, which creates a tension between themselves and their neighbors. In addition, the paper relates that both these stories focus on the immediate world of the main characters and yet comment on the situation for others in this class. The women share a certain isolation from the world and also face similar concerns about their daughters. .
From the Paper
"The setting for "Everyday Use" is such that the act of quilting becomes a way of remembering, a way of recalling the past and memorializing it in the quilt. Indeed, pieces of the past are part of each quilt in the form of such things as "pieces of Grandpa Jattell's Paisley shirts." Three generations of women live in this house together and share enjoyment of the quilts. In "I Stand Here Ironing," the setting is the enclosed world of this woman and her child. The outside world may be represented by employers, the woman downstairs, or the children Emily interacts with at school."
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