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This article discusses Ibsen's different plays and the subjects that they focused on. The author of the article says that Henrik Ibsen was banished because of his style of writing, bringing to light many social issues that all of the people of that time preferred to keep in the dark. The article stats that an Enemy of the people examines the idealism that takes place in society, to me this means that the play focuses on the way that the people of the time thought and what their priorities and goals were. The author of the article discusses the purpose of Hedda Gabler. The author says that Hedda Gabler also tackles a different problem in society. The issue in this play was feminism and how women were held to certain standards and expected to behave in certain ways. The author goes on to state that Henrik Ibsen had the greatest influence of any playwright in the twentieth century. After reading this article I am really interested on writing my paper on how Ibsen writes his plays in order to bring social issues into public light so that maybe the problems that he writes about can be corrected.

Argument: Author Sarah Hackenberg presents the opinion that women are only hiding behind their servant attitudes in order to get where they would like. She presents the sequence of events that led up to the initial true image of Jean Muir, not that of a nineteen year old but in fact of a haggard old woman. Hackenberg also gives certatin prominence to the idea of womens' highest achievement would be their marital status. The entire story epitomizes a servant of a governess that exhibits the standard female behaviors up until the very end where the maanipulative and devious women unmasks her self, hypothetically and literally. Evidence: "Most critics of "Behind a Mask" attend closely to the tale's radical gender and class dynamics: the way Alcott overtly aligns operating behind a mask with female power" (Hackenberg) "the fact that the governess's ultimate ambition, despite all her formidable powers of artistry and perception, is to "trick" a man into marriage..."(Hackenberg) Thoughts: Hackenberg raises many interesting points. Jean Muir was the ultimate woman. She only lacked in one area and that area was her status. Her only hope of climbing up in the world would to be marrying someone of a higher class. She said multiple times in the story that if this did happen to her that she would be completly content and only honor and follow her husband's rules. However, with the history that she has and what we know of her from reading this story we can be almost certain that Jean will not be content and will have to stir up some troulbe somehow. The story leaves off at a crucial point that leaves the readers contemplating all the different outcomes it could have.

Argument: Basically that "Beatrice and Virgil" is the worst book of the decade, because supposedly it mock Jews and the Holocaust by misinformation and a strong lack of merit. The writer feels Martel completely underscored the Holocaust, and trivialized the entire tragic even, by representing the Jews with donkeys to satirize the Holocaust. "There comes a rare time - perhaps once every ten or fifteen years - when you read a book with such dreadful syntax, without even a fiber of merit, so libertine in the manner it insults the audience, and so producing the literary equivalent to being completely submerged into a vat of shit, that the reader, having embarked on the fetid journey, begins to pine for a brutal throng of vigilantes to chop off the author's hands and prevent the hopeless hack from ever holding a pen or setting foot near a laptop again." "This book will fill you with such vileness that you will find yourself instantly ruminating about what an AK-47 might be able to do when fired in the right direction." "The book asks us to sympathize with a douchebag named Henry, whose only real character traits are that he has written a successful book and that he is revered by his readers. Tough life, this Henry." Analysis: The author writes with a lot of passion and eloquence, about his extreme almost dramatic distaste for the book. Even the most simple slightly sarcastic sentence just breathes malice and hate. The man used plentiful support and an easy to read chronological layout that was easy to read which I very much liked.

The author Bonnie of the critical analysis of Wuthering Heights feels that the characters in the novel were all naïve and foolish. This may describe Emily Bronte's life during the time she wrote it. It is known that she carries some of her real life experiences into her writing. It may show the struggles of her life and how she was able to overcome them. The purpose of this criticism is to display how real life can play a big role in an author's life and how they write their novel. Characters can be based on themselves as well as people involved in their lives. The way the author feels about their life can reflect in their themes of the novel because it's what they are used to.

Mariah Love Ms. Jensen AP Literature - 1 27 Jan. 2011 Mythology in it's Many Forms As religion is one of the most practiced, and longest-lived commonality in man, and mythology pertains to religion exclusively it can be concluded that religious mythology has impacted much of the world all throughout history. However, this may be harder to recognize in some areas and times than it is or was in others. For instance, the most well-known forms of mythology is that of Greek mythology pertaining to gods and goddesses, but there are in fact other forms of mythology such as that of Native Americans. Although Native Americans did not necessarily have gods and goddesses nor did they have much written myths, the tales in which they used to explain the unexplained were indeed a form of mythology. In the book, "Teach Yourself Native American Myths" the author argues that there are both similarities and differences between the common mythology the world perceives as Greek mythology and that of Native American Mythology. A similarity the author describes would be their use of animals as guides, which occurs in both types of mythology. The way the author presents this information is slightly ineffective due to the fact that the information is broken into many subcategories, leaving the reader with a feeling of choppy unclear thoughts. However, it is obvious what the authors focus is, and the information presented within the text all supports the topic and is carried throughout the entirety of the work.

Argument: John Steinbeck's Tortilla Flat is a nihilistic novel filled with loneliness and death. The paisanos have destruction following them one step at a time and believe in a God that only brings more destruction to their lives. Fire from a holy candle burned down one home, and the irresponsible personalities of each paisano ultimately ruined the second house along with the relationships that were contained inside it. Evidence: "The people of Tortilla Flat melted into the darkness. Danny's friends still stood looking at the smoking ruin. They looked at one another strangely, and then back to the burned house. And after a while they turned and walked slowly away, and no two walked together" "The paisanos start to put out the accidental fire but then, "struck with a celestial thought," let the house burn, looking at each other and smiling "the wise smiles of the deathless and hopeless ones." "Ah the prayers of the millions, how they must fight and destroy each other on their way to the throne of God." "In the sky, saints and martyrs looked on with set and unforgiving faces. The candle was blessed. It belonged to Saint Francis. Saint Francis will have a big candle in its place tonight." Thoughts: The author, Bethea made several solid points during her analysis. She had a high amount of direct quotes from the novel along with quotes from past criticisms. She organized her thoughts very efficiently and in an easy to understand format. I do not agree with her belief on all the men burning the second house down after their friend died as a way of ending the group friendship. I think the companionship between the men was very close knit however after Danny died they payed their respects to him by letting his home pass away with him. Danny allowed each paisano stay at his home for free, therefore once he died the house had the right to die as well, as respect to Danny from his fellow room mates.

Argument: In The Pearl, Steinbeck, not only shows hardship and suffering but argues that peoples rights and freedom were lost. He shows that not every story is a happy ending. "The loss of the pearl at the end of the story suggests his loss of hope for the future and a loss in his belief that he can control his life and destiny." (Perkins). It is another story about achevining the "American Dream" Evidence: "Kino's rebellious spirit challenges but cannot change the system. Unable to fight off the forces that try to oppress him, he loses his son along with his dreams of a better life for his family." (Perkins) "Steinbeck offers his response to oppressive political systems that try to crush the human spirit, declaring that he believes that the "free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world." (Perkins) "Steinbeck illustrates the tragic consequences of the loss of that freedom of the spirit in The Pearl, expressing a profound sympathy for the individual and the community that suffers under such an oppressive system." (Perkins) Thoughts: Based on the article the author explains a valid point how in this world we might say were equal on paper but we have to show we are equal. In my opinion I don't think life should end that way i think you should always have a second chance. Steinbeck doesn't describe his books like that. Maybe hes showing the actual world as it is. We might say all this pretty stuff about how the world should be and how life should end up but nothing happening. John Steinbeck is a realist and shows the world how it is. The pearl symbolized his dreams. And an education shouldn't be the only way to be successful in life school and education is not for everyone Steinbeck shows that it just takes a lot of heart to do what you dream of. Kino showed a lot of heart but with the effort he failed and described the world as a failure. Quotes: "But the pearls were accidents, and the finding of one was luc

Argument: The critic argues that The Hundred Secret Senses was a book that left her thinking about if what we as humans always see can be perceived as real, or just our imagination. She also asked which part of the world would be best to actually live your life. Evidence: "In this novel, two sisters, (the father's sisters), are responsible for calling into question both the world of reality, like fantasy" (unknown). "And after reading the book. I wonder: Which of the two sets is most appropriate for us to settle not only survive but try to live?" (unknown). Thoughts: This critic seems to have thoroughly enjoyed this book just because it caused her to actually think. This critic gave such high praise of this book, and after reading The Hundred Secret Senses i have to agree.

Argument: The argument is that this book forces the reader to think a little out of the box and it can seem as a realistic story.The reader must be able to intertwine their "senses" between the fast and present, between reality and fantasy, and through the lives of yin and yang. The critic, Benzi Zhang, just summarizes the book and discusses the points in the book where the characters changes between past and present. Evidence: "Tan's novel moves toward the subversion of our rational perception of life, elaborating on "the question of life continuing beyond our ordinary senses" (Zhang). "Western rationalism and materialism have left Olivia with a limited view of life, and she cannot grasp the spiritual values embodied in Kwan's Chinese way of thinking" (Zhang). Thoughts: I think that this book just forces the reader to go deeper into the book, and makes them read beyond the words. This book may be realistic in some ways, since everyone gets confused between reality and fantasy. Tan uses symbolism and creativity to explain her life, or how shoe would have liked it to be. She views everything so open minded, and she observes every detail, and wondering how the it might portray to someone else. This book is the perfect book to describe Tan's thinking.

TIME Magazine's "Books: The Strength of One" draws similarities between Kesey's McMurphy from One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Hank Stamper from Sometimes a Great Notion. Both characters possess strength not often seen in one person and characteristics that could categorize them as antiheros. They are rough and tough and seek to stand up against what the feel is wrong and will use force to do so. This article presents the theme of Sometimes a Great Notion to be "the weakness of the strong and the persistent tensility of the weak". The townspeople within the novel can't stand to see Stamper win in the final "battle", but they are confused when he begins to lose. Kesey understands that intolerable as a good man may be to men, his defeat is even more so. This is the major paradox presented within the novel and explains the prominence of strength captured in both books. This article presents strong ideas that are tied in with the plot very well, however the author did not include quotes, which would have provided more support for the conclusions. The connections to the author included in the article suggest that the author has thorough knowledge into Kesey's background and his motives for writing each novel. It was almost as if the author was in Kesey's mind while writing this piece. The author drew parallels between Kesey's works and Greek mythology that posed interesting thoughts for the reader. Overall, Ken Kesey's ideas are transferred well in this article and are analyzed with a fresh outlook.

Argument: The writer argues that Sinclair is fighting for social justice and what is right for the masses. His whole cause for humanity was social justice and his type of writing gave off that feeling. The genre that best describe his writing is social protest. Evidence: "Upton Sinclair dedicated himself to a cause-he once wrote that if his heart were cut in half after his death, the words inscribed there would be "Social Justice." falls generally into two genres: the novel of social protest and the "historical" novel. Sinclair muckracked and used a lot of satire and "Fame came early for Sinclair because of one of his social protest novels whose "cause" has largely vanished today but which is still assigned reading in many classrooms because of its realistic portrayal of the life and mistreatment of poor immigrants." Thoughts: I think this is a very accurate portrayal of Sinclair. He wanted social justice and he worked towards getting it all of his life. Through the novel, The Jungle, justice was achieved by exposing the meat industries.

Raymond Tatalovich's criticism offers an interesting perspective on the ideas put forth in Thoreau's essay "Civil Disobedience". The main point is put forth in the title.. does Thoreau intend to call people to morality or anarchy? His intentions are to extract from this essay the root of his implications and theory of obligation to the government. He argues that Thoreau believes that the consent of people is necessary in order for the government to operate - a type of contractual agreement. However, he does recognize the fact that the majority in society controls the norms and can imprison people that go against them. Therefore, he does not defend civil disobedience to a point that will get someone imprisoned. Tatalovich also does a fabulous job at bringing to light other civil disobedience "leaders" such as Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. He states that Thoreau however, takes a much stronger stance on the extent to which people should act out in favor of their own views on what's right and wrong. It should also be noted that Tatalovich sees deficiencies in Thoreau's view of the government as an operational unit and its efficiency. However, he argues that in no way is he a no-government man by offering this quote: "I seek rather, I may say, even an excuse for conforming to the laws of the land. I am but too ready to conform to them. Indeed ... as the tax-gatherer comes round, I find myself disposed to review the acts and position of the general and State governments, and the spirit of the people, to discover a pretext for conformity" (Thoreau 33). This criticism offers a good perspective that will enable me to compare the government conformity in Catch 22-militarily, versus the liberalistic mentality of civil disobedience. There is a stark discord between these two concepts and I believe it will be riveting to delve into a comparison between the two based upon the role and operation of the government.

Argument: Coupland uses noteworthy pop-culture to name and create his novel Girlfriend in a Coma. The Smiths' a popular band of the '80s was the reason behind the books title while Karen Ann Quinlan was the true reason the teenage girl in the book who slipped into a coma was also ironically named Karen. Starting with the basics Coupland constructed Girlfriend in a Coma to mean more than what was put on the surface. The turning point of Coupland's career as a serious author blossomed after he successfully published Girlfriend in a Coma, a dark and daring book that involves post-apocalyptic events. Difficult overbearing situations was what fascinated Coupland and was one of the main influential reasons Coupland wrote the novel Girlfriend in a Coma; the thrill of watching teenagers and later on adults survive in a world where their only worry was to find their true purpose on Earth. Evidence: "On the surface, the book seems vintage Coupland, taking a cue from pop-culture icons like Karen Ann Quinlan, the New Jersey teenager who spent 10 years in a coma before dying in 1985, and The Smiths, the quintessential band of '80s disaffection from whose song the book takes its title." ". And yet, Girlfriend in a Coma is Coupland's most audacious novel to date, and it marks something of a watershed in his career." "Sitting in a posh Toronto hotel lounge sipping coffee, Coupland struggles to find words to describe the genesis of Girlfriend in a Coma. "It's so weird to talk about this out loud," he says. But eventually, between frequent changes of subject, he remembers that it began with a quote from novelist Thomas Pynchon. "He said the way young people deal with the overwhelming-ness of existence--I'm paraphrasing--is through time travel or sleep," Coupland says. "So what I wanted to do was present sleep and time travel, and the coma as the embodiment of both." "Then there was his fascination with Karen Ann Quinlan. "I just remember in the '70s, every

In the introduction to her novel Dissecting Stephen King: From the Gothic to Literary Naturalism, author Heidi Strengell discusses the various influences on Stephen King's writing style and how these influences manifest themselves in his novels. According to Strengell, Puritanism, Gothicism, naturalism, and personal experiences are the primary recurring influences present in King's writing. Each manifests itself in a different manner, yet they are often inextricably linked to one another in one form or another. Strengell's first focus is on the religious undertones of King's writing, which she attributes to both King's personal religious views as well as the Puritanical religious frenzy that resonates in early American history, particularly during the era of the Salem witch trials. Characters such as Sylvia Pittson from The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger serve as physical manifestations of King's views on religion in his writing, for it is a recurring trend in King's novels to include a character overcome with some form of religious frenzy. King's past experiences growing up as a member of a lower middle class family also play a key role in his writing; indeed, another character stereotypical of a King novel is the "common man," a seemingly ordinary character plunged into a situation beyond the bounds of his daily existence. This stereotype ties in with one of King's prominent world views, the notion of free will versus fate. Along with the notion that there are inherently good and evil forces in the world, this is perhaps the most recurring element in King's writing, appearing in both his individual novels, such as The Dark Half, as well as his book series, such as The Dark Tower. Over the course of her introduction, Strengell references various historical and philosophical ideas in order to provide background to the influences which she attributes to King. This background information is provided at the beginning of each section, thus placi

As a long time viewer of the work of Beckett, Hall brings a sense of credibility to the article due to his long standing relationship with all Beckett's productions. Of them, as he implies, Waiting for Godot was the most challenging of then to figure out. With only a blank stage, a tree, and two characters, so much of the production was left up to the opinions of the audience. In Hall's own opinion, this single play is what shaped the way modern theater is thought of, as something that does not ever need to confine to what may have been put forth by the greatest minds in theater. Hall, even being such an admirer for so long, was actually the only producer willing to put the work into the major theaters of the western society. For so long the production was only put forth in a small Paris theater, and Hall was the only man willing to put his own neck on the line to show the world what he sees in this unknown artists creation. What hits me the strangest is that Hall never thought the work would grow, that he never wanted to make it a global sensation, but merely wanted to expose audiences to what he saw in the metaphorical work. As stated "Waiting for Godot hasn't dated at all. It remains a poetic masterpiece transcending all barriers and nationalities". Which is exactly how the work should be considered in today's work of drama and English literature .

ARGUMENT: Jhumpa Lahiri's central theme in both The Namesake and Interpreter of Maladies is Diaspora, isolation, and search for identity and fulfillment. Jhumpa Lahiri is the "voice from the gaps" because she puts the "in between" identity feeling into a compelling story that many can relate to. SUPPORT: "Both Interpreter of Maladies and The Namesake contain themes of conflict in relationships between couples, families, and friends. Through these relationships she explores ideas of isolation and identity, both personal and cultural. The characters in both works frequently encounter crises of identity, which are tied to their inabilities to reconcile their American identity with their Indian identity. " "She often correlates her characters' cultural isolation with extreme personal isolation, suggesting that the cultural isolation causes the personal." "In their isolation, these characters feel that they are missing something vital to their identities. It is this missing "something" that defines them. It seems that few characters in these stories have any idea of who they are or where they are going in life." THOUGHTS: The authors Gipe, Greco, Spencer and Yang provide key facts about Lahiri's background in India and why she chooses to write novels about Diaspora because she relates to the feeling of being "in between" cultures. The article is concluded well by referring to the ending of The Namesake where Gogol finally realizes that he doesn't have to choose between cultures, his identity is both of them meshed together.

This review, like all others, praises Cornwell for his use of real historical places and characters. Each of the Viking leaders in the Last Kingdom was derived directly from historical facts. "[Cornwell] Liberally feeds readers history and nuggets of battle data and customs". This is a very key aspect of Cornwell's writing style. On top of this, Uhtred, the main character, goes through tremendous physical, mental, and emotional change all throughout the novel. This is another very common theme in all of Cornwell's novels. He uses this dynamic character type in the story Agincourt as well. He shows that no matter what era the world is in, everyone goes through the same trials and tribulations. "Uhtred's first-person wonderment spinning all into a colorful journey of (self-) discovery." This theme applies to Cornwell's life as well. He himself went through similar predicaments to his main characters that dealt with emotional trials, loss of parents, discovering themselves, and trouble in deciding national allegiance. "This is a solid adventure by a crackling good storyteller."