...Freud’s theories however sparked an all new era of Psychology. Although Freud’s theories seemed very radical, when put into life situations they actually make perfect sense. Psychoanalytic Literary Criticism refers to literary criticism or literary theory which, in method, concept, or form, is influenced by the tradition of psychoanalysis begun by Sigmund Freud. Psychoanalytic literary criticism is a very common method of analyzing stories such as The White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett, Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe. Sylvia, a shy girl, who is rather naive and innocent. For most of her life has been sheltered from the atrocities of life. Being shielded from the outside world she hasn’t come to the conclusion that people can be bad. However this changes when a handsome and mysterious stranger wanders in her area. At first she intimidated by the man but is very eager to assist the man and wants to make a good impression. When finding the heron true changes begin to form in Sylvia. In sparing the heron she is more confident in her decision and assertive, she is willing ignore a person’s approval in order to preserve a beautiful part of nature. The white heron can represent Sylvia’s purity or innocence. According to psychosexual analysis the tree in which Sylvia climbs can be a phallic symbol for the ornithologist. While going through the forest with the ornithologist, he takes the lead although Sylvia is familiar with the...
Words: 1454 - Pages: 6
...One could be forgiven for believing that the words ‘fiction’ and ‘novel’ mean one and the same thing. The main reason for this confusion is that both of them have a common denominator; they both tell a story. In the novel, we have the theatre of life and for over two centuries it has been the most effective agent of the moral imagination. Though it has never really achieved perfection in form and its shortcomings are numerable, nevertheless one experiences from it not only the extent of human variety, but also the value of this variety. Fiction existed right from the first time man told a story and thus it is in this respect only, that it is similar to the forerunner of the novel as we know it today, which is any work of fiction in England written before 1670. Novelists express their conscious conclusions about life as they experience it and these manifest themselves not only in the characters they create and their interaction with each other, but also in the way they make them react or respond to the various situations in which they find themselves and in what they say within these situations. They are relatively free to choose their material, but their conclusions about life and the nature of their novels are dependent on their innate personality, as this affects not only the way in which they present their characters, but also our own understanding and response to their inherent values and behaviour. In this sense, novelists can be seen as mediators between their characters...
Words: 1931 - Pages: 8
...Literary Analysis: Hamlet In the tragedy Hamlet, the prince of Denmark, Hamlet is this young man who experiences close relation death which was his father. He later finds out it was his uncle who murdered his father just to take heir to the throne. Hamlet constant brooding about death and humanity comes ahead. (Tennen) Hamlet is arguably the greatest dramatic character ever created from the moment we meet the crestfallen prince we are enraptured by his elegant intensity. (Mabillard) William Shakespeare hamlet follows the young prince Hamlet home to Denmark to attend his father’s funeral. (Stockton) In “Hamlet” the tragedy hamlet the prince holds a great internal conflict throughout the play. (Studymode) On a dark winter night a ghost walks the ramparts of Elsinore castle in Denmark. (Sparknotes)The first edition of hamlet was published in 1603 from a previous sketch composed several years earlier the second one following 1604. (Bates) Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy Bernado’s question betrays the mood of uncertainty that prevails throughout the play. (George) So speaks Shakespeare’s prince hamlet of the transient nature of all mankind throughout the play humanity and frailty is a common theme. (Mortensen) In Hamlet the tragedy, hamlet, the prince of Demark with holds a great internal conflict throughout the play. (Directessays) Hamlet is Shakespeare’s longest play and the play responsible for the immortal lines “to be or not to be that is the question” (Taylor) The story...
Words: 3813 - Pages: 16
...familiarity that results in multifaceted cultural creations. Both Bryant and Durand hail from the American Romantic movement, which emphasized nature as a source of refuge and rest, knowledge, and religious revelation. The painting has yet to be investigated beyond a visualization of Bryant’s work, illustrated by many reviews contemporary of 1850 as well as current scholarship. A deeper exploration of Durand’s work provides insight regarding prevalent creative themes of the current world of arts, as well as a look into Durand’s most honest inspiration as an artist. Though creating separate works—that must remain distinguishable for proper analysis of either work—Bryant and Durand investigated the themes of man and nature, individualism and the inner and after lives. Through detailing natural elements that emphasize the life cycle, Durand creates literary art that pays tribute to William Cullen Bryant’s Thanatopsis and to the American Romanticism movement. Asher B. Durand lived a highly successful six-decade career that “spanned the rise, dominance and eclipse” of landscape painting as a national enterprise. As a leading member of the art association known as the Hudson River...
Words: 2964 - Pages: 12
...Reading Between the Lines: An analysis of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, or, the Modern Prometheus, using Horace Walpole’s The Castle of Otranto as an example of male discourse about women Louise Othello Knudsen English Almen, 10th semester Master’s Thesis 31-07-2012 Tabel of Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ 3 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Historical Context .............................................................................................................................. 10 The View on Women and Their Expected Roles in the late 18th and 19th Century ....................... 11 - Mary Shelley disowns herself .................................................................................................. 11 - Mary Shelley’s Background .................................................................................................... 12 Women’s Role in Frankenstein ..................................................................................................... 13 Men’s Role in Frankenstein ........................................................................................................... 13 - Women in Society and Women as Writers .........................................................
Words: 30015 - Pages: 121
...best. Why do the literary critics say this? In this essay let’s examine the play to see what makes it a prizewinner. Phyllis Abrahms and Alan Brody in “Hamlet and the Elizabethan Revenge Tragedy Formula” give some detail about the reasons for the undying popularity of this play: No play demonstrates the power and glory of Shakespeare’s tragic vision more than Hamlet, which for over 350 years has excited us with its action, its insight, its brilliant language. Hamlet is an unparalleled adventure story, complete with suspense, intrigue, murder – even a battle at sea with pirates. It is a play of intense emotional and physical violence. Yet underlying all of this are some of the most profound explorations of the mysteries of human existence. (43) This play is ranked by many as the very greatest ever written. Cumberland Clark in “The Supernatural in Hamlet” gives the consensus regarding Hamlet that exists among literary critics of today: At least six or seven years pass after the writing of Midsummer Night’s Dream before we find Shakespeare engaged on Hamlet, the second of the great plays with an important Supernatural element, and, in the opinion of many, the greatest tragedy ever penned. (99) There is no more exalted ranking than the above. Richard A. Lanham in the essay “Superposed Plays” maintains that no other English tragedy has generated the literary comment which this play has produced: “Hamlet is one of the great tragedies. It...
Words: 1789 - Pages: 8
...romances. II ORIGINS AND INSPIRATION By the late 18th century in France and Germany, literary taste began to turn from classical and neoclassical conventions (see Classic, Classical, and Classicism). Inspiration for the romantic approach initially came from two great shapers of thought, French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau and German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. A The Romantic Spirit Rousseau established the cult of the individual and championed the freedom of the human spirit; his famous announcement was “I felt before I thought.” Goethe and his compatriots, philosopher and critic Johann Gottfried von Herder and historian Justus Möser, provided more formal precepts and collaborated on a group of essays entitled Von deutscher Art und Kunst (Of German Style and Art, 1773). In this work the authors extolled the romantic spirit as manifested in German folk songs, Gothic architecture, and the plays of English playwright William Shakespeare. Goethe sought to imitate Shakespeare's free and untrammeled style in his Götz von Berlichingen (1773; translated 1799), a historical drama about a 16th-century robber knight. The play, which justifies revolt against political authority, inaugurated the Sturm und Drang (storm and stress) movement, a forerunner of German romanticism. Goethe's novel The Sorrows of Young Werther (1774; translated 1779) was also in this tradition. One of the great influential...
Words: 1876 - Pages: 8
...(Signet Classic Macbeth) Audiences today quickly become interested in the plot of a blindly ambitious general with a strong-willed wife who must try to cope with the guilt engendered by their murder of an innocent king in order to further their power. The elements of superstition, ghosts, and witchcraft, though more readily a part of everyday life for the Renaissance audience, remain intriguing to modern teenagers. The action-packed plot, elements of the occult, modern characterizations, and themes of import to today's world make Macbeth an excellent choice for teaching to high school students. This study guide offers ideas for presenting Macbeth to a high school class. The activities have been divided into sections: 1. 2. 3. 4. a brief literary overview, including a synopsis and commentary on the play; suggestions...
Words: 8499 - Pages: 34
...Anjana subedi Roll No : 48 ‘A’ Subject : Introduction to literature and literary analysis(551) Hem lal pandey 31th july,2015 “ The cask of Amontillado” as a gothic story The story “The cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe is a fine example of his Gothic writing. As the story features numerous characteristics of gothic literature. For example dark setting, imagery, underground chamber, violent and revenge, the theme of death and decay, extreme circumstances of terror oppression and the motif of double. The story “the cask of amontillado” carries a perfect example of Gothic setting. As the main action takes place in damp catacomb, which is dark and snoopy. As it is mention in the story “it was about dusk, one evening during the supreme madness of carnival season” (Kirszner and Mandell 119) thus the story appears an entirely Gothic story when it’s revenge content is supported with it’s atmosphere which is melancholic and dreadful. Montressor assures Fortunato to provide amontillado and takes him to the underground vaults and winding staircase. He says; I took their scones two Flambeaux, and giving one to Fortunato bowed him through several suits of rooms to the archway that led into vaults I passed down a long and winding staircase … we came at length to the foot of the descent and stood together on the damp ground of the catacomb of the montresors. (Kirszner and mandell 192-193) Montressor and fortunato passed through “walls of piled bones with cask and puncheons intermingling...
Words: 1435 - Pages: 6
...this paper identifies the unifying function of both literatures as enhancing knowledge of self. Besides, this essay also clarifies the function of literature as a didactic instrument of teaching from both different traditions. In addition, by comparing these two traditions, there is a clear explication of the elements of fantasy and reality infused in both literary traditions. Lastly, this essay concludes with the value-judgment of evaluating good or bad literature. Muhammad Qutb defines ‘Islamic literature’ as literature written by people belonging to Muslim writers as well as works by non-Muslim writers who deal with Islamic values in their views (M. Badawi, 1993, p. 50). Islamic conception of literature is significantly derived from the very first word of the Qur’anic revelation iqra’, an instruction to read, followed by the word ‘al-Qalam’ which carries the meaning that reads: “it was God who taught man with pen” (96: 4), which indicates the ultimate role of reading and knowledge to Muslim individuals. The Qur’an itself is Islam’s supreme literary convention that its “linguistics and literary aspects” have propagated Islam in the early days and it is the perfect example of literature (M. Badawi, 1993, p. 48). Poetry as one type of literature is interestingly mentioned in the Qur’anic chapter al-Shu’ara’ or Poets. The Qur’an differentiates poetry into two types, “the righteous...
Words: 2246 - Pages: 9
...Analysis of Voltaire’s Candide: A non-satirical composition of the most satirical piece of literature By: Westley (A.K.A Nicky Flash) Allen Westley Allen AP Literature Miss Gwaltney April 29, 2013 Through literary devices such as persuasion, sarcasm, and elegant rhetorics, Voltaire successfully composes possibly the most well-known satirical pieces of literature. Mad magazine, The Simpsons, and Saturday Night Live, examples of some of the comical staples that satiate our desire for humor. In our society, satire is among the most prevalent of comedic forms. This was not always true. Before the 18th century, satire was not a fully developed form. Satire, however, rose out of necessity; writers and artists needed a way to ambiguously criticize their governments, their churches, and their aristocrats. By the 18th century, satire was hugely popular. “Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own”. (Swift) Satire as an art form has its roots in the classics, especially in the writings of Voltaire. Satire as it was originally proposed was a form of literature using sarcasm, irony, and wit, to bring about a change in society, but in the eighteenth century Voltaire, Jonathan Swift and William Hogarth expanded satire to include politics, as well as art. The political climate of the time was one of tension. Any criticism of government would bring harsh punishments, sometimes exile or death. In order to voice opinions without...
Words: 1326 - Pages: 6
...A Guide to Writing the Literary Analysis Essay I. INTRODUCTION: the first paragraph in your essay. It begins creatively in order to catch your reader’s interest, provides essential background about the literary work, and prepares the reader for your major thesis. The introduction must include the author and title of the work as well as an explanation of the theme to be discussed. Other essential background may include setting, an introduction of main characters, etc. The major thesis goes in this paragraph usually at the end. Because the major thesis sometimes sounds tacked on, make special attempts to link it to the sentence that precedes it by building on a key word or idea. A) Creative Opening/Hook: the beginning sentences of the introduction that catch the reader’s interest. Ways of beginning creatively include the following: 1) A startling fact or bit of information Example: Nearly two hundred citizens were arrested as witches during the Salem witch scare of 1692. Eventually nineteen were hanged, and another was pressed to death (Marks 65). 2) A snatch of dialogue between two characters Example: “It is another thing. You [Frederic Henry] cannot know about it unless you have it.” “ Well,” I said. “If I ever get it I will tell you [priest].” (Hemingway 72). With these words, the priest in Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms sends the hero, Frederic, in search of the ambiguous “it” in his life. 3) A meaningful quotation (from the book you are analyzing...
Words: 2671 - Pages: 11
...Narrative A narrative is a sequence of events that a narrator tells in story form. A narrator is a storyteller of any kind, whether the authorial voice in a novel or a friend telling you about last night’s party. Point of View The point of view is the perspective that a narrative takes toward the events it describes. First-person narration: A narrative in which the narrator tells the story from his/her own point of view and refers to him/herself as “I.” The narrator may be an active participant in the story or just an observer. When the point of view represented is specifically the author’s, and not a fictional narrator’s, the story is autobiographical and may be nonfictional (see Common Literary Forms and Genres below). Third-person narration: The narrator remains outside the story and describes the characters in the story using proper names and the third-person pronouns “he,” “she,” “it,” and “they.” • Omniscient narration: The narrator knows all of the actions, feelings, and motivations of all of the characters. For example, the narrator of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina seems to know everything about all the characters and events in the story. • Limited omniscient narration: The narrator knows the actions, feelings, and motivations of only one or a handful of characters. For example, the narrator of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has full knowledge of only Alice. • Free indirect discourse: The narrator conveys a character’s inner thoughts...
Words: 12257 - Pages: 50
...the very idea of censuring art, theater, song or literature because it contained improper sexual text would have seemed estrange. Roman poetry and drama was similarly filled with sexual innuendo, eroticism and sexuality. Rome most famous poets spoke honestly of sexual matters, Ovid for example, wrote playfully, extensively and explicitly about homosexuality, impotence, ménage à trois and adultery (Johnson and Ryan 110-152). His Ars Amatoria – The Art of Love has been described as a manual of hedonism designed to teach women the art of seduction and men the essential skills to dominate romantic conquest. During the Middle Ages, Le Fabliau became an important form of sexual literature, these tales, told repeatedly in taverns, campfires and castles, usually involved lusty monks, naïve husbands and disloyal wives who completely ignored the moral implications of their acts. Other stories like The Decameron, a collection of a 100 tales, portrayed the human condition from the erotic to the tragic. Even The Decameron, later attacked for its sexual content, was not an issue in the 15th Century. The invention of the Gutenberg’s printing press in 1428, made possible to distribute written works to the public for the first time. In 1557 the English Crown set the Stationer’s Company to regulate the publishing industry and declared to be unlawful to set up a printing press without a license and censorship blasphemy and heresy. In the late 16th century, the panorama on English pornography changed...
Words: 2252 - Pages: 10
...The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: Summary & Analysis The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam presents an interesting challenge to any reader trying to sort through its heavy symbolism and not-so-obvious theme. Not only does the poem provide us with a compelling surface story, but a second look at the text can reveal a rich collection of seperate meanings hidden in the poem’s objective descriptions and sprawling narrative-which in the space of a few pages includes such disparate characters as the Moon, God, the Snake (and his traditional Christian neighborhood, Paradise), the “Balm of Life”, not to mention nearly every animal and sexual symbol the human mind can come up with. Obviously, on one level, the poem can present itself in a fairly straightforward manner in the vein of CARPE DIEM. In the third stanza, theauthor writes, “‘Open then the Door!/ You know how little while we have to stay,/ And, once departed, may return no more.” There’s several refrains to this throughout the poem, first in the seventh stanza: “Come, fill the cup. . ./ The Bird of Time has but a little way/ To flutter-and the bird is on the Wing.” The entire ninth stanza describes the summer month “that brings the Rose” taking “Jamshyd and Kaikobad away”, and so forth and so on ad nauseum. Again, in the fifty-third stanza: “You gaze To-Day, while You are You-how then/ Tomorrow, You when shall be You no more?” The poet seems to be in an incredible hurry to get this life going before some cosmic deadline comes due, and...
Words: 3984 - Pages: 16
