Essays on Literary Criticism

Literary theory or literary criticism can be defined as the set of concepts, views and assumptions that form the bases for interpretation of one or another piece of writing. Literary criticism is employed in discussing and highlighting key ideas of writing. There are two objectives: to generalize knowledge of the subject matter of criticism – “the literature” – and to provide an interpretation. The term "theory" originates from the Greek "theoria". "Theoria" indicated a view or perspective of the Greek stage. (Iep.utm.edu) That is what literary theory offers in general, although some specific theories suggest complete systems for interpreting literature. At ...

The definition of the Western Canon is always changing, according to literary critic and Yale professor Harold Bloom: but is that mutability a good thing? Bloom, a rather conservative literary critic, believes that there should be literary standards that outlive the fashionable theories of the day. In our times, these literary theories include ideas borrow from Marx, Foucault, New Historicism, and ethnocentric and gender perspectives, among other lenses through which to view the production of literature. Amidst these ever-changing standards and definitions of a “classic,” Bloom believes the study of literature and good reading habits—to read well and ...

There are a number of lessons that one must learn as one goes through life. But the lesson of attempting to survive through the racial discrimination in the south is one lesson that is most valuable to those who lived in that era. Many blacks can now relate to the racial challenge that Jefferson face in Louisiana in 1948. Like many other blacks during the 1940’s, Jefferson faces death for a murder. Of course the laws during the period did not require much proof to convict a black man as much of the stories of the past reveal ...

Introduction

Passage Overview Literary Criticism Context Form Structure Redaction Key words Theological Analysis What the passage say about the relationship with God The questions that the passage may address in the community for which it was originally written. Conclusion Introduction Prayer has been a fundamental tool to the life of a believer. For us Christians, it is a priority that we communicate to God several times in a day. This being said, it is evident that the inconsistency of praying that characterizes Christians in the current generation is what exposes them to failure. In fact, the secret of all failures ...

Introduction

For this assignment I have decided to write an exegesis of Matthew 17:1-13. I have chosen the New International Version (NIV) as it is easier to read and understand. The New Spirit Filled Life Bible commentary explains that the book of Mathew was written around A.D 50-75 (Hayford 1321). The author is not exactly known, but it is attributed to Matthew. The major theme of this book is that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament, and that he is the Son of God.

The Bible passage, Matthew 17:1-13, proceeds as follows;

  “Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, ...

Van Helsing as a Protector: The Role of the Vampire Hunter the Present-Day Vampire Culture

Abstract The vampire culture grew out of the Gothic genre and became extremely popular throughout the world. The first and most famous representative of the vampire cast is Dracula, who first appeared as a protagonist in Bram Stocker’s book with the same name. Dracula was created as a predator that hid within his threatening castle, and attacked helpless women. The author also introduced Van Helsing, the hero who acted as a protector of women and fought to destroy the monster. However, Van Helsing remained a less popular and well-known character as compared to the monster he hunted. In ...

The book titled The Color of Water by James McBride is an autobiographical affair which describes the life and happenings of the author’s mother, Ruth. The book is also a tribute to Ruth’s life and all that she goes through in the course of life. Ruth is presented as a strong woman with great ambition and strength. The book is not only representative of her journey and struggles; it is also her development as a person, a Christian, and a woman during the course of her life. She is the central figure in the novel and her ...

INTRODUCTION

In “A Rose for Emily,” Emily Grierson is a lonely spinster, living on the fringes of the small town of Jackson, whose inhabitants constantly judge her for her loneliness. As a result, she begins to become somewhat eccentric, exacting her own brand of reality in her own home. After clearly becoming infatuated with a new man in town who spends a lot of time with her, the townspeople continue to gossip and scrutinize her every action, which become increasingly strange as time passes. Finally unlocking Emily’s home after her death, the town is faced with a brutal, horrifying truth that had long been ...

Agatha Christie is synonymous with detective fiction in virtually every country on Earth. Her mystery novels, which have sold billions of copies, have introduced some of the most memorable literary characters in the genre, including Auguste Poirot and Miss Marple. It is possible that unhappiness in her personal life (she divorced Christie after discovering that he had been unfaithful) contributed to the development of her style and her prolific output. The discipline of writing offered an escape that accorded with her predilection for privacy. She and her first husband, Archibald Christie, moved to London shortly before World War I ...

In Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie, there are a number of symbols inserted into the play that represent a theme or a character trait that help to portray something deeper about these people than can be normally conveyed through the typical methods of dialogue and direction. In this paper, we will examine five of these symbols and how they are developed throughout the course of the play. It is then made clear just how effectively symbols are used as a visual representations of the character’s inner motivations, as well as the messages about society and the human experience that the playwright attempts ...