FEATURED

An Analysis of Gabriel’s Self-Estrangement in James Joyce’s “The Dead”

An Analysis of Gabriel’s Self-Estrangement in James Joyce’s “The Dead”

Written by Sam Fisher for Prof. Liana Bellon James Joyce’s “The Dead” explores the theme of being alienated from one’s self. Gabriel, the main character in “The Dead,” is a member of the Irish upper class in early twentieth-century Dublin. Despite being surrounded by a rather conservative family and group of friends, Gabriel identifies himself as progressive, does not believe in class distinctions, and promotes the idea of leaving Ireland to explore the modern world. However, through an analysis of…

Read More Read More

MORE STORIES

The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien: The Fulfillment of Prophecies

The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien: The Fulfillment of Prophecies

Written by Emmanuelle Dastous Sara for Prof. Rebecca Million Behold! A victory may only come upon a land with the guidance and strength of its people. Yet certain prophecies must be fulfilled for the assurance of a victory. This concept was clearly portrayed in J. R. R. Tolkien’s second installment of Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers. The beauty of Middle Earth is slowly perishing and the darkness within is emerging throughout the land. Middle Earth is slowly dying…

Read More Read More

Analysis of “August” by Christopher Dewdney

Analysis of “August” by Christopher Dewdney

By Rachelle Zipper for the course The Green Fuse Instructor: Prof. B. Sentes   Analysis of “August” by Christopher Dewdney            In Christopher Dewdney’s “August”, the author looks back at the title month from the end of October. In doing so, he is reminded of the brevity of life, thus evoking melancholy. This emotion is evoked both by depicting atemporal aspects of life, as well as contrasting the atemporal with descriptions of temporary entities. Dewdney explores the concept of atemporality by…

Read More Read More

The Heart of Music

The Heart of Music

Written by Victoria Ledsham for Prof. Mary Gossage Willie Nelson described country music as “three chords and the truth”, while Lou Reed stated that if music “has more than three chords, it’s jazz.” Two completely different musical genres can be distinguished by a single chord. However, this contrast is only a glimpse into the power of the device. A chord is a musical term that refers to a group of two or more notes sounding together. Chords are typically triads,…

Read More Read More

True Love and the Foil in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre

True Love and the Foil in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre

An essay by Fredric Lam For Prof. Marie-Thérèse Blanc’s course entitled Love Among the Ruins Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre is the story of the eponymous young woman who searches for true love after an unfortunate childhood. Jane’s marriage to Edward Rochester is disrupted and, refusing to be his mistress, she flees and encounters St John Rivers. St John teaches Jane that true love is the ultimate goal that will truly fulfill all her needs and wants. She learns from St…

Read More Read More

RECENTLY ADDED

America’s Disgrace

America’s Disgrace

Written by Chloe Gordon for Prof. Alyson Grant Ayad Akhtar’s Disgraced shines a harsh light on the crisis of identity internalized by many Muslim Americans. Set in an upscale apartment in Manhattan, Disgraced captures the inner workings of wealthy liberals’ intent on professing progressiveness. In this environment of seemingly open-minded North Americans, Akhtar aspires for a “confrontation with the recalcitrant tribal tendencies we all harbour” (Akhtar 95). Akhtar’s protagonist, Amir Kapoor, born Amir Abdullah, is locked in an intense struggle…

Read More Read More

Salt: An Addiction that Engineered the World – The Study of Salt through the History of the British Empire

Salt: An Addiction that Engineered the World – The Study of Salt through the History of the British Empire

Written by Georgiana Andra Liciu for Prof. Wendy Thatcher Salt is a spectacular food commodity that had an impact on culture, religion, politics, and science in every country in the world since before recorded history. The study of salt is socially relevant because without this mineral life on Earth would not exist. Indeed, all life emerged from salt water some three billion years ago and all organisms need salt to function and survive. Salt was so important for humans that…

Read More Read More

No, Capital Punishment Is Not Ethical: Failure of Retribution and Deterrence – A Study of the U.S. Penal Law

No, Capital Punishment Is Not Ethical: Failure of Retribution and Deterrence – A Study of the U.S. Penal Law

Written by Georgiana Andra Liciu for Prof. Isabelle Johnston Introduction: Capital punishment is one of the most—if not the most— controversial penal law practice in the U.S. today. The whole country is divided in its opinion about the death penalty; 31 states still use capital punishment, while in 13 states, this practice has been outlawed (“States”). This topic is socially relevant because an execution is an irreversible punishment. I am interested in this topic because I believe that justice is…

Read More Read More

“Some Books Should Not Be Opened”: The Primal Self and Family Decay in The Shining

“Some Books Should Not Be Opened”: The Primal Self and Family Decay in The Shining

Written by Sarah Levi for Prof. Kristopher Woofter Throughout The Shining, Stephen King foreshadows the destruction of the Torrance family by hinting that Jack will eventually fall victim to mental instability. Besides portraying his character as a dangerous man who struggles with alcoholism and a short temper, King makes Jack face challenging situations, inciting him to lose his cool and wreak havoc on his family. The Shining can be viewed as a story about a man’s inner demons taking control…

Read More Read More