ARTICLES ARCHIVE
Duality and Humanity
Written by Simone Steadman-Gantous for Prof. Kristopher Woofter In both The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Stevenson, and The Confusions of Young Törless, by Robert Musil, the main characters feel split between the rational side of themselves and the side that is the more impulsive and desire driven. Dr.Jekyll is a doctor who creates a potion so as to separate these two sides of himself, which results in his transformation into Mr. Hyde. Törless is a…
Constants
Written by Ian Fenner for Prof. Roy Cartlidge The Greek philosopher Heraclitus once said “The only constant is change”. While I can’t comment on the circumstances under which he spoke or wrote those words, I can say that it is perhaps the most simplistically true group of words ever to be assembled. It is applicable to almost any situation; for example, as I write this, I am sitting on a train that is moving at upwards of 80 miles per…
A Night in Sudbury
Written by Xiang Zhang for Prof. Bryan Sentes The poem “Sudbury, Night” by Armand Garnet Ruffo takes place in Sudbury, an industrial city famous for its mining activities. It is the speaker’s childhood memory of his family travelling to Sudbury on a Saturday night to watch the slag pour. Interestingly enough, this event is remembered so that different subjects concerning our perception of environmental issues are treated. First, the poem’s imagery reveals the poet’s exasperation apropos our passive reaction to…
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,…
War: Glorify or Condemn?
Written by Maxime Masson for Prof. Christine Southmayd Throughout history, armed conflicts have arisen between individuals and countries, in some cases for political and economic power. During the nineteenth century, authors and artists attempted to describe the consequences of the Napoleonic Wars through print and art. In his famous novel War and Peace, the Russian writer, Tolstoy, evaluates the pros and cons of battle while giving a novelistic account of the effect of war on the lives of various Russian…
The Annihilation and Reconstruction of Individuality in Beloved
Written by Maxime Masson for Prof. Evelyne Hertel In her novel Beloved, Toni Morrison depicts, through effective characterization and description, how slavery in the United States led to the loss of individuality within the black population. Upon arriving in the free state of Ohio, Baby Suggs begins to understand the unfathomable truth: she is the sole owner of her body. Slaveholders, such as Schoolteacher, attempt to control the minds and bodies of their slaves and eliminate any trace of selfhood….
Hans Christian Andersen’s Characterization of the Protagonist in “The Little Mermaid”
Written by Florence Yee for Prof. Marie-Thérèse Blanc Hans Christian Andersen’s original fairy tale, “The Little Mermaid”, tells the story of a young mermaid and her attempts to end the segregation between her life and her human love interest, the prince. The protagonist’s character development as she overcomes the challenges of the quest pattern, the narrative structure of a hero’s journey, makes this tale far more complex than Perrault’s or the Grimms’. Her love, agency and afterlife play imperative roles…