In the tragic drama Samson Agonistes, John Milton transforms the protagonist
from a defeated hero in the Homeric tradition to a suppliant yet conquering hero in the
Hebraic tradition. Milton's source is the Old Testament book of Judges. W. H....
Dreiser, Theodore, 1871-1945 -- Criticism and interpretation
What is predominant among Theodore Dreiser's works is "chemism" (Spiller, Literary Theory 1201). We see such terms as "chemic" (Dreiser, Best 51), "chemical" (Dreiser, Myself 51), "chemistry" (Dreiser, Genius 689), and "chemical affinity"...
Melville, Herman, 1819-1891. Selections. 1984 -- Criticism and interpretation
Critics have been struggling to find a consistent theme that permeates Herman Melville’s Pierre; or, the Ambiguities (1852). There is the pamphlet on which a lecture by a man named Plotinus Plinlimmon is written down in the middle of the story....
There is one thing we all have in common. Regardless of our gender, age, race, religion or socioeconomic status, we, as human beings, all experience the pain and suffering associated with life. This is an unavoidable, inevitable fact. We suffer in...
Religious fundamentalism -- United States; Sexism in religion -- United States; Women in Christianity -- United States; Sex role -- Religious aspects -- Christianity
A plethora of fundamentalist Christian literature emerged in the 1970s and 1980s as a retort to growing feminist ideology. Fundamentalist Christian authors today still adhere to perceived Biblical roles of womanhood. Subsequently, women are being...
Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Characters -- Hamlet; Hamlet (Legendary character)
This thesis analyzes Prince Hamlet's role as a divinely commissioned scourge in Denmark, asking whether Hamlet functions in a multifaceted capacity as a scourge or as a univocal scourge figure, a figure that is a stereotypically evil scourge. It...
American literature -- Hispanic American authors; Masculinity
This thesis focuses on how the male-male relationships in contemporary Latino novels by Piri Thomas, Abraham Rodriguez, Jr., Junot Díaz, Arturo Islas, and John Rechy help or hurt the protagonists’ developing masculinity and overall sense of...
Milton, John, 1608-1674. Paradise lost -- Criticism, Textual; Eve (Biblical figure); Milton, John, 1608-1674 -- Characters -- Eve
In Paradise Lost, John Milton dramatically changes Eve's character from the well established Renaissance stereotype to an intelligent, humble, and majestic woman. Traditionally, Eve has been condemned for causing mankind's sinful state. Yet Milton...
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor, 1772-1834 -- Criticism and interpretation
This thesis proposes the Samuel Coleridge's poetry attempts to forge an interdependent relationship between imagination and faith. In the Biographia Literaria Coleridge suggests that the imagination is an entity separate from man and similar to the...
Typically, scholars approach Holocaust literature with a focus solely on history or on trauma theory. And yet, as I propose in 'The Holocaust's Literary Perpetrator,' these modes of examination are not sufficient in their explanations of blame. ...
Dickinson, Emily, 1830-1886 -- Criticism and interpretation
Metaphysical themes in Emily Dickinson's poetry emphasize the limitations of the
human mind and the limitless possibilities of the imagination. Through a dose examination
of her original use of language, readers can trace how Dickinson used...
