Literature Essay Examples Page 40

In the novel Crime and Punishment, the Russian author Feodor Dostoevsky implements certain narrative techniques which aid greatly in accurately portraying the lives, surroundings, physical characteristics and hardships of protagonist Rodya Raskolnikov, as well as the rest of the lower class in St. Petersburg where the story is set. In addition to simply depicting the…

Fate seems to be something recognized in many aspects of the lives of humans. People in love will often claim that fate brought them together, as well as claiming its significance in finances and other social commodities. In Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky exposes fate as several things: a deception, a crutch, an excuse, a…

Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s novel Crime and Punishment outlines the moral value of crime through a psychological battle between what is seen as extraordinary and ordinary. The main character Raskolnikov (Rask) believes he knows the difference between the world’s most powerful people and the rest of the population. He tests out his own theory on himself through…

“What are you to do?” She cried… “Go at once, stand at the cross-roads, bow down… and say to all the men aloud ‘I am a murderer’. Then God will send you life again”. Sonia’s character, especially towards the end of the novel, acts as an opposing force to what Raskolnikov wants to do and…

“The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is one of the most famous short stories of all time. Originally published in the New Yorker in 1948, it generated controversy due to its graphic depiction of a lottery that determines who will be stoned each year. But what kind of story provoked such a negative response? It’s a…

This popular American idiom means many things depending on the circumstances (no pun intended). For the characters in literature written by certain women it means being driven to a breaking point beyond logical thought. Societal pressures weigh heavily on characters like John’s wife in “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and Tessie Hutchinson from “The Lottery”. These women…

Tradition is defined as “the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc. from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice” (“Definition”). In “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, readers are exposed to a fatal tradition with no true purpose other than the fact that it is tradition. Many traditions are…

Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” follows the story of a small town, starting their usual June routine of playing the lottery, an event that many associate with joy. However, the reader eventually realizes the lottery is not a joyous occasion when the winner, Tessie, is stoned at the end of the drawing. The shocking ending of…

The desire of escaping reality stems from the unhappiness of one’s current situation. Unhappiness could be the lack of contentment, loss of family values or living in a false reality. It can also be “more often indicated by a simple wish for the masses to simply, magically, disappear.” (Krishna 2327). This unhappiness sometimes results in…

Dry September by William Faulkner is a story set back in the early 90s in a small southern town. The story revolves around how Minnie Cooper, a lonely and unhappy woman is apparently raped by a black man, known as Will Mayes and how a group of men overreact to the situation and jump to…