Essays About Novel
What is ‘American Exceptionalism’ and what are its (religious) origins? ‘The position of the Americans is therefore quite exceptional, and it may be believed that no democratic people will ever be placed in a similar one. (…) Let us cease, then, to view all democratic nations under the example of the American people.’ Alexis de…
Isolation is when one is secluded form the rest of their community. Charlotte Bronte shows us two types of isolation. There is Physical isolation where certain characters are part of their communities but they are considered to be non-existent. The second type of isolation is mental. Bronte shows us the mental turmoil that some characters…
The relation between Balzac’s fiction and that of the popular novelists of his generation has often provoked discussion. Various opin-ions have been advanced: at one extreme, the over-hasty and malignantjudgment of Sainte-Beuve, who persisted in classing Balzac with Sue andthe feuilletonistes; at the other, the adulation of those who resent anycomparison between Balzac and men…
‘Black Women’s experiences, and in particular the meanings they attach to motherhood, are central concerns in Beloved. ‘ How far do you agree? In Morrison’s novel Beloved the experiences of black women are greatly discussed. As we delve deeper into these experiences the idea of ‘rememory’ becomes apparent. This is an idea put forward by…
1984 is a futuristic novel by George Orwell about how life would be under “Big Brother”. Northern stage, a local acting group, performed it. He based the play on how he thought life would be like in 1984 and how it would be ruled. He thought everyone would be the same, act the same and…
In the novel ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’, the author, George Orwell employs a range of different techniques such as similes, metaphors and symbolism to unnerve and keep the reader in anticipation, impelling them to read on. The novel is in a third-person narrative style, this technique employed by Orwell creates a distance between the central character, Winston…
In Aldous Huxley’s novel, Brave New World, John the Savage is a combination of the two societies in which he exists. He is also an outsider in both. By having such a removed character, Huxley is able to create the perfect foil that brings out the flaws within the societies. As an outsider, John sees…
To be a fallen woman in Victorian society, was to be ordained sinful and would be outcast from the social world. Both authors choose to use this theme as a pivotal point in their novels. However, even though both are set in the 1800’s, Fowles was writing a hundred years after Hardy. Some may say…
Chinua Achebe’s novel of life in colonial-era Nigeria, Things Fall Apart, contains the character Okonkwo as the protagonist. Okonkwo represents the idea of a successful person; an admired hero even. Characteristics such as bravery, strength, and a desire to succeed are what everyone admires about Okonkwo. His fear of becoming like his father gave him…
Tess is a young girl visiting her cousin Alec, who is of a higher class the Tess, Alec takes advantage of this and controls where they go and what they do. Hardy presents Alec as a scheming man and there seems something weird about him, Tess on the other hand is of completely different character…
In any novel, the setting is vital, and often reflects the situation in either the plot or the characters feelings. In the Victorian novels setting was often either in the country side, surrounded by nature, in a world that was soon to change, an idealistic look back at the naturalistic world the author looked back…
Tess undergoes immense suffering, throughout the whole novel. This is very well displayed by Thomas Hardy’s excellent usage of language. He expertly describes Tess’s actions and language. Hardy also vividly describes what Tess feels and other people’s behaviour towards her. The very first case of suffering starts when Tess had to get up extremely early…
Compare ‘After the First Death’ with Far From the Madding crowd,’ with special consideration of each author’s style and characterisation. I have Recently read two books. The first was Thomas Hardy’s novel set in the English counrty side during the nineteenth centuary. It told me a story about the arrival of Bathsheba Everdene in the…
The affair between Winston and Julia marks the stand that both of them are trying to take against Big Brother, however Julia is only really interested in the sexual aspect of their relationship, the downfall of Big Brother playing second fiddle. The very description of Julia by Orwell leads the reader to perceive that she…
Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley. Everyone has heard or it, but so many can say what it is about, and what its message is, mainly because it is so hard to know exactly. This is party because it so interestingly ahead of its time. Creating life using genetic engineering was almost unheard of, and this new…
Throughout the first half of the novel there are many scenes of violence, with Celie being raped and beaten by her father and later by Mr. and his children. There is also the memory that her two children who are not only conceived through incest but are also killed by the man that Celie believes…
Recently, I have been to watch a play on the 28th March in South Hill Park arts centre, Bracknell. This play was written by Franz Kafka and published by Steven Berkoff in 1981. Themes in the play included love, fear and depression. Franz Kafka had a lot of bad experiences in his life, this was…
What does the novel tell us about the English society and the ways of life in the late 19th century? Refer to lifestyles of main characters, place of servants, role of women, contemporary morality and details of everyday life. Arthur Conan Doyle wrote ‘The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1902. The novel was written in…
In the novel Jane Eyre, the author creates an image of the differences between men and women; she also portrays the way people behaved with women in the 19th century. Jane had to face many problems and tolerate many obstacles just because she was an orphan and was very poor. She had to live with…
Jane Eyre is a famous novel written by English writer Charlotte Bronte and was published in England in 1847 by Smith, Elder & Co. The Victorian era was a time period plagued with problems of inequalities, symbolism and independence between men and women, in this novel Charlotte Bronte uses Jane Eyre as a mouthpiece in…
Gothic features are all through the novel ‘Jane Eyre’. Even though the novel is romantic, not gothic, metatonamy, references to the supernatural, and other gothic features can all be found in ‘Jane Eyre’. Charlotte Bronte uses metatonamy throughout her novel as a gothic technique, creating atmosphere. The novel begins with pathetic fallacy, with ‘sombre clouds’…
Jane Eyre was written in a time when women in positions like Jane’s were left with few options. Jane had to work to support herself, as she possessed no money of her own, yet her rank in society prevented her from doing many occupations. One of the main options was to become a governess to…
Jane Eyre is often regarded as a modern day fairy tale when viewed superficially . However, the complexity of the story lines and characters represented a phenomenal breakthrough in story writing techniques during the Victorian period. Brontes creation of a new and powerful woman created a stirr amoungst Victorian Critics. Raised in this repressive male-dominated…
The key way in which nature shapes this novel, is through the reoccurring theme of snow. The snow symbolises the Islanders moral debates with deciding what is right and what is wrong. This is demonstrated in the following quote- ‘When they looked out into the whiteness of the world the wind flung it sharply at…
Cottage near Lewes. Early morning. Sound of an larm watch. Frederick already woken up, moving on stage. A door in the middle of the stage to represant the cellar door. He knocks on the door. Frederick:, Please get up! Waits, open the door and goes in the cellar, onto the other part of the stage…
“The Gothic is concerned primarily with representing transgression and taboo, there is nothing more to it as a literary genre. ” Is this a fair assessment of Gothic writing of the Romantic period? “The invaluable works of our elder writers… are driven into neglect by frantic novels, sickly and stupid German Tragedies, and deluges of…
The novella written by the renowned author Charles Dickens centralises around the theme of Christmas, as a pivotal motif for not only the celebration of Christ, but for its analogous time of unification of people of different social classes. It also possesses a metaphorical meaning of ‘rebirth’ as the underpinning story is about the physiological…
WE see evidence of Miss Havisham’s life standing still when Dickens wrote ‘Her watch stopped at twenty minutes to nine, and that a clock in the room had stopped at twenty to nine’. There is repetition of Miss Havisham being described as sour. This is for extra effect in getting the message through. Dickens put…
The leading character of the novel is Phillip Pirrip or as known as Pip. The novel centres on him and throughout the novel we follow his life. He is the male lead and also the narrator of the novel. The novel has many big issues one of these are society where people stand and are…
The famous Novel “the hounds of the Baskerville” was written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, he was very popular in late 19th century all the way up to now. His books were published in the weekly magazine the “Strand” and proved to be loved by most Victorians since he’s main character, Sherlock Holmes, a private…
