Jane Eyre Essay

The theme "coming of age" can be illustrated as the reader witnesses a character in the story transition from childhood immaturity to more complex and adult-like thoughts and actions. Huggan's short story, "Celia Behind Me", evidently illustrates the coming of age theme as the reader follows the protagonist, Elizabeth, through many hardships including the struggle for social acceptance, guilt, anxiety, and her own insecurities. Though seemingly simple, the "coming of age" topic is, in truth, a…

Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” was written in 1894 and explores the position of women within the 19th century society. An interesting aspect of this short story is that it is an early example of feminism in literature. Chopin is subtle, but very effective, in criticizing marriage and the role and position of women during the Victorian Era. The purpose of this essay is to make an approach into the mythic constructions of femininity in this Kate Chopin’s story but also to explore how the…

Tanti Merle at the Oval is a story which encompasses features of Caribbean life with the use of Caribbean dialect, humor and cricket. The tale is based upon the mannerism of the writer’s aunt before and during a visit to a cricket match at the oval. The events that take place draw attention to issues within the Caribbean based on identity, gender and sexual relations. Identity is what defines an individual; their qualities, beliefs, experiences and overall way of life. Caribbean people are…

Mia Himes A person can undergo many changes, physically or mentally, which will interfere with relationships. In, “A Doll’s House,” written by Henrik Ibsen, the main character who is also the protagonist, Nora, goes through a mental development to better herself. Just as in everyday life, these changes were influenced and caused by her surroundings. This change was precipitated by another character in the book, but further changed Nora’s relationship with her husband, Torvald. No matter if the…

As a female writer in early nineteenth century England, Emily Bronte defies societal norms that deems men as intellectual superiors, especially in the sphere of literature. In a time period when feminism was burgeoning as a radical notion, emerging novels from female authors such as the Bronte sisters gave a voice to a marginalised group who were hitherto without one. Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights was deemed radical during its Victorian age: presenting racially ambiguous characters, asexual…

Katherina Minola, also known as Kate, is the daughter of Baptista in Taming of the Shrew. “Shrew” is a term used to describe an aggressively assertive woman. From the beginning, Kate is constantly referred to as “a shrew whom cannot be tamed”. But as the story progresses, Kate’s personality drastically changes when she understands the effects of her actions after her husband, Petruchio, starts acting like her. His mission is to marry Kate and prove his friends wrong when he says that he can tame…

“Eleven” When you open a book I bet you think that since the book is make believe the characters will be perfect, but trust me not one main character is. Just like how in real life us humans aren’t perfect. In the story, “Eleven” by Sandra Cisnero a quiet girl named Rachel learns to have courage. Not having courage is her flaw, her thing to stop herself from being perfect. Rachel doesn't stick up for herself. Plus, she doesn't express herself. She also expresses her thoughts to us readers…

“Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty.” Mother Teresa. This quote relates to the novel, Chinese Cinderella: The Secret Story of an Unwanted daughter written by Adeline Yen Mah, a Chinese-American physician who describes her lonely experiences growing up in China during the Second World War. Even though she tries to make the most out of her horrible situation, she never wins under Father and Niang’s control. She is sent to many boarding schools, hated by her…

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, by Barry Denenberg, is the diary of Bess Brennan. This book is about a young girl that got into a horrible accident that changed her life forever. Bess Brennan, the girl that got into the accident, is now blind. She goes to a school for the blind, and doesn’t like it at first. Eventually she learns to do things for herself since the accident, and her view of the world is much different. The setting takes place at her home and her new school, Perkins School for the…

Julia Alvarez is a Dominican-American writer that is known for her variety of literary styles. She’s written poems, essays, and novels. Most of her pieces are based on real life experiences and relationships, “Dusting” included. “Dusting” is one of her less popular and shorter pieces, only eighteen lines, that symbolizes and represents her relationship with her mother. The main character in the poem, who is also the narrator, is the daughter. She begins the piece by describing her morning…