A Great and Terrible Beauty

In The Pearl, Steinbeck captures the destructive effect of colonialism on the indigenous people. This parable includes many motifs that depicts how greed and corruption can be a destructive force and overwhelm an individual. The novella portrays two contrasting forces that shape a person’s future. It depicts a world in which humans shape their own destinies. However, forces beyond human control can sweep at any moment and completely change the course of an individual’s life. It can be…

The UCC is both a very young tradition and a very old church. We are four traditions with significant history, filled with both beauty and ugliness, that combined to create something new, in 1957. As a former Catholic, I love and appreciate history, and where history matters most and is most fascinating is looking at how different strands change or end or wind into the present and the future, often in surprising ways. The UCC traces its roots back to four different denominations, each of which…

to and use their English skills for good things. For example, my friend in India uses these books in his school. These books are great, and have many things to write about. Dandelion Wine is the story of a summer and has many themes, but it is also a story about people's lives and what it means to live. Doug Spaulding is the central character in the book, and the great challenge that he faces over the course…

Mulan is the hero in her own story, and gains the affection of a man through her bravery and intelligence, not her beauty. Not only does the movie break the gender stereotype that the woman is the one being saved by the man, but also that a man can fall in love with a woman for more than just her beauty. These are all great messages that should be sent to young girls today, especially since they will grow up in a society where they are bombarded with messages telling…

Sunset Boulevard vs. The Great Gatsby What is disillusionment and why is it so significant to American literature? Well, it goes hand in hand with the American dream, which was the concept that you could achieve success and wealth in America by starting fresh. At a first glance this seems ideal. However, as many famous literary works have shown, the American dream is very different from its unfortunate reality. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby lets its readers into the lives of the 1920’s…

While reading The Picture of Dorian Gray first thing that came into my mind is how shallow and vain someone can be, and at the same time pretend everything is normal. Dorian Gray, the protagonist of the novel is exactly that: self-loving, egotistic young man who is not capable of making out good from evil. Maybe it would be more proper to say that he does not want to acknowledge his misbehaviour even though he is aware of it. This corrupt demeanor of his naturally brings out immorality in all…

reader can infer that some strange, malicious force or event will be encountered in the plot of the novel. In this manner, Bradbury skillfully develops a great amount of anticipation within the readers. In addition, Bradbury narrates, “Somewhere not so far back, vast lightnings stomped the earth. Somewhere, a storm like a great beast with terrible teeth could not be denied” (Bradbury 5). By warning that a powerful thunderstorm is approaching, Bradbury indicates to the audience that some type of…

Medusa was once the considered the most beautiful woman in the entire world. When she proclaimed her beauty as far superior than the Gods, the Goddess Aphrodite struck her with a terrible curse. Medusa went through a metamorphosis, becoming a hideous beast with snakes for hair and a stare that turned men into stone. The story is seen as a cautionary tale of hubris, and the infinite power of the Gods. Some believe that Medusa’s transformation is actually a blessing, a blessing which kept her…

but by some error or frailty” (Aristotle). This analysis makes clear the nature of tragic flaws or Hamartia, which means “to err”. It demonstrates that the flaw is unconscious and unintentional but in that way also, unavoidable. It is usually not so great an issue until it is fatally mixed with other cosmic powers like fate. This is the case for Aylmer in the birthmark. Within the short story, Aylmer’s fatal flaw of obsession and a smattering of fate lead to Georgiana’s death. Aylmer must create…

comfort of his precious ride. Although critics of this movie recommend seeking elsewhere to quench the burning craving thirst for horror, I think the horror film I chose to watch which is set in a glorious land for kids, became everything far from a great day riding rides and eating fried bread smothered in chocolate and powdered sugar. It has become common today for people to dismiss Stephen King’s immense contribution to the…