Everything Is Illuminated

The English literature period of Modernism occurred around the end of World War One and lasted throughout the Second World War ending at roughly 1965. The period challenged old views and traditions; it instituted a new way of thinking among the people and emphasized the value of the individual and experimentation. There are many influential modernist writers including F. Scott Fitzgerald, the author of The Great Gatsby. Although his book is classified as Modernism, some see components within it…

Anne Dillard’s “The Death of a Moth” is a representation of her view on death. Dillard puts the reader in her shoes when she explains the settings and events that go on around her. Anne Dillard lived a single life with her two cats which were yellow and black. Dillard first opens the reader to a single crustacean, the spider, which she says is intelligent because he is somehow managing to survive as opposed to the bugs that become trapped in its spider’s web under the toilet. Eventually, Dillard…

“From that moment on, everything happened very quickly. The race towards death had begun.” In an inexplicable time struck by anti-semitism and war, there existed only two types of people: those who survived and those who died. This harsh truth is demonstrated in Eliezer Wiesel’s novel Night, published by Hill and Wang, 2006. Eliezer recounts his treacherous journey of the events that lead to the imprisonment of his father, himself, and millions of his people. He speaks of feelings felt by those…

car rolls back slightly and Dan watches his love fall to the ground battered and limp. He stands, and rushes back to the car, to see a man in the driver's seat who appears to be having a seizure. Lisa lies on her side on the sidewalk. Her body illuminated by the headlights of the car that just struck her down. He drops to his knees beside her as she struggles to breathe. Blood begins to pool inside her mouth when her eyes roll up to look at Dan. He can see the fear and pain she is in as her…

birth to hope and new beginnings, and, to Gatsby, this light represents his faith for his dream becoming a reality; however, the light proves to be an illusion as it is an impossible task for Gatsby to possess his dream. Whether­­ it is the light illuminated from Gatsby’s parties, or the green light shining across the calm sea, the bright glow deceives Gatsby into thinking he will one day be…

Sitting on my porch I open my weekly copy of the Minnesota Daily. “Three Year Anniversary of West Egg Mogul’s Death”, it reads to me. I let my paper fall to my lap and I figure that perhaps that it is why the day resonates such deep feelings of woe. Shakily I decide to continue reading the article. “...shot on an afternoon in his lavish backyard...September 1922...a murder-suicide...”. Suddenly I become attacked by sensations of repugnance. Even though it is a chilly September afternoon, I find…

A LUXURIOUS NIGHT TO REMEMBER IN DRESDEN I think you would agree when I say that, not many people in America have heard of nor been to Dresden Germany. I bet, when you ask your friends, family and colleagues right now if they have heard of Dresden or been to Dresden, they would say NO or probably say WHERE IS IT? I would also bet that if you ask them what’s on their Bucket list or places they would want to see, DRESDEN, would not be one of them. This is one of the many reasons why I chose…

were painted burgundy. The sky was on fire, and the fire grew continuously. The cold enveloped us as we looked out into the blazing ocean. The dark blue-green water reflected the evening light, and although darkness had filled the area around us, everything was still visible. The combination of sweat, perfume, and the sea breeze cluttered the air. On my left, the girl of my dreams, her blonde brown hair dancing in the wind. My best friend on my right, out of breath, sprawled across the floor.…

viewed through the lens of a label even before formal diagnosis simply due to the fact that they were being interviewed in a context of a mental hospital. The label that was given to these individuals became important in so many ways. Everything they did and everything they were is automatically seen in relation to their label. This defining component of mental illness stigma makes it incredibly hard to separate self from your mental illness. Individuals fall into a self-fulfilling prophecy in…

Imagine two societies: today’s society and Puritan society. In today’s society, people are exposed and accepting of diverse races, religions, political stances, etcetera, but in Puritan society, people weren’t approving or open to the concepts we uphold today. One facet (the way people view others decisions) of these societies can demonstrate how diverse each society is. How could these two societies have any relationship towards one another? Simply, the singular facet that differs these two…