Folklore

Although the Transcendentalist movement was roughly 200 years ago, there are many stories older than those that convey characteristics of Transcendentalism; however, there is a story in Chinese folklore that stands out. In Chinese folklore, the famous story of “The Monkey King” is a prime example of transcendentalism, due to the representation of individualism, nonconformity, and spontaneity within the story. “The Monkey King’s” portrayal of individualism displays…

Apply two literary theories to a text. Consider how the position adopted in a critical perspective reflects a particular interpretation of a text. The perspectives can either be from an identified lens or reflect your awareness of your own critical reading of a text and the way in which that is informed by the perspectives of other readers, viewers or critics. From a historical perspective Hannah Kent employs a postmodernist structure to her novel Burial Rites. She signifies the rich culture…

mistake you have made. The Grimm’s version provides a bit more hope at the end, but still has an obvious message that you should not break. Even the themes of these two stories, although the same, can be interpreted slightly differently. Perrault’s folklore seems to be telling young children, especially young, attractive ladies, that if you talk to strangers a “wolf” will come eat you. The tale acts as a warning for children to not speak to strangers, no matter how nice they seem, because they…

Aristophanes' myth is not entertainment purely for the sake of entertainment. In producing an uplifting response in his listeners, it appears that Aristophanes hoped to lead them to a certain view point on love. Apart from the repeating themes of myth and folklore, in his speech Aristophanes also repeatedly uses examples of the changes in the size and shape of human beings, changes in the genitals' positions, changes when split in half, and the origins of sexual orientation. Aristophanes…

The beautifully wise words of an American painter, Robert Motherwell, could not have described abstract art any better I strongly believe. He intricately and sophisticatedly describes the breath-taking style of abstract art as follows, “The function of abstraction is to get rid of a lot of reality. You start with as much richness as you want, and subtract, and then you arrive at the residue of essences that you’re interested in.” This description really allows the reader to visualize the artist…

concept of heaven is no longer entertained by Inman’s beliefs, the amount of death and ruin that Inman has encountered throughout his journey has tarnished his ideas of the universe he belongs to. His former Cherokee friend had passed down Indian folklore that would impact his belief in “another world, a better place.” A kinship with nature replaces any religious notions he once held to. Inman is found respecting nature and placing himself as part of nature, learning to survive with a place in…

The reconstruction era triggered many African-Americans to settle with conclusions by making illogical decisions. “Jonah's Gourd Vine" by Zora Neale Hurston is associated with Booker T. Washington's thoughts on becoming a preacher, and working for the future. “In the earlier days of freedom almost every colored man who learned to read would receive ‘a call to preach’ within a few days after he began reading” (Booker T.Washington). Whether an African-American man's call to be a preacher was…

It is hard to pin-point what truly makes a television series great. Is it an original concept, gripping storyline or complex characters? American fantasy horror series Supernatural (2005 - present) combines all of these key elements to create a completely unique television experience. The show is currently in its eleventh season (2015/2016), making it the longest running sci-fi series in the history of American television, surpassing Smallville, which had 218 episodes. You can try to compare it…

Introduction Jurassic Park is a 1990 techno-thriller novel by Michael Crichton. It revolves around a businessman’s attempt to create an amusement park whose primary attractions are dinosaurs recreated using genetic engineering. Unlike the 1993 Steven Spielberg movie adaptation, which is about the wonderful feeling of seeing a real live dinosaur, and about the technical accomplishment that went behind it, the book deals with the ethical and logistical issues that accompany such a task. The…

Imagine your child is lock inside the windowless room in a basement without malnourished, festering sores, friends and freedom. Well, locking up a child in the room is abuse. We have overheard it a thousand times, “treat others the way you want to be treated” but in “The one who walks away from omelas” Child is untreated as a human being. The several reasons that the author is trying to portray a message to an audience are community ideals, utilitarianism, and religious interpretation. To begin…