Front of House

Oscar Wilde implements a heavy focusses significant attention on class in The Importance of Being Earnest. People with and without money behave very differently, though strive for the same response and impressions from their peers. The characters in this novel are exaggerated to the point of absurdity when it comes to their obsession with class. Victorian upper class demands its members to keep up an important image in society and value money and appearance above all else, including people.…

“process of creating a believable character in fiction by giving the character depth and personality.” As a reader, one are able to grow an understanding of a character’s emotions and what provokes them to make decisions throughout a book. In A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, a woman named Nora is seen as an average housewife. However, throughout the entire novel, Nora becomes increasingly independent and breaks the typical housewife stereotype. Because of the events in Nora’s life, her character…

In The Almond Tree by Michelle Corasanti, one main symbol is present throughout the book. This main symbol is the almond tree. The almond tree transitions from different representation as the characters and ideas evolve. A Palestinian family, known as Ichamd and his family, experienced the presence of the tree throughout their hardships. Within the book, the almond tree is a recurring symbol that represents hope, survival, and shelter. Foremost, the almond tree represents itself as hope. During…

About the author Sir Henry Wotton (1568-1639) was an English poet, diplomat and politician. His family was well- to-do and he received a good education. Wotton was appointed ambassador to the court of Venice and later the provost of Eton College. He served as Member of Parliament in 1614 and 1625. He was knighted by James VI. His love for classical architecture developed during his stay in Venice. His book ‘The Elements of Architecture’ sought to familiarize the English man with…

populace. All were expected to adhere to their designated societal role – men the workers, women the caregivers. In A Doll’s House, Henrik Ibsen probes the problems of the roles assigned to women in a male-oriented society. For women, their sharply defined roles did not allow for individuality, forcing them to sacrifice their identity in order to fit into society. A Doll’s House assess the dichotomy between who women are and who women are expected to be. Ibsen’s characters serve as a reflection…

Juliet’s evolvement of independence Similar to a parasite, Juliet, the daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet in the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, is a character who is very dependent and doesn’t formulate her own opinion. So, throughout the course of the story, Juliet develops her own thoughts and continuously becomes more independent according to the experiences she faces, consisting of disobeying her parents, falling deeply in love with Romeo and finally accomplishing her…

“O human race born to fly upward, wherefore at a little wind dost thou fall.” With his allegorical writing style, Dante Alighieri revolutionized literature in the renaissance period with masterpieces such as Dante’s Inferno. Dante Alighieri was born on May 21, 1265 in Florence, Italy. He was born to a wealthier family and had a good education as he learn poetry, philosophy, and many other literature skills he used in his writing. From the outside, his life looked perfect though his mother…

Great Expectations is solely about Pip and his expectations over time and for the reader to be able to understand how and why his expectations change, Dickens purposely has Pip describe his life as a child, adolescent and mild aged man. The purpose of Dickens using a bildungsroman is to have Pip grow from a young boy who has many fears and expectations into a man who can then reflect on his mistakes and his life as a whole. One of the first scenes of the novel begins with Pip running into…

Henrik Ibsen’s ‘A Doll’s House’ went into production in December 1879 and was a triumph in Scandinavia and Germany. It did not garner the same praise in Europe as the London productions (1889) were criticised, the subject matter was interpreted as offensive and the representation of women was viewed as harmful (Worrall). This final interaction between Nora and Torvald is crucial as it is the powerful denouement. The analysis of this scene will encompass discussions of the elements of…

Henrik Ibsen’s, A Doll’s House, explores common situations that women faced in the Victorian Era. Ibsen wrote and established his play in the Victorian time of history, when women struggled against the world which viewed females as inferior to men and limited as to what they can do. Males were dominating and highly respected during this era. On the contrary, females were expected to put men on a pedestal and had no other option but to live up to societal expectations to men. Three female…