Haki R. Madhubuti

What if you wake up feeling like a boss, on top of the world, so powerful that nothing can destroy you? Nikki Giovanni was a black female born in Ohio. She visited Africa in 1972, the year Ego Tripping was published. That same year was when many civilizations were finding their origins. Giovanni celebrates being a black female with a huge ego during that time, so big that she seems to be tripping over it. In “Ego Tripping.” Nikki Giovanni uses allusion, simile, metaphor and symbolism to show that her self-confidence makes her feel powerful and invincible. Giovanni thinks of herself as a female goddess, proudly being black and achieving highly. She alludes to the Sphinx and the pyramids of Egypt. Giovanni states, “I walked to the fertile crescent and built the Sphinx.” (2/3), creating a huge and amazing sculpture in Egypt, emphasizes that she has immense power to do something like that. Her allusion to the pyramids shows superiority, building a pyramid for a star to fall perfectly on its pointy top is only to be done by someone powerful. As she affirms, “I designed a pyramid so tough that a star that only glows...the center giving divine perfect light.” (4/6). Her creation of the Sphinx and Egyptian pyramids shows her power. Through these events that demonstrate power she begins to feel invincible. Giovanni’s fame and ability to contribute much continues in stanzas 2-7 by exemplifying her awesomeness. Giovanni uses symbolism: “ My oldest daughter is Nefertiti the tears from…

Loyalty’s Different Meanings Loyalty can make or break any relationship. Loyalty is being there for that special someone, keeping secrets, only talking to them, and always protecting them from harmful things. Loyalty is when a person is committed to someone and they do not associate with anyone else on that same level, While some may say it is only having one friend that you only tell things to and expect them to keep it to him or her self. Loyalty is what defines a relationship it is like…

Hobbits are always predictable—they never have any adventures or do anything out of the ordinary. They like peace and quiet and enjoy the comforts of home, like the six meals they have a day. The unexpected hero, Mr. Bilbo Baggins, like any hobbit, enjoys the comforts of his hobbit hole, but eventually finds himself doing and saying things rather unexpected. The Hobbit, a fantasy fiction novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, shows how Bilbo evolves from a simple hobbit to a true hero. Bilbo Baggins…

around the world. On that day Peter Jackson released the third and final Hobbit movie, The Battle of Five Armies. It was almost exactly thirteen years before, (December 19th, 2001) that he released the first movie of The Lord of the Rings trilogy; The Fellowship of the Ring. This was a huge moment for all the fans of J.R.R Tolkien’s books, because The Battle of Five Armies is the last part of the whole series. Although the Hobbit trilogy was very enjoyable and emotional, it was also a bit…

Narrative Suture and Reader Engagement in The Hobbit Reader engagement is critical for the success of a novel. If a reader is not interested in the novel, it is unlikely for them to finish it or recommend it to others. Therefore, an author will use various narrative strategies to promote reader engagement, and this is something that J. R. R. Tolkien does extremely well. The Hobbit has received wide critical acclaim and has become one of the most famous novels of our time, due in part to the…

It was the year 2010, I was 17 years old, and at the time I was living with my older brother Jacob and his family. I was downstairs in the computer room checking my Facebook as usual, when all of the sudden I get a message from my father in Norway. My father was a very prominent pastor in the Hampton roads area for nearly thirty years, but he and my mother had some problems and decided to get a divorce about four years earlier. After the divorce my father had decided to move to Norway and host a…

All narratives refer to the art of storytelling, a sequence that is followed known as the Hero’s Journey. An example of a narrative that exhibits the Hero’s Journey is The Hobbit, a fictional novel written by J.R.R Tolkien about a Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who goes on an enticing adventure. This essay will elucidate why tests, allies, and enemies, the sixth stage of the Hero’s Journey, more specifically the tests, is the most significant stage of the narrative, as the trials mold Bilbo into a…

“‘Winter,’ said Ser Kevan” (957). After five long books, winter is finally upon the Seven Kingdoms in George R.R. Martin’s A Dance of Dragons, and the mysterious others and their undead horde are posed to swarm over the realm. Unexpecting and unprepared, the Seven Kingdoms is preoccupied with rebellion. The lords of the realm are plotting against one another and, “are feverishly endeavoring to advance their ambitions and ruin their enemies, preferably unto death,” (Orr p.3). These ambitions are…

The book How to Read Literature like a Professor, written by Thomas Foster, describes an assortment of archetypes, or themes, to explore in everyday literature. The Hobbit, written by J. R. R. Tolkien, is a story about a young male who goes through a life changing journey that reflects some of these archetypes. There are many types of archetypes in this story including a communion and a hero’s quest. The story shows young readers that you can have an adventure without needing fancy technology,…

J.R.R Tolkien is credited with having the second best selling book series in the world. The series has sold over 150 million copies. The Two Towers is the second book of the Lord Of The Rings series. The book was published on November 11, 1954. The Silmarillion paints a bigger picture to the overall story of The Lord of the Rings; it goes more in depth into the lives of characters and the lands they inhabit. The Silmarillion was finished by Tolkien’s son, then he published it on September 15,…