Herman Melville

Popular culture takes many forms such as literature, movies, novelties, clothing and fads, and live entertainment. American popular culture has changed over time along with its representation of animals. Animals have been depicted as threats, victims, national symbols, celebrities and companions. Their depictions are dependent on time, place, and historical context. The whale is a prompt example of how the representation of animals may change over time, history and location. In the 19th century,…

The short stories, “Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street” by Herman Melville and “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, exemplifies the ideology that a man’s importance is directly equal to their usefulness in society. In “Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street,” Bartleby is described through the perspective of his employer who becomes exasperated by the overtly mysterious scrivener. In “The Metamorphosis,” Gregor Samsa finds himself transformed into a cockroach and cannot…

Imagination may envelop the mind of Washington Irving’s readers with the satirical grace of every line’s aid. Traveling endlessly, Irving made use of the slightest details of everyday life and scenery throughout the beginning of the nineteenth century. His observances benefited his writing along with the troubles he faced as his life progressed. Born as the youngest of 11 children, in 1783 in New York City, Washington Irving was named for the commander of the Revolutionary War and first…

As a young person, when ask what does romantic mean to me, it mean to me love and relationship. By learning the true mean of romantic, it is far from love and relationship. Accord to google, romanticism was an artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe toward the end of the eighteen century and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate period from 1800 to 1850. Romanticism is describe by the five “I”; imagination, intuition, idealism, inspired and…

are obsessed about. However, the saying also means that no matter how hard one tries, that thing will never be obtained. In One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey’s first use of white whale imagery is an allusion to the novel Moby-Dick by Herman Melville. In Moby Dick, a seafaring captain fiercely attempts and fails to kill an elusive and mysterious white whale. Consequently, one could argue that the whale in Moby-Dick represents anything unattainable and sought-out in life. In One Flew Over…

Bartleby, the Scrivener Bartleby, the Scrivener by Herman Melville, is a story that takes place on Wall Street, in New York, New York. The narrator of this story is the Lawyer, whom he describes himself as “a rather elderly man”. The lawyer is the epitome of a conservative that conforms to the societal norms and expectations. He has the idealism that “the easiest way of life is the best”. Running a law firm, he has multiple employees: Ginger Nut, an ambitious twelve year old son of a cab…

In both “Bartleby the Scrivener” Herman Melville and “The Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead the main character goes through a traumatic experience or set of experiences. Our main characters, Bartleby and Cora, have exceedingly different lives but they face the challenges associated with abuse. Cora, being a slave, suffers much more pain than Bartleby, but the way that these characters handle their troubles is what defines them. It is often said that when someone’s world is darkest…

appreciated and well enjoyed by customers. And in a span of 19 years, their business grew tremendously and they had opened almost 5 branches and they also started wholesale business in restaurants. Starbucks was named after the first mate in Herman Melville 's Moby Dick, and their logo was inspired by sea featuring a twin-tailed siren from a Greek Mythology. During their initial…

In Nathaniel Hawthorne 's The Scarlet Letter, there are many events in which he uses to contrast one another in order to highlight certain aspects of the message he is trying to convey. Some people might say that the Scaffold would prove to be a suitable contrast to the Forest, however, the Town provides a much better contrasting element to the Forest; as truth is welcomed in the Forest and punished in the Town. That opinion is evident throughout the novel as the themes of secrets, nature, and…

In Shakespeare's Othello, Herman Melville's Moby Dick, and Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess the main characters are all consumed by an unhealthy obsession that leads to tragic results for those around them. Obsessions are all consuming, and takes all of one's focus. An example of this is Captain Ahab in Moby Dick. His flaw is that he has became consumed with the idea of the whale and let it guide his every action. He lived his life for the sole purpose of this animal. This is an allegory to…