James Hutton

In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the main character, Victor Frankenstein, may not exactly qualify as a “hero,” but is still a fitting figure for a piece of literary advice. Thomas Foster advises to “never stand next to the hero,” well in this case, the characters in Frankenstein should, “never stand next to the main character.” In Victor Frankenstein’s story, he is shaped from an early age by the people that surround him. He then in turn desires to shape and create another life all on his own.…

In 1783 the English colonies had become the American colonies and were being lead by the Articles of Confederation and although the newly found freedom was much to celebrate the Articles of Confederation were not. This is because the 13 articles that composed the Articles of Confederation had several weaknesses and lacked a strong central government. After the Shay’s Rebellion, a series of protests lead by American farmers’ in Massachusetts against newly enforced tax collections, in 1787 it was…

During and after the American Revolution, two vital issues were debated among American intellectuals and politicians. The first of these issues was how to balance individual liberty and social order; the second was whether or not to ratify the proposed United States Constitution. The belief of abolitionists was that all men deserved the same rights to freedom as one another while those benefiting from slavery believed that the two races, blacks and whites, could not live in harmony. On the other…

Bruce’s father asks the question, “And why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.” This quote describes Bruce’s leadership perfectly. Throughout the movie, he is forced to overcome many obstacles, as most hero’s do, and though he finds success most times, he does fail from time to time. To me, leadership is best shown by example and this is what Bruce does best throughout the movie. Bruce’s dynamism is constantly on display and I believe that is what makes him such a strong…

In Frankenstein, author Mary Shelley explores how seeking vengeance can grip and ruin the lives of the individuals who give in to it. She creates a conflict between two emotionally driven characters, Victor Frankenstein and the Creature, who entangle themselves in an endless cycle of revenge. Examining cyclical revenge and its various aspects, the novel argues the futility of seeking vengeance. Strong emotions like anger and hatred towards his maker constitute the crux of the Creature’s…

Pierce’s pragmatic principle, James shifts the principle from a theory of meaning and understanding to a theory of truth. James begins his summarization by stating that “what truth means is indeed the conduct it dictates or inspires”. (67) Ironically, this explication of the principle is not what Pierce meant when he developed the pragmatic principle. Pierce equates the principle to be that the meaning of an object or idea is the utility that results from such object or idea. James equates the…

Kierkegaard statement that “Man lives forward and understands backward”, used as an epigraph by Robert L Patten in his essay on David Copperfield, goes someway towards demonstrating the dual nature of the text – both as a story of a boy progressing through life, and simultaneously as the story of a writer considering his early life. However, he nature of the bildungsroman in David Copperfield is distorted further by a second level of fictionalization: the nature of David himself as narrator and…

George Mason was the primary author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and maintained his Anti-Federalist viewpoints despite being from a primarily Federalist part of Virginia. It is because of George Mason’s comment on September 12, 1787 that the bill of rights became a discussion point. He simple stated he, “wished the plan had been prefaced by a Bill of Rights,” because he thought it would give “great quiet” to the people. He thought it would only take a few hours. Hence, having…

What would it be like to enter presidency while tensions are rapidly growing between the United States and two other countries? James Madison was practically forced to declare war on Britain in 1812, shortly after his inauguration. Great Britain had hoped to be a great ally to the United States. Instead, American ships were frequently seized by British forces. Both the vessels and their crewmembers were put to use in the service of Great Britain. Despite many efforts to contain the situation,…

Eveline, the title character, is greatly affected by feministic issues typical of its period. By exploring Eveline’s relationships with men, the society’s expectations of her, and her obligations toward her family, James Joyce not only focuses on the theme of escape, but also the moral history of his country. Eveline, a nineteen-year old, is much like the young women of Ireland in the early twentieth century. Having lost her mother and an older brother, Eveline is obligated to take up much of…