Jane Yolen

Understanding Gender Norms in Gilead with Feminism and Politics in the Handmaid’s Tale: Jill Swale examines the political and historical context of Atwood’s novel Readers of dystopian will recognize many of the themes and features of Atwood’s novel: war, surveillance, oppression, lack of freedom, underground movements and rebellion. In Jill Swale’s examination of the social and historical context of the novel, she comments on the idea that the novel is and “amalgam of trends” (Swale) that have…

The famed twentieth century author Virginia Woolf, wrote nearly fifthteen works that have shaped the evolution of the twenty-first century. The attention to mental illness and social hierarchy that Woolf addresses within her 1925 literary classic Mrs. Dalloway, can be seen as an influential factor in addressing and later resolving these issues within social culture. Woolf emphasizes the theme of repression by addressing the stereotypical British roles of women and the lack of mental health…

The reading questions and discussion boards were particularly important in helping me analyze and research especially for my RA. For example, this particular question made me ponder upon several things until I researched and found something interesting to use for my RA. “George Cruikshank – “Cinderella and the Glass Slipper” Q: The stepmother is portrayed as proud, selfish and extravagant which makes her unjust and cruel, in contrast to Cinderella whose “disposition was even better than her…

In her novel, The God of Small Things, published in 1997, Arundhati Roy succeeds in creating an unorthodox narrative through her refashioning of the English language. Through the novel’s unexpected events, Roy presents the melancholy predicament of untouchables as well as the struggle of a woman in pursuit of romantic love in a patriarchal society. In this analysis, I will demonstrate how the reader reacts to Roy’s art of storytelling and how her unconventional style illuminates the novel’s…

“You should never view your challenges as a disadvantage. Instead, it’s important for you to understand that overcoming adversity is actually one of your biggest advantages.” - Michelle Obama. The quote connects to the novel Purple Hibiscus by the main character, Kambili, who uses adversity to elicit talents. In the novel Purple Hibiscus, Chimimanda Ngozie Adichie writes about a young girl named Kambili who lives with a religious and strict family and starts to find herself by visiting her…

The Modern Myth of Innocence The poem “The Myth of Innocence” by Louise Glück, is one that brilliantly transcends the test of time and holds a brilliant message that resonates with people in modern times. The main theme of this poem is maturing, and in Persephone’s case she is immediately thrown into the life of a woman rather than a girl. This poem was written as a metaphor for the process of growing up, and almost seems to expertly predict the future by metaphorically describing the behavior…

Rationale I decided to write a diary from Lenina’s point of view, one of the main characters of A Brave New World, which takes place in a utopian society that is divided in five castes (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Epsilon). In this society people can’t have babies, families or feelings. Lenina belongs to the Beta’s caste which means that she is a shallow product of a materialistic society, but in her diary we can see her struggling against her caste. On her diary Lenina wanted to be loved by…

The seventeenth-century Gothic novel is associated with the combination of the supernatural realm and Romanticism. Jane Austen’s novel, Northanger Abbey, is an attempt to critique the seventeenth-century Gothic novel by identifying Catherine’s sensibility through her over fascination and addiction to reading—such as Ann Radcliffe’s The Mysteries of Udolpho. Austen utilizes Catherine’s obsession with novels as a means to highlight how such fascination has caused Catherine to become naïve and…

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850-bestselling, romance novel, “The Scarlet Letter” centers around adulteress Hester Prynne, doctor-tormentor Chillingworth and Minister Dimmesdale. Hawthorn effectively uses irony to develop his characters by writing their reactions opposite to what is expected of the audience; Hawthorn is effective in this because Hester, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale’s reactions are consistent throughout the entire novel. Hawthorne’s use of irony developes Hester’s toughness,…

possible. She didn’t have any degree or training, in other words, didn’t have any experience with jungle, chimpanzees and any other animals. She wasn’t at university and could not tell if chimpanzees have minds as human beings; some scientists argue. Jane wasn’t appreciated because she didn’t have any knowledge, but her desire and love of being in Africa and investigating chimpanzee’s behavior didn’t stop her and followed her heart. She started working as a waitress and saved every penny;…