Joan Crawford

A quick glance into Joan Didion’s life would put readers under the assumption that she identifies as a standard second-wave feminist. A prominent female writer in the 1960s, Didion had initially left me drawing connections to the likes of Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. Even her stern gaze present on book covers and articles seems to give off a sense of feminine mystique. But after careful venture into her work, it is my understanding that while feminism plays a role in what Didion tackles as…

Terri Apter once said that “adolescence is society 's permission slip for combining physical maturity with psychological irresponsibility.” Adolescence, or more precisely the transition from childhood to adulthood, is often associated with one’s struggle to become unique and create a bright future. A stage in life full of self-discovery and an acceptance of the responsibilities of adulthood, adolescence can be a daunting, yet truly fulfilling experience. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by…

The conflict between Catholicism and natural religion is evident within the main character, Antonio, who has been raised Catholic but is drawn to the natural elements. Antonio meets Ultima, the woman who delivered him, at age seven and finds that he identifies very strongly with her and with the natural religion she believes; “she took my hand and I felt the power of a whirlwind sweep around me. Her eyes swept the surrounding hills and through them I saw for the first time the wild beauty of…

The Catcher in the Rye introduces a troubled teenager, Holden Caulfield, who sees the adult world and growing negatively. Using tone, symbolism, and the meaning of the title to J.D Salinger shows the difficulty of growing into adulthood and having to deal with its complexities and the inability of preserving the innocence of a child. This is because Holden does not seem to want to join the phony adult world, and he tries to avoid it. He mentions he wants to live on farms and in New England…

Jose’s Great Dilemma Literary thesis statement: In “The Challenge”, Gary Soto introduces Jose as a young boy who experiences a change in his rite of passage in his personality as he undergoes liminality. I. Prior to liminality, Jose is a teenager boy who is ingenuous and has a lack of experience to loving a girl. A. Jose is naïve because he thinks that receiving perfect test scores will make Estela notice him. 1. “But when the quizzes had been returned and Jose bragged, ‘Another A-plus,’…

Synopsis The Dead Poets Society is a story that revolves around a group of boys who were attending a prestigious boys school together. Set in the 1950s, the parents and school culture were seen to be autocratic, where parents often dictated the lives of their children and leave them with no say. The story mainly unfolds from the perspectives of two students, Todd Anderson and Neil Perry, who are roommates. In the story, the students found inspiration from their English teacher, Mr. Keating, who…

Are we there yet? What’s your name? How old are you? Why? These are all common questions that a young child would ask his/her parents. Young children are usually more susceptible to new things because they have no other beliefs on how things should be. A child is always on the go, exploring new things taking interest in learning everything he/she can. As a child gets old he/she is always on the go but for different reasons. Most children go with the flow relatively easy, but adults don’t. Adults…

A great number of people enjoy the feeling of being frightened whether by a movie, story, play, or whatever else. Even so, most like to have a little scare every now and then. In Lucille Fletchers, The Hitchhiker, a man is taking a road trip from Brooklyn to California. However, it is not just an average road trip. The main character, Ronald Adams, comes across a mysterious man on the way. Everywhere he goes, the strange man is in his presence. This triggers Adams to become a little deranged.…

Joan of Arc, a girl that everyone knows about. Some think she was nothing more than a moonstruck plebian, other think of her of as an inspired saint, but no matter what you think of her, the role she played is a major part of French history. She may now be known as the patron saint of France, but Joan had humble beginnings. Before she was born The 100 Years War had torn across France, England had conquered much of Northern France. The countries were under a peace treaty which disinherited the…

How can I make this work, this is so hard! I am so lost right now! Have you ever felt loneliness, hunger, fear, immaturity, and confidence? I know I have, so did these characters named Brian (from the book Hatchet, Moon Shadow (from the book Dragonwings), and Rachel (from the book Eleven). Brian is a boy that faces the wilderness with very little resources. Moon Shadow is a young man that is curious and fearful of the strange place his father works in. Lastly, Rachel is experiencing the fact…