Southern Gothic

John Steinbeck a famous writer in the early to mid 1900’s is famous for books such as The Grapes of wrath, Of Mice and Men, and Cannery Row. All of these books are about different things, but they all have one thing in common. Symbolism is the main concept in each book. In Mice of men he uses symbolism such as candy's dog, the mice, and the dream farm. Candy’s dog represents the fate that all people and living things come to. One day we are all going to grow old and sooner or later outlive…

The Depictions Of Vampires: True Blood vs. The Vampire Diaries Vampires are popular in contemporary culture. They are the go-to creatures, the phenomenon people love featuring in TV shows and movies, such as The Vampire Diaries and True Blood. Vampires are some of the most popularized and interesting creatures depicted in fiction. They are the vampire’s literature raves about in novels; however, these creatures have taken an alternate route in appearance regarding popular media. Therefore, both…

The Mural borderline The mural images from the Zimmerman Library are not the first images to be at the forefront of controversy and they certainly are not the last. The “Three Peoples Murals,” by Kenneth Adams were completed in 1939. It was a mural designed to represent the three cultures of the southwest. In the first mural we see a Native American contribution such as making baskets, pottery and weaving. The Chicanos contribution is shown through agriculture and architecture. The Anglos are…

Man’s Immorality Explored Scott Mescudi, an actor said, “Some humans are really bad at being human.” Mark Twain, the father of American literature writes about his observations on human behavior in his essay, “The Lowest Animal.” Which consists of observations made after conducting experiments on animal’s behavior and comparing them to negative qualities humans exhibit in their behavior. Author and neuroendocrinologist (someone who studies hormones and behavior), Robert M. Sapolsky explains his…

Adhering to the common film phrase “show do not tell” Glazers (2013) ‘Under the Skin’ and Hitchcocks (1960) ‘Psycho’ masterfully convey ideas about character identity while creating an atmosphere of dread and horror. Although both ‘Under the Skin’ (Glazer, 2013) and ‘Psycho’ (Hitchock,1960) are vastly different films, (as one is a fantastical science fiction film while the other is thriller horror). Hitchcock and Glazer manipulate elements of the mise-en-scene such as setting, framing, sound…

The second “wolf” in this story is drastically subtler than the outwardly terrifying worm creature, this wolf is less physical and more conceptual. This ferocious and terrifying “wolf” is the universally known terrible feeling that we call grief. Grief is defined as “keen mental suffering or distress over affliction or loss; sharp sorrow; painful regret.” This definition fits perfectly with the story presented in Emily Carroll’s “Through the Woods” in the short story “The Nesting Place”. Our…

Mentally Insane Simon Winchester’s interesting story, The Professor and the Madman, explains the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary by an unlikely pair and rare circumstances. For years, the dictionary has been a common item that is taken for granted. Simon Winchester reveals the masterminds behind the Oxford English Dictionary’s long process and shocking creation story. The main character, Doctor William Minor, is a mentally ill man who is locked away in an asylum for murder. He offers…

The Victorian era, named after Queen Victoria of England, began after the Romantic period from 1837 to 1901. In H.G. Well’s War of the Worlds and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, there are quite a few similarities in their plots and writing styles. Wells and Stevenson both provide exciting plots with action and even heartbroken events, which was common back then and it is today. The writing styles in the two novel are unique because they show us how people during this age used to talk…

291). When I first read this it strangely caught my attention, the sadness in his actions and emotions made John’s pain very palpable. You feel the pain that John was enduring. The emotional distress and sadness is absolutely a gothic element. Another good example of a gothic element would be the supernatural twist of the story. John goes to Oxford and spends his time studying black magic, which he inevitably uses to hypnotize his wife’s soul. This gives the story that dark, mysterious element.…

Tragedy of Tragedies I woke up fine and dandy, living the past, where I pictured myself back in my hometown. In my house to be exact. I pictured myself with my notebook in my hand, under the cosy, dark oak wood tree drawing my chaotic thoughts. I pictured myself in the roads of my hometown, the roads where I used to play and meet new friends. The roads where I learned to stand up for myself. I pictured myself with my caring yet crazy friends, crazy in an entertaining way, whom I shared every…