Southern Literary Messenger

process of signing up for classes I had to take. I didn’t have a choice in most of them, so I didn’t do much research into what each lesson plan held. However, during our first day, I was pleasantly surprised by the goal of the class – learning about literary criticism and, more importantly, the theories that went along with it. I felt confident because I already had experience in these fields, and this class would just throw me into the deep end of a pool I had already waded into. The class…

Literary devices impact the emotion, the heart, and the feeling of the story. Two authors who use literary devices well are Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner. Faulkner’s dark raw tone deepens the plot and keeps the reader interested. However Hemmingway’s writing flows with dialogue. Making the reader feel as if they are in the setting of which the story is taking place. Knowing the emotions behind Faulkner’s characters helps the reader connect and hold on to the hope that is revealed by the…

Literary devices have been use in many writings to produce a special effect for the readers. From allusions to metaphors, each and every one of these devices serve a very important purpose. In the novel, Icefields, Thomas Wharton uses many literary devices to make Icefields more captivating for his audience. The use of these devices are mostly subtle but very impactful when discovered. Through the use of these literary devices readers can have a better understanding of the story. Wharton’s use…

In today’s world, people have their own opinion of literature. What creates remarkable literature? Could it be the well-developed characters? Might it be the intricate conflicts? The answer: there is no definition of literature, only points where people can agree upon. Agreeing on literature, schools often provide lists where they recommend books off of it to students. Sadly, one remarkable book is not on that list. Palace of Mirrors, which was written by Margaret Peterson Haddix, is that book.…

Literary Analysis Collection 1 Characters, conflict, setting, and theme are examples of literary elements. In the stories of “The Trip,” “The Leap,” and “Contents of a Dead Mans Pocket.” The authors use these literary elements in a similar and different ways. Characters are any person, animal, or figure represented in any literary work. Conflict is when two forces oppose one another in a literary work. Then there is setting which is the time or place in which a story occurs in a story. Theme is…

Hermeneutical Method and Exegetical Paper Literary Criticism is a hermeneutical method which pays close attention to the structure of the text. One of the first question which should be asked when conducting a literary criticism is what genre does the text fall into? When performing a literary criticism as a hermeneutical method, it is also important to establish the pericope of the text as it is extremely unlikely and impractical that a literary criticism would be written about the entire…

Literary theory consists of various principles, beliefs and underlying ideas that are used to understand and analyze different pieces of texts in literature. An interesting way to view literary theory is by considering theories as tools. Critics take these tool and apply it to a text in an attempt to look at it from a different perspective. It grants them the ability to examine a particular aspect of a text, which they regard of significant importance. When these theories are passed onto readers…

It is not often in a class based on literary analysis and critical thinking about classic literature that a student is asked to reflect on him or herself. It only makes sense, however, when called upon to do so, that this reflection is related to British literary history. I am a Neo-Classic, through and through, but as much as I would like to deny it, I cannot repudiate the claim that I have a touch of Romantic in me as well. As there exists parts of both philosophies within me, it becomes…

There are millions of combinations of themes, perspectives, characters, plot, and style that a novel can be written in, and each one of those factors can carry significant meaning in a novel. Perspective, for example, can show what a single character or multiple characters are thinking and feeling. It describes their commonalities in the psyche and their differences. Published in 1932, by William Faulkner, The Unvanquished, a Civil War novel, was written more than sixty years after the war ended…

During the story “The Gift of The Magi” the author O. Henry exposes many uses of figurative language or imagery during the story. O. Henry uses figurative language and imagery to create a special effect or feeling for the reader when the are reading.Figurative language can compare, exaggerate, or mean something other than what appears. Imagery is words that create a picture or words that appeal senses. Throughout this story “The Gift of The Magi” the author uses a various amount of different…