The Last Article

This short story called The Jacket by Gary Soto is about a young American boy who lives most of his younger life insecure of his looks and what he wears, in representation of what it was like for foreigners in America at the time. The author of this works was born April 12, 1952 in Fresno, California. Gary’s father and mother were Mexican-American and his father died in 1957. His family struggled to find work but then in high school Gary found an interest in poetry and decided to pursue his…

For my final essay, I will focus on guilt as presented in Kafka’s The Trial. Guilt plays a pivotal role in this book as it seems to consume Kafka’s protagonist, Josef K. Throughout the novel, reader’s witness Josef K. transform from respected banker to a distraught and eventually dead man who’s guilt seems to have consumed his life. Initially, Kafka describes K. as a well-respected person that should have few worries. Initially, K.’s coworkers, landlady, family, and friends all seemed to possess…

In his journey from childhood to adulthood, Holden Caulfield feels surrounded by dishonesty and phoniness. “Phoniness” is a constantly repeated word in the novel because it is the word Holden uses to describe the adult world. “Phoniness” for Holden, stands as an embodiment for everything that’s wrong in the world around him. Holden considers himself a representation of the world of childhood, which is to him the opposite of “phoniness”. In J.D. Salinger’s, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden learns…

“A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed by Indians and non-Indians alike” (17). In the essay, The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me, Sherman Alexie is shunned by both Indians and non-Indians because he is intelligent and embraces reading, writing, and learning. As a child living on an Indian reservation, his love of learning did not make his life easy. The obstacle Sherman Alexie encounters is being rejected by Indians and non-Indians due to his intelligence,…

May 1989 Soderbergh began his successful career by winning the Palme d’Or for his film Sex, Lies, and Videotapes. Steven Soderbergh did not confirm to the expectation of the “bad boy of young Turk”, but instead followed his own path. At age thirty-one, Soderbergh sat on a plane pondering where to continue in the film industry and was terrified because he had no real skills. When Soderbergh was interviewed about his landmark filmmaking career into Hollywood mainstream, he said “The trick was…

In the ¨Secret life of Walter Mitty¨, Walter is a different character. Walter mitty has lots of daydreams and he starts get caught up in his daydreams and starts to not enjoy life. Walter mitty has a hard life because everyone mocks him and makes fun of him, no one admires him except in the movie. Sean's message to walter in the film is a big part in the movie. Walter Mitty is very different in the movie and book. In the book Walter Mitty does not change and stays the same the whole time. For…

Phoebe’s sense of innocence and connecting with her is his last chance to stay youthful. Phoebe is important to Holden because she allows him to stay connected with his own youth. Jane Gallagher is another person who helps Holden stay connected to his own childhood. By never reconnecting with her throughout the…

The beginning of Ferris Bueller introduces a rather normal looking high school individual [Ferris] whose impish personality is revealed by his plot to skip school under the pretense of being sick. A number of fade-ins reveal that this isn't the first time that Ferris has skipped school. If anything, given the bland almost bored reaction of the economics teacher [Ben Stein] to the revelation that Ferris is gone again from his class indicates a considerable indifference to Ferris's antics, at…

The characters in a novel play critical roles in influencing the protagonist and the accompanying themes. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye follows Holden Caulfield, a sixteen year old boy and his realizations juxtaposing with the world around him. Holden is very nonchalant and has been kicked out numerous schools. This leads him to take a chance and transpire a voyage to New York. These events have allowed Holden to meet a variety of characters that affect his life in various ways and…

The Theme of Teen Depression in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger This book study will explore the theme of teen depression in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. In Salinger’s novel, the main character, Holden Caulfield, is a teenager that experiences problems with depression. Holden is unable to concentrate and has vey little interest in talking with other people. These behaviors define the some of the psychological traits of depression, which prevent Holden from getting close to…