Trifles

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn said, “the battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man.” Humans have a choice from the very start, to chose sides between good or evil. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn believes that the choice of humanity derives from the heart of all humans. What about human nature? Is it a choice? Like Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Nathaniel Hawthorne believed that humans from the dawn of time were constructed evil. Through the parable of “ Young Goodman Brown” Nathaniel…

Socrates and St. Ignatius are both important models in the world of philosophy; particularly, they are fundamental to learning at Jesuit institutions for Jesuit education is founded upon both the traditions of the Ignatian spirituality and the Humanism that Socrates preaches. Socrates and St. Ignatius represent two models by which we can come to develop a deep understanding of ourselves and our place in this very world, otherwise known as discern. The Socratic method and Ignatian Spirituality…

The aspect of free will, is an element which determines a character's ability to freely choose the course of action. This decision reflects upon oneself, and is based on the character's willingness to do something. Free will exists corresponding to the presence of a character's natural instinct. As this natural instinct drives their desires, and becomes a source to analyze a character in great depth. In William Shakespeare's Macbeth, the idea free will plays a vital role and is contrasted with…

Embodied Ideas in Crime and Punishment Crime and Punishment presents many ideas about the crime, and morality all through the embodiment of philosophical characters. Through a dark and sick series of events, we follow Raskolnikov and the results of his murder as Dostoevsky exposes the outcomes of acting upon these philosophies, such as utilitarianism, hedonism and Christianity. After Raskolnikov follows through on his utilitarian murder, the people he meets and interacts with bring up different…

In Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad explores the evilness that imperialism breeds by believing that one’s ideas, culture, and religion are superior of that of another. Not only does Conrad criticize the concept of imperialism by questioning the intentions behind imperialism to justify the murder, rape, and pillaging that actually ensues in the imperialistic process that's goal is actually to rob the native Congo of natural resources, namely ivory and make a great deal of money doing so, all the…

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is one of the most powerful and influential literary works ever published. The play entails the story of the prince of Denmark, Hamlet, and his quest for revenge on the man who murdered his father, took control of Denmark, and married his mother: his uncle Claudius. Over the course of the play, Hamlet often confesses his thoughts, emotions, and plans in the form of soliloquies. These soliloquies offer a large amount of insight on Hamlets character. First of all,…

Starting in the late 1400’s, the Spaniards set out on explorations in the western hemisphere of the the world. The main goal of these explorations for the Spaniards was to find gold, which caused the Spaniards to become extremely greedy. During these explorations, the Spaniards ran into many civilizations of Native Americans. Soon afterwards, the Spaniards started to conquer the lands and take over the Native Americans. The Spaniard’s easily overwhelmed and conquered the Native Americans for…

The play Macbeth casts an iconic and strong main character named Macbeth, but it is to contrary believe that our tragic hero is very much influenced by the many people that surround him. Despite his name being the title, the various characters within the play have just as powerful and important roles as the lead. This story dramatizes the effects of power and greed to fulfill a man’s ambitions as well as the physiological effect of the many influences that surround a person. Within this bloody…

The Strange Cases of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Fiction and Film Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) and the film adaptation, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2003), directed by Maurice Phillips, are accounts of the same story but told differently. Stevenson’s novella, as well as Phillips’ film version, follows a respected English physician and scientist named Dr. Henry Jekyll as he secretly struggles to suppress his dark side, and the experiments he…

also when she volunteers to care for Louisa. At one point in the novel, a carriage comes for the ladies but cannot seat them all, Anne graciously volunteers to walk home even though it is raining outside and she has no umbrella. "The rain was a mere trifle, and Anne was most sincere in preferring a walk"…