Forged By Fire by Sharon M. Draper is a sad tale about child abuse. When Gerald was a young boy, he was constantly left alone in the house without any supervision. He would not have any food to eat ... found out Jordan was very abusive. He would constantly hit and punch Monique, Gerald and Angel. He also found out Jordan was molesting Angel. He was so sick and disgusted by this constant torture and abuse that he called the police. Jordan was sent to jail for five years, and the mother was so sad and heartbroken. Even though Jordan abused ... him back. Since he's Gerald's stepfather and Ange...

• Word Count: 883
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... , "Leningrad Cemetery, Winter of 1941" In the poem, "Leningrad Cemetery, Winter of 1941," Sharon Olds describes a cemetery during World War II. The 900-day siege on Leningrad began in September of 1941 and there were countless casualties to be buried during that winter. During ... scarce during war. The poem is vividly describing how horrible war can be. The language used in the poem is strong and descriptive. The corpses are described as being transported by children's sleds. This description shows how all innocence during wartime is lost. The sadness that this inflicts on the children...

• Word Count: 294
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... person for your own good. In line 20-21 the word cardiovascular is hyphenated. Cardiovascular refers to your heart and by hyphenating cardiovascular it put more emphasis on the word which led you to think about it more by having to pause before moving onto the next line. The figurative meaning of cardio could be love because the heart is a symbol of love ... . Sharon Olds used repetition and large space breaks in line 9 of the poem. The reason she used large space breaks was to ... is a promised deliverer of the Jewish nation. Olds may be insisting people don't care about the tradition ...

• Word Count: 607
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... is sex without love?" Can one participate in such an emotional journey without loving their partner? This statement holds true, and is represented in Sharon Olds poem titled "Sex Without Love." First and foremost, the poem quite passionately reveals Olds disgust for casual sex. She captures the shameful act ... the reader a lesson about love. The poem, "Sex Without Love," expresses the poet's attitude toward loveless sex as a cold and damaging act. Sharon Olds accomplishes this through her use of various poetic techniques which stimulate vivid images in the reader. Her opening words, "Ho...

• Word Count: 1402
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

In Hemingway's A Clean, Well-Lighted Place the concepts of darkness and light help one understand Hemingway's code hero and theory of nothingness. The code hero drinks excessively. He has love affairs with numerous people. He ... the night. Night is like death because at night one is supposed to go to bed. Awareness is eradicated when one goes to sleep. "It symbolizes the utter darkness that man will have to face after death."" Instead of sleeping he stays up all night drinking, making love, or working. In this case, the waiter says that ... a place like the café, which is well lighted. Thi...

• Word Count: 504
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... simple question, "How do they do it, the ones who make love without love". From the very beginning a tone of disproval and confusion is set. By asking a question Olds" requires you to become immediately involved in the subject. The informal diction in the poem allows us to get a straightforward answer. The speaker ... not be alone, they would have someone to share their universe with. The most interesting literary device in the poem was the use of open form. Sharon Olds uses the repetition of words "come to the" (Line 8-9) to simulate an orgasm. When reading the poem it actually seems as...

• Word Count: 927
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... other closer to civilization. Fear is your foe. Your direction is the very linear cage that you"re entrapped in. Luck is your only compass. In the novel, Heart of Darkness, the unnamed narrator experiences a similar ordeal. Although free will resides on a minute-to-minute basis, good fortune or lack there of, governs. Constant nagging fear is a foundation for survival throughout ... . In the excerpt, peace is no longer a benevolent term, "But it came in the shape of an unrestful and noisy dream. It was a stillness of an implacable force."(Heart of Darkness) Daydreams came as current, up ...

• Word Count: 349
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... and specific picture in my mind when it comes to finding an idea. It is an image of moving my hand around in slimy darkness. I try to grasp an idea wearing a dark rubber glove. It blends into the darkness, brushes against the idea, feels its strength and almost grabs it. But it's all so slippery, both the glove and the idea, resulting ... in the idea slipping back into the darkness. Then follows a long struggle, at last I manage to lock my fingers around the idea and drag it into the daylight. And that's how I feel when I try to start a project. I'm sure ... ...

• Word Count: 547
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness is not an easy story to try to sum up in a few words. Despite this story's length, there are many themes to be explored, and a very rich use of symbolism. ... though the Africans are merely treated as objects. However, the workers of the Company justify their maltreatment of the natives as a project of civilization. Another notable feature of Heart of Darkness is the abundance use of symbolism. Fog seemed to be used heavily when something bad was about to happen. Fog is a good symbol, because not only does it obscure vision ... ...

• Word Count: 434
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

The journey through the Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad is a voyage through the treacherous Congo River. Marlow, the central narrator in Heart of Darkness, and his crew, make their way on their steamer up to the primeval world. Marlow's journey into the Heart of Darkness symbolizes a journey through madness and hell traveling through the mystery of the unknown. Before Marlow's journey, he went to the ... sluggish. "The earth seemed unearthly. We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there-there you could look at a thing monstrous and free." (Heart of Dar...

• Word Count: 955
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Angel In Darkness Man is neither angel or beast; and the misfortune is that he who would act the angel acts the beast. "Blaise Pascal Drugs and music today are usually used synonymously and with good reason. When most people hear of a famous musician dying, they typically think of a drug ov...

• Word Count: 928
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

In the poem "Sex without Love" by Sharon Olds, the speaker is confused about how people can engage in the act of intercourse without love. Casual sex was something that was just being introduced during this time of ... satisfied with his best time. The runner is always going to want to run faster! People, who are going to have sex without love, are never going to be satisfied by their last orgasm. Olds isn't quite sure any human being can ever be satisfied with their best time (orgasm). In this case, if a person will never be satisfied, he or ... ...

• Word Count: 774
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... is seen as calm, "civil" and bright, is an obvious contrast to the Congo River that Marlow navigates in Africa. The Congo is full of darkness and fractiousness. Ironically, the bright Thane is described similarly to the dark Congo. In the closing lines of the novel, the Thanes seem to be flowing ... into the heart of an immense darkness. However, during the closing of the novel, in which the startling cruelty of the Europeans is divulged, the narrator describes the Thanes as strikingly different: ... suggests that regardless of where the white man exists, in civilized London or deepest ...

• Word Count: 646
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

In the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey, created by Dr. Arthur C. Clarke and Stanley Kubrick, the plot sequences that are symbolic. The section of the movie calledThe Dawn of Man? has many examples of symbolism. First, there are five things inThe Dawn of Man? that show the endangerment of a species. Bones, the search for food, a leopard easily killing an ape, the frightened eyes of an ... group one is standing upright when he approaches his enemies. Moreover, group two flees in terror, and the leader of group one celebrates their dominance by flinging the weapon into the air. Death is shown throug...

• Word Count: 492
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Before The Dawn Before The Dawn is an autobiography written by Mickey Block. This is the true story of Mickey Block, a Navy SEAL who fought in the Vietnam War. This is the story of his life, from his training, ... be it literal or not. Although physical wounds will heal, the emotional scars will never fade. For some people, life after the war is worse than death itself. Before The Dawn addresses the controversy of sending American troops to the Vietnam War. Many Americans were against this because most soldiers died over there and they were not even fighting for our ... held protests against...

• Word Count: 752
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Darkness? In the typical novels written by many known authors, colors and objects tend to symbolize the same things in each. Light stands for knowledge and the color white symbolizes purity and innocence while darkness signifies evil and the color black represents death. In Joseph Conrad's novel Heart of Darkness, ... the passengers marvel in the light that the Thames shines onto the world. Marlow, however, responds: "Light came out of this river ? But darkness was here yesterday" (9). Marlow questions the insight that Western society shines into the world. Western civilization prides i...

• Word Count: 1077
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... A novel without stories is simply a picture book. It does not make you think and actually figure out what is happening in the story. Heart of Darkness contains many symbols throughout it that have much more meaning that they appear to have. Some of the symbols that make this story come alive are: the ... symbolizes life and death. The plants, animals and feelings that come from the jungle are all full of life. But, the jungle can also lead to death by disease, animals, starvation, heat, and solitude. It represents the ignorance of man. Meaning, man thinks he knows what is in the jungle b...

• Word Count: 923
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... the slaves and their movements causes one to feel that he cares for them. However, after his understanding description he refers to them as savages. Marlow's heart of darkness is strong. Fueled by his ever-burning desire to push on and achieve. He is not easily swayed from his quest and pushes any negative feelings about what he is there to do ... his words. He is trying to show that even the smallest of individuals' sets goals and will step on anyone to obtain them. Marlow seems to be, at times, troubled by all of the sights that he sees. His ability to overlook the flaws of others see...

• Word Count: 1748
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

In Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, The recurring theme of opposite sides of the threshold truth, are depicted by the nature of Kurtz and the struggles of Marlow as he enters the physical boundary of the jungle. The ... Wilderness is simply a physical representation of the primal essence that each person contains. However when immersed in this contradiction of realities, his internal psychological battle darkens as he probes deeper into the Congo, and his own heart of darkness ... frail against nature and he battles to prevent its greatness from taking over. Communities and other such chec...

• Word Count: 1071
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Throughout Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, Kurtz, the head of the inner station, appears briefly but leaves an overall theme on the work. Through Kurtz' actions, the climax is revealed when the complementary characters ... is a multi-talented man which is looked highly upon to the people around him, and he is also a manipulator of words and can win people over through his smooth talking. Before Marlow, the main character that is traveling the Congo, begins on his journey, Kurtz kills many of the natives. This was strictly a symbol of power which was widely recognized. It ... greed is a...

• Word Count: 615
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Earthquake at Dawn by Kristiana Gregory. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1992. 190 pages. SUMMARY OF THE PLOT This book is a ... baby carriage and take a variety of photos which are reproduced in the book. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TITLE The title of the book is Earthquake at Dawn because it mainly describes, through the eyes of a twenty two year old photographer (Edith Irvine) and her fifteen year old maid (Daisy Valentine), ... , and then, a minute after, she lost them both. Furthermore, the earthquake also made Daisy change her view about death. Before that episode in her life, she used to...

• Word Count: 1404
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... As King Duncan arrives at Macbeth's castle, Dunsinane, he is met with a "false face must hide what the false heart doth know" (1.7.82). During the darkness of the night, Macbeth plans go to work. He kills Duncan with his guards" swords, and then kills the guards out of "vengeance" for the King. Malcolm ... to kill Duncan, but now his heart is full of evil. His next victims are Banquo, and his son Fleance. Banquo suspects foul play was used by Macbeth to become King, but does not say anything to anyone. He also knows he is in danger, because the weird sisters told of his line being ... ...

• Word Count: 677
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... jungle fades out of the background and the scene becomes exclusively Willard and his room in Saigon. In this opening scene of Apocalypse Now, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, The End figures prominently. The song is an excellent choice for two reasons. First, it fits the film very well aesthetically. ... to the Vietnam War because the soldiers fighting in Vietnam were often times teenagers and the war made them crazy. This is displayed in Apocalypse Now by Laurence Fishburne's character, "Mr. Clean."" Finally, the reference to waiting for summer rain suggests that these children could b...

• Word Count: 1473
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

... getting themselves into, who or what they were going to encounter, and most importantly how their new environment would treat them. In the movie, before Willard started the mission, his superior; Colonel Lucas, tells him "This mission does not exist or will it ever exist". After receiving ... death and trade." However, one of the major points that Stewart makes comes later on in the article when he says: "Heart of Darkness is the deviously mapped quest for a sequestered space beyond geographical coordinate, a recessed sector of the soul to which only death, firsthand or secondhand, can .....

• Word Count: 2231
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

... Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness, a novel by Joseph Conrad, and Apocalypse Now, a movie by Francis Ford Coppola can be compared and contrasted in many ways. Heart of Darkness takes place on the Congo River in the Heart of Africa while Apocalypse Now is set in Vietnam. Characterization in Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse ... mission to find this mysterious Kurtz that he keeps hearing about. Kurtz is the central character in both the novel and movie. In Heart of Darkness, Kurtz, is an ivory trader who has gone too deep into the jungles of Africa in search of ivory. A conversation with ...

• Word Count: 930
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School