... the allusion to storms in Emma's view of love is interpreted as a bad omen. Henrik Ibsen also uses figurative language to foreshadow the ruin of Hedda in "Hedda Gabler."" Hedda complains about the smell of lavender and pot-pourri in the house (Ibsen 207). She says that the house has, "a sort of odour of death. Like a bouquet ... . This use of imagery lesds readers to think of foul uses of this poison. Nothing else is mentioned about the arsenic until the end of the book where Emma, "seizes the blue bottle [of arsenic],"plunges in her hand,.. [and] she begins to eat [it] immediately,"" (Fl...

• Word Count: 1294
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... social issues play an important role in the outcome of the novel, "Hedda Gabler." The author, Ibsen, shows how these issues affect Hedda as the main character of the play and how she ends it all with suicide, the most powerful form of her self-destruction. Ibsen, in writing the play of Hedda Gabler, showed observations on society at the time period of that setting. The characters ... show the reader what life was like at that time. The character of Hedda, however, is one with a destructive nature as a result of the society that she lives ... want to be expelled from society so she trie...

• Word Count: 629
• Approx Pages: 3

... "separates it from himself" looks at it objectively and it makes him feel content with himself or at least helps him move on. Overall the book was mostly written for readers to feel the real war, experience it a little, and to make the author reevaluate his experiences and truly move on. 3. ... . He does this setting change to let the reader compare and contrast the two. 5. The one way that the author could do to improve the book would be to completely rewrite the last chapter. He starts with a story of when he barely joined up with Alpha Company, then he starts reminiscing ... really c...

• Word Count: 1357
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... the piece. Finally, there is the criteria of universality. This applies not only to thematic universality across time and culture, but universality in terms of characterization and philosophical issues. A great book is universal in appeal and its wisdom. All three criteria, in turn, forms a basis for a great masterpiece. It allows it to be imitated, analyzed and enjoyed across cultures and ... centuries. However, these three criteria, which DQ clearly lives up to, is a vast generalization about what makes this particular book a masterpiece. There are probably countless specific aspects ...

• Word Count: 1289
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... for them in return. He was a very self-centered person and didn't very often think of other people in his actions. The only part of the book where I believe he is a hero is in the end, when he confesses to the murders he had committed. 4) Explain what values or expectations the society ... is described as filthy and wretched. There were drunks sprawled out across the streets, prostitutes and people wandering aimlessly. Many of the people depicted in the book were poverty stricken and just barely surviving on what little money they had. The unemployment rate seemed to be high. Of those pe...

• Word Count: 1349
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... later overturned in 1976. It was also challenged by Dallas, Texas, Independent School District high school libraries in 1974 and in Snoqualmie, Washington in 1979. These states claimed that the book was "dangerous" because of the objectionable language, sexual situations or scenes, and the crude, black humor that is displayed throughout the novel. None of these bans or challenges has made ... the novel less popular and it is still a success today. I believe that the bans and the challenges of the book might have been justified back when the book was first published, but today I believe ...

• Word Count: 587
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... has no real depth and more or less just goes around saying "Goddamn" and "What a phony" while whining about the world. After reading the book, I learned that the book isn't about whining about life, but instead it simply shows a cynical view of the world; A view that is seldom looked at by most people. ... his brother and sister then he had great hatred for them and classifies them as phonies. I feel that this love for innocence is what the book is based around. You will also see that Holden has an ambition, which is to become "the catcher in the rye" and stop children from ... from lo...

• Word Count: 639
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... to the way they connect with each other to help us understand character's lives and reflect on our own. The symbolism of color in The Book Thief was evident throughout the entire novel. It is used as a very powerful tool to represent the life and death engulfing Germany in regards to ... continually expressed humanity on a colour spectrum of life and death and how that is relative to mortality. The second symbol I found unmissable in The Book Thief was Hans Hubermanns accordion and the way it reinforces the idea of hope and distraction in this horrific period of time. This symbol is firs...

• Word Count: 1566
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... novel, many of which could be found in quotes from the novel. These quotes led to many interesting interpretations and questions concerning them. The book club meetings were successful as it allowed readers to enrich their understanding and appreciation of the novel. Many themes and symbols are embedded within ... like God saved men. There are many other themes and symbols in the novel, many of which are from quotes As part of the book club assignments, the students had to find quotes from the novel and discuss its significance. From within the quotes a person would able to ... take pl...

• Word Count: 721
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... Leopold's Ghost did an excellent job of portraying the events of that time period. Many students would think that reading a historical novel would just be like reading any old history book, but reading this novel was much easier than reading a history textbook. The novel showed many aspects and views from many different people of that time. The usage of direct quotes ... placed the reader in the action. Many feel that detail adds a lot of unwanted material to a novel, and that it makes the novel harder to understand, but the detail in a book such as King Leopold's Ghost added so much fe...

• Word Count: 641
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... the reader into a by-gone era where young girls are sold to be raised as geisha, and where their virginity is sold to the highest bidder. The book is written as a sort of autobiography about one of Gion's most celebrated and respected geisha, although it is actually a novel. Memoirs of a Geisha is ... Golden's first novel. It is extremely well researched, as it provides an accurate account of the life of a geisha. The book follows the progress of a small girl, Chiyo-chan, as she finds herself going through all sorts of cruelty as she trains to be become a geisha. Chiyo-chan ... the way A...

• Word Count: 629
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... of this novel, but I watched the one with William Hurt as Rochester in 1996. Even though he is much too handsome in appearance to look like Rochester in the book, I still like how he plays Rochester. Although I noticed in the movie that his hair is dirty blond, on the other hand it was jet black in the ... to make it much longer. It is very good, but it could have been so much better then. There are some other major differences too. In the book, Jane get married to Rochester finally after he is blinded and they have kids. But in the film, Rochester asked Jane if she has come back to him ...

• Word Count: 329
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... laws, life would be hard to live, filled with violence and war. Another theme of the book is survival. Survival plays an important role for the boys. There was very little I disliked about this book. Probably the one thing that could have been improved upon was William Golding's use of difficult ... words and terms that could confuse the reader, but this happened rarely. I think all serious readers would like this book. I also think readers who are interested in human behaviour would like this book because of the way it demonstrates the many sides of human nature, values, and morals. I r...

• Word Count: 641
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... has hid them and how he has such good security on his computer. Jobs is not very street smart or has a lot of common sense, he more of a book worm and is book smart. Another characteristic of Jobs is that he is concerned with everyone else's feelings. In the middle of the story, when everyone is awaiting to board the Mayflower and ... ...

• Word Count: 471
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... raised and doctored, is quite disheartening. Based on religious reforms and modern-day picket lines, the reader may find the first chapter ominous in comparison to the remainder of the book. As controversial as the topic is, it is one that has been debated for years, and now, is being written about in futuristic novels. Even though the ... book is unmistakably an original, there are several others like it. For instance, George Orwell's 1984 depicts tyranny, dystopia, and other radical forms of government reform, much like Brave New World. ... ...

• Word Count: 472
• Approx Pages: 2

... by gloom, and ruthlessness, rare characteristics such as kindness, and compassion ever present. This novel displays an undercurrent of love, friendship and trust. People who love each other in this book are obviously Greg and Mikki who at the end of the novel marry, Eric and Susan are another couple represented in the ... book. The love that Susan had for her deceased brother Richard is the single reason that Susan became involved in the "Facility", as Richard had left some files which Susan had ... ...

• Word Count: 528
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Book Review A Lesson Before Dying A Lesson Before Dying was written by Ernest J. Gaines. The novel takes place in the late 1940s. It is about a man named Jefferson who witnessed a shoot out ... heroism is not always expressed through action, sometimes the simple act of resisting the inevitable is enough. Ernest J. Gaines did a great job in writing this novel. It's the type of book that is hard to put down. Its such an inspiring and thought-provoking novel. The story is so real and is "a strongly felt and - in the best sense- ambitious novel ... because its so easy to read, and two because i...

• Word Count: 264
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

I can see why Jerry Spinelli won the Newberry Award for his mondern classic, Maniac Magee. It has everything I like in a young adult book:fascinating characters, believable dialogue, humor, and a strong theme. Maniac (Jeffery) Magee is one of the most refreshing and memorable characters in adolescent fiction. His talents are legendary--he can untie ... 's humor and suprisingly mature treatment to two of the most signigicant of society's ills, racism and homelessness, make for a satisfying read for anyone. I recommend Maniac Magee to readers looking for a book that will make them laugh and th...

• Word Count: 328
• Approx Pages: 1

... This novel can be described in many ways, a page turner, interesting, and even confusing. I admitt that I could not put this book down for the simple fact that it had me questioning thing constantly. As I read chapter after chapter, I started to not pay attention to the wonderful descriptions of indian culture, a just ... ...

• Word Count: 537
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... also: challenge our views; let us know we are not alone; and edify us, teaching a moral lesson. All these other, more important aspects, can be seen in Markus Zusak's The Book Thief. The most important role of a novel is to broaden our understanding of human nature. When a shipment of Jews are paraded through Molching on route to a concentration camp, the novel ... ...

• Word Count: 918
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... he will not be accepted by anyone. This scene also ignites the rage that sends the monster on a killing spree to get revenge on his creator, Victor. Overall I think this book was very well written. It is easy to tell that everything was thoroughly planned out. This shows in how well the novel flows from one scene to the next and ... ...

• Word Count: 1009
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... Monthly Magazine and The Times. His writings attracted first attention in Punch, where he satirized English snobbery. These sketches reappeared in 1848 as THE BOOK OF SNOBS, stating in it that "he who meanly admires mean things is a Snob." In 1840 Isabella Thackeray suffered a mental breakdown, ... and opened up a market for similar inexpensive books. Many of Dickens's following novels first appeared in monthly installments, including OLIVER TWIST (1837-39). It depicts the London underworld and hard years of the foundling Oliver Twist, whose right to his inheritance is kept secret by th...

• Word Count: 6746
• Approx Pages: 27

... her mother who never seems to have right remark in any situation. The object of Elizabeth's affection, Mr. Darcy, comments towards the middle of the book, "The situation of your mother's family, though objectionable, was nothing in comparison of the total want of propriety so frequently, so almost uniformly betrayed ... written it, Tolstoy ends his character's life. Overall, Tolstoy's style help contribute to the rise of modernization. Finally Dostoevesky illustrates modernism through his novel, Notes From the Underground. The main character, the underground man, is an extreme example of ...

• Word Count: 1366
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... Fine Balance treats India both kindly and harshly. Set in the mid-1970s during Mrs. Gandhi's declaration of a state of internal emergency, the book turns first toward the Parsi community in an unidentified city by the sea that resembles Bombay, but its plot opens up to embrace other characters and ... to an outsider; of course, I am not qualified to speculate on how the Parsi reader might react. Amin Malak, in a review of the book, notes that "the writer's sympathies preclude his condemning or disowning his culture in its entirety, and the humorous rendition of character and incident mak...

• Word Count: 4673
• Approx Pages: 19
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... Fine Balance treats India both kindly and harshly. Set in the mid-1970s during Mrs. Gandhi's declaration of a state of internal emergency, the book turns first toward the Parsi community in an unidentified city by the sea that resembles Bombay, but its plot opens up to embrace other characters and ... to an outsider; of course, I am not qualified to speculate on how the Parsi reader might react. Amin Malak, in a review of the book, notes that "the writer's sympathies preclude his condemning or disowning his culture in its entirety, and the humorous rendition of character and incident mak...

• Word Count: 4675
• Approx Pages: 19
• Grade Level: Undergraduate