Thomas Pynchon's The Crying of Lot 49 is a very deep, complex, and demanding novel, requiring the wide breadth of knowledge. One of the most fascinating aspects of the novel is Pynchon's choice -- or rather, invention -- of the names he gives the characters and organizations described in the novel. These names function as metaphors for the people and things they represent, thus enabling us to understand the hidden meaning of the novel. The protagonist of The Crying of Lot 49 is a woman named Oedipa Maas. Oedipa's first name, obviously, derives from Oedipus, the hero of Soph...
Known as one of the most controversial American writers, James Baldwin has been known to speak out on racism and civil rights throughout the 1950s. He is recognized as one of the finest writers in post World War II Literature. Although he spent most of his life in France, his works became very well known in the United States, as well as in Europe. He found readers of every race and nationality and revealed many truths about society. In many of his works Baldwin exposed racial and sexual topics about American society and challenged readers to confront and resolve these differences. ...
Seeking and Maintaining Balance: Rohinton Mistry's Fiction. (Critical Essay) Abstract: Balance is an important quality in the fiction of Rohinton Mistry, as suggested by the title of his second novel, 'A Fine Balance.' Mistry was born in India, a member of the Parsi community, and immigrated to Canada in 1975. Mistry's short story collection 'Tales from Firozsha Baag' and his two novels, 'Such a Long Journey' and 'A FIne Balance' focus on the Parsi community in India rather than on the immigrant experience. The Parsis and India become metap...
Seeking and Maintaining Balance: Rohinton Mistry's Fiction. (Critical Essay) Abstract: Balance is an important quality in the fiction of Rohinton Mistry, as suggested by the title of his second novel, 'A Fine Balance.' Mistry was born in India, a member of the Parsi community, and immigrated to Canada in 1975. Mistry's short story collection 'Tales from Firozsha Baag' and his two novels, 'Such a Long Journey' and 'A FIne Balance' focus on the Parsi community in India rather than on the immigrant experience. The Parsis and India become me...