... opinion that the implied meaning of the two characters' discussion is about whether the girl should go through with getting an abortion (Link 4). Through this understanding many people assume that every other symbol in the story relates to the abortion without going further into detail about what other meanings the story may have (Hashmi 72). The story causes the reader to analyze the dialogue in order to uncover the abortion discourse. After many readers discover ... this, they cease to continue investigating the other discourses present. The title, for instance, can be easily attribut...

• Word Count: 3072
• Approx Pages: 12
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... , which will later be addressed in reference to society's treatment of the young woman in the novel, The Scarlet Letter. The Puritans were very influential, and their beliefs even continued after the era was over. Because of Hawthorne's emphasis on the Puritans, and the time period in which he lived in, many of his themes are conveyed by some element of the setting. Hawthorne himself was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and set the majority of his works there. He grew ... , only for my black veil? What, but the mystery which it obscurely typifies, has made this piece of crape so awful? When ...

• Word Count: 3188
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... might pose a threat to their respectability: "The publican made a tributary of the St. Lawrence flow through his rum and his gin; The curé drank hard, but secretly, which made it a distressing case of alcoholism- Cyprien changes his attitude only when he meets Marie the Seamstress who, given her name and her characteristics, is a symbol rather than a flesh-and-bone character in this story. She could be seen ... -fated witch-hunts. Such a reading could be also supported by the fact that Ichabod "was a perfect master of Cotton Mather's History of New-England Witchcraft, in which, by the w...

• Word Count: 2890
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... is obviously trouble she has in her heart with her husband. The irony of this is that in the end, she actually dies of heart disease, but really it is also the other kind of heart trouble that kills her, as well. She dies because she is troubled that her husband is still alive. Another ironic symbol that shows Mrs. Mallard's unhappiness is, "when the storm of grief had spent itself ... is merely describing the weight upon her after the news of her husband's death. After finishing the story and reading it again, the statement looks more like an ironic statement about how physical exhaust...

• Word Count: 4614
• Approx Pages: 18
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... worn out clothes are decorated with a bright red carnation and an opal pin. The red carnation is the first of several floral motives to appear in the story and it acts as a symbol of rebellion and forwardness that seems to embody the spirit of Paul. However, the elegance of the flower and its temporal condition as something that will wilt and die after a little while is an early hint to Paul's tragic end ... . The flower and opal pin reflect Paul's need to be noticed and these early physical ... ...

• Word Count: 2556
• Approx Pages: 10
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... more importantly, worthy of his mothers love. Unlike the story I Want To Know Why', the horse is a symbol of oppression and represents all that is bad in life rather than good. Throughout the story I Want To Know Why' the boy has taken the horses to be the very embodiment of the virtues that he admires most in humans, this is particularly evident in the humanistic descriptions the boy gives of the horses. When the narrator describes the horses as honest ... realized that her appearance was in direct contrast to the rings serene purity'. The literal grave provided Miranda with a treasure...

• Word Count: 2806
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... happiness to wall out the threat of death. Prince Prospero's masked ball or dance reminds us of the dance of death, as portrayed in old paintings, as a skeleton leading a throng of people to the grave, just as the prince leads his guests to the Red Death. The significance of time in this story is seen in the symbol of the "gigantic clock of ebony" (p.47), which is draped in black velvet and located in the final room. Although the clock is an object ... the cause of misfortunes and inexplicable illnesses of any kind. To protect oneself from the power of the evil eye certain measures can ...

• Word Count: 4324
• Approx Pages: 17
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School