“Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!” Patrick Henry, although dead before Frederick Douglass was ever born, used his words and poetically described Douglass’s life. Originally known as Frederick Bailey, he was born into slavery but lived to become Frederick Douglass and accomplish an impressive legacy. His childhood was filled with only awful memories of cruelty and inhumanity. When Frederick had learned of the significance of literacy, he educated himself and immediately planned an escape to success. He became one of the most prominent African American of the nineteenth century who represented the black minority as a successful orator, journalist, and anti-slavery leader. Continue Reading »

On the fourth of July, a group of young boys thought that climbing to the top of dead-mans cliff would be a thrill they would never forget. The climb was full of narrow paths and dagger-like rocks. They had precluded that the trek up to the cliff would be their only difficulty. The eldest and most courage’s boy of the group reached the summit first. As the boy peeked over the edge into the water his heart sank. “ Is this the same cliff we had looked at from the water,” he thought to himself. Fear came over him as the other boys ran up behind him. “Jump, jump!” They shouted. He tried to speak but nothing came out. Not wanting them to think of him as a coward, he stepped toward the edge. He had jumped from a small cliff in the past and new all to well what the consequences were if he landed wrong in the water. Heart throbbing, legs shaking, skin sweating, and lungs gasping, he prepared to take the plunge. Continue Reading »

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story, “The Birthmark“, we come to know a crazed scientist whose strive for perfection not only leads to the death of his beautiful wife, but the attempt of man to have power and control over nature.

As an accomplished scientist who views nature not as beautiful, but as imperfect, Aylmer, feels that it is in his power to “have corrected what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work!” (Hawthorne, pg. 347) The small, hand-like birthmark on his wife Georgiana’s left cheek, once oblivious to him, now only disgusts him. Consumed by his thoughts, “Wishing it away, that the world might possess on living specimen of ideal loveliness without the semblance of a flaw,” he becomes obsessed with her having it removed; Completely unaware, the birthmark itself symbolizes her own, and all of societies, humanity. Humanity in itself is flawed, imperfect as is Nature; neither are compatible with perfection. Continue Reading »

In the novel Little Women, Louisa May Alcott tells the story of four sisters growing up with their father away at war, a mother (do they say much about the mother) and having to learn the responsibilities of domestic chores. Each sister is portrayed as having a different artistic talent and all but one have a talent acceptable for women at that time. The exception is the rebellious and spirited Jo March, who pursues the then-considered masculine role of writing. Through her creative imagination, her rebelliousness against becoming a “typical” girl and her determination to persevere in her writing, Jo shows that a woman’s role can be expanded and women generally can achieve much more personal satisfaction than was normal at that time. Continue Reading »

William Shakespeare’s play “The Taming of the Shrew” is a lighthearted, slapstick comedy written in the 1590’s. This particular era is classified as the Elizabethan era. This famous play has been chiefly based on courtship and the concerns of married life. Both of these characteristics were profoundly relevant to society at this time, in fact this was a society concerned with marriage in general. People living in this era often married for power, land or money rather then for love. Marital disputes became very popular in literature, as this era did not offer any avenues out of an unhappy marriage.

The laws and practices of these times also did not allow women to have the same opportunities as men. Women were said to be under the authority of their husbands and society would not allow women to perform in plays. In fact, in this era, men acted out all the male and female roles. Continue Reading »

In Tennessee Williams’s play The Glass Menagerie, the characters’ perspectives of reality are mixed with those of appearance. Amanda, the mother, tries to make the lives of her children perfect, but in doing so, only causes them grief and anguish. Amanda still lives in the past and sees no reason why her two children should live anything but perfect lives. However, her children, Laura, a crippled and unsociable girl; and Tom, an ambitious young man, believe they should be able to choose their own paths of life. William conveys the theme that several people feel a need to set unreasonable standards for those they love. Amanda’s unwillingness to see Laura for what she really is causes her to make expectations for Laura that are out of her reach, and forces Tom to escape his family so that he no longer feels the pressure of being good enough for his mother. Continue Reading »

George Orwell’s classic novel 1984 is a perfect example of a futuristic totalitarian regime and a dystopia. Orwell’s tale expresses his vision of a government changing and becoming a totalitarian government. The government, in this story, is run by an unknown leader who goes by the title “Big Brother”. The concept of “Big Brother” is that someone is always watching, and people can never deceive the government. In Orwell’s idea of what may happen in the future, “Big Brother” monitors everything everyone does or even thinks.

Orwell was born with the name Eric Arthur Blair, in 1903, in Bengal, India. His father was Richard Walmesley Blair. He worked in the Opium department of the Indian Civil Service as a minor customs official.(Biography) When Orwell was four, his family returned to England. They then settled in a village near London, Henley. Soon after their move his father returned to India. Continue Reading »

The main characters of all Greek dramas are usually alike in some ways and different in others. Medeс, by Euripides and Antigone by Sophocles are Greek dramas, and so the characters, Antigone and Medeс also have similarities as well as differences. By comparing and contrasting these two characters, we gain more knowledge about their motives and ambitions, and as a result, we can more easily understand their behaviors. By doing so, we also obtain a better insight concerning what basis each one comes from. Although the goals, irrational behaviors and personalities of Medeс and Antigone are what make them alike, their motivations, actions and destinies are what separate them.

Antigone’s goal is to obtain justice for her brother, but since she is stubborn and irrational, she cannot fully complete her purpose. Antigone is a loving person, who’s objective is justice for both of her brothers. She is someone very fond of the meaning of family and she doesn’t Continue Reading »

What makes people act the way they do? Is it hereditary? Could it be that instinct alone guides people and their behavior? Or is it that people become a product of their environment? The answer can be found in Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find“. A Grandmother, living with her son and his family, appears to be a manipulative and deceitful old woman. As she and her family take a vacation drive to Florida they stumble across three escaped convicts and are systematically murdered, thanks to Grandmother’s deceitful ploy. The driving force behind the Grandmother’s deceit is the way the family treats her.

The Grandmother tries to convince Bailey, her son, to change their travel destination from Florida to Tennessee, and is completely ignored. “Here this fellow that calls himself The Misfit is aloose and headed toward Florida” (495). “I wouldn’t take my children in any direction with a criminal like that aloose in it.” (495). Continue Reading »

Between 10-40 A.D. Emperor Claudius conquered Britain and integrated it into the Roman Emperium. The Celtic fortress Londinium was conquered by the Romans in the year 43 A.D. With the construction of the first bridge over the Thamse, BILD Londinium got the importance of a junction, and not just the Romans used this bridge on their way up to the north but also local traders. Thus the small settlement developed to a city after Roman pattern, to a centre of culture, administration, military and trade. In 286/287 A.D. Carausius, commander of the Roman Marine rebelled against the Emperor and appointed himself as ruler of Britannia. Londinium became his capital. Then in 449 A.D. , with the decay of the Roman Empire the Romans were driven out of Britannia and Londinium lost its importance for a long period of time.In 604 A.D. Londinium got the capitol of the Anglo-Saxon empire „Essex“ and changed its name to Lundenwic. Later, 796 A.D., it became the royal residence of the Anglo-Saxons. Continue Reading »