Novel Essays

Conrad’s Heart of Darkness explores the shadowy world of exploitation, imperialism, violence and moral bankruptcy. The shady characters and the enigmatic situations put the narrator to a severe test. The outlook of Kurtz, his use of violence and its justification by his admirers only highlight a nihilistic world which ends …

Anil’s Ghost by Michael Ondaatje carries us to Sri Lanka, a country shaped in century-old customs and shoved into the tail-end of the twentieth century by the chaos of civil war. The setting is cast under the awning of Sri Lanka’s provocative backdrop with a landscape of ancient civilization. In …

            “Obasan” by Joy Kogawa is a novel telling the story of Naomi Nakane, a Japanese Canadian, during the Japanese Internment in British Columbia during the war in the 1940’s. This story tells us of the hardships that these people have experienced during those trying times and how it has …

The classics, Joseph Andrews and Shamela by Henry Fielding are colorful and comical satires that blend adventure, burlesque bravery, and quick-witted humor while journeying back and forth in time.  Here, the focus will be on Joseph Andrews. The various time tables that Fielding juggles throughout the novel add charm and, …

The Mexican Revolution had tremendous impact on the men and women who suffered through this period of civil unrest.  Mariano Azuela drafted The Underdogs, a short piece of fiction that portrayed the revolution, what motivated the revolutionaries’ inner drive, and the consequences that affected the lives of the generations of …

Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper is a novel that begins a series of books that leads readers into the wild unknown of our imagination.  It is a fictional account most associated with fantasy.  Susan Cooper leads readers through a realm of magic and curiosity where a family of …

The short story “The Things They Carried” was punished in 1990 as a reflection on the events took place during the Vietnam War. The story vividly describes emotional and psychological experience of soldiers, grievances and hardship faced by young men during the war. Thesis A concentrated emotional impact on the …

1.Physical description of the character. How relevant is this for the novel? First impression: “…how hugely pregnant Ammu was…” * “Ammu had an elaborate Calcutta wedding. Later, looking back on the day, Ammu realized that the slightest feverish glitter in her bridegroom’s eyes had not been love, or even excitement …

Gwendolyn Brooks’ intense passage from her novel “Maud Martha” emphasizes the impact change can have through difficult situations. Maud Martha, mama and Helen wait on their front porch for Papa to come home with news of whether they are capable to keep their house. Papa then comes home with information …

Introduction The novel “The generals die in Battle” was written by Charles Yale Harrison perhaps in 1926 although there seemed to have no exact date as to when the novel was written. James Doyle (2002), noted that excerpts from the Generals Die in Bed appeared in a literary left wing …