Frankenstein: Character Analysis and Key Players
Frankenstein: Character Analysis
Here’s a look at the key characters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein:
Victor Frankenstein
The protagonist and narrator of a significant portion of the story. Studying in Ingolstadt, Victor discovers the secret of life and creates a sentient but grotesque creature. He recoils from his creation in horror. Victor keeps the monster’s creation a secret, feeling increasingly guilty and ashamed as he realizes he is powerless to prevent the monster from destroying his life and
Read MoreAnalyzing Maya Angelou’s ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’
Maya Angelou’s ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ Analysis
This poem powerfully expresses the voice of African Americans and their longing and struggle for freedom.
Summary
The poem features two birds. The first bird is free, representing white Americans. The second bird is caged, representing African Americans. The free bird enjoys dignity, greatness, and infinite possibilities, while the caged bird experiences fear, longing, and subjugation. The free bird continues to enjoy life and broaden its horizons,
Read MoreKey Texts in Post-War American Literature
Beat Generation
- Jack Kerouac – On the Road
- Allen Ginsberg – Howl
New Journalism
- Tom Wolfe – The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
Surfiction
- Thomas Pynchon – The Crying of Lot 49
Postmodern Fiction
- Paul Auster – City of Glass
Postmodern Poetry
- Frank O’Hara – Lunch Poems (New York School)
- Barrett Watten – Plasma (Language Poetry)
- Lyn Hejinian–My Life– (Language Poetry)
African American Literature
- LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka)– Black Art
- Toni Cade Bambara – The Lesson
- Claudia Rankine – Citizen: An American
Jaime Gil de Biedma: War, Childhood, and Poetic Evolution
Jaime Gil de Biedma: A Life Shaped by War and Poetry
Jaime Gil de Biedma was born in 1929 into a family of Spanish gentry. He studied law in Barcelona and Salamanca. His poetry evolved from intimate early poems to social commitment. He avoided Surrealism and sought a contemporary language. His life was marked by his homosexuality, pessimism, and self-destructive intimate experiences. In 1974, he suffered a crisis that led him to withdraw from literary life. He was a leading member of the School of
Read MoreDictionary of Terms: Origins and Definitions
Nankeen
1. A sturdy yellow or buff cotton cloth.
2. A Chinese porcelain with a blue-and-white pattern.
Nantua Sauce
A cream sauce flavored with shellfish.
Nashville
The country music industry.
Neanderthal
Crude or boorish.
New England Clam Chowder
A thick soup made with clams, onions, salt pork, potatoes, and milk.
Norfolk Jacket
A belted jacket with two box pleats in front and back.
Nova
Cured and smoked salmon, especially salmon that has been cured in a mixture of salt and sugar and smoked at a low temperature.
Read MoreUnderstanding Marge Piercy’s ‘Barbie Doll’ and Its Themes
Marge Piercy: “Barbie Doll”
Marge Piercy is an American poet, novelist, and social activist. She was born on March 31, 1936, in Detroit into a family that, like many others, was affected by the Great Depression. She was the first in her family to attend college, studying at the University of Michigan. Winning a Hopwood Award for poetry and fiction in 1957 enabled her to finish college, and she also spent some time in France. Her first book of poems, “Breaking Camp,” was published in 1968.
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