The theme of untamed brutality pervades throughout many tales in the Kwaidan selections, including "The Story of Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi," "Yuki-Onna," as well as the "The Story of O-Tei." ... From the very get go, the theme of untamed brutality is introduced. ... Alas, this violent theme is driven home with the samurai warrior tearing Hoichi's ears right off of his face. ... Akutagawa, in his works "Jigokuhen," "The Nose," as well as "The Tangerines," draws out obsession as a major theme. ... However, in his anecdotal short stories, such as "Robinson Crusoe" and "An Imperial Message," Kafka ce...

• Word Count: 1093
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

He developed a "sociological imagination, " and was finally able to see that there is a common theme in society, and that this common theme or social force directly affects him and his life. ... Rather, he was putting effort into getting a deeper understanding of each book, but found the themes useless or inapplicable to his life. As he read Robinson Crusoe, for example, he knew that the main theme or lesson of the story was "the value of learning by oneself"(526), but did not actually learn anything by taking the theme and relating it to his own life and situation. ...

• Word Count: 1364
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate