The novel Crank follows the story of how fictional character Kristina Snow, a "gifted high school junior, total dweeb, and perfect daughter"(Glass) transforms into Bree, her meth addicted alter ego. ... As the story progresses the reader begins to see Bree taking over as Kristina struggles to take back control. ... Hopkins is able to give a first hand account to the battles of addiction as her daughter, also named Kristina, struggles with meth addiction. ... Identical tackles the topic of sexual abuse, telling the story two twins, one of whom is being molested by her father. ... Kae...

• Word Count: 875
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

This family consists of the mother Pauline, the father Cholly, the son Sammy, and the daughter Pecola. The novel's focal point is the daughter, an eleven-year-old Black girl who is trying to conquer a bout with self-hatred. ... Much of the narration comes from Claudia MacTeer as a nine year old child, but Morrison also gives the reader the insight of Claudia reflecting on the story as an adult, some first person narration from Pecola's mother, and narration by Morrison herself as an omniscient narrator. ... Names play an important part in The Bluest Eye because they are often symboli...

• Word Count: 609
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Originally born just outside of Johannesburg, Nadine began to gain a political identity at a young age as the daughter of two Jewish immigrant parents, who spent much of their own young adult lives under repression in Russia. ... Outside of the work being discussed, two of the authors most notable works include Burgers Daughter and Jurys People both of which would be banned by the South African government for their anti-apartheid views. ... The story opens up to what has already happened as a result of the story being told, leading the reader to the answer from the beginning and working ba...

• Word Count: 1018
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

It is the story of two brothers--one of whom served in Vietnam--who must rely on each other to survive a disastrous skiing trip in the wilds of Minnesota. ... This book suggests that stories often communicate a more accurate notion of the truth than even experience can, which makes them compelling whether or not the reader experienced the War first-hand. ... Despite his awareness that his parents, his wife, and his daughter all think he is insane, he acts out his life as a drama of paranoia and nuclear dread, fashioning an impromptu shelter out of a ping-pong table as a youth and diggi...

• Word Count: 781
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The first few paragraphs of the story make the reader empathize towards the grandmother. ... When the grandmother tried to persuade her son and daughter in-law, they did not seem to care what she wanted or thought; she was ignored. Second, the arrogance of the grandmother is shown throughout the whole story. ... " Her manipulative lie worked instantaneously, and the children began to kick the seats and scream uncontrollably that they wanted to be taken to the house with the secret panel, until their father reluctantly agreed. ... The whole story revolves around the grandmother's s...

• Word Count: 1160
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

The new dialogical form of the novel of the XX century assumes belittling of the "all-knowing" epic author up to a role of the story-teller alongside with an eminence of the hero up to a role of the objective author. ... "I do not know, - the story-teller interferes with "objective-epic" narration, destroying illusion of the all-knowing author, - whom she could become in our century, but is sure, that a lot of centuries back she would become a saint or a beloved of an emperor. ... Ernestine becomes more and more "artificial", reminding Charles Olimpia, a mechanical doll from the story ...

• Word Count: 2592
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: Undergraduate