Unlike commercial fiction, literary fiction does not follow a certain pattern. ... Rainsford, on the other hand, is a flat character that stays the same from beginning to end. ... The lack of originality of these characters is what makes them undeniably commercialized. ... Almost all of the characters change or develop through out "The Child by Tiger". Also the characters may change in a way th...

• Word Count: 2328
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

She is also consistently observant of the other characters. O'Connor's characters are victimized and are images of lower intelligence. ... O'Connor's use of important literary devices such as symbolism and foreshadowing allow her to reinforce the theme. ... Symbolism and foreshadowing are two of the most important literary devices used by O'Connor in "Revelation." After analyzing how the author's background, the plot, and the literary devices contribute to the development of the theme of "Revelation", one understands why this story rates high on the literary scal...

• Word Count: 1419
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

In the essay "The Philosophy of Composition" Poe argues that work of literary art should attain unity of effect, which he view as a point of the greatest importance. ... " Edgar Allan Poe became famous also for his developing of the Gothic literary tradition. ... Around these interests grew a whole body of literature [That] provided Poe with a literary milieu perfectly adapted to his taste and talent.... As Larzer Ziff puts it, "A Poe character is never more insane than at the moment he begins to reason with us.... As for motif of madness he contrasted several insane and ...

• Word Count: 1406
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

According to literary researcher Patrick Galloway, one must be "initiated to her trademarks when reading Flannery O'Connor's novels or short stories." ... In this literary work, O'Connor uses symbolism in the choice of names, almost to the point of being ironic and humorous. ... Each one of these characters names, Hulga, Mrs. ... In the story, the names and personalities of the characters clash. ... Also, like the physical appearance of O'Connor's characters, Chaucer's characters were flawed, distorted, and exaggerated in order to prove a point (63-64). ...

• Word Count: 2129
• Approx Pages: 9
• Has Bibliography

She has created a style of writing that exists on both literary and religious grounds, and excels in doing justice to both. ... Her written thoughts on the subject disclose that she had devised a complete literary philosophy committed to blending the two into a distinctly fused energy to "prove the truth of the Faith." ... As for the excessive application of violence in her work, O'Connor's literary viewpoint permitted its use in assisting the portrayal of a greater image of sacred realism. ... Flannery treats violence as a means of transportation in which to reach a character...

• Word Count: 1784
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Sometimes society does not allow people to express their feelings and wants; this situation is clearly shown in Gilbert Sorrentino's literary work "The Moon in Its Flight ". Gilbert Sorrentino (April 27, 1929 " May 18, 2006) was an American novelist, short story writer, poet, literary critic and editor. ... Furthermore, the narrator anticipates what is going to happen next, for instance when we read: "Now I come to the literary part of this story, and the reader may prefer to let it go...". ... What makes the situation complex is that the characters do not control their own story, n...

• Word Count: 2096
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Two of his literary works, "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Tell-Tale Heart", are perfectly evident of Poe's style. ... Poe also produced some of the most influential literary criticism of his time. ... Poe got a job as a literary critic where he became well known as a great writer and important critic. ... The characters he wrote about are often dominated by their emotions. ... His views on literary criticism appealed and still appeal to the reading public. ...

• Word Count: 2349
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: High School

Cullen encouraged Baldwin to participate in the school's literary club, which he was the advisor of Baldwin was enchanted by Cullen's warmth (Smith 236). ... When his stepfather dies in 1943, Baldwin moved to Greenwich Village to pursue his literary dreams. ... According to Brooke Horvath, Baldwin "desires to succeed on the basis of literary style and the humanity of his characters rather than in terms of successful polemic" (207). ... Sonny is a main character in this story. ... There are the sexual interactions of the other homosexual and heterosexual characters. ...

• Word Count: 1511
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography

to accomplish a host of literary objectives. ... Although other characters emerge throughout the story, the protagonist-antagonist relationship of Emily Grierson and the town of Jefferson is by far the most important element. ... The town of Jefferson is more than simply the setting; it is a character with a voice and values. And this town, understood as setting, character, and narrative voice, controls "A Rose for Emily" from opening through closing sentence. ... Nevertheless, it certainly enriches the literary experience. ...

• Word Count: 1291
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

To further implement this idea the characters have no super human powers or strengths, they seem to be average people ""My friend, no. ... Poe in this particular story used the first person participant narration in which the Montresor ("I") is narrating the story where other characters as well as Montresor participate. ... Poe's use of symbolism is very creative from the names of the characters to the types of wines named in the story. ... "The Cask of Amontillado" had extensive usage of many literary devices. ... Another literary device Poe used many times in this story was foreshadowing...

• Word Count: 2072
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Before he began his literary career he held many diverse jobs ranging from being a river boat pilot and an occasional gold miner to working as a journeyman printer. ... Many critics compare the activities and personalities of the townsfolk to various features of the American character. ... He portrayed the characters and the scenes in the story very well just as the critics had said and praised him for it. ... It seems as if he knew the characters personally and acted as if it were real in the story. ... Numerous critics have admired the literary structure of, "The Man That Corrupted Hadleybur...

• Word Count: 1459
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

Before he began his literary career he held many diverse jobs ranging from being a river boat pilot and an occasional gold miner to working as a journeyman printer. ... Many critics compare the activities and personalities of the townsfolk to various features of the American character. ... He portrayed the characters and the scenes in the story very well just as the critics had said and praised him for it. ... It seems as if he knew the characters personally and acted as if it were real in the story. ... Numerous critics have admired the literary structure of, "The Man That Corrupted Hadleybur...

• Word Count: 1459
• Approx Pages: 6
• Grade Level: High School

He received his first literary award, the World Fantasy Award, for "The Chimney- in 1978. ... Jack, the husband, is one of the two characters of the story. ... Campbell had to have mentally-weak and depressed characters in order to finish the story the way he did. He needed these types of characters to explain how depression can cause a man to go insane. ... Therefore, "The Sneering- exhibits three literary elements that contribute to the understanding of the story as does Campbell's life. ...

• Word Count: 1611
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

He uses his writings to get more people to understand the impact that society has had in the Indian character. ... Hence, Irving invites his audience to learn from the mistakes of his characters. ... Irving uses supernatural characters or events to engage the reader and build anticipation to the ending. ... In "The legend of Sleepy Hollow," Irving uses the legendary character of a headless mercenary to produce mystery and fear in both characters and readers. Ichabod Crane, main character ...

• Word Count: 2209
• Approx Pages: 9
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Although both provide entertaining examples of Faulkner's work in very similar settings, on the scale of literary value, "Spotted Horses" rises above "Mule in the Yard" in depth and insight. ... It is almost as if the reader might know the characters personally. Importantly, "Spotted Horses" deals with several more characters than "Mule in the Yard", which only has three significant characters. These characters are defined only by their actions through the objective narration. ... This different character development can be seen in examination of the character that the two stories h...

• Word Count: 1265
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

Shirley Jackson's The Lottery written in 1948 was a very well written piece of work that was very dependent on its characters to set the tone of the story. The director of the film version of The Lottery, filmed in the nineteen sixties, also used the characters to place the overall tone of the film. ... The film, however, in all its glory, did not catch all of Jackson's literary work completely untouched. ... Given the details of the story, one might question the education of the characters. ... Characters that were otherwise inanimate except for in our imaginations became mobile...

• Word Count: 1409
• Approx Pages: 6

The  doppelganger  is a literary technique in which a double (or look-alike) appears in the story as a representation of evil. 2. The doppelganger technique is a literary technique by which a character is duplicated (usually in the form of an alter ego, though sometimes as a ghostly counterpart) or divided into two distinct, usually opposite personalities. The use of this character device is widespread in nineteenth and twentieth-century literature and indicates a growing awareness among authors that the "self " is really a composite of many "selves ". ... In the same time, more critics wh...

• Word Count: 1909
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

Similarly, the odd behaviors of the unnamed main character in Mark Strand's "The Tunnel"" also lead one to conjecture the respectable and upright virtues of a character that we cannot help but to feel empathy and compassion for. As in any great literary work, both accounts engage the mind in such a way as to find a suitable explanation for their behaviors and their feelings. ... As Edgar Allan Poe chooses to indulge many emotions of the main character he draws the reader into an understanding of who the main character is and why he is drawn into such strong feelings and reactions. ... In ...

• Word Count: 1660
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Foreshadowing is a very interesting type of literary device. ... Usually it is the character of the story that gives out the clues but from time to time it may vary. Because foreshadowing usually comes in at the very beginning, you may not believe what the character tells you because you do not exactly know what kind of person he is, and if the character is some psychopath, obviously you are not going to believe him. ... As the story unfolds, the main character turns out to be a psychopath who doesn't know what he is talking about. ... Because of the crazy character, readers may not exact...

• Word Count: 1300
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

Although the story is fictional, the setting, the characters and the context which are developed are a portrayal of the time and place in which the author grew up. ... According to "A Handbook of Critical Approaches to Literature: Fourth Edition", the Historical-Biographical approach: "...sees a literary work chiefly, if not exclusively, as a reflection of the author's life and times or the life and times of the characters in the work" (Guerin, 22). ... Furthermore, , it is a nonlinear narrative since actions do not follow a traditional linear approach to introduce his charac...

• Word Count: 1289
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

Readers get the chance to look inside of his characters, at their hearts, souls, and minds; which under normal circumstances would be kept secret and hidden. ... Although feminism may not be Nathaniel Hawthorne's goal when writing, he has a distinct way in which he depicts his female characters. ... This point becomes apparent in several of his literary works. ... Nathaniel Hawthorne uses this stereotype when naming the main female character in this story "Faith." ... For instance, it could be describing this characters faithfulness to her husband. ...

• Word Count: 1338
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

In 1995 he launched his career as a novelist with Reservation Blues, an expanded version of the characters introduced in the previously mentioned collection. ... Alexie also uses cultural figures like Crazy Horse, Jesus Christ, Jimi Hendrix, and the Lone Ranger, to accentuate the complexities of his humble characters. ... He depicts numerous prominent characters in this collection, rather than just one or two dominant characters. ... Alexie uses the character Victor, who is nine years old, to explain this struggle. ... Alexie doesn't write about the destructive effects of alcohol on Indi...

• Word Count: 1573
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

It is through this that we see our main characters transition into a world that only she has access to. ... John, the antagonist character, enforces the inactivity that pushes her deeper into madness. According to the Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism, Volume 9 the real purpose of the story was to reach Dr. ... The conflict is the wallpaper, alive and a character in itself, that charges our main character's mind and helps her break free from the dull and husband driven life that she has been living. ... More like a mirror, the yellow wallpaper reflects what our main character is r...

• Word Count: 2055
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

Irving created a character with American traits that loves to help other people as well as their businesses. Irving's goal was to pass a story on to future generations of a character with the common virtues Americans should posses to their fellow countrymen. ... It creates themes and characters that take people out of their reality, and into a world where things are much simpler. As the main character, Van Winkle, being loved by all that know him is also a stagnant character. ... I do believe that each character in the story represents some sort of accurate portrayal by the colonists. ...

• Word Count: 1834
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

The social ideology in the story "Desiree's Baby- was powerful and dangerous and held no escape for any character. ... Maternal love and all the grief from losing loved ones were to be an attribute to the writing proficiency of this literary artist. ... The racism in the story is not discussed openly but is prudently mixed in with Armand's atrocious character and his evil soul. ... This suitor, Armand Aubigny was racist and wretched but the young bride was in love and looked past his flawed character. ... The death of his mother while living in France when he was eight years old may ...

• Word Count: 1926
• Approx Pages: 8