Pynchon uses imagery and symbolism to depict the inability to understand. ... Pynchon uses symbolism and imagery to illustrate the ramifications of hiding the truth. ... Pynchon continues his symbolism when Hilarious describes the "dark shapes". ... Bringing the symbol to life and giving it the knowledge to strike at Oedipa's most sensitive areas shows the struggle she undertakes to understand them. ...

• Word Count: 3055
• Approx Pages: 12
• Grade Level: High School

"All's fair in love and war" said Francis Edward Smedley. Such could be the summarization of - according to critics - the greatest classic of our time, L.N. Tolstoy's War and Peace. Themes of dedication to one's homeland, war strategies, fate, bravery, rebirth, religion and love are po...

• Word Count: 2809
• Approx Pages: 11
• Grade Level: High School

The "Revolution" in Literature During the 19th/20th Centuries An influential English Modernist Virginia Woolf once said, "On or about December 1910, the world changed". This statement is regarding the drastic change in the culture of society with the beginning of exploration of the meaning of life and the patterns that society are prone to following. This brought about curiosity and the religious affiliated explanations were no longer sufficient. The dissatisfaction for many, and believing mindlessly in something with no real evidence was intolerable. Society's ...

• Word Count: 3767
• Approx Pages: 15
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate