Hawthorne's Portrayal of Puritanical Hypocrisy Throughout time, there have been many great American novelists and short story writers. To some, Nathaniel Hawthorne has earned both of these titles. From writing several successful novels, and many short stories, Hawthorne has introduced the way of life in Puritanical America to many readers. Along with his views on this culture, Hawthorne uses irony, tales of witchcraft, and the concepts of guilt, confession, and hypocrisy to show his feelings on the Puritanical society and the way they treat other people. He does this by using primar...

• Word Count: 3188
• Approx Pages: 13
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

What was Daphne Du Maurier attempting in "The Birds" and does she succeed? In the short story "The Birds", Daphne Du Maurier tells us about how humans have a false superiority. They think that they are the most intelligent race in the world but by the end of the story we realize just how small and useless we actually are against nature. This makes me feel genuinely frightened because Du Maurier makes the prospect of nature being able to wipe out mankind, very realistic. This apocalyptic story contains many techniques used by Du Maurier to highlight the themes and ideas behind it. ...

• Word Count: 4431
• Approx Pages: 18
• Grade Level: High School

In the short story "The Birds", Daphne Du Maurier tells us about how humans have a false superiority. They think that they are the most intelligent race in the world but by the end of the story we realize just how small and useless we actually are against nature. This makes me feel genuinely frightened because Du Maurier makes the prospect of nature being able to wipe out mankind, very realistic. This apocalyptic story contains many techniques used by Du Maurier to highlight the themes and ideas behind it. Nature causes the destruction of mankind by attacking people in a way that they th...

• Word Count: 4405
• Approx Pages: 18
• Grade Level: High School

The first publication of the short story "Cathedral" was in the March, 1981, issue of Atlantic Monthly. It was selected to appear in "The Best American Short Stories, 1982," and became the title story in the 1983 collection, Cathedral. This volume was very well-received by critics and readers alike, receiving nominations for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pulitzer Prize. Many critics note a shift in Carver's work between the publication of What We Talk About When We Talk About Love and Cathedral, and many believe that Carver reached the zenith of his career with this co...

• Word Count: 11148
• Approx Pages: 45
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School