Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn: Key Themes Analysis
Context and Background
Mark Twain began writing the novel during the Reconstruction Era, after the Civil War had ended in 1865 and slavery was abolished in the United States. But even though slavery was abolished, the white majority oppressed the Black minority, leading to the Jim Crow Laws of 1876, which institutionalized racial segregation.
Setting and Symbolism
Freedom in the novel is symbolized by the North, where slavery is illegal, and by the West and the river. In America, this concept is very
Read MoreMemory, Truth, and Responsibility in The Sense of an Ending
Unreliability of Memory: Tony, the narrator, constantly questions his own memories. He says, “What you end up remembering isn’t always the same as what you have witnessed.” Barnes explores how memory is selective, distorted by time, emotion, and self-protection. This reflects a postmodern distrust of “truth” or any fixed narrative.
Subjective Truth & History: The novel challenges the idea that history is objective or complete. History, both personal and historical, is shown as being shaped
Read MoreKey Themes in Spanish Renaissance Poetry: Garcilaso and Fray Luis de León
Garcilaso de la Vega: Analysis of Sonnet III
Sonnet III: “Oh Sweet Garments, for My Ill-Fated Find”
This sonnet suggests Garcilaso maintained a relationship with Isabel Freyre, as he evokes memories of her while at home. The sonnet is structured in three distinct parts:
- Part 1 (Two Quartets): Evokes a happy past from a present where she is already dead. The speaker notes that her instant death took away all the good things, and he calls for it to take away all the bad things too.
- Part 2 (One Tercet)
Modernist Literature: A Reaction to 20th-Century Crisis
Modernism: A Response to a Turbulent Century
Historical Context: The Crisis of Western Civilization
The 20th century was a turbulent age. With the rise of modern industry, the economy developed rapidly, but people were mentally dominated by panic and were not free. The alienation between individuals and nature, society, others, and even the self was magnified. In World War I, human beings used the weapons invented by science and technology to massacre their own kind, and the concepts of freedom, love,
Read MoreIdentity and Distance in Thien’s ‘Simple Recipes’
Identity Reconstruction in ‘Simple Recipes’
In “Simple Recipes,” the author, Madeleine Thien, communicates the idea that individuals may need to distance themselves from familiar environments in order to break free from expectations and conventions, allowing them to reconstruct their own identity. Thien develops this central theme through three distinct perspectives:
- The narrator’s memories of her father’s traditions.
- Her brother’s open rebellion.
- Her own reflections as an adult.
Each perspective
Read MoreEdwardian Realism: Wells, Bennett, and Galsworthy’s Literary Legacy
The Realist Tradition in the Edwardian Period
Defining the Edwardian Era (1901–1910)
The Edwardian Period corresponds to the reign of Edward VII (1901–1910), preceding World War I (1900–1914). This era contrasted sharply with the preceding Victorian age, characterized by continued prosperity, confidence, and literary experimentation.
Key Edwardian Authors: Henry James, Joseph Conrad, E.M. Forster.
Traditional Edwardian Themes
- The Empire as a source of national pride.
- The countryside as the custodian