Analyzing Identity and Culture in “Jonny Appleseed” and “Mr. & Mrs. Iyer”
Jonny Appleseed: A Coming-of-Age Story
Jonny Appleseed (2018) is a coming-of-age story written by Joshua Whitehead, a Two-Spirit member of Peguis First Nation who studied Indigenous literatures and cultures focused on gender and sexuality. The novel is a love letter to the Indigenous queer community and Indigenous women, in which the author, through lyricism, narrates the story of a queer and Indigenous character in the form of poetic prose. Jonny Appleseed, the main character, is a Two-Spirit Indigiqueer
Read MoreMedieval Literature: Lyric Poetry and Clergy
Personality and Character of El Cid
Almost all characters are grouped in factions. The character of El Cid projects the image of a great hero, unjustly fallen. Until the recovery of his lost honor and heritage, he, part of the lower nobility, acts like a man of great personality, nobler than most of the aristocracy. His fame is rooted in the exercise of his virtues and heroic behavior. The portrait of the protagonist of the song gives us the ideal image of a man driven by the springs of moderation,
Read MoreFrankenstein: Character Analysis and Key Players
Frankenstein: Character Analysis
Here’s a look at the key characters in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein:
Victor Frankenstein
The protagonist and narrator of a significant portion of the story. Studying in Ingolstadt, Victor discovers the secret of life and creates a sentient but grotesque creature. He recoils from his creation in horror. Victor keeps the monster’s creation a secret, feeling increasingly guilty and ashamed as he realizes he is powerless to prevent the monster from destroying his life and
Read MoreAnalyzing Maya Angelou’s ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’
Maya Angelou’s ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ Analysis
This poem powerfully expresses the voice of African Americans and their longing and struggle for freedom.
Summary
The poem features two birds. The first bird is free, representing white Americans. The second bird is caged, representing African Americans. The free bird enjoys dignity, greatness, and infinite possibilities, while the caged bird experiences fear, longing, and subjugation. The free bird continues to enjoy life and broaden its horizons,
Read MoreKey Texts in Post-War American Literature
Beat Generation
- Jack Kerouac – On the Road
- Allen Ginsberg – Howl
New Journalism
- Tom Wolfe – The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
Surfiction
- Thomas Pynchon – The Crying of Lot 49
Postmodern Fiction
- Paul Auster – City of Glass
Postmodern Poetry
- Frank O’Hara – Lunch Poems (New York School)
- Barrett Watten – Plasma (Language Poetry)
- Lyn Hejinian–My Life– (Language Poetry)
African American Literature
- LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka)– Black Art
- Toni Cade Bambara – The Lesson
- Claudia Rankine – Citizen: An American
Jaime Gil de Biedma: War, Childhood, and Poetic Evolution
Jaime Gil de Biedma: A Life Shaped by War and Poetry
Jaime Gil de Biedma was born in 1929 into a family of Spanish gentry. He studied law in Barcelona and Salamanca. His poetry evolved from intimate early poems to social commitment. He avoided Surrealism and sought a contemporary language. His life was marked by his homosexuality, pessimism, and self-destructive intimate experiences. In 1974, he suffered a crisis that led him to withdraw from literary life. He was a leading member of the School of
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