Don Quixote: Structure, Themes, and Modern Novel Creation
Argument and Structure of Don Quixote
The novel is divided into two main parts:
Part One: The First and Second Sallies
An old man, crazed by reading chivalric romances, decides to set out with his horse for the first sally. He arrives at an inn he mistakes for a castle, where he is mockingly dubbed a knight. He then returns home, acquires a squire, Sancho Panza, and begins the second sally. After several events, Quixote’s neighbors, concerned about his state, manage to trick him into returning home.
Read MoreMary Wollstonecraft: Life, Legacy, and A Vindication of the Rights of Woman
Mary Wollstonecraft: Pioneer of Feminist Philosophy
Mary Wollstonecraft is recognized as one of the first feminist philosophers in history.
She is most famous for writing the book titled A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. She was also associated with figures representing the Enlightenment, a period that emphasized the power of human reason and science over religion. (The text notes her connection to Voltaire, a French writer, historian, philosopher, and lawyer, and a main representative of the
Read MoreMedieval and Renaissance Spanish Literature: Key Works and Themes
The Reconquista and the End of the Middle Ages
The Reconquista, a process that gradually unfolded between several Christian and Muslim kingdoms, characterizes this period in the Iberian Peninsula.
- It concluded in 1492, when the Catholic Monarchs took Granada, the last territory occupied by Muslims.
- That same year, the Jews were permanently expelled from the mainland.
Popular Literature (11th and 12th Centuries)
During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, literature was limited, transmitted orally, and
Read MoreLinguistic History of English: PIE Roots, Periods, and Major Influences
The History of the English Language
Linguistic Background: Proto-Indo-European (PIE)
All the languages discussed are genetically related since they are all descendants of one parent language, Proto-Indo-European (PIE). Major branches include:
- Germanic
- Italic
- Celtic
The lineage leading to English is: Germanic → West Germanic → Anglo-Frisian Group → English.
The reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language was a synthetic language with a rich inflectional morphology.
The majority of roots of Proto-Indo-
Read MoreSymbolism in Persepolis and the Critique of the American Dream
Analyzing Symbolism and Meaning in Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis
Question: Authors often use symbols to convey meaning and produce an effect on the reader. Analyze these in Persepolis.
In literary works, authors use certain symbols to convey meaning and to produce an effect on the readers. In the graphic novel Persepolis, the symbols that the author uses are based on the Islamic Revolution. These symbols allow for different forms of perception, given that the expectations and way of life for Iranian
Read MoreMastering TOEFL Writing: Essential Essay Templates
Integrated Essay Writing Strategy
Structure of the Integrated Essay
The article (reading passage) and the lecture are structured the same way. The passage presents an introduction plus three body paragraphs, each containing a different argument. The lecture then refutes these arguments in the same sequential order.
Introduction Template
- The reading and the lecture are both about _____.
- The author of the reading feels that ______.
- The lecturer challenges the claims made by the author.
- He is of the opinion