The Literary Girl

Symbolism of the audiotapes in Cathedral by Raymond Carver

“Cathedral” by Raymond Carver: Symbolism in the Audio Tapes and What they Reveal about each Character

Raymond Carver’s 1983 short story Cathedral is about awakening and eye-opening experiences that go beyond the physical world. It vividly illustrates the difference between merely looking and seeing; hearing and…

The Literary Girl March 1, 2023

Short stories

Montressor as a Keen Observer of Human Behavior and Psychology: “The Cask Of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe.

If you’ve read more of Edgar Allan Poe, then you’ll not be surprised by the horror that is the short story “The Cask of Amontillado.” Other short stories that he…

The Literary Girl May 18, 2021

Book Reviews Short stories

Layers and Layers of Experience: “Stone Mattress” by Margaret Atwood

Our life experiences eventually shape who we become. As it is with human nature, some of these experiences we can control, while others we can’t. So we react. But the…

The Literary Girl December 5, 2020

Poems

“A Massive Dying Off” by Camille T. Dungy- A Poem Analysis

A review: Everyday we hear about the dying coral reefs in Australia, the Amazon forest fires, the massive number of ocean animals washing ashore with stomachs full of plastics. But…

The Literary Girl August 21, 2020

Short stories

Tying Symbolism and Irony in “Our Christmas Reunion” by Edward Chinhanhu

When the African continent, and especially the Southern region, was grappling with HIV/AIDS pandemic, SIDA, in collaboration with the University of Cape Town, used literature to raise awareness by showing…

The Literary Girl July 29, 2020

Poems

The Theme of Regret in ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost

Robert Frost's famous poem 'The Road Not Taken' has been anthologized in plentiful collections and quoted in a multitude of settings, some without even knowing it. Motivational speakers, pastors, promotion,…

The Literary Girl May 25, 2020

Short stories

The Themes of Friendship and Loyalty in O’Henry’s “After Twenty Years”

O'Henry is arguably the master of twist endings. Each of his plot twist catches the reader more off guard than the previous. Whether it is Della and Jim finding out…

The Literary Girl December 31, 2019

Short stories

Hints of Evil: How Shirley Jackson Foreshadows the True Meaning of “The Lottery”

Nearly everyone who reads Shirley Jackson's short story The Lottery cannot even begin to fathom the true meaning of the lottery until it has already happened. The shock that we…

The Literary Girl November 21, 2019

Empathizing with the culprit- Lamb to the Slaughter Roald Dahl

Short stories

Empathizing with the Culprit- “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl

A murder most foul, an unlikely culprit, and a leg of lamb served to the detectives. Through all these, readers are still likely to associate more with the culprit than…

The Literary Girl October 17, 2019

Short stories

Universal Storytelling in Zadie Smith’s “Two Men Arrive in a Village”

In her interview with the New Yorker right after publishing the short story 'Two Men Arrive in A Village,' Zadie Smith discussed, among other things, the inspiration for this story.…

The Literary Girl May 9, 2019

“Cathedral” by Raymond Carver: Symbolism in the Audio Tapes and What they Reveal about each Character

Montressor as a Keen Observer of Human Behavior and Psychology: “The Cask Of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe.

Layers and Layers of Experience: “Stone Mattress” by Margaret Atwood

“A Massive Dying Off” by Camille T. Dungy- A Poem Analysis

Tying Symbolism and Irony in “Our Christmas Reunion” by Edward Chinhanhu

The Theme of Regret in ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost

The Themes of Friendship and Loyalty in O’Henry’s “After Twenty Years”

Hints of Evil: How Shirley Jackson Foreshadows the True Meaning of “The Lottery”

Empathizing with the Culprit- “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl

Universal Storytelling in Zadie Smith’s “Two Men Arrive in a Village”

Symbolism and Symbolic Objects in “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker

13 Literary Analysis Questions and Answers on “The Knowers” by Helen Phillips

What’s in a Name? ‘Last, First, Middle’ by Joseph Azam in “The Displaced”

19 of the Best “The Kite Runner” Quotes by Khaled Hosseini (With Theme Analysis & Page Numbers)

A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies… The man who never reads lives only one. - George R. R. Martin, A Dance of Dragons