The Kite Runner (2003) by Khaled Hosseini is a raw and deeply affecting book that will stay with me for a long time. The novel follows the life of Amir, a Pashtun boy, as a kid chasing kites in the peaceful 1950s Afghanistan, to his family’s escape in the 70s to Pakistan, and eventual resettling… Continue reading 19 of the Best “The Kite Runner” Quotes by Khaled Hosseini (With Theme Analysis & Page Numbers)
The Yellow Wallpaper (1892) by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a short story about a woman's descent into madness because her doctor husband downplays her mental illness. The story is also an ideal illustration of the 19th century society’s view of mental illness, and clear criticism of the rest cure that was often administered to patients… Continue reading Mental Health and Self-Agency: Themes In ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
How do you tell your children about life and all its realities? How do you explain the fact that life is as evil as it is good? In Maggie Smith’s 2016 viral poem “Good Bones” the speaker resolves to keep the terrible part from her children and offer hope of making the world beautiful instead.… Continue reading “Good Bones” by Maggie Smith Poem Analysis: Exploring the Theme of Realism
The 1825 Romantic era poem "Work Without Hope" by Samuel Taylor is a lamentation of a man who lacks an object to place his hope and thus, wonders aimlessly and directionless amid nature. While slightly unconventional for a sonnet, the poem begins with the speaker romanticizing nature and how it seems busy going on with… Continue reading “Work Without Hope” Poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: Using Contrast to Emphasize Lack of Hope
Summary Kate Chopin’s (1850-1904) short story “The Story of an Hour” narrates events that happen within an hour. Louise Mallard is a young, calm, and frail woman who suffers from a heart disease. On this day, Louise learns from her sister Josephine and a family friend, Richards, that her husband, Brently Mallard, has died. She… Continue reading “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin Literary Analysis: Plot, Themes, Characters, Setting, and Symbolism
Thomas Hardy’s (1840-1928) poem The Man He Killed is a lyrical monologue of a soldier who has returned from war. He’s speaking about the war to his friends and native villagers in a pub. In its 1902 original publication in Harper's Weekly magazine, the poem’s setting is a scene inside the Foxx Inn pub. Hardy… Continue reading War and its Irrationality as Themes in Thomas Hardy’s Poem“The Man He Killed”
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 listening that creates a connection. The author portrays this so well through the main theme of blindness and other symbolic elements. And more notably, the… Continue reading “Cathedral” by Raymond Carver: Symbolism in the Audio Tapes and What they Reveal about each Character
Eventually, our life experiences 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. However, the ways we choose to react with love, hurt, or forgive are all our choices. "Stone Mattress" is Margaret Atwood’s latest collection of short fiction that… Continue reading Layers and Layers of Experience: “Stone Mattress” by Margaret Atwood
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, and award speeches all tout its main theme of individualism and 'following your own path'. How they took a different career path or made an… Continue reading The Theme of Regret in ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost
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