Central Themes Essays

  • A Critical Analysis of the Poetry of Marvell

    657 Words  | 2 Pages

    identifiable techniques and images. Of the latter, The Garden features many of Marvell's staple ingredients. Central to the entire poem is the idea of pure nature, of a world without the intrusion of mankind: Marvell's own Eden. In his poetry, he takes every opportunity to extol the virtues of a type of hermitage, of being at peace with oneself and the universe as a whole; this can also be seen as central themes in poems...

  • Disillusionment in All My Sons by Arthur Miller

    617 Words  | 2 Pages

    Disillusionment in All My Sons by Arthur Miller One of the central themes of All My Sons is the disillusionment of the young, and this theme can be traced through the character Chris, who comes to be disenchanted with his family, society and himself by realizing that none of these is as moral as he once believed. When he finally finds out through questioning his father that his father is, in fact, guilty of knowingly shipping out the cracked cylinder heads, he says to his father “What the hell

  • The Knowledge Explosion

    971 Words  | 2 Pages

    education are moving educators toward adoption of an integrated curriculum. What is now referred to as the integrated curriculum was once known as interdisciplinary studies. Integration focuses on the organization of central themes or concepts combining several subjects. These themes, or concepts, allow students to interconnect information between subject areas. Giving students this skill will enable them to combine information in large quantities, assess the quality and validity of information, and

  • William Gibson’s Neuromancer Fits the Definition of Cyberpunk

    839 Words  | 2 Pages

    Science Fiction - Preface from Mirrorshades”, to illustrate how Neuromancer follows the cyberpunk category. The first part of the definition is the “certain central themes [that] come up repeatedly in cyberpunk. The theme of body invasion: prosthetic limbs, implanted circuitry, cosmetic surgery, genetic alteration. The even more powerful theme of mind invasion: brain - computer interfaces, artificial intelligence, neurochemistry - techniques radically redefining the nature of humanity, the nature

  • The Warmest December

    1270 Words  | 3 Pages

    forgiveness after a troubled past as it pertains to both The Warmest December and other books we have read, specifically Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Dandicat. Recovery and forgiveness are central themes in The Warmest December. Kenzie is challenged by both and eventually realizes that the two themes are dependant on each other. It is clear from the beginning as Kenzie visits the hospital that she wants to forgive her father, even if it's not true forgiveness, but the kind that will allow her

  • To Kill a Mockingbird - Theme of Innocence

    510 Words  | 2 Pages

    To Kill a Mockingbird - Theme of Innocence Innocence is a time when a person has never done something, it is the first step of the theme of innocence to experience. The second step in the movement from innocence to experience, is experience. This step is what is achieved after a person or thing has done something they have never done before or learns something they have never know before. The theme of growth from innocence to experience occurs many times in the first part of To Kill a Mockingbird

  • Degeneration of Kurtz, Colonialism, and Imperialism in Heart of Darkness

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    a portrait of the degeneration of the ideal of Kurtz symbolizing the degeneration of the ideal of colonialism as 'civilizing work'. The fading of the idealist mirage of 'civilizing work' in Africa has to be one of the central themes of Heart of Darkness. This theme forms the background of the whole story, from beginning to end, before the character of Kurtz is even introduced. The focus of Heart of Darkness is not on the direct effect of the colonial presence on the native population

  • A Comparison of The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables

    3620 Words  | 8 Pages

    different, the central themes and Hawthorne's style are closely related (Carey, p. 62). American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne is most famous for his books THE SCARLET LETTER and THE HOUSE OF THE SEVEN GABLES, which are closely related in theme, the use of symbolism, characterization, and style. The central themes in The Scarlet Letter and The House of the Seven Gables are very similar as they indicate Hawthorne's ideals through writing. Throughout both of these novels, the theme of heart vs

  • Inner Truths in The House of the Seven Gables

    930 Words  | 2 Pages

    based on "mere fact."  Because he held himself to be a romance writer, inner truths were elemental themes in The House of the Seven Gables. The truths that he conceived, and expressed, in the story range from the concept that death and suffering do not discriminate based on one’s position in society to the karmic effects one generation may have on those of future generations. Hawthorne saw these themes as important concepts that went beyond simple didactic commentaries. As a romance writer he wanted

  • Comparing John Locke and Thomas Hobbes

    1267 Words  | 3 Pages

    The formation of government is one of the central themes for both Hobbes and Locke. Whether or not men naturally form a government, or must form a government, is based on man’s basic nature. According to Hobbes, a government must be formed to preserve life and prevent loss of property. According to Locke, a government arises to protect life and property. Governments are born of inequality and formed to administer equality. Hobbes goes into a lot of detail concerning man’s interactions with one another

  • Humanity in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    Humanity in Ridley Scott's Blade Runner The issue of humanity is one of the central themes in "Blade Runner." Countless arguments have taken place over whether or not Deckard is a replicant. The replicants are supposed to be "better humans than humans." Director Ridley Scott has many ways to communicate this theme, but one of the most prevalent is eyes. Human eyes are featured both in the beginning of the film and near the end. After a brief introductory text crawl which explains the world

  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - The Importance of Atticus Finch

    714 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Importance of Atticus Finch in To Kill A Mockingbird The core character of a novel is responsible for maintaining the stability of society within the novel, exhibiting qualities of a true hero, and constantly emphasizing the novel’s central themes.  In the classic, To Kill A Mockingbird, Atticus Finch serves as the core of the novel by displaying a character of stability, humility, and high moral standards. Atticus Finch is a character of stability in an unstable society.  He is a balanced

  • Light and Dark in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness

    731 Words  | 2 Pages

    Darkness is a tragic tale of the white man's journey into the African jungle. When we peel away the layers, however, a different journey is revealed - we venture into the soul of man, complete with the warts as well as the wonderful. Conrad uses this theme of light and darkness to contrast the civilized European world with the savage African world in Heart of Darkness. In Heart of Darkness, Conrad uses light and dark to symbolize good and evil, respectively. "It is whiteness that is truly sinister

  • Jumping Mouse

    1147 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Jumping Mouse” The story Jumping Mouse is a Native American tale that is told with many central themes in mind. The story was most likely told to a wide ranged age group. So with the multiple themes it most likely was design to touch home with all ages in some form or another. One of the more central themes however was the importance of the situations and animals that help Jumping Mouse on his journey. The animals that he meets are much the same as people and situations we have met or well meet

  • Nuala Ní Dhomhnaill’s The Astrakhan Cloak

    2383 Words  | 5 Pages

    overall sense of mystery, wonder, and loss. A significant theme of the poems in the collection is the dichotomy of the supernatural and civilized worlds, and the sense that there are forces in the world just beyond our perception and understanding. In general the poems presented are short, but the final inclusion is a longer poem divided into sections, each somewhat able stand on its own. Read as a whole the final poem underscores the central themes presented in the book. Ní Dhomhnaill wrote the collection

  • Inspector Goole

    2486 Words  | 5 Pages

    Can a simple inspection turn people’s minds around? Well, Inspector Goole certainly turned the Birling’s mind around, by inspecting them one by one. During his inspection we see the effect he has on the play. He represents Priestley’s central themes, and sends a message to the audience, stating that everything we do or say can affect other people’s lives. And by his mysterious appearance we are able to see that he plays an important role in the play. The Inspector helps moves the story forward.

  • Hip Hop and the Black Urban Experience

    1173 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hip Hop and the Black Urban Experience From its conception, hip hop has been branded as music for uneducated street hoods. But, the debut album of the obscure group, Midnight Voices, shatters this stereotype with its thought-provoking commentary on the Black experience in urban America. Featuring saxophone, keyboards, guitar, bass, and percussion, along with the scratches and cuts typically found in rap, Midnight Voices delivers its urgent message of racial injustice with its equally impressive

  • Death, Illness and Decay in William Shakespeare's Hamlet

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    to compromise with evil. Near the end of Act I, Scene IV, as Marcellus and Horatio are deciding to secretly follow Hamlet and the ghost, Marcellus remarks “something is rotten in the state of Denmark.” Death, illness and decay are one of the central themes throughout the play. Hamlet begins with some of the guards on watch seeing an apparition of the recently deceased king, father of Hamlet, in Act I, Scene I. Soon afterwards, in Scene V, we learn that according to the ghost, King Claudius killed

  • Animal Farm, by George Orwell

    985 Words  | 2 Pages

    The main purpose of satire is to attack, and intensely criticise the target subject. This is superbly carried out in the classic piece of satire, Animal Farm. The main targets at the brunt of this political satire are the society that was created in Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, and the leaders involved in it. George Orwell successfully condemns these targets through satirical techniques such as irony, fable, and allegory. The immediate object of attack in Orwell's political satire

  • Good vs. Evil in John Cheever's The Five-Forty-Eight

    1310 Words  | 3 Pages

    Five-Forty-Eight John Cheever was an award winning American author of the twentieth century. His work often possessed 'psychological and religious vision' with central themes of 'sin, deception, and redemption' (Kennedy, 551). Cheever's short story entitled 'The Five-Forty-Eight' portrays a struggle of good vs. evil. Following the themes of sin, deception, and redemption, we read of a young woman (good) seeking revenge for the evil done to her. Through the course of the story the reader can distinguish