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[Novel] The Power of Words in "The Book Thief"

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  In  The Book Thief  by Markus Zusak, the power of words is felt throughout the novel.   Narrated by Death, The Book Thief is the story of Liesel Meminger, a nine-year-old German girl who is given up by her mother to live with Hans and Rosa Hubermann in the small town of Molching in 1939, shortly before World War II.  Liesel attends the local school where she is bullied because she cannot read. Hans teaches her to read at night, Liesel quickly understands the power of the written word and falls in love with books. The novel is set in Germany during World War II, under Hitler’s regime.   Because Liesel Meminger is living in the middle of Hitler’s influence. His words are controlling large groups of people. Germany is at war with people who do not fit the prescribed model of a person. Jewish people are being rounded up and taken to be executed and a young Jewish man comes to live with the Hubermann, Max. During this war that began from words, Liesel learns the power of words in a dif
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[Poem] Aboriginal Charter of Rights

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Aboriginal Charter of Rights By: Oodgeroo Noonuccal We want hope, not racialism, Brotherhood, not ostracism, Black advance, not white ascendance: Make us equals, not dependants. We need help, not exploitation, We want freedom, not frustration; Not control, but self-reliance, Independence, not compliance, Not rebuff, but education, Self-respect, not resignation. Free us from a mean subjection, From a bureaucrat Protection. Let's forget the old-time slavers: Give us fellowship, not favours; Encouragement, not prohibitions, Homes, not settlements and missions. We need love, not overlordship, Grip of hand, not whip-hand wardship; Opportunity that places White and black on equal basis. You dishearten, not defend us, Circumscribe, who should befriend us. Give us welcome, not aversion, Give us choice, not cold coercion, Status, not discrimination, Human rights, not segregation. You the law, like Roman Pontius, Make us proud, not colour-conscious; Give the d
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[Novel] Moral Problems Regarding Human Cloning in "Never Let Me Go"

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  Through the eyes of Kathy H., we are guided through her experiences as a clone growing up in an institution meant to rear the students in human environments.  Ishiguro’s novel was not written as a means to argue the ethics of cloning, however, his novel Never Let Me Go serves as a reference for the bioethical debate. Kathy H.’s narration can help answer the questions of how biologically engineered beings should be treated in relation to their classification as humans, as Ishiguro attempts to define humanity through the eyes of a Kathy H., a clone with experiences much like that of any other ordinary human. The story does not intend to give the novel a futuristic feel, in fact the novel centers on the experience of the narrator and her fellow clones rather than focusing on the scientific aspect of their creation. Never Let Me Go is essentially Ishiguro’s warning that we could potentially outgrow our moral values and become a cold and heartless society of people who live in a harsh
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Feminist Literary Criticism

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  Rebecca West's work on women suffrage from approximately 1910, can be traced as the beginning of the feminist criticism movement. In addition to West's work, Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own from 1929 is an integral text to the movement. Prominent feminist literary critics include Isobel Armstrong, Nancy Armstrong, Barbara Bowen, Jennifer DeVere Brody, Laura Brown, Margaret Anne Doody, Eva Figes, Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar, Annette Kolodny, Anne McClintock, Anne K. Mellor, Nancy K. Miller, Toril Moi, Felicity Nussbaum, Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, Hortense Spillers, Gayatri Spivak, Irene Tayler, Marina Warner. Modern feminist literary criticism finds its roots in the 1960s second-wave feminist movements. Beginning with the interrogation of male-centric literature that portrayed women in a demeaning and oppressed model, theorist such as Mary Ellman, Kate Millet and Germaine Greer challenged past imaginations of the feminine within literary scholarship. Elain Show
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[Novel] Commodity Fetishism Reflected in "The Hobbit"

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  The Hobbit  is a novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. The story of The Hobbit revolves around the hobbit, the dwarves, the elves, the wizards, goblins, trolls, and other fantasy creatures. Even though the characters in the hobbit are not played by humans, but they possess feelings and behavior as human beings in general.  In The Hobbit  wealth and social position are very influential.  These proved by a storyline that tells the story of the seizure of gold so it can rebuild the city that has been destroyed and also achieving high positions in society. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit  in a difficult situation in England. The book itself was first published on September 21, 1937. After World War I Britain experienced Great Depression. Where social, political and economic development in Britain was not good.  The Hobbit  mirroring the condition of that time where businesses went bankrupt and caused the unemployment increased. In such circumstances there would be a lot of people looking for property to im
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[Short Story] Mother’s Fantasy in "A Pair of Silk Stockings"

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“A Pair of Silk Stockings” was written by Kate Chopin in 1896 during a period of intense feminist activity in the United States. It explores the theme of a woman searching for a balance between responsibility for family and personal satisfaction. Kate Chopin introduces us to Mrs. Sommers, a thrifty and unselfish mother who knows the value of bargains. However, by the end of the story, having been subdued by the intensity of materialism due to the possession of an unexpected fortune, she is transformed into an egocentric woman who spends lavishly on extravagant objects. Mrs. Sommers then enjoys her experience with this vast sum of money, which includes splurging on a pair of silk stockings, having gloves fitted in a department store, buying an expensive pair of boots and also buying glossy magazines. She also goes to a nice restaurant to have a meal, and then goes to the theater. Mrs. Sommers takes in the entire experience of the theater, the play, the people, the surroundings etc. She
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[Novel] Genocide Stages in "The Book Thief" and "Between Shades of Gray"

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             The stages of genocide proposed by Stanton (1998) reflected in The Book Thief and Between Shades of Gray as follows. 1. Classification During the Holocaust Hitler divided the Germans and the Jews which is featured in The Book Thief . Hitler favored his ideal Aryan race (blonde hair, blue eyes, and pure German blood) the stereotype of Jews being the opposite of that, put them in grave danger. Rudy Steiner is mentioned as having hair the color of lemons, and considered lucky to not have and resemblance to a Jew. As Zusak describes it in the novel "He was eight month older than Liesel and had bony legs, sharp teeth, gangly blue eyes, and hair the color of a lemon" (48). Rudy has the ideal Aryan race that is blonde hair with blue eyes. In Between Shades of Gray , classification is shown by the three Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. As described in the novel, “They've deported people from Estonia and Latvia too” (Chapter 32). Stalin wants to t
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