Essays: English

Introduction This essay explores Jonathan Swift’s critique of the Enlightenment ideals in his seminal work, *Gulliver’s Travels* (1726). The Enlightenment, a philosophical movement of ...

Introduction Edmund Spenser’s *Epithalamion* (1595), a meticulously crafted wedding song, stands as one of the most celebrated works of English Renaissance poetry. Written to ...

Introduction This essay explores the complex character of Shylock in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, questioning whether he should be regarded as a ...

Introduction Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice,” first published in 1813, remains a seminal work in English literature, offering a sharp critique of early 19th-century ...

Introduction This essay explores the novel *Tears of a Tiger* by Sharon M. Draper, published in 1994, through the lens of a 10th-grade student ...

Introduction This essay explores the complex interplay of salvation and damnation in Christopher Marlowe’s *Doctor Faustus*, a seminal work of Elizabethan drama first performed ...

Introduction This essay explores the significant influence of Mitch’s father on the decisions made by Mitch, the protagonist of Carl Deuker’s novel *Gym Candy* ...

Introduction Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, first published in 1818, is a seminal Gothic novel that explores themes of creation, ambition, and the consequences of transgressing ...

Introduction Mary Shelley’s *Frankenstein* (1818) presents Victor Frankenstein as a central figure whose ambition and scientific curiosity drive the narrative, yet his character is ...

Introduction Tanya Shirley’s poem “Poetry at an Overseas Prison” offers a visceral and haunting exploration of vulnerability, cultural identity, and the power of art ...