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A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess | Summary & Analysis
A Clockwork Orange is a 1962 novel by British author Anthony Burgess. Set in a violent dystopian world, A Clockwork Orange's plot charts the attempted rehabilitation of its main character, Alex, a teenager, under the direction of government authorities. Treated with aversion therapy at a government-run psychiatric hospital, the rehabilitation of Alex ultimately fails, bringing the novel's themes of totalitarianism, or unchecked government power, and free will, the ability of humans to guide their own destinies, into focus. The book was written in a mix of English and American slang combined wi
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf | Summary, Themes & Analysis
A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf is a multi-chapter essay detailing the challenges women writers have faced throughout history, as well as ways to remedy them. Based on two different lectures Woolf gave in 1928 at Newnham and Girton Colleges at Cambridge University, the work posits that women, in order to achieve greatness and equality in literary culture, must have both the financial resources and the time and space in the form of "a room of one's own" to create great literature.
Pelops History, Facts & Death
Pelops is a Greek mythological figure who plays a large role both on Olympus and in the human world as a King of the Peloponnesus area of Greece. The son of Tantalus, he is killed by his father only to be restored by the gods. He becomes a beloved mortal of the sea god Poseidon before marrying Hippodamia and becoming ruler of her father Oenomaus' domain by sabotaging the older man's chariot with the help of his charioteer, Myrtilus, to whom he makes false promises. When Pelops kills Myrtilus by throwing him into the sea, he curses Pelops and his descendants, including his son Atreus. This curs
Bellona: Roman Goddess of War History & Beliefs | Who was Bellona?
Bellona, the Roman goddess of war, is one of the more minor gods in the Roman belief system, often described as a woman wearing armor and a helmet. She was also known as Duellona. While most of what is known about the goddess of war in Roman mythology comes from inscriptions rather than surviving works of art from the Roman age, she is usually depicted as carrying a spear or sword, a bloody whip, or a flaming red torch. Also considered the blood goddess, she is associated with the bloodshed, rage, and the violence of warfare. Bellona, goddess of war, is often connected to the Roman god of war,
Who Was Guinevere? - Character & Stories
Guinevere appears frequently in Arthurian legends and tales as the wife of King Arthur. Arthurian legends, which have their roots in Welsh folk tales, manifested as numerous retellings in the culture, both as oral tales before 1100, then later, written works of verse and prose throughout Europe in several languages, . Arthurian legends depict King Arthur as the head of the knights of The Round Table, a body of soldiers in search of the Holy grail and other religious relics during the Crusades.
William Blake: The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell is a short book containing poetry, prose, and hand-colored illustrations that was published in England in 1793. Blake, a poet and printmaker, created the work in response to Emmanuel Swedenborg's Heaven and Hell, published in 1758.
Children’s Science and Nature Books
Science and nature books written for young audiences in the 19th century were often devoted to the plant and animal world. These books were usually written for older children and featured hand-drawn, engraved illustrations of animals and plants. More picture-oriented books were created for younger readers after the turn of the 20th century. A popular trend in early science and nature books for young readers were lessons relayed through fictional stories of children making new discoveries in n...
Introduction to D.H. Lawrence: His Works and Controversy
D.H. Lawrence was a British novelist, poet, and playwright in the early 20th Century. A key member of the Modernist movement, Lawrence is known for his themes regarding human desire and social class dynamics, but also the controversy surrounding the censorship of his work for its sexual subject matter. His final and most famous novel, Lady Chatterley's Lover, published in 1929, was the subject of a case brought against Penguin Books in England. The trial, compounded by the censorship and destruction of copies of his earlier novel, The Rainbow. resulted in D.H. Lawrence's work often falling at
Famous American Romantic Painters & Paintings
American Romanticism, which had its roots in the British Romantic movement, varies in its particular American sensibilities and its approach to the subject matter. This creative period began in the early 1800s and continued through the end of the century. The American Romantic era is marked by themes of patriotism, westward expansion and increasing industrializatio
Like their British predecessors, American Romanticists created art that was a reaction to the stoicism and reason of the previous century. Prizing emotion over reason, Romanticists, in general, focused on the individual over the.
Lucille Clifton: Biography, Poems & Books
ILucile Clifton was a 20th Century poet and children's author known for her work based on the African-American experience and family life. Winner of a large number of awards and honors, Clifton's legacy and influence among contemporary writers is large. Her leadership, during her years as Chancellor of the American Academy of Poets and her position of Maryland's Poet Laureate, contributed to her role as one of the 20th Century's premiere poets.
Gwendolyn Brooks: Biography & Poems
Gwendolyn Brooks spent most of her life in Chicago, which influenced much of her writing throughout her career. Her work often reflected her own experiences as a young African American girl growing up in the neighborhood of Bronzeville on the South Side of Chicago, where she set most of her work. As her career progressed, her writing was influenced by her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement during the latter half of the 20th Century.
Odysseus & the Sirens
Sirens are one of numerous mythical creatures in Homer's epic poem, The Odyssey. On his journey home after the Trojan War, the hero Odysseus and his men are tasked with steering their ship through the straits between Italy and Sicily, home of the dangerous mythical winged creatures the Sirens, who inhabit one of the coastal islands. The Sirens, according to a warning from Circe, a goddess who once held Odysseus captive, are winged monster women who are part bird and part human. The Sirens' goal is to lure sailors off course and to their deaths. Their Siren song can hypnotize sailors, causing t
William Tell: Story, Legend, Music & Composer
William Tell is a folk hero from a tale originating in Switzerland. According to the legend, William Tell was a peasant in the Alps during the beginning of the 14th Century, a time when the region was reigned over by the Austrian Hapsburg nobility. Tell, an excellent marksman, was forced by government authority to shoot an apple off his son's head for failing to bow to authority. He succeeded, and later escaped and killed one of his authoritarian foes The scene as it told, due to Tell's conviction and bravery, is commonly set in November of 1307. The legend gained great popularity during times
Don Quixote: Summary, Characters, Themes & Author
on Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes, is a Spanish novel published in the early 1600's. Declared by many critics and authors to be the first "modern novel," Don Quixote charts the adventures of a middle aged nobleman who, unsatisfied with ordinary life, views his actions through the lens of medieval chivalry. In the service of fighting evil and injustice as a "knight errant", he embarks upon many adventures and misadventures, all relayed through the books narrator, Cide Hamete Benegali,
History of Drama: Dramatic Movements and Time Periods
At its most basic level, theater is an enactment, or re-enactment, of stories and events, typically dictated by a dramatic script or what we commonly call a "play". While the script, what we consider drama or dramatic literature, is important, theater is also a mix of many elements that add to the experience of viewing it in real time--lights, sound, costumes, and props. Those dramatic plays exist outside of time, passed down, and performed in multiple iterations throughout the ages, either on paper or in language. There are slight variations, but each is built around an existing frame--the sc