In the book‚ “Strength to Love”‚ Martin Luther King Jr. said “ The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience‚ but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” In other words‚ a person’s character is defined by how they respond at a time of despair‚ hurt‚ and struggle and not how a person acts and what they stand for at a time of peacefulness and luxury. Both‚ “Fences” by August Wilson and “The Color of Water” by James McBride illustrate the
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An anoymous writer wrote “Literature opens a dark window on the soul‚ revealing more about what is bad in human nature than what is good.” This quote means that literature tells more of the bad things that people do than the the good things. This is because it is more thrilling to read about the misfortunes of someone than an a characters regular life. This quote is proven true in the two works The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and in The Color Purple by Alice Walker. “Literature opens
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Mahatma Gandhi once said “There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supersedes all other courts.” This quote illustrates the idea that man must live longer with his conscience than with a simple decision made in a courtroom. The distinction between right and wrong must be derived from one’s morals‚ not the rulings of the state. This concept of conscience conquering law can be applied to works of literature such as the Sophocles’ Greek tragedy Antigone
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One may think it is unfair to try so hard to accomplish a goal‚ and in the end it seems that all their hard work and everything they lost paid off for nothing. David Mamet once said “…it is the human lot to try and fail...” I agree with this quotation because it cannot be truer in my own life‚ as well as the tragedy Antigone by Sophocles in which two tragic heroes Creon and Antigone have to endure the pain of trying and failing. To the naked eye it may seem although Creon and Antigone are the complete
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It is perceived throughout literature that characters within a novel are solely prompted by personal interests. Yet‚ we learn that they are sometimes driven throughout the work ascertaining a purpose larger than themselves. Whether it is an author’s use of literary elements (such as dialogue‚ characterization‚ or conflict) or even in their craft alone‚ it is inevitable in the two classic works: The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and The Crucible by Arthur Miller. In The Grapes of Wrath‚ we discover
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Authors use pieces of literature such as Joseph Conrad’s novel‚ The Heart of Darkness‚ the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe‚ and the satirical essay by Binyavanga Wainaina “How To Write About Africa” to show how they or other people portray Africa. Authors use different tones of voice to write: either about the same event or the same place so that their works appeal to a specific audience. Books can be written for the same audiences as well. Authors can voice their books differently to get
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Will Behan Critical lens for The Crucible Edmund Burke once stated “No passion so effectively robs the mind of all its powers of acting and reasoning as fear”. In other words fear of anything especially what a person does not know or understand can cripple one’s mind very effectively and with a large magnitude. A person would only need to recall the last time they were afraid of something they didn’t understand or when they didn’t know what to do to stop something from happening and reflect upon
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Lao Tzu once said‚ “He who gains victory over other men is strong‚ but he who gains a victory over himself is all powerful.” I believe this means that the most powerful person is one who understands and has control over themselves. Richard Wright‚ in his autobiography Black Boy‚ and the titular character of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel‚ The Great Gatsby both lend themselves in portraying the truth of this quote. This quote can be interpreted as saying that one who understands and has control over
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Most people would say that‚ “after the lowest part of your life‚ there will always be a light that follows it”. In Night by Elie Wiesel and The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho‚ characters are placed in a situation where in they are challenged. However‚ after all the hard work and sacrifice they went through it all paid off at the end. As the story progresses in each book‚ characters go through tons of complications which then causes them to have the mindset of giving up. Although life is a gamble‚ unless
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Kevi Fuseyamore May 29‚ 2013 Genna pd. 8 Benjamin Disraeli once said‚ "Circumstances are beyond the control of man; but his conduct is in his own power." This quote means that we can’t control our natural given situations‚ but we can control how we go about them. I agree with this quote because not only does it apply to literature‚ but it applies to real life as well. A Raisin In the Sun by Lorraine Hansbury and The Curious Incident of the Dog In the Night-Time by Mark Haddon both illustrate the
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