One of the most basic philosophical questions and a guiding force through Sophie's World is the question, who are we? As shown in Sophie's World, the concepts of philosophy have been in a constant state of change throughout history, philosopher contradicting philosopher over and over in a...

Animal experimentation is a scientifically invalid practice because data from animal studies are not reliable. Over 3 million animals have been abused and killed all in the name of science. It has been found that only 5%-25% of side effects caused by medicines is accurately predicted. This leads us ...

Everyone has a heart of darkness. We all have the potential to be uncivilized and hurt each other, no matter whether we come from "civilization" or not. Prejudice and racism are powerful and present in our lives, whether we like it or not. Conrad is saying that if we do not realize this, we will ...

Surrounded by a sea of darkness, the only visible light was shining through a crack beneath the door. He could feel the clothing behind him swaying due to chilled air flowing from the vent. Peering out gingerly he sat back and thought to himself She is never going to find me here, as long as we&apos...

The Inferno The Inferno, written by Dante, is a poem that deals with the afterlife. It deals with the ideas that actions and practices taken up in this life will determine the punishment or salvation attained in the next. In the poem, Dante describes circles of hell of which these levels ar...

Analysis - A Hanging Orwell uses the example of a hanging to show how human beings can become insensitive to the horror of taking life, through day-to-day repetition of murder. By using examples of the character's varying reactions at having to perform the unpleasant deed, he also explores...

Mark is most likely the first of the Gospels to be written because it is the shortest and tells of the ministry of Jesus. Mark stresses Jesus' message about the kingdom of God and how it is breaking into human life as good news and that Jesus himself is portrayed as the "gospel of God." Jesus is ex...

In "Ode to a Nightingale", Keats is reflecting on a beautiful and imaginative moment of nature. He is wishing to savor this moment, but due to the various cycles of nature, this moment cannot last for long, there is constant change. Nature itself can go on forever, it is continuous, but ...

Relationships are such an important part of the human experience and of the natural progression of continued communication. I have chosen to expand on how this most integral and often confusing human experience can become a source of extreme pain as well as pleasure. How we can fall in love and out ...

This piece is taken from Book 2 of J.S. Bach's Forty-Eight Preludes and Fugues (also known as The Well-Tempered Clavier). A prelude could take almost any form, the only conditions being that it should be in the same key as the fugue and form a suitable preparation of the listener's ear and...

Based on social standards, morals, and behaviors, society places extreme emphasis on a human being's sexual orientation. Although in recent years this gender-based stereotype which judges the actions of a particular person based on their sex has decreased, humans are still subjected to certai...

According to Teddy, the ten year old genius, " Logic's the first thing you have to get rid" of". Teddy says this while explaining that logic can only cause trouble while thinking of every day subjects. Is Teddy, a young boy in post WWII education, using this idea of non-logic...

Summary of War Reading My initial foray into the reading of war-related literature was to read Journey's End. Despite the fact that the piece, a play played out upon the backdrop of war, was undoubtedly shorter than many of the other texts that I have looked at, I found it to be a advantageo...

Although both stories are tragedies and contain great suffering, Dante is without a doubt the stronger of the two characters. The men share a commonality of fate stepping in and deciding their actions for them. Dante's fate, however was a much better one than Lear's was. Dante thought hi...

Anthanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, is credited with creating Life of Antony. It is believed that St. Athanasius wrote it in Greek "during one of his two long stays in the deserts of Egypt, in 356 and 366, at the time of the Arian crisis." And although the balance of qualified opinion is...

Song of MyselfWalt Whitman was an American poet from Long Island. All through his life this prolific writer was considered an example of spiritual value and moderation. His most famous collection, "Leaves of Grass", has been regarded as one of the world's major literary works and stands as a revol...

Death, Blood and DestructionThe Red Badge of Courage, a Civil War novel by Stephen Crane, may be examined on various levels. One of those levels is a story about the cruelty and disasters of war. Young Henry Flemming, the protagonist, has dreamed his whole life of being in the army and despite his...

In London, England, the well-known artist Basil Hallward becomes obsessed with the beauty of a wealthy young gentleman, Dorian Gray. He paints Dorian's portrait, and introduces him to Lord Henry Wotton, a clever nobleman who enjoys embracing the sensibilities of his friends by advocating selfishness...

Frankenstein The pursuit of knowledge is what drives mankind to achieve new and monumental achievements. We thirst for it as though the world that we live in is never enough to keep our imaginations churning, we know there is something more out there, and will stop at no l...

Napoleon: Napoleon is Orwell's chief villain in Animal Farm. The name Napoleon is very coincidental since Napoleon, the dictator of France, was thought by many to be the Anti-Christ. Napoleon, the pig, is really the central character on the farm. Obviously a metaphor for Stalin, Comrade Napoleon rep...