If you have ever taken a writing class, then you know there is great emphasis placed on the writing process. From the time we are in middle school until high school, we are asked to adhere to this strategy. But how do we effectively use the writing process? In this post I will explain practical ways in which we can use and refine the writing process for our own uses.
Continue reading How to Effectively Use the Writing ProcessMonthly Archives: August 2024
Folklore: Pressie, The Serpentine Cryptid of Lake Superior
Five Great Lakes surround Michigan and the waters run deep, especially in Lake Superior. The waters run so deep in fact, that entire ships have been lost to it over the years (the Edmund Fitzgerald for instance). Allegedly, there is also a serpentine cryptid in the depths of Lake Superior that goes by the name of Pressie.
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Ghosts in Literature: Symbolism and Representation
The mournful wail of Jacob Marley’s ghost in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol or the faux-ghosts in Shirley Jackson’s Hill House are enough to curdle one’s blood. Though, their meaning and symbolism is much deeper than their ghostly skin. There many ghosts in literature and as many famous phantoms that appear between the pages of classic and modern literature. In fact, the appearance of ghosts transcend even horror stories, sometimes appearing in tragedies and dramas (Macbeth). By analyzing famous ghosts in literature and defining what they represent to each story, our own understanding of their significance grows; which, along with our own appreciation, we can learn to perfect the ghost story itself.
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“Abraham’s Boys” by Joe Hill: Killing Your Heroes
Author Joe Hill’s 20th Century Ghosts features the short story “Abraham’s Boys,” and while it ostensibly preys on the vampiric tropes of its titular character, it is a story that took me by surprise as a startling look into the reality of living with the heroes in our lives.
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“The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs: Death and Dire Choices
To think about what we want in our lives, and what we could change is dangerous. In fact, it’s not only dangerous, it’s terrifying. Think: Would you wish for a better life even if you did not know the ramifications of your desires? In “The Monkey’s Paw” by W.W. Jacobs, a mother and father face this very question about their wants, desires, and futures. However, against our best wishes, the outcome is tragic.
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Eeriness and imagination in “The October Country” by Ray Bradbury
“That country whose people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts. Whose people passing at night on the empty walks sound like rain. . . .”
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“I felt a funeral, in my brain” by Emily Dickinson: Considering Death
Let’s face it. We have all thought about death in some way. From the man with the scythe in the black robe to the gruesome way we may shuffle off our mortal coil. However it happens, death is an omnipresent piece of life that can not be removed from our experience. It will happen. In “I felt a Funeral, in my Brain,” poet Emily Dickinson confronts her own mental capacity and a funeral in so many ways.
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“The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe: The Heart of Madness
It is a dark night, and the rain lights up the sidewalks with the lamps looming in the darkness, casting their eerie phantom light. In a nearby house, a horrible cry pierces the night; a crime has been committed. The motive? Insanity and insatiable fixation. “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe is a gruesome story. A most gruesome story.
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Gothic Literature and Eeriness: Definition and Examples
Greetings! Today on the blog we are going to continue our deep dive into gothic literature by answering the question: What is Gothic Literature? Specifically, we are going to look at one of the conventions that make it tick: eeriness. We are going to define eeriness, look at it in actions, then examine how it relates to the genre of gothic literature, and see how you can implement it into your own writing.
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Governesses in Literature
Some jobs go without love, and some jobs are forgotten. While the profession of “governess” is not as predominant in modern culture, it was once a large part of European society. Governesses in literature also used to be a big deal. Today on the blog, we are going to examine the word governess, as it can be a curious word for westerner readers these days.
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