Exploring New Historicism as a Critical Lens
New Historicism provides a lens through which we can examine literature and history as interconnected forces, shaping and reflecting one another.
New Criticism: Analyzing Texts on Their Own Terms
New Criticism emphasizes close reading and the careful analysis of a text’s formal elements—its structure, imagery, and language—while rejecting external influences.
Literary Bios: Daniel Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe
Daniel Defoe, the author of Robinson Crusoe, was a groundbreaking writer who helped shape the English novel. From political pamphlets to adventure fiction, his works combined realism, social commentary, and gripping storytelling.
William Makepeace Thackeray, author of Vanity Fair
William Makepeace Thackeray, best known for his satirical novel Vanity Fair, was a master of social commentary. His works critiqued the hypocrisies of 19th-century British society.
Defining and Understanding Procatalepsis
When you start digging into literature, you start finding a lot of Greek words, because the Greeks had a huge impact on language for multiple reasons (they were certainly cultured and used one of the first alphabets).
Understanding Homonyms, Homophones, and Homographs
Homonyms are words that share the same spelling or pronunciation but have different meanings. These intriguing words often create confusion, yet they enrich the English language.
Developing a Writing Voice through Emulation and Immersion
For this post, I am going to look at what is typically recommended to writers for developing voice in writing, and then I will provide my own opinions (which don’t differ too much, but there are a few things I would like to address).
Author Saul Bellow, Disenfranchised and Dangling
Saul Bellow, one of the most influential American writers of the 20th century, navigated the complexities of modern life through his deeply intellectual and introspective novels.
Exploring Emile Zola and “The Human Beast”
Zola was a French novelist and critic who was certainly politically minded and was a naturalist thinker.
Understanding the Theatrical Licensing Act of 1737
While Fielding’s work wasn’t solely responsible for the Theatrical Licensing Act of 1737, it was plays like this that caused the upper crust of the political pizza to curse, frown, and feel dejected at being made fun of by artists. After all, being in politics doesn’t mean you have thick skin.
The Harlem Renaissance, Degradation and Inspiration
The Harlem Renaissance was a period between 1910 and the mid-1930s that saw a large amount of Blacks generating art from Harlem in New York City.