Literature & the arts
Literary interpretation, creative work, culture and artistic choices.
The Great Gatsby’s American Dream and the Cost of Reinvention
An interpretation of how Gatsby’s ambition, wealth, and pursuit of Daisy expose the limits of the American Dream in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel.
How Food Can Preserve Family History
An explanatory essay on how a Smithsonian family-food activity uses objects and conversation to explore identity and migration, while showing why one family's food traditions cannot stand for an entire culture.
The Tempest: Prospero’s Hidden Plan and His Relationships
An analysis of how Prospero’s concealed knowledge and island plans shape his relationships with Miranda, Ariel, and his former political rivals, and what the play suggests about secrecy and control.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Jekyll’s Secret and His Relationships
A literary analysis of how Jekyll’s concealment damages his relationships with Utterson and Lanyon, and how the resulting distrust illuminates the novel’s ideas about knowledge and moral accountability.
The Scarlet Letter: Guilt, Shame, and the Meaning of the Scarlet Letter
A literary analysis of how Nathaniel Hawthorne contrasts public punishment with private conscience and changes the meaning of the scarlet letter through Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and the novel’s conclusion.
Jack Worthing’s Double Identity in The Importance of Being Earnest
An analysis of how Jack’s invented identity as Ernest exposes the conflict between public respectability, private desire, and social approval in Wilde’s comedy.
Huck Finn’s Moral Rebellion Against Slavery’s Social Rules
An analysis of how Huck’s conflict between learned social rules and personal loyalty to Jim challenges the moral assumptions of the society in Mark Twain’s novel.
Can a Familiar Object Tell a Meaningful Story?
An explanatory essay showing how close observation of an ordinary object can open questions about work, memory, and family, while distinguishing what an object suggests from what it can prove.
Macbeth’s Ambition: Why Is Kingship Not Enough?
An analysis of Macbeth’s pursuit of kingship, his fear of losing it, and the play’s portrayal of power when ambition turns into an attempt to secure a dynasty.
Pride and Prejudice: Lydia’s Secret Elopement and Family Reputation
A literary analysis of how Lydia’s concealed departure with Wickham threatens the Bennet family’s reputation and prospects, while Darcy’s intervention complicates the novel’s account of responsibility.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Hyde’s Violence and the Novel’s Moral Theme
A literary analysis of how Hyde’s cruelty to a child and murder of Sir Danvers Carew expose the harm enabled by Jekyll’s attempt to separate private pleasures from his public identity.
Historic Buildings vs. Modern Development
An evidence-based argument that modern development should usually begin with adaptive reuse and preservation, while allowing demolition when a clearly demonstrated public need cannot be met through a less destructive alternative.