Literary themes & close reading
Identity, ambition, moral choices, social class and the language of literature.
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.
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.
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.
Heart of Darkness: Colonialism and the Myth of a Civilizing Mission
An interpretation of how Heart of Darkness exposes the violence beneath European claims to civilize, through Marlow’s narration, the suffering of African laborers, and Kurtz’s possessive authority.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Utterson’s Search for the Truth
An essay on how Utterson’s measured investigation, Lanyon’s refusal, and Jekyll’s concealed life shape Stevenson’s treatment of knowledge and denial.