Cynthia Dives

I noticed that theme is often confused with and stated as a topic, example: family relationships.  Theme is not a topic, theme is what the author wants you to think about or to understand. It...

Apostrophe is a literary technique where someone absent or dead or something inhuman is addressed as if it is alive or present. Basically this means either talking directly to someone who is dead...

This quotation, when Simon is in his hiding spot having a conversation with the Lord of the Flies is a very important moment in the book.  The boys are looking for an external beast. The pig...

First of all, understand that a book can be more than one genre. The boundary lines of genre can be crossed. Novels can have elements of many genres within them. First and foremost I would say The...

The one thing I would add to this is in reference to the quotation' "we were too different not to".  Ponyboy still does not recognize how alike he and Darry are. The prime reason Darry has so...

Students gain a percpetion of ife, an insight into the meaning of so many things It is this perception and insight that makes literature worthwhile. If an individual can go beyond his or her actual...

I discuss this with my students, and I put it simply: If you can understand why characters act the way they do, you can understand why people act the way they do. If you can analyze a character and...

I have had many students interpret this ending as the Santiago dying. By dreaming of the lions, they say, he is being returned to the days of his greatest strength. They argue that the boy is...

A paradox is a situation which seems self-contradictory or impossible, but is really true. The most obvious paradox is where Santiago says "Fishing kills me as it keeps me alive."...

Despite growing up without parents, Ponyboy was actually quite sheltered. His older brother, Darry, protected him from many of the harsh realities of life. Because of this, Ponyboy was given...

Act 1 Witches give predictions to Macbeth, Banquo demands predictions as well. Thane of Cawdor is found to be a traitor, Duncan (the king) gives his title to Macbeth (foreshadowing and the witches'...

When we first meet Jack, he is already a totalitarian leader. He demands his choir stay in formation until Simon passes out. Later in the novel, he rules through fear. He uses Roger as his...