Hollis Sanders
eNotes Educator
Achievements
8
Educator Level
1012
Answers Posted
9
Answers Bonused
About
I currently pursue journalistic and fiction writing full time while working as a freelancer and as an educator for a nonprofit organization that works to educate young people and combat the effects of poverty on literacy. In college, I studied writing with strong focuses on literature, criticism, and poetry. I am an amateur poet with work featured in a handful of publications.
Earned Badges
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Scholar
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Recent Activity
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Answered a Question in Flowers for Algernon
As Charlie Gordon begins to show signs of outstanding improvement in terms of his intelligence, an unexpected and ironic side effect begins to show itself: he is finally able to contextualize all... -
Answered a Question in The Giver
In The Giver, "Release" is a word that carries a lot of weight with it depending on the context. Ordinarily, when it is said that someone is released, people in the community tend to think of it as... -
Answered a Question in Marriage Is a Private Affair
A poignant story about love conquering even the staunchest of cultural norms, Achebe's "Marriage is a Private Affair" has much to say in regard to the relationship between fathers and sons. It is a... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
The island in Lord of the Flies is similar to the biblical Garden of Eden in several ways. First, it concerns relatively new beings and the choices these beings make, which will shape who they are.... -
Answered a Question in Macbeth
The most general consensus on a moral study of Macbeth is that he, of course, is to blame for all of the tragedies that befall him throughout the play. After all, it takes a man's conscious choice... -
Answered a Question in Cinema and Drama
Besides the two excellent examples provided, a third theme for The Blind Side is the feeling of being an outsider. Michael Oher is an outsider in every conceivable way imaginable. He is black among... -
Answered a Question in The Giver
The events of chapter 1 of The Giver do not have any instance of Jonas being particularly bold. The overwhelming majority of the chapter concerns Jonas attempting to reconcile exactly how he feels... -
Answered a Question in The Flowers
This is obviously a subjective question that could only be answered in earnest by the person asked. However, there is one very obvious moment that is incredibly shocking in Alice Walker's "The... -
Answered a Question in The Giver
In The Giver, society has evolved into a seeming utopia wherein there is no pain or strife. This is achieved by every single member of a community committing to a philosophy and plan known as... -
Answered a Question in The Grapes of Wrath
The hitchhiker in question is Tom Joad, the protagonist of the story. At the beginning of the story, he is freshly paroled and is returning to his family and his father's 40 acres of land. While... -
Answered a Question in A Christmas Carol
It's hard to precisely place "Christmas" as a theme. A theme in a work is typically understood as a far more abstract but commonly understood idea that transcends cultural barriers. Christmas is a... -
Answered a Question in Paradise Lost
The quote you're referring to is spoken by Satan in book 1 of Milton's Paradise Lost. Specifically, in lines 254–255, he states: The mind in its own place, and in itself Can make a Heav'n of Hell,... -
Answered a Question in The Fault in Our Stars
As anyone who has read The Fault in Our Stars can tell you, the phrasing of this question is incredibly sad. The narrative revolves around Hazel's struggle with cancer, and most characters in the... -
Answered a Question in The Canterville Ghost
Oscar Wilde's "The Canterville Ghost" revolves around the sale of an old British estate known as Canterville Chase to an American minister who is marked by his skepticism. From the start, Horace B.... -
Answered a Question in Misery
The implication in the story is not that no one believes Iona necessarily, but that, far more tragically, no one cares. "Misery" is a story that concerns a lonely cabman named Iona out on his... -
Answered a Question in Lines Written in Early Spring
In "Lines Written in Early Spring," the poet, presumably Wordsworth himself, sits reclined in a small woodland grove. It is obvious to the reader, even without foreknowledge of Wordsworth, that... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
One of the overwhelming themes of To Kill a Mockingbird is that of empathy. We see this theme most prominently in the character of Atticus Finch, who's defining philosophy is to always withhold... -
Answered a Question in Hatchet
The events of chapter eight take place during Brian's fourth night in the wilderness. Therefore, Brian has been stranded for four days. The events of the chapter make up some of Brian's lowest and... -
Answered a Question in 1984
This question is in reference to the "Two Minute's Hate," a daily ritual in Oceania where members of the Outer Party must witness a film that depicts enemies of the state. During this period, they... -
Answered a Question in The Great Gatsby
Alcohol is a central symbol in The Great Gatsby. Through it, the reader can see the importance of appearances over truth in the minds of the central characters. It is important to understand that... -
Answered a Question in Eveline
This is an interesting consideration. Moral Paralysis is widely used as a political term; it typically refers to a condition of countries and governments, rather than individual people. The term... -
Answered a Question in Oedipus Rex
Catharsis refers to the cleansing feeling that one experiences by witnessing a tragedy, particularly one that is performed, and going through the emotional phases of that tragedy without having to... -
Answered a Question in The Road
This is most likely an artistic decision, done primarily for aesthetic effect and narrative reinforcement. The world of McCarthy's The Road is a bleak and barren wasteland. When we read McCarthy's... -
Answered a Question in Fahrenheit 451
Censorship is shown in nearly every aspect of the reality imagined by Bradbury in his novel Fahrenheit 451. Primarily, censorship is shown as a heavy-handed act of law enforcement carried out by... -
Answered a Question in Macbeth
It can be said that Macbeth was almost completely responsible for his own downfall. The only others that could be considered worthy of blame would be the witches for initially seducing him with the... -
Answered a Question in The Guest
On the surface, the title refers to the the Arabic prisoner. This "guest" is one that is thrust upon Daru against his will. Even though the Arab is a prisoner, Daru does not treat him with any... -
Answered a Question in Life of Pi
The hyena represents the selfish survival instinct that many human beings no doubt feel when they are stranded and the odds of survival seem dubious. Many times, the Hyena is portrayed as the most... -
Answered a Question in Two Kinds
In Two Kinds, Jing-mei's mother takes on a very dynamic change. From her earliest memory, Jing-mei remembers that her mother had a very vested interest in seeing her child have any sort of amazing... -
Answered a Question in A Single Shard
While it is true that Tree-Ear takes some of his most profound and affirming tutelage from Min, it can also be said that he would have never found the discipline and strength of will to live up to... -
Answered a Question in Hatchet
In the epilogue of Hatchet, it is revealed that Brian has wasted away, and his time in the wilderness has changed him forever. In many ways, his life would never truly go back to normal, as he has... -
Answered a Question in The Salem Witch Trials
There is no single answer to this question, but there are a few contributing factors that we can observe. The first is that a Puritanical philosophy often involves interpreting the Bible quite... -
Answered a Question in Misery
In one of the most profoundly terrifying scenes of Stephen King's Misery, Paul discovers a scrapbook of Annie's that she has titled "Memory Lane." Inside, Paul finds a variety of newspaper... -
Answered a Question in Beowulf the Warrior
When Grendel first attacks the mead hall, Beowulf watches as the first of his men is grabbed and devoured. The question as to why has been a topic of debate among academics for as long as the work... -
Answered a Question in A Thousand Splendid Suns
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a novel that revolves around the trials and tribulations of two women who become unlikely friends due to their similar and unfortunate circumstances. Mariam and Laila... -
Answered a Question in A Doll's House
Nora's mood and attitude in act 1 of A Doll's House do little to indicate what her eventual transformation over the course of the play will be. In the beginning, Nora is bubbly and happy and seems... -
Answered a Question in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
In The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, John Boyne gives an interesting perspective on Eva Braun that contrasts with the typical historical understanding. On the night that Bruno's family is expected to... -
Answered a Question in The Canterbury Tales
An estate satire is a work from the Medieval period which attempts to satirize and therefore criticize the social and class systems of the time. The three primary classes of society were the... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
During the trial, Mr. Gilmer certainly proved himself as a less skillful lawyer than Atticus from an objective standpoint. However, in terms of the case and the sensibilities of the jury, his... -
Answered a Question in Lord of the Flies
A group of school boys, presumably as evacuees of World War II fighting zones, crash-land on an isolated and perhaps even uncharted island. Two of the boys, Ralph and Piggy, discover a conch shell... -
Answered a Question in The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Whether the ultimate effect of the influence is negative or positive, it is obvious that Charlie is very strongly affected by Aunt Helen's presence in his life, both before and after her death. On... -
Answered a Question in The Bet
"The Bet" is written in the form of a flashback, which allows for dramatic irony at the expense of the lawyer. Dramatic irony most commonly occurs in instances wherein the audience or a reader is... -
Answered a Question in Hatchet
This is a question that is entirely subjective and based upon the reader's interpretation of Brian. One thing that is made entirely certain about Brian's past before the fateful crash is that prior... -
Answered a Question in By the Waters of Babylon
John does face some certain physical hardships over the course of his journey, such as the treacherous river and the threat of the "forest people," an unspoken and implicitly savage tribe, finding... -
Answered a Question in October Sky
Homer Hickam's characteristic that helps him the most is his determination. By all accounts, Homer, or "Sonny's," life seems to be laid out before him. His father expects him to grow into a... -
Answered a Question in Bless Me, Ultima
Antonio has three brothers, whose names are Andrew, Eugenio, and Leon. There is an extremely wide age gap between Antonio and his three brothers, which is why, even though Antonio is only six, his... -
Answered a Question in The Outsiders
One of Ponyboy's biggest weakness is his inability to empathize with those who don't have the same level of intelligence and articulation as he does. While the title The Outsiders certainly refers... -
Answered a Question in The Lottery
All of these literary techniques work to convey an image of a folksy, quaint, and disturbingly narrow backdrop for the action of the story. Characters in "The Lottery" are all townspeople in the... -
Answered a Question in The Bronze Bow
When Daniel first meets Rosh, he believes that he has found the perfect leader. He admires the rebel insurgent and wants to believe that he is indeed the messiah. Daniel's entire personality is... -
Answered a Question in The Road
There are several significant events in The Road, each more disturbing than the last. The first significant event that occurs is when the man uses one of the two revolver rounds to kill a marauder... -
Answered a Question in The Great Gatsby
Though this question no doubt has multiple answers, the general consensus on the "point" of The Great Gatsby is that it is a commentary on the illusory and ultimately false nature of the American...
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