Lisa Lucke

Where: Maycomb, Alabama (a small town that is home to working class people, as well as those whom the depression has hit even harder.) The streets are wide, hard packed earth. It is described as...

As a person living in a semi-rural county (foothills of Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California), but having been raised in the SF Bay Area, I find it much easier to be self-reliant in a...

Most of my freshmen consistently feel that the shooting was unjustified, regardless of what horrible fate may have awaited Lennie at the hands of the men who were after them. As clane said, there...

In Chapter 15, Scout has a profound effect on the townspeople who confront Atticus in front of the jail, where he is protecting Tom Robinson from just this type of anticipated confrontation. Scout,...

Saul Bellow wrote in 3rd person frequently. At Saulbellow.org there is a lengthy essay that explains quite a bit about the man and his times:       "Those novels and short...

Instead of looking for evidence that Homer was making a statement for or against war, pull back somewhat and look at what the message might be about war, period. In this case, the was necessary to...

Camus' focus in The Guest, as far as moral message or theme goes, ultimately points back to Existentialism. That is, at the core of human existence is its fundamental futility. Everyone dies...

The literary device used is alliteration (repetition of initial consanant sounds) with the repeated "s" sounds: sir, start, seem, sound, so. The next step is to consider what symbolic meaning (if...

This poem is in the category of Pastorals, which Renaissance poets like Marlowe wrote to convey their thoughts and feelings about love and other subjects. Pastorals contain idealized, rural...

Macduff indeed goes to England to gather the support of both the King of England and Malcolm (Duncan's son) in overthrowing Macbeth. So, that is his basic motivation as it relates to the story. As...

The weird sisters (as they are referred to in the text of the play - it is only in the stage directions that they are referred to as "witches") represent fate. A simple equation to keep in mind is...

If you are specifically referring to him "policing" the town, then the scene you might be speaking of is when he guards Tom Robinson in the town jail. An agitated group of men show up who want to...

There is an obvious external conflict in the story, To Build a Fire. which is man vs. nature. The "Newcomer" as he is referred to is battling the harsh temperatures for the entire...

Shakespeare did not write this phrase in Macbeth but may have alluded to it in Hamlet: "Something is rotten/stinking in the state of Denmark." The phrase seems to be a ancient Chinese, Greek or...

The actual title is taken from W.B. Yeats' poem "The Second Coming." The poem refers to the increasing pressure to maintain a stable situation (see poem for details). The novel's title refers...

The "un-named" narrator helps build the sense that this is a case study - a family (such as it is) that should be observed, studied and learned from. There is much to see and understand about the...

In typical Hemingway fashion, this short story leaves much room for interpretation and most critical details regarding character and plot unstated. Clearly, through the dialogue (the one messenger...

Okonkwo is a pillar of strength and stability in his village. He is one of the most industrious members of his community and has amassed a great deal of things: wives, children and yams. He holds...

At its most basic level, the language is straightforward: getting closer to God is good; it makes sense. There is order in God's world (as opposed to the world people live in who do not know God)....

One obvious thematic idea is to face life's limitations (in this case, separation from a loved one) with strength. He is instructing his wife to disregard sadness by forbidding her to...

The speaker, while it is vague as to "exactly" who it is, is clearly someone older (and wiser), who is in a position to give advice to "virgins", or youth. The poem can of course be interpreted on...

The second meeting with the weird sisters in Act IV further shows the fracturing of Macbeth's mind; this was a respected, honorable and highly praised warrior, who has now been reduced to...

You must keep in mind that Shakespeare constructed Macbeth as a tragedy - complete with a tragic hero. Shakespearean tragic heroes have the potential for greatness, but through the workings of...

I would have to agree that Macbeth, being a tragic hero (having the potential for greatness but tripping over his own feet) is not evil. Isn't that why we have tragic heroes (as opposed to just...

The first gift, gum, is representative of Boo's desire to be kind to the children - perhaps to dispel the mistrust the children feel toward him. What child does not like gum? Keep in mind that Boo...

The nymph's reply can be read as carrying a realistic, practical tone. The shepherd has painted an impossible scenario and the nymph is pointing out that she is aware of this: "flowers do fade..."...

Jem and Scout's relationship is at the verge of shifting as the story opens. As a 9 or 10 year old, Jem is leaving/has left behind the ways of young childhood and his focus in life is changing. As...

One of the devices the Beowulf poet uses are kennings, or compound phrases that function as a noun and further re-name a person or place by describing them in an interesting way. One use of a...

The narrator, the older brother of Doodle who is thinking back on his childhood memories of his relatively short time him, pushed his brother beyond the frail boy's limits. However, he loved him...

The evidence from the play (pre-prophecies) shows that Macbeth is quite a well-respected warrior/soldier/general. He is about to be handed a title (Thane of Cawdor) because of his brilliant deeds...

Religious and social customs, along with familial responsibility and tradition all contribute to the community's cohesion in Things Fall Apart. What is important to understand is that...

Holden attempts to act like an adult when he visits the home of his aging professor, before he leaves Pencey Prep. He takes the advice given to him, however begrudgingly, but basically sits and...

One reason that Kino's canoe is so precious to him is because it was handed down to him from his father (and grandfather.) Kino is following in the tradition of his ancestors by making a...

My students like examining the question of what type of narration is used in MDG. How does the shift in point of view affect the reader and add to the suspense? For example, the story is...

Also important is Remarque's position that if the generals and other higher-ups who are responsible for sending boys off to die were themselves forced to actually fight in the trenches, the war...

While I do agree that Doodle's dies from a physical problem, I believe it isn't stated specifically because it is not really important. If it was, Hurst would have been careful to make it clear...

It is important to note that Lady Macduff and her son are slaughtered on the orders of Macbeth. Macbeth is showing his further descent into the darkness of his inner character as he strives to...

It may also be useful to keep in mind that the scissors incident was speculation - it is mentioned in the novel that nobody was certain if it actually happened, like most of the other Radley...

When the wall is almost finished, Montresor shows a moment of concern for Fortunato, when the prisoner does not answer to the call of his name. Montresor throws the torch over the wall. Is he...

I'm wondering if bev2 is asking about whether the revenge exacted by Montresor fits Fortunato's crime. In my classroom, we discussed this issue and it was determined that the revenge has a rather...

I agree with most of the other answer posted, with one obvious difference. 1. Rainsford falls off the yacht and swims to shore. 2. Rainsford meets Zaroff and finds out that he will be tomorrow's...

Macbeth needs to know, with some amount of certainty, the approximate time Banquo and Fleance will be returning to Macbeth's castle. Remember, Banquo and Fleance come under a surprise attack, so it...

In order to understand Odysseus' characteristics, it is important to understand that he is an Epic Hero; as such, he displays characteristics that are both heroic as well as human. For example, he...