Susan Hurn
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About
I have a Master of Arts degree in English and taught college-prep high school English literature and composition.
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Recent Activity
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Answered a Question in When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer
The poem falls into two sections, even though they are not indicated on the page. In the first, the narrator is inside the lecture room, listening to a well educated astronomer, a "learned" man,... -
Answered a Question in The Franklin's Tale
Unlike many of the other pilgrims in The Canterbury Tales, the Franklin's clothing is not described in great detail. The only mention of his apparel appears at the end of Chaucer's introduction of... -
Answered a Question in The Snows of Kilimanjaro
Hemingway's protagonist in the story is Harry, a writer facing his death from gangrene, the result of failing to put antiseptic on a scratch on his knee before it became infected. The majority of... -
Answered a Question in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
Actually, there is no identified narrator in this story, so it would not be possible to describe one. A story with an identified narrator is written in the first-person point of view; a narrator... -
Answered a Question in Candide
When Candide was published in 1759, thirty years before the beginning of the French Revolution, it did not create a stir: It created a political firestorm--and literal fire. Voltaire was living in... -
Answered a Question in The Odyssey
The Odyssey is an epic poem, and epic poems demonstrate certain literary conventions. They relate the deeds of an epic hero--a courageous man, physically strong, who pits himself against dangerous... -
Answered a Question in A Separate Peace
The novel begins at Devon during the Summer Session of 1942 when Gene and Finny, along with the other members of their class, live lives that have not, as yet, been caught up in World War II.... -
Answered a Question in The Pearl
The term "parable" applies to Steinbeck's novella in two ways. The story of Kino and Juana includes elements of a parable, a literary story that develops a moral theme or lesson. It is presented as... -
Answered a Question in The Great Gatsby
After he meets Daisy once again in Nick's cottage, Gatsby and Nick are left alone for a few minutes. In their conversation, Gatsby tells Nick he earned the money to buy his house in only three... -
Answered a Question in The Great Gatsby
A good place to begin would be to establish what the American Dream had been before the 1920s, the time period of the novel. Then you could examine the factors that had corrupted the original... -
Answered a Question in The Great Gatsby
There is a definite distinction in the novel between Manhattan, "the city," and Long Island, the site of small villages (like East Egg and West Egg) and extraordinary mansions (like those inhabited... -
Answered a Question in Antigone
In Antigone, both Creon and Antigone can be interpreted as tragic figures. By the conclusion of the drama, Antigone is dead and Creon's life is so unbearable he longs for death. Throughout the... -
Answered a Question in The Pardoner's Tale
Irony is developed in numerous ways at the end of the tale. The three "rioters" who set out from the tavern to kill Death itself eventually manage to kill each other--the primary irony. Also, two... -
Answered a Question in Ethan Frome
I am not entirely certain about the intent of your question. How is their affection made so apparent in the chapter, or why is their love emphasized so strongly in this chapter? I will discuss both... -
Answered a Question in The Scarlet Ibis
In the story, the narrator remembers events from his childhood concerning the birth, short life, and death of his younger brother. "Doodle" was the nickname for his little brother, who was born,... -
Answered a Question in A Doll's House
Nora Helmer is the heroine in the drama, and several elements of tragedy can be identified in her life; however, Nora is not a tragic heroine in the classical tradition. She is not destroyed by a... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
Two specific examples in the novel show how deeply Jem and Scout are affected by the terrible events unfolding around them. Innocence is lost as they come to grips with the painful realities... -
Answered a Question in To Kill a Mockingbird
Scout grows up during the course of the novel; innocence is lost as she comes to understand many adult realities. Her growing maturity is reflected in her attitudes and behavior. One incident that... -
Answered a Question in The Great Gatsby
At the end of Chapter VII, Tom, Daisy, Jordan, and Nick have returned to the Buchanan's house in East Egg after Myrtle Wilson had been killed on the road. Nick has been invited inside, but has... -
Answered a Question in E. B. White
"Once More to the Lake" is structured as a chronological narrative; it is developed with passages of exposition as White compares and contrasts the lake he visits with his young son with the lake... -
Answered a Question in A Farewell to Arms
In Chapter XXXV of the novel, Frederic Henry encounters Count Greffi for a second time and spends time with the old gentleman playing billiards. The conversation between Frederic and... -
Answered a Question in By the Waters of Babylon
When a story is told from a first-person point of view, the reader knows only what the narrator tells him, and the narrator's view is always a limited one. The narrator can recount only what he or... -
Answered a Question in A Farewell to Arms
Frederic Henry serves as an officer in the Italian army, stationed near the Italian front in World War I. He is in charge of a fleet of ten ambulances that pick up the wounded, remove them from the... -
Answered a Question in The Great Gatsby
Gatsby does indeed wear a pink suit, and it assumes significance in the novel when taken in context. Tom cannot believe that Gatsby ever attended such an old and prestigious university as Oxford... -
Answered a Question in In Another Country
The story begins with a description of the setting, from the first-person narrator's point of view. It is autumn in Milan; the weather is cold and "the wind came down from the mountains." He... -
Answered a Question in A Farewell to Arms
This statement is made by Frederic Henry while talking with the young priest. To understand it, Frederic's words must be considered in the context of their conversation. In Book III, Frederic has... -
Answered a Question in The Rime of the Ancient Mariner
The Mariner's first reference to "slimy things" appears in lines 123-126 as he describes the sea creatures within the context of a rotting sea: The very deep did rot: O Christ! That ever this... -
Answered a Question in My Antonia
Jim and Antonia travel to Black Hawk for the first time on the same train, but their lives are shown to be quite different even before they arrive. An orphan at the age of ten, Jim travels to a new... -
Answered a Question in Don Quixote
Don Quixote leaves his comfortable home to pursue a great romantic dream. He has lost touch with reality and fallen under the illusion that he is, in fact, a knight-errant of bygone days. His... -
Answered a Question in The Kite Runner
I admire Amir for his courage in facing every cruel act he had committed as a boy, in trying to understand why he had done them, and in trying to atone for his sins against Hassan. Amir does not... -
Answered a Question in The Great Gatsby
Gatsby is sometimes called away to take these mysterious phone calls. They are quite real, and his secrecy about them and about his business dealings in general suggests that his income is derived... -
Answered a Question in The Scarlet Ibis
"The Scarlet Ibis" is told in the retrospective point of view. That is to say, the narrator is an adult looking back on events from the past. In this particular story, the narrator is relating very... -
Answered a Question in Ethan Frome
The connection between Ethan and Mattie as it is presented in the novel surpasses the physical. They are drawn to each other as soul mates, finding in each other their own deepest emotions. When... -
Answered a Question in In Another Country
In this famous short story by Ernest Hemingway, the unnamed narrator is a young American who has served in the Italian army during World War I. He has been wounded in action and is living in Milan... -
Answered a Question in The Revolt of 'Mother'
"The Revolt of 'Mother'" shows clearly, through the character of Sarah Penn, the daily life of a farm wife and mother in New England toward the close of the 19th Century. It is a life of domination... -
Answered a Question in Hedda Gabler
The differences in character between Hedda Gabler and Hamlet, the Danish prince, are numerous and clearly evident to readers, but Ibsen's tragic heroine shares some interesting similarities with... -
Answered a Question in Ethan Frome
The structure and point of view Edith Wharton employed in Ethan Frome is complex and sophisticated. The novel begins with an unnamed narrator speaking of events that had happened to him in... -
Answered a Question in Don Quixote
Don Quixote maintains his illusion that he is a knight errant through many adventures and dangerous encounters during his journeys, always managing to keep reality at bay. He suffers hunger, goes... -
Answered a Question in History (General)
I think slavery is most deeply rooted in the human psyche. Human beings have enslaved each other in various cultures since Biblical times, at least, and continue to do so today throughout the... -
Answered a Question in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
By definition, a simile is a figure of speech that describes one thing by comparing it to something else that is quite different. Also, the comparison is made through the use of "like" or "as". One... -
Answered a Question in Of Mice and Men
I have taught a unit over this novel numerous times in sophomore English classes, always with success. When presented properly, students respond with sensitivity to Lennie's personality and mental... -
Answered a Question in The Guest
The fact that the prisoner is not given a name is important in the story. A name personalizes us, singling us out as individuals. Since the prisoner is not given a name, he assumes more importance... -
Answered a Question in The Guest
The fact that the prisoner is not given a name is important in the story. A name personalizes us, singling us out as individuals. Since the prisoner is not given a name, he assumes more importance... -
Answered a Question in Hamlet
Very interesting discussion here. From a tactical standpoint, Hamlet knows that whatever transpires between him and Ophelia will be carried straight back to her father and from her father to... -
Answered a Question in A Rose for Emily
I believe that it does. Tragedy, as created by the ancient Greeks and as explored by Shakespeare many centuries later, develops in relation to their protagonists in drama. The leading character in... -
Answered a Question in Literature
One of the most valuable benefits from reading and studying literature is that it fosters an awareness and understanding of other people--their values, personalities, needs, ways of thinking, and... -
Answered a Question in The Lottery
One common thread that links the behavior in the story with the actions of those who engage in bullying is the complete lack of empathy for victims. Victims are dehumanized and objectified; they... -
Answered a Question in Literature
I would say Ulysses by James Joyce, but I'm not sure this counts, as I've never actually made my way through it, although I've tried several times over the years. My plan is to wait for a time when... -
Answered a Question in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
The story is structured in three parts, and each part is labeled, I, II, and III. Part I begins at Owl Creek Bridge as the company of soldiers is preparing to hang Peyton Farquhar. It ends with the... -
Answered a Question in The Cask of Amontillado
True, #10. Part of the great horror of the story is the slow realization of just how nuts Montressor really is. The reader comes to this realization about the same time Fortunato sobers up and...
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