Steph Müller
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About
Professional writer with over ten years of experience. I have an honors degree in Social Science, majoring in English and Culture, Communication, and Media Studies.
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Recent Activity
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Answered a Question in Second-Class Citizen
Adah’s relationship with her children is governed by her desire to make the best possible life for them. However, she is also deeply aware that every time Francis pressures her into getting... -
Answered a Question in The Great Gatsby
Fitzgerald is creating an ambience of affluence through the array of characters who are rich, temperamental, and, at times, condescending. By introducing the characters through Nick's eyes,... -
Answered a Question in The Glass Castle
The quality of education at Mary S. Black Elementary School in Battle Mountain is suboptimal. Jeannette's teacher, Miss Page, has an unfortunate habit of issuing thrashings with her ruler when she... -
Answered a Question in Tom's Midnight Garden
Nature and companionship are very important themes in this novel, as they are the things that transform Tom’s time staying with his aunt and uncle from being an unwanted exile to an adventure that... -
Answered a Question in Poetry
The speaker in this poem does not introduce himself directly, but we learn about him along the way as we read the poem. The first thing we learn is that he is a resident of White City Jabavu, which... -
Answered a Question in Rabindranath Tagore
As the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and while Phatik's mother had earlier been eager to see him leave for Calcutta, siding with his brother Makhan without question when... -
Answered a Question in Cry, the Beloved Country
Stephen Kumalo heads from his home in Ndotsheni to Johannesburg because he receives a letter from a minister. The letter explains that Stephen's sister, Gertrude, is unwell. As a minister himself,... -
Answered a Question in Matilda
Matilda goes to Fred’s house because she is on a mission to punish her parents for their unkindness towards her. While her first prank—gluing her father’s hat to his head—has been a success, she is... -
Answered a Question in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Charlie can only get one chocolate bar every year because his family is so poor. They are a family of seven, with four grandparents, two parents, and Charlie. Charlie's father is the only... -
Answered a Question in Five Feet Apart
To answer this question, we first need to establish what the themes of this poignant novel are. I would argue that the main themes are love, illness and death, and rebellion. We are engaged or... -
Answered a Question in The Pigman
The narrators, John Conlan and Lorraine Jensen, tell us the story of themselves and the Pigman in an immensely funny style. Hyperbole, which involves exaggerated claims that aren't meant to be... -
Answered a Question in The Skin I'm In
Daphne accuses Maleeka of kissing her boyfriend. While Maleeka is walking down the hall, minding her own business, she suddenly finds an angry Daphne "up in [her] face and ready to fight."... -
Answered a Question in Purple Hibiscus
Ironically, Papa (also known as Eugene) is extremely highly regarded in his community. He is seen as an upstanding citizen, a generous benefactor, and a man of God. Unfortunately, behind closed... -
Answered a Question in Matilda
To answer this question, we first need to discuss what made Matilda's life intolerable: her parents. Despite showing signs of brilliance from her infancy, Matilda is ignored and maligned by her... -
Answered a Question in The Devil's Arithmetic
In this poignant novel, Yolen describes her characters' physical appearance in specific, concrete detail. I would argue that this is to help us picture them, feel that we know them, and empathize... -
Answered a Question in A Day's Wait
Poor Schatz spends the entire day convinced he is going to die, all because of a misunderstanding. He only realizes he isn’t going to die when his father comes to understand the misunderstanding... -
Answered a Question in Saint Joan
Joan is wearing red in the first scene, and her attire is described as “respectable.” We are given a fairly detailed description of her appearance when she appears in the doorway. Her eyes are set... -
Answered a Question in Two Friends
We learn from the very start that Paris is not in good shape. There is a famine going on, and de Maupassant gives a clear indication of how severe things are by explaining that sparrows and rats... -
Answered a Question in Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
When Percy first learns of his true identity, he’s pretty upset with Poseidon, and for good reason. In his twelve years, he’s never had a visit from his father, and Poseidon has not offered him or... -
Answered a Question in The Furnished Room
The young man is remarkably unkind in his description of the housekeeper and homeowner who answers the door when he knocks while looking for accommodation. He describes her as "fat" and "legless,"... -
Answered a Question in Justice
The first clue we get in this play as to where Falder works as a junior clerk is when we are told that act 1 is set in "the office of James and Walter How." When Ruth Honeywill shows up at the... -
Answered a Question in Anton Chekhov
To answer this question, we need to rewind a little and discuss how Ivan and Masha felt when they mistakenly thought that Masha had won the lottery. After a period of disbelief, both had become... -
Answered a Question in Hoot
For starters, Beatrice and Roy's relationship gets off to a rocky start because he pushes her out of his way as she is getting onto the bus. The reason he pushes her is his desperation to get off... -
Answered a Question in Cry, the Beloved Country
The first inkling the community gets that a dam is going to be built is when sticks appear in the ground, with the chief being given strict instructions that these sticks are not to be touched.... -
Answered a Question in Jane Eyre
The staff at Lowood are a bit of a mixed bunch, with kind teachers in positions of authority appearing to be rather thin on the ground. The school's manager, Mr. Brocklehurst, is cruel and... -
Answered a Question in Bridge to Terabithia
The first thing to point out is that Leslie’s dad is far more developed as a character than Jess’s dad is. While we never even learn the first name of Jess’s father, who is referred to simply as... -
Answered a Question in Among the Hidden
The answer to your question can be found in chapter seventeen, when Jen and Luke are talking in the aftermath of Luke being unable to contact her the previous day, which concerns him greatly. When... -
Answered a Question in Those Winter Sundays
On Sundays, the speaker's father does the same thing he does every other day of the week. He gets up early, despite the extremely cold conditions, and lights fires so that the speaker and other... -
Answered a Question in The Umbrella Man
Initially, the old gentleman with the umbrella makes a particularly positive impression on our narrator in Roald Dahl’s short story. She describes the old man in flattering terms, referring to the... -
Answered a Question in Wonder
To answer this question, we first need to understand why Via was upset. The day in question had been her first day of high school, and everything had seemed different between her and her two best... -
Answered a Question in The Woodlanders
I would argue that the main themes of The Woodlanders are patriarchy and love. Patriarchy can be observed from early on in the novel when we learn that Grace Melbury has been offered to Giles... -
Answered a Question in Tears of a Tiger
The answer to your question can be found in Andy's conversation with his psychologist on January 12th. The therapist asks him if he ever has moments when he feels out of touch with reality, and... -
Answered a Question in The Lost Phoebe
It's difficult to say with certainty how long Henry had lived in the house, because while we are told that he lived that "from his childhood up," we are not told whether his parents already lived... -
Answered a Question in Lullaby
The first thing that we learn about the snow in the wind is that it "gave off its own light." This creates an image of heavily falling snow, creating enough whiteness in the air to become a source... -
Answered a Question in Life of Pi
When Pi refers to the "elusive, irrational number" in which he found refuge, he means that through the name of a mathematical symbol, he was able to create a new name for himself, thereby gaining... -
Answered a Question in The Dog of Tithwal
As one would expect, the birds are startled every time a shot rings out. Their fright is likened to what would happen to an audience if a musician suddenly struck an incorrect note and ruined a... -
Answered a Question in Lunch Money
The reason that the principal, Mrs. Davenport, orders Greg to stop selling toys at school is that the toys are creating a distraction at school. When Greg arrives in her office, he immediately sees... -
Answered a Question in Funeral Blues
In a nutshell, the images in the final stanza convey that the speaker is utterly devastated and cannot imagine living in a world without his loved one. The first two lines create an image of... -
Answered a Question in Cry, the Beloved Country
To answer this question, we first need to consider the definition of a pilgrimage. In what might be described as a pilgrimage in its purest form, a person seeks closer to God by taking a journey to... -
Answered a Question in The Seafarer
The first thing we learn about the seafarer is that he has “oft” endured hardship. This tells us that he is tenacious and determined, because he keeps going to sea in spite of this. These hardships... -
Answered a Question in Through the Tunnel
Jerry’s nosebleed causes him to make a wise decision that he immediately goes back on. The nosebleed is severe enough to give him a nasty fright, and he registers the sight of his own blood flowing... -
Answered a Question in The Boarding House
The first thing you need to understand about Polly is that she goes out of her way to draw the attention of the boarders, with the intention of choosing one who might make her a suitable husband.... -
Answered a Question in Purple Hibiscus
I would argue that the theme of hypocrisy is brought to life and presented through the character of Papa. To explain this, we must first define hypocrisy. In a nutshell, hypocrisy is when someone... -
Answered a Question in The Lion and the Jewel
Patriarchal control is a big part of Nigeria's Yoruba culture as depicted in this play, and Sidi expects to be treated in a certain way, despite being very aware of her beauty. Lakunle, for all his... -
Answered a Question in The Diary of a Young Girl
On October 3, Anne shares that she has been reading more "grown-up" books, and is currently reading Eva's Youth by Nico van Suchtelen. I would argue that this indicates that Anne is transitioning... -
Answered a Question in Suzanne Collins
Chapter 3 opens with Coriolanus Snow waiting at the train station to meet Lucy Gray Baird, the Hunger Games tribute from District 12 whom he is to mentor. Having made a spectacular scene at her... -
Answered a Question in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats
The answer to your question can be found in "The Naming of Cats." It is implied that having a name that's particular enables a cat to stand proudly with a "perpendicular" tail. This cat will be... -
Answered a Question in Blood Brothers
The role money plays in Blood Brothers relates to the fact that the brothers grow up in totally different socioeconomic circumstances. Edward grows up with all the money he could ever need, but... -
Answered a Question in The Graveyard Book
After trying to run away from the graveyard, Bod appears in Nick Farthing's dream in retribution for his having been a bully. Next, Liza Hempstock catches up with him and talks some sense into him,... -
Answered a Question in The Other Side of Truth
The main character in this story is Sade Solaja, a twelve-year-old Nigerian girl who must relocate illegally to England. This comes after her mother is murdered and a telephonic threat is made on...
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