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The impact of literature
HOW LITERATURE influenced
The impact of literature
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Literature and writing can be shown as hidden talents to people who are not aware of their capabilities. In the story “Learning to Write”, Russell Baker embellished a story that can relate to high school students. His teacher, Mr. Fleagle assigning an informal essay to the students, and Russell struggling and procrastinating his work, is relatable to many students that go through the same conflicts as him. The memory of when Russell and his family ate spaghetti was the topic that he felt that he should write and reminiscence on for himself. With the lack of time that Russell had, he decided to turn in his story of “The Art of Eating Spaghetti.” Turning in his paper to Mr. Fleagle, he felt uneasy because he did not receive his paper like everyone
Hatcher, Nathan. "Sammy’s Motive." Ode to Friendship & Other Essays: Student Writing at Virginia Wesleyan College. Ed. Connie Bellamy. Norfolk, Virginia, 1996. 37.
Hansberry, Lorraine. A Raisin in the Sun. Literature and the Writing Process. Elizabeth McMahan, Susan X. Day, and Robert Funk. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice, 2002.
“On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft” is not written in the traditional textbook format. The structure of this book works as an educational tool is because it offers a personal look at how writing has affected one successful novelist's life. Each section of the book contains something important about the craft of writing. The book also includes a great deal of about the personal impact writing has had on Stephen King's life.
In Tobias Wolff’s novel Old School, the narrator, a young and aspiring writer, plagiarizes a story that he views as his own in order to win his high school writing competition and impress his hero, Ernest Hemingway. “Summer Dance,” the story that he plagiarized—where “nothing was okay”—ends with the words, “Everything’s okay” (p. 125). The narrator’s truth, complicated and elusive, proves a challenge to admit as his own. As he considers writing someone else’s story, the narrator realizes how concealing his identity compromises the value of his writing and places his personal truth in question. The narrator uses others’ stories as an outlet for personal reflection, self-expression, and self-discovery without realizing
‘I am going to fail’ was the very first thought that crept into my mind on that very first day of class. Before I stepped into the classroom on the first day, I felt pretty good about my writing. I had done previously well in English, and didn’t think this class would be much of a challenge. This all changed on the first day of school, when my professor talked about the level of reading and writing expected for this class. I remember thinking ‘I don’t read, why couldn’t I have been born someone who likes to read?!’ Since this moment on the very first day of class, I have grown immensely through hard work. In this essay, I will explain what I have learned over the course of this class about myself, and about writing.
The nineteen twenties was a remarkable period in the field of American art and literature. A renaissance was clearly taking place in the field of the short story also. It is no exaggeration to say that there has never been a time in the history of American literature when the short story writers have shown more interest in their craft. These writers moved away from the traditional plot line and introduced a flexible form which could accommodate any situation. It is not that the short stories during this period are formless, episodic, or casual. On the contrary, they do have a distinct structure, though not one as tightly organized as in the traditional story. In fact, the writers during this period wove their material into a symbolic design. Instead of rounding off an action definitively, they revealed its meaning through a casual glance, gesture or remark. Such a form of the short story works through indirection rather than explicit statements. The innate and ultimate value of these stories lies in their chaste compactness and inclusiveness. Words in these stories are not used as self-contained units. They are not even a means to convey information. In fact, they only create amplitude, where everything is, and nothing is explained. This characteristic of purity in the narrative prose is the hallmark of the American short story of the twenties.
González’s “Wake” and Laura van den Berg’s “Volcano House” are two short stories that should be incorporated into high school curriculums due to the knowledge that can be gained from discussing the works in class, the use and examples of literary devices, and the lessons included. Students would have the opportunity to gain a wealth of knowledge to better improve future pieces of writing, look at works of literature from different viewpoints, and take the lessons to carry with them in everyday life. These stories will not only better the student in the English classroom, but will help them in other classes and outside of school. I firmly believe that “Wake” and “Volcano House” should be added to high school
Wilson, Kathleen, and Marie Lazzari. Short stories for students presenting analysis, context, and criticism on commonly studied short stories. Volume 4 ed. Detroit: Gale Group, 1998. Print.
Writing doesn’t come easily to me, which must make me a glutton for punishment. It has taken me years of training, learning to structure an essay and unlearning to begin again. Only since attending HSU am I realizing how exceptional my writing has become. Over the course of two semesters, I have seen my writing expand and grow. While I still adhere to the training I received in high school, I am excited to now take these tools and develop my own unique style in the years to come.
Students throughout the ages have faced the moral dilemma of turning in an original piece, or borrowing someone else’s words. There are many reasons to be tempted into dishonesty. Perhaps one is unsure of his or her writing skill, or knowledge in the subject matter. Maybe there are pressures of time, or the need to get a good grade. The advent of th...
Glaspell, Susan. Trifles. Literature and the Writing Process. Elizabeth Mahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice, 2002. 977-986
I knew I wasn’t bad at writing but I never thought I was great at it either. I think one of these reasons is because I had never really cared about and/or related to the subjects I was writing about. But because of Mrs. Shaw’s class I was taught that I couldn’t just write, I could take joy in it. This argument is supported in Lenhart et. al.’s article, “Writing, Technology, and Teens,” stating:
Miline, Ira Mark. Short Stories for Student. Presenting Analysis, Context, and Criticism on Commonly Studied Short Stories Volume 8Virtual Reference Library. Detroit, Mich: Gale. Web. 13 Jan. 2010.
Perrault, Charles. “Cinderella.” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Ed. Laurence Behrens, Leonard J. Rosen. Toronto: Longman, 2013. 236-240. Print.
We spent most of the first month in Mr. M.’s class just going over “the infamous page one” as he liked to call it and just reading some great pieces of literature, including Of Mice and Men and Julius Caesar. Then one winter day, we all came into his cool green room and sat down, chatting with our neighbors as usual until the bell rang to signify the start of class. When the bell rang, our teacher began talking about our upcoming assignments; he told us we would be writing 3 essays during the next ...