Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Russian literature themes
The analysis of female characters in literature
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Russian literature themes
In 2014, American Hustle topped the box office charts and was celebrated by critics alike. The film praised con artists and even portrayed them as light-hearted, “comedic figures” (Surowiecki). Americans condemn rapists and murders, yet we idolize con artists and often strive to achieve the most out of life with the least amount of work. People are constantly looking for shortcuts and quick solutions, making us bait to the cons of our society. The premise of the film is the idea that people are always self-interested and will believe what they want to believe. This idea is hardly new to literature and films. In Alexander Pushkin’s Romantic era fiction novel, The Queen of Spades, “Everyone is out for what he or she can get” (Sarah Lawall 801) and many of the characters fall victim to scams.
The Queen of Spades is centered on high-stake card games. The meaning of the games can be taken both literally and figuratively. “Card games have been seen traditionally as metaphors for life, where fate decides the outcome” (Pavliscak). The story focuses on Hermann, a Russian officer. A frugal and cautious man, Hermann spends his night observing card games from afar rather than actually participating in them. He learns of an elder countess that knows of a series of cards played in sequence that always guarantees success. Hermann becomes obsessed with discovering the secret. He attempts to seduce Elizaveta Ivanovna, the poverty-stricken dependent of the Countess, to unravel the card mystery. Hermann sneaks into the Countess’s household, under the pretense of meeting with Elizaveta. He, instead enters the Countess’s bedroom and frightens her to death in an attempt to learn the card secret. Later, Hermann is haunted by the Countess’s ghost and ...
... middle of paper ...
...hey want to believe.
Work Cited
"American Hustle." UWIRE Text 27 Dec. 2013: 1. Academic OneFile. Web. 4 May 2014.
Lawall, Sarah. “Alexander Sergeyvich Pushkin.” The Norton Anthology of Western Literature.
Ed. Sarah. Lawall. 8th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 2006. 800-01. Print.
Pavliscak, Pamela. "The Queen Of Spades." Magill’S Survey Of World Literature, Revised Edition. (2009): 1. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Pushkin, Alexander Sergeyevich. The Queen of Spades. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature.
Ed. Sarah. Lawall. 8th ed. Vol. 2. New York: Norton, 2006. 801-20. Print.
Rinkus, Jerome J. "The Queen Of Spades." Cyclopedia Of Literary Characters, Revised Third Edition (1998): 1. Literary Reference Center Plus. Web. 28 Apr. 2014.
Surowiecki, James. "Do the Hustle." The New Yorker. The New Yorker, 2014. Web. 23 Apr. 2014.
Throughout Saunders’ stories: “ Pastoralia”, "Brad Carrigan, American”, “Jon”, and "In Persuasion Nation"; are themes of violence, dependence, and fate. With these themes Saunders is relaying how money and power are reflected in everyone unconscious mindset: from the higher ups to the “people at the bottom of the heap”. Saunders points out that with that type of mindset is how America is declining not just economically, but as people of morals. We may be trying to “keep positive/think positive” but maybe money is the reason why we’re sinking so low into idleness, impatience, selfishness, and whatnot (Saunders).
Money, death and lies are the central theme of this book. Which has existed since the beginning of time and present in society today. This play heavily focuses on falsehoods and fate. The question of whether or not should we as a society be doing anything to change America, my answer is affrimative, I agree we should. With that being said, the only way to stop greed is to stop the capatilistic machine. Destroying currensy on a global scale and putting zero emphasis on money and more emphasis on building
People from all around the world have dreamed of coming to America and building a successful life for themselves. The "American Dream" is the idea that, through hard work and perseverance, the sky is the limit in terms of financial success and a reliable future. While everyone has a different interpretation of the "American Dream," some people use it as an excuse to justify their own greed and selfish desires. Two respected works of modern American literature, The Great Gatsby and Death of a Salesman, give us insight into how the individual interpretation and pursuit of the "American Dream" can produce tragic results.
The authors have strongly argued that economics is fundamentally the study of enticement and incentives (Levitt). As per the economic grounds people strive to get what they really need or want. The situation becomes even more complex when the same thing is required by different individuals. These points are robustly communicated through cynical insight and storytelling. Since Steven D. Levitt has expertise in studying daily life riddles therefore he is able to consider the influencing aspects of cheating, parenting, crime and sports differently (Levitt). In Freakonomics he has reached to certain conclusions which are contradicting to the conventional economic theories. Levitt and Dubner have comprehensively explored the inside operations of crack gang. Moreover, they revealed the furtive characteristics of Ku Klux Klan. I have found the description of Real Estate Agents most interesting as it indicates the importance and power of information. The authors have explicitly explained that how the expe...
The notorious and capable Al Capone once commented, “This American system of ours, call it Americanism, call it capitalism, call it what you will, gives each and every one of us a great opportunity if we only seize it with both hands and make the most of it.” “This American system,” as referred to by Capone, is not simply one idea alone but a conglomerate of all ideals held to represent the American culture: capitalism, freedom, and opportunity. These ideals go hand in hand with each other; freedom allows for capitalism to flourish and, in turn, allows equal opportunity for every citizen. However, the key to success in the American system is not simply available by going through the motions of life, but rather requires determination, will, and an urge to succeed and capitalize on every opportunity provided to us. In F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, Gatsby, the poverty-stricken army officer turned eccentric millionaire, proves that the American system is one that does not discriminate between the rich and the poor, or by creed, or even by race, but allows for equal opportunity for all, supporting those with ambition and drive, while punishing those who lack purpose and initiative, one where everyone has a chance for greatness if they have the drive and initiative to seize that opportunity and “make the most of it” and that the resulting success derived from that motivation erases the significance of one’s background.
Fraud, scams and cons are everywhere. They affect many people every day, making this a form of crime likely to affect most people, in some way, during their lifetime. The various types of scams and cons are staggering. A Google search for a list of frauds netted over 1,000 types of schemes, scams, frauds and cons. The simple truth is this: There are people out there with the desire and motive to profit from the misfortune and deception of others. They will use the methods they know to succeed (usually financially) and make a situation profitable for themselves. Some schemes are very simple, while others are incredibly complex; walking a fine line between legal and illegal. We will examine some of the various schemes and scams that have been used in the past and many of which are still used today.
“Money is the root of all evil”(Levit). Man and his love of money has destroyed lives since the beginning of time. Men have fought in wars over money, given up family relationships for money and done things they would have never thought that they would be capable of doing because of money. In the movie, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, the author demonstrates how the love and worship of money and all of the trappings that come with it can destroy lives. In the novel Jay Gatsby has lavish parties, wears expensive gaudy clothes, drives fancy cars and tries to show his former love how important and wealthy he has become. He believes a lie, that by achieving the status that most Americans, in th...
To start off, this short story is packed with an abundance of symbolism that further highlights the emotions that Mrs. Mallard was feeling after hearing the devastating news of her husband’s death. Although she is instantly overcome with grief upon hearing the news, there were ‘’patches of blue sky showing here and there through the clouds…” (Chopin 476). These patches of blue sky represent the plethora of opportunities that await Mrs. Mallard now that she has been given a fresh start, with total and unrestricted freedom. Shortly after, Louise begins to comprehend how her husband’s death has in turn completely changed her life for the better. In addition, Mrs. Mallard’s heart troubles also bear a symbolic significance. Her physical heart complications symbolize her discontent with her lack of freedom in her life and marriage. In contrast, when Mrs. Mallard initially realizes the liberty and independence that she now possesses, “her pulses beat fast, and the coursing blood w...
Currently, the ambiguity of whether or not “The American Dream” is still alive is emerging. In this paper I will demonstrate how propaganda plays a key role in making it seem as if “The American Dream is still alive by deceptively promising upward social mobility and integration into society through the use of advertising techniques such as patriotism.
From dreams deferred to identity affirmed Lorraine Hansberry’s, “A Raisin in the Sun,” presents readers with many differing themes. The most prevalent and reoccurring theme is the effect money plays on society’s views of manhood and happiness. Readers are shown multiple characters with a diverse view on manhood. From Walter Lee with his matching societal views that a man should be able to provide whatever his family needs or wants to Lena whose views are a biased compilation of her late husband’s behavior and her own ideals, that a man should maintain his honor and protect his children’s dreams.
Herman is so determined to find his holy grail of gambling that he does not consider that the Countess may be serious when she swears that the story “was a joke” (Pushkin 80). In Douglas Clayton’s essay, “The Queen of Spades: a seriously intended joke,” Clayton points out that, at the time of her debt, the story “was a joke at her husband’s expense” and a “story told to [her husband] to disguise the truth” of how she actually paid off the debt (Clayton 12). Clayton goes on to suggest that, in order to pay her debt, the Countess may have slept with Saint-Germain in order to repay her funds, discounting any real mysticism in the story. However, Herman is far past his former rationality that he believes she is just withholding the secret from him. There is not other explanation for her silence. He reasons with her, begs her, and eventually threatens her, resulting in her death. Herman’s actions are based off of a rumor he heard when he was drinking with his friends, which he takes at face value. Even when he hears that the story was a joke, he cannot believe it because he has allowed so much irrational change to transform him. If he were to accept that the story was not true, he would have irrationally obsessed over nothing. In order for him to maintain his internal façade of rationality, the only thing he can do is
During the confrontation during the poker game, which immediately ends it, readers are exposed to the reality of Stella and Stanley’s
Brian May and Roger Taylor, in 1970, set the wheels in motion for Queen when they decided to form a band during their college years. Queen started out as a band called Smile who signed with Mercury Records, and included: Tim Staffell, Brian May, and Roger Taylor. Once Tim Staffell left, the group added Freddie Mercury (lead singer) and bassist John Deacon. Freddie Mercury, Farrokh Bulsara, was a fan of Smile and was added on as the lead vocalist. John Deacon began as a young guitarist who was a member of the group called The Opposition. This band was composed of a group of friends, and they were influenced by groups such as The Hollies and Herman’s Hermits. Eventually, Deacon was added to the group that already included Mercury, Taylor, and May. Over time, the group changed their name to Queen. The name Queen was selected by Mercury, and this name is symbolic of power and regality. The addition of Mercury proved to be an essential aspect to the history of Queen’s success. In Queen: The Early Years, Hodkinson writes, “much of what made Freddie also defined Queen: without him they were merely a model rock band with a bent for a commercial tune” (2). The group became well known for their theatrical performances and costumes that were often over the top. “From their international breakthrough in 1976, Queen continually remained one of the best-selling rock acts worldwide beyond Mercury's death in 1991. Their total record sales are estimated at up to 300 million records” (Desler 391). This group was important to the evolution of music and music performance in bands that were to follow them.
Throughout The House of Mirth, Edith Wharton uses many themes and motifs; gambling being a dominant one. Lily Bart is constantly testing her luck with her need to feel as if she has the upper hand in many situations. Lily always seems to throw out winning cards because she thinks that a better hand will come to her in the next round. Many readers might think that Lily is merely a careless, self-centered, and money-hungry tease. She very well may be all of those things; however, I believe it is all due to her addiction to gambling. Gambling gives Lily the rush that she craves in her boring upper class life, which has taught her to be cool, calm, and collected—the perfect poker face to disguise her addiction. Lily Bart’s incessant addiction to gambling with money, men and her own life, in due course leads to her demise.
America is a country where the idea that money can buy happiness is very often to be true and that in turn makes this country look very materialistic. The country is very well set for good economic prosperity but not everyone lives a Hollywood lifestyle, almost no one does. A good example of America’s ugly side comes from the text “On Dumpster Diving”. The text is all about having a tough life an America’s society from the perspective of a dumpster diver himself. And through this essay we see a worse side to the American dream because Lars Eighner’s wrote this on his experience. In the Essay he writes,” I do not want to paint too romantic a picture. Dumpster diving has serious drawbacks as a way of life.” When people refer to America they only r...