Understanding Civilization
The earliest remains of modern human beings go back over 300,000 years in the past. Human evolution has been a long-drawn process that continues to this day; however, the dawn of civilization was a watershed moment that permanently altered the course of human history and, by extension, the history of our planet. As humans progressed […]
Summary and Character Analysis of “Of Mice and Men”
Of Mice and Men is a novella by John Steinbeck and is one of his most well-known works. Published in 1937, the book is set in the then-ongoing Great Depression and captures the mood and struggles of the era. A heavy and tragic tale, it focuses on friendship, the hardships endured by most Americans during […]
“The Crucible”: Summary and Characters
Written in 1953 by Arthur Miller, The Crucible is a play that dramatizes the Salem witch trials of the 1690s. It was an allegory for the McCarthyism of the 1950s, which was characterized by paranoia in the country regarding Communism and any sympathizers for it. Senator Joseph McCarthy hurled accusations and directed the questioning of […]
What is GPA and How to Calculate It?
As students in the USA near their high school graduation and begin to apply to colleges, an academic metric that assumes great importance is the GPA. Whether a student has a high or “good” GPA or not is a factor that can affect several aspects of their future academic or professional life: from their acceptance […]
Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily”: Summary and Analysis
A Rose for Emily is a short story by William Faulkner, one of the most renowned and revered writers in English of the twentieth century. A giant of American literature, Faulkner was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction twice—in 1955 and in 1963— as well as the Nobel Prize in 1949. While it is largely […]
A Plot Summary of Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher”
Written by Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher is a short story that was first published in 1839 in Burton’s Gentleman’s Magazine. It is a classic example of a Gothic tale, detailing the final events in the lives of the Usher twins. The actual action that takes place over the course […]
Global Warming vs. Climate Change
Global warming and climate change are among the leading challenges facing the modern world. Both phenomena have received considerable public interest and have become subjects of concern for international bodies, such as the UN, as well. Discussions have been had and legislation has been passed regarding the two on the international and domestic levels. Frequently, […]
NATO: What it is and How it Differs from the UN
Both NATO and the UN are international organizations with several member nations and one similar goal—world peace and cooperation. However, besides these two points, the two bodies are very different from each other. The United Nations (UN) was formed in 1945 soon after the Second World War with the aim of preventing such a universal […]
Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”: Summary, Analysis, and Themes
The Story of an Hour is a short story by American writer Kate Chopin. It describes an hour of a woman’s life after she hears of her husband’s death in a railroad accident. The story drew inspiration from Chopin’s own life: when she was eight years old, her father died in such an accident. It […]