Abstract
This paper discusses various elements of Asian religions and how it is intertwined in Crane's novel "Bones of the Master." These elements include pilgrimage, master/disciple relationship and the importance of meditation. The book is a true story of a man on a spiritual quest for the truth.

From the Paper
"The concept of the teacher and the student is prevalent in Bones of the Master. When beginning a religious path, it is most widely agreed that the best place to start is by finding a teacher, or a master. It is this teacher, that can guide the student towards proper meditation techniques and passing their wisdom down to the student. In his younger days, Tsung Tsai found his master in Shiuh Deng. One of the key teachings of a Buddhist master is the art of meditation. For one who is seeking a religious path, the most important aspect to learn is meditation."

Tags:bones, buddhism, crane, george, master, meditation, tsai, tsung

Abstract
The paper shows that when we think about communication, we think about the spoken word and that our thoughts are always about the words people use and their fluency of speech. Yet, at the same time, we are also taking in information from nonlinguistic sources. The author notes that people's mannerisms, clothing, and appearance are also important, as well as their tone of voice. Researches have estimated that, in face-to-face communication, as much as 90 percent of the social meaning may be carried in the nonverbal message and that facial appearance and response may contribute more to our meaning of their message than all their words. The paper explores the importance of both types of communication and how they are put across.

From the Paper
"As popularly used, language refers to a system of words. This development is not surprising, since words distinguish human communication from that of lower animals. Words, as symbols, usually convey information in a quite deliberate, no instinctive way. For this reason, language is sometimes treated as a set of verbal symbols."

Tags:symbol, coding, culture, language

Abstract
This paper looks at the characters of Hamlet and Laertes explains why they are so similar. By doing so, this paper compares and contrasts Hamlet's and Laertes' love for Ophelia, the avenging their fathers' deaths and their attitudes and actions.

From the Paper
"In Shakespeare's play Hamlet many similarities are created between Hamlet and Laertes which clearly define Laertes as Hamlets foil. These two characters are mirrors of each other which act in opposite manners when confronted with similar circumstances. They are very contrasting characters, one being outward and the other inward; where Hamlet is verbal, Laertes is physical and where Hamlet is private, Laertes is overly confronting. They are both confronted with emotions such as love and hate along with situations of betrayal which lead to the ultimate tragedies in the play. Due to the sequence of events which occur within Shakespeare's play Hamlet it is evident that Hamlet and Laertes are two very comparative characters which is demonstrated through the love they share for Ophelia and their actions to avenge the death of their fathers."

Tags:death, foil, hamlet, laertes, love, ophelia

Abstract
This paper analyzes, in depth, Friedrich Nietzsche's arguments in his essay "On Truth and Lying in a Non-Moral Sense". The paper focuses on the concepts that Nietzsche describes in his essay, of the creation of the metaphor, the importance of the lie and then discusses the effects that this process has on society.

From the Paper
"Truths shape our world. They are the ideas that impose a unified meaning on the chaos and indeterminacy of our lives. People devote themselves to these truths: wars are fought, Earth is subjugated, and culture is created. These rallying cries of civilization: justice, honor, virtue, stewardship, salvation, are the ghosts of our history who have tricked us into believing they are real and deserving of our attention. Nietzsche rages against this hoax in On Truth and Lying in a Non-Moral Sense."

Tags:metaphor, moral, nervous, stimulus, truth

Abstract
A detailed look into the the use of imagery and symbolism in the film Fight Club. This paper analyzes the depiction of the characters in the film through the use of color schemes and images as well as the different techniques used such as Subliminal messaging, a process by which visual or auditory influences are hidden amongst other images or sounds, such that the conscious mind and self are totally unaware of the information, which it has just absorbed.

From the Paper
"In the film Fight Club there are two main characters played by Edward Norton and Brad Pitt. Norton's character is a stressed out insomniac. To deal with this stress, his character tries attending support groups, and getting sleeping pills, unfortunately nothing seems to be working. During his most stressed out moments, there are flashes on the screen, which would not be noticed really in a first screening in a theatre, but easier to notice in DVD or VHS copies of the film. These flashes are not the director or editor's mistakes; they have significant underlying meaning. The flashes are director David Fitchers idea of subliminal messaging. They are images of Brad Pitt before his character Tyler Durden is introduced to the film. The significance of the editing is explained later in the film, when the topic of splicing porn into kids? films is discussed. It is believed that these flashes of Pitt show the significance of when Tyler Durden first starts coming into the mind of Norton."

Tags:brad, en, film, insomniac, messaging, mise, pitt, scene, subliminal

Abstract
This essay examines the use of imagery in Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story 'The Yellow Wallpaper' as it mirrors the protagonists final descent into insanity. The author describes the use of grotesque in this American gothic-style short story revealing the use of symbolism in the tale. The themes in the story are also analyzed.

From the Paper
"Throughout Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper" there is imagery describing the grotesque. The narrator's descriptions of the wallpaper's florid decorations grow and develop as her mind slowly deteriorates. As the protagonist's insanity begins to set in, the wallpaper seems to develop along with her. The worse she gets, the more she perceives within the design. The wallpaper almost seems to mirror her mood, as it twirls and plunges unceasingly like her racing and confused mind. The element of the grotesque is very important in this American gothic-style tale, as it helps to show, or possibly causes, the mental anguish of the narrator."

Tags:american, grotesque, imagery, literature, short, story, supernatural

Abstract
This is a critical essay on Richard Wright's short story, The Man Who Was Almost a Man. This tale is a twisted parody of the hunt, where a boy becomes a man by learning to take responsibility for his actions and doing what is best for himself. This parody shows the protagonist?s desire to become a respected equal among the other adults with whom he feels he has earned the right to belong, through his growing age and hard work in the fields. The paper includes many quotes from the story exploring themes and symbolism.

From the Paper
"Wright subverts a typical hunt genre to create a parody of a boy reaching manhood. In "The Man Who Was Almost a Man," the protagonist, Dave, tries to reach his potential as an adult and earn respect from other men. However, his position in society as a downtrodden adolescent, who toils like a workhorse, does not allow him the dignity he deserves. By shooting the mule, he is given a chance to become a man in the only avenue available to him; he runs away on the train to find a new future. "Ahead the long rails were glinting in the moonlight, stretching away to somewhere, somewhere where he could be a man" (1128). This newfound freedom and manhood, which comes from his first ironic kill, satisfies the rite of passage in the hunt and brings him the independence and responsibly he deserves."

Tags:genre, hunt, parody, short, story, man, boy

Abstract
This essay examines the struggles between the class and territory divisions within England, through Elizabeth Gaskell's novel, "North and South". Gaskell explores this theme through the characterization of the hero and heroine. The author includes ample discussion of symbolism and quotes from the novel.

From the Paper
"Throughout Elizabeth Gaskell's Victorian novel, North and South, the struggle between the class and territory divisions within England is explored with characters that do not develop in large flashes of knowledge, but change and grow slowly over time. This more natural and almost imperceptible transformation occurs as the two main characters learn from their mistakes and mature slowly through their experiences. The heroine of the novel, Margaret Hale, and the hero, Mr. Thornton, learn to appreciate the differences between the Northern and Southern ways of life, and to break down class barriers."

Tags:characterization, class, England, literature, struggle, study, Victorian

Abstract
In W. H. Auden's poem, "Funeral Blues," the speaker uses well-constructed poetic language and form to convey her attitude toward the subject of death. It explains how Auden manifests an extremely bitter interpretation of hopelessness and eternal sadness on the part of the speaker as a result of losing a loved one. The speaker in the poem is deeply saddened about the loss of her loved one and the fact that it was a force beyond her control. This person has been taken from her life in haste at a most inopportune time, and she feels as though her life has become pointless. It shows how, through Auden's use of tone, language, and structure, he portrays a very well-defined image of death and its effects on the individual, which is by no means desirable.

From the Paper
In "Funeral Blues" Auden makes the bitter attitude of the speaker toward the subject of death apparent to the readers through the use of symbols, imagery, personification, and the metaphor. In the first stanza Auden states, "stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone..."(Auden 1362. 1). The clock being stopped may signify the fact that he who died has run out of time and also to ask those who knew him to stop what they are doing and reflect. The telephone being cut off brings forth the idea of silence. Auden does this to show the deceased the respect they deserve. She believes in honoring the dead with a moment of silence to pay respect. In the second stanza the speaker states, "let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead."(Auden 1362. 5). She uses this metaphoric image to convey the pointlessness of her life and also her grief. What point is there for aeroplanes to fly in circles? She is comparing the pointlessness of flying in circles to her life without her partner.

Tags:interpretation, poetry, representation, theme

Abstract
This paper deals with the protagonist Hamlet, and his inability to complete his task of revenge. Although Hamlet does kill Claudius, who is his uncle and the man who killed his father, the plan for revenge is not properly fulfilled due to elements that cause Hamlet's downfall and his unfortunate demise. The essay discusses how the factors of procrastination, melancholic behavior, and constant indecision stop Hamlet from properly fulfilling the task assigned by the ghost of Old Hamlet.

From the Paper
"Hamlet observes how Fortinbras is willing to go blindly to Poland, to fight for a piece of land, which is worthless, all in the name of honor. When he looks at himself, he sees that he is not a man of action. The prince has had months of time to fulfill his act of revenge, which he has all the reason for, but he has not gotten any closer to his goal than the first day. Fortinbras, on the other hand, appears as a foil to Hamlet, highlighting his own quick-acting ability, and contrasting Hamlet's continuing procrastination. The extensive delay of Hamlet's revenge is what creates a tragedy and contributes to his downfall at the end of the play. As well as the stretching of time, Hamlet is also not up to the task assigned to him by the ghost because he is melancholic and too overwhelmed by other surrounding situations."

Tags:claudius, death, downfall, ghost, hamlet, hero, procrastination, shakespeare, tragedy