Literary Ocean

Georges Canguilhem (1904-1995); Biography and famous works

Georges Canguilhem (1904-1995) is a French philosopher and historian of science. He was born in Castelnaudary in the Languedoc region. Canguilhem studied at the École Normale Supérieure in the same year as Raymond Aron, Paul Nizan, and Jean-Paul Sartre. Graduating in 1927, he held a series of jobs in lycées in regional France, the last…

7 hours ago0Comments BySupriya Maity

Plays

Role and Significance of Viola’s Disguise in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night

In William Shakespeare’s play “Twelfth Night”, Viola’s disguise plays an important role. Although a lady, Viola disguises herself as a gentleman to protect her youth and maidenhood in Illyria. This disguise helps her to get the job of a page at the court of the noble duke, Orsino. But when she visits Olivia as Cesario,…

3 days ago0Comments BySupriya Maity

Plays

What Is the Chief Source of Christopher Marlowe’s Edward II?

Christopher Marlowe’s chief source for his famous drama “Edward II” is Holinshed’s “Chronicle” which was first published in 1577 and subsequently ran in the second edition in 1587. According to Prof. Ward and Dr. Wagner, Marlowe derived his history for the main part from Fabyan’s “Chronicle or Concordance of Histories”. But Marlowe’s history presents some…

October 15, 20260Comments BySupriya Maity

Novels

Major Symbols in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

There is hardly anything in Joseph Conrad’s "Heart of Darkness" that offers no symbolic meaning. Almost everything, including the Congo, the journey, the darkness of the African jungle, ivory, the characters, from Kurtz to the doctor or the knitting women, etc., is symbolic. Central to the action, there is a journey motif. Marlow's journey on…

October 13, 20260Comments BySupriya Maity

Poem

Character analysis of the Duchess in the poem “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning

The Duchess does not physically appear in the poem My Last Duchess by Robert Browning. Through the Duke’s dramatic monologue, certain aspects of her character are indirectly revealed. Naturally, her character is viewed from the perspective of the Duke, who is critical of her graceful and generous nature rather than appreciative of her virtues. Although…

October 11, 20260Comments BySupriya Maity

Plays

Summary of Francis Beaumont’s comedy “The Knight of the Burning Pestle”

“The Knight of the Burning Pestle” is a play written by Francis Beaumont and first performed in 1607. It is a satirical comedy that parodies various conventions of Renaissance theater and explores themes of social class, ambition, and the role of art in society. The play begins with a prologue, where a grocer and his wife…

October 9, 20260Comments BySupriya Maity

Short Stories

Discuss the role of Bindu in Tagore’s The Wife’s Letter

Bindu is the second important character of Rabindranath’s short story The Wife’s Letter. She is introduced rather later on, long after Mrinal’s married life has started. Bindu is the younger sister of Mrinal’s elder sister-in-law. She is forced to seek shelter in her sister’s house under the freak of misfortune. As a matter of fact, after…

October 7, 20260Comments BySupriya Maity

Poem

Character of the Parson in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales

In Chaucer’s Prologue to the Canterbury Tales, there was a religious-minded poor Parson in the group of pilgrims riding to Canterbury. He was highly virtuous in thought and work. He was a true scholar who knew Christ’s gospel quite well and would teach and preach it with devotion. He was gentle and hard-working and also…

October 5, 20260Comments BySupriya Maity

Essay

A short note on Black death and its effect on England

The Black Death was actually a fearful plague, basically spread by rats. It ravaged almost the whole of England for about three years-1347-1350. Its effect was serious, particularly at a time when prevention against that dreadful disease, plague, was unknown. A person attacked by the plague usually died in less than five days. That Black Death…

October 3, 20260Comments BySupriya Maity

Short Stories

Bring out clearly the significance of the title of the story The Fly by Katherine Mansfield

Katherine Mansfield’s short story The Fly is not merely a good short story-one of the fifteen finest short stories ever written- but also possesses a significantly short title. Apparently, the title may look rather detached from the main theme of the story, which is a father’s grave bereavement, but it is actually indicative of the spirit…

October 1, 20260Comments BySupriya Maity