In Herman Melville’s Benito Cereno, there is a scene where Captain Delano encounters a group of black women and children on the deck of the Saint Dominick. While looking at them, Delano assumes that the women are uncivilized but at the same time are well-mannered, innocent and loving towards their children. This scene, unlike what... Continue Reading →
Phillis Wheatley was an American poet who was the first African American to get published. Her poem “To the University of Cambridge in New England” is addressed to students of that university, and she tells them of Jesus’ sacrifice and the promise for redemption. This poem affirms equality through the shared sin and salvation of... Continue Reading →
Geoffrey of Monmouth’s The History of the Kings of Britain is a pseudohistorical narrative of the Kings of Britain published in 1136. It begins with the foundation of the British nation by Trojan exiles and continues for about 2000 years until the Anglo-Saxon invasion and the rise of King Arthur. Thomas More’s Utopia is a... Continue Reading →
The word “marvel/marvelous” conjures up diverse meanings: in the 1300s, it would have meant a marvelous event outside of human power and nature and thus believed to be supernatural/divine. But it can also mean something wonderful or astonishing that causes someone to feel surprise, admiration or wonder (Oxford University Press). Something which is marvelous is all... Continue Reading →
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