The novel Jane Eyre is a Victorian Gothic bildungsroman that explores the early life of the eponymous character. At eighteen Jane is hired by Mr. Rochester as a governess at Thornfield Hall. This essay will argue that Jane’s innocent, independent personality liberates Mr. Rochester from his mental enslavement at Thornfield Hall. Jane provides a glimpse... Continue Reading →
Two Versions of King Arthur Contrasted
The story of King Arthur has been told in many different forms over the centuries. Two of the core seminal works are Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, a long poem from the 14th century by an unknown author, and Le Morte d’Arthur, a prose work from the 15th century by Thomas Malory. King Arthur... Continue Reading →
The Squire’s Tale as a Representation of His Character & Ideals
In Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, the Squire is one of the characters who gets to tell a tale. His tale is an interlaced romance, a common form in the Middle Ages which was very long. The exotic and fantastical setting of the Squire’s Tale reflects his ambition, talents and imagination, and while he does... Continue Reading →
“The History of the Kings of Britain” and “Utopia” as Fictional Unifying Narratives
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 →
Exploring the “Legend of the Magibird”
I wanted to write a story about someone hunting for a phoenix. I expanded it to include a persistent, brave teen who looks for adventure and wants to gain his father’s respect while having no clue how to achieve it, with the phoenix hunt and the context/background. It was inspired by a Russian folk song... Continue Reading →
The Blessing
We returned to my father Lord Vlad's castle in high spirits. On the way I had been apprehended by the guards for what had occurred at the Iris Inn, but I paid all debts and damages from a tribute of gold I had received from the nobles of Ranvig Castle as a reward for freeing... Continue Reading →
The Choice
I think I stayed here forever as the sun began to sink and the sky became red. Until piercing screams startled me. I stood, and the bird held my brother in the sky from the torso and the shoulders, only wearing a white chemise. He looked down at me. "Brother, help me!" I trembled in... Continue Reading →
A Mutual Favor
On the seventh day of entering the forest, my horse hit a giant, sharp rock, whinnied in pain and threw me forward. I hit the floor with a thud and yelled. I turned to my horse, raised my fist, and shouted. "What the hell was that for, you bloody beast?!" The horse turned around and... Continue Reading →
The Hunt
We rode for a few hours before reaching a crossroads, where a vendor stood beside a small light wooden wheelbarrow, filled with pots, pans and cutlery. He was a large, burly man wearing a beaver hat and a light red buttoned shirt and sporting a black mustache. He waved at us, but we ignored him.... Continue Reading →
Waking Up
The darkness parted away like a curtain, revealing a long wooden room, filled with tables and chairs. The image flickered and took a while to form. I had just woken up and could not remember where I was or what I was doing there. However, the glass bottles beside me on the round table indicated... Continue Reading →