AN INTRINSIC ANALYSIS OF ANNE BRONTË’S AGNES GREY AND ITS MORAL VALUES

BY
BETARIA S.
02004052

ABSTRACT

In this study the writer discusses the novel Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte. In this study the writer try to analyze an intrinsic and the moral value from the novel Agnes Grey. The writer chooses the novel Agnes Grey because of several reasons such as: First, this novel is one of the best English novel and it is so interesting to analyze. Second this novel talks about a young woman who never give up in facing her life, Agnes Grey is a patience, dilligent, and have a dream to change her family life. And the last the reader can adopt the moral values provided in the novel.

The writer uses the structural approach as a method to describe the intrinsic analysis of this novel. The method used in this thesis is librarian research. Because to get needed data and information, the writer have to employs and involves a library research method by reading industriously to get a deep comprehension about the intrinsic analysis of the literary work.

The writer comes to conclude that intrinsic elements are theme, the plot, setting and character and characterization The result of the research finding can be seen as follows; the synopsis of the novel. The theme of the novel is dramatic story, struggle woman, patience and happy ending story. There are two groups of character; those are major and minor characters. The major characters are Agnes grey, Agnes’s mother, Agnes’s father, Mary as Agnes’s sister, Mr. Richardson, Betty, Fanny and Harriet, Nancy Brown, Matilda Murray, Rosalie Murray, Mr. Edward Weston, Mrs. and Mrs. Murray, John Murray, Charles Murray, Mr. Thomas Ashby, and Mr. Hatfield. The minor characters are Mr and Mrs Bloomfield, Mary Ann, Master Tom Bloomfield and Mr. Robson. The setting of the novel is divided in two parts, namely place and time setting. The setting of place is located in North of England and setting of time is the beginning of 1839. The plot includes five sections; exposition, rising action, crisis, falling action and catastrophe. And the moral values itself can be divided into negative and positive moral values. Patience, devotion, freedom, friendship, forgiving, telling the truth, helping others, working hard; are positive moral values, and negatives such as injustice and lying other. From these moral values the reader can learn from the novel after reading it.

Art of Literary Research (Hardcover)

Contents

Preface to the fourth edition .

ONE : Vocation

TWO : The Spirit of scholarship.
1. Error : Its prevalence, progress and
persistence
2. Examining the evidence
3. Two Applications of the Critical spirit:
Fixing Dates, and Testing Authenticity

THREE : Some Scholarly Occupations
1. Textual Study
2. Problems of Authorship
3. The Search for origins
4. Tracing for Reputation and Influence
5. Cultivating a Sense of the Past

FOUR : Finding materials

FIVE : Libraries

Shakespeare's Secret (Paperback)

Hero and her older sister Beatrice were named for characters in Shakespeare's play "Much Ado about Nothing." Arriving in a new town, Hero is facing a school year as a new kid with jokes and questions about her name. Unlike Beatrice, Hero is not socially adept and does not make friends easily. She does become acquainted with their older next-door neighbor, Mrs. Roth who tells her about the Murphy Diamond, a valuable gem that might be hidden in Hero's house. Surprisingly she is also befriended by a popular 8th grader, Danny who is the son of the city's police chief who is also fascinated by the diamond's where-abouts.

Hero discovers a mysterious connection between the diamond, Anne Boleyn and Shakespeare's plays which fires her imagination.

This plot is cleverly drawn with historical details and intrigue. Hero and Danny are searching for more than a diamond and the reader is hoping they find their heart's desire.

The mystery is very satisfying. One can hope it would also excite a reader's interest in Shakespeare.

The Shakespeare Stealer (Paperback)

Children's works of historical fiction often suffer from a common malady. If the writer is not completely comfortable with the time period they're writing about, they'll hang everything on a famous person and leave it at that. When I saw that this book was entitled, "The Shakespeare Stealer", I was sure that it would be a book in which a young boy befriended the great William Shakespeare and had an impact on history, yadda yadda yadda. But Gary Blackwood's not your everyday run-of-the-mill writer. There's a truly interesting story at the heart of this tale and a truly talented hand behind the writing. Blackwood doesn't just place his book in the past. He authenticates it by drawing you back into a fully realized historical moment in time. The result is a whole lot of fun and a book that I'll be shoving into the hands of any kid forced to read something realisitic for a book report.

Widge received his odd name when the mistress of an orphanage took one look at him as a babe and said, "Och, the poor little pigwidgeon" (thereby surprising anybody who thought that J.K. Rowling had made up the name). Since birth the boy has been either an orphan or a lowly apprentice. He was put under the thumb of one Dr. Bright when he was seven, and through this master he learned a form of shorthand that no one else in the world knew. Such a talent is bound to attract interest, however, and at the age of fourteen Widge is bought by a man who needs the boy's talents professionally. Sent to London, Widge is told to watch a performance of Hamlet and take down every word. A series of small mishaps land him not in the audience, however, but as a member of the acting troupe. Now the boy who never had a family must learn about courage, trust, and friendship from a group of people who prance about in silly clothes all day. The only question is, will his old master give him up so easily?

The book plunges you headfirst into the late 1500s/early 1600s without further ado. Reading Blackwood, you become acutely aware of just how dirty, dank, and smelly England was during that time. Because Widge is such a greenhorn to the sophistications of London, Blackwood has a perfect excuse for explaining everything. Our hero doesn't understand the presence of drainage ditches alongside busy streets, or how to fence, or what a duel constitutes, so kids can learn alongside him. What was most impressive in my eyes, though, was Blackwood's command of language. Poorly written novels set during Elizabethan England like to throw around a lot of "thees", "thys" and "thous" for good measure. Widge, for his part, is from Yorkshire, so his words and accent are different from even those Londoners he comes to join. The book remains readable for 9-year-olds but also feels authentically Shakespearean. No mean task.

At its heart, the book is really about the beauty of performing on a stage. If you know any kid that's lured time and again to the glory of the limelight, they'll have little problem identifying with Widge. This is a book that celebrates the stage, while couching its tale in murder, fast-paced action, likable characters, and a certain amount of dramatic tension. And for those of you who'd be disappointed if Mr. Shakespeare didn't appear in a book bearing his name, rest assured that he does put in a couple appearances when the fancy strikes. Altogether, this is one of those rare titles that'll appeal to both boys and girls equally. Fine reading.

World of Shakespeare: The Complete Plays and Sonnets of William Shakespeare (38 Volume Library) (Hardcover)

I had been trying to find a way to really enjoy and learn from Shakespeare who is without a doubt the world's greatest writer in what is my second perusal of Shakespeare since my days as an English major in college.
I have tried the Oxford world classics which in some cases are too big and very hard to underline and make notes.
The Everyman's series is separated into volumes of plays which average 600 pages and are easy to read in the middle but difficult to read the first and last plays due to the layout of the volumes.
I really like this series and it is the best layout for actually reading for enjoyment and for underlining and making notes. Perfect for students and general readers.
The ONLY drawback is that it does not contain the narrative poems other than the sonnets nor The two noble kinsmen which Shakespeare cowrote and is usually included in his cannon.

William Shakespeare: The Complete Works, Deluxe Edition [UNABRIDGED] (Leather Bound)

Description
This complete and unabridged edition contains every word that Shakespeare wrote — all 37 tragedies, comedies, and histories, plus the sonnets. You’ll find such classics as The Tempest, Much Ado About Nothing and The Taming of the Shrew. This Library of Literary Classics edition is bound in padded leather with luxurious gold-stamping on the front and spine, satin ribbon marker and gilded edges. Other titles in this series include: Charlotte & Emily Bronte: The Complete Novels; Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Works; Mark Twain: Selected Works; Charles Dickens: Four Complete Novels; Lewis Carroll: The Complete, Fully Illustrated Works; and Jane Austen: The Complete Novels.

William Shakespeare

Description
William Shakespeare (1564-1616) is acknowledged as the greatest dramatist of all time. He excels in plot, poetry and wit, and his talent encompasses the great tragedies of Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth as well as the moving history plays and the comedies such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Taming of the Shrew and As You Like It with their magical combination of humour, ribaldry and tenderness. This volume is a reprint of the Shakespeare Head Press edition, and it presents all the plays in chronological order in which they were written. It also includes Shakespeare's Sonnets, as well as his longer poems Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece.

Drama of Scripture, The: Finding Our Place in the Biblical Story (Paperback)

The Drama of Scripture provides a big-picture look at God's relationship to humanity as the creation and dream of God. The authors analogize the Biblical story to a 6 act play consisting of the following acts: Creation, Fall, God Chooses Israel, Coming of the King, Spreading the News (Church), The Return of the King.

The theme running through the book is God's desire and commitment to his original creation idea and his willingness to restore the fallen world through a personal sacrifice.

The authors follow the narrative of scripture from Genesis to Revelation with the addition of the Maccabee story in Israel's history. They offer some in depth writing on few topics while offering a comprehensive survey of the story promoted as the metanarrative for all people. They tie in the events to the theme of God's mission for humanity.

This overview of scripture would be helpful to readers trying to see the story of the Bible in a more condensed form. It reminded me of the mission of the church today, as the authors stress the unfinished business of the church and God's Spirit on earth. The chapters on the church's mission are most creative and enthusiastic; however, the authors zip through the concluding chapter on The Return of the King and the discussion of Revelation and end times.

The authors stress that God's plan is for total restoration of creation not partial restoration. They identify areas where Israel went astray from its mission and where the church may be missing the mark today.

Overall, a very helpful book but one that may be too elemental for mature students of the Bible.

The Bedford Introduction to Drama (Paperback)

Product Description
The Bedford Anthology of Drama is the most comprehensive introductory drama resource available. Its 54 chronologically arranged plays represent every major period from classic times to the present. With in-depth treatment of 3 major playwrights, the strongest representation of plays by women and American multicultural plays, and an exciting contemporary section loaded with prize winners, The Bedford Anthology of Drama has the plays you want to teach and features designed to help students think critically about all aspects of a play as a work of literature and as a performance.

Giving students a rich understanding of the plays and the contexts from which they emerge the anthology offers 57 commentaries, 4 Casebooks, the most extensive collection of theater photographs available in a text of this kind, coverage of writing about drama, and a robust companion web site with help for students and instructors.


About the Author

LEE A. JACOBUS is professor emeritus of English at the University of Connecticut and the author/editor of popular English textbooks, among them A World of Ideas: Essential Readings for College Writers, Seventh Edition (Bedford/St. Martin's, 2006); and The Longman Anthology of American Drama. Professor Jacobus has written scholarly books on Paradise Lost, on the works of John Cleveland, and on the works of Shakespeare, including Shakespeare and the Dialectic of Certainty. He is also a playwright; two of his plays — Fair Warning and Long Division — were produced in New York by the American Theater of Actors; Dance Therapy , three one-act plays, was produced in New York at Where Eagles Dare Theatre. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America. Volcanic Jesus, his book of short stories, is set in Hawaii.

Body Drama: Real Girls, Real Bodies, Real Issues, Real Answers (Paperback)

Nancy Amanda Redd is the big sister I wish I'd had. Reading her open, honest answers to "Body Drama" questions shows the power of peer education. Redd consulted a doctor, so the information is medically accurate, but the book is most definitely written from a twentysomething woman's perspective. Every body topic is fair game, "shape, skin, down there, boobs, hair & nails." Sex intersects some of these discussions and when it does, Redd shares practical, non-judgmental advice as needed: addressing sexual health, ending violence, and not being shy about seeking medical care.

But "Body Drama" is first and foremost about loving the body you are in. It's a fascinating topic. I sat down intending to leaf through the book and ended up reading it cover to cover. "Body Drama" is full of photographs of real young women of all ethnicities, shapes, and sizes, illustrating all parts of their bodies. I thought this was done very well, including the page with 24 close-up shots of a variety of vulvas. If this sounds controversial, remember that young women are seeing plenty of unrealistic images of women's bodies. In the age of Photoshop and (unfortunately) ubiquitous porn, it is refreshing to see real women's bodies in all forms. This is a brave book--which is sad to write, in a way, to realize that talking openly and honestly about real body issues still takes courage.

Nancy Amanda Redd has competed in the Miss America pageant and graduated from Harvard. You have to love a former beauty queen who is totally unafraid to present her own insecurities, embarrassing stories, and less-than-flattering junior high photos. Nancy smashes taboos, addressing the most personal and questions with humor, compassion, and solid information.

The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self, Third Edition (Paperback)

Alice Miller's ideas are based on her experiences as a psychotherapist who practiced for 20 years, and her own self-analysis. Her reasoning draws on some basic Freudian ideas: if the subconscious is brought to consciousness, the illnesses caused by the suppression can eventually be contained; the life of a person is rooted in her childhood and childhood experiences shape who a person 'is'. In the last part of her book she adds a theory derived from her work experience: when children whose needs have been denied in their childhood grow up and have children of their own, they can 'get rid' of their pain by inflicting the pain on their own children. She calls it the vicious circle of disdain, and the handing down of destructive attitudes from one generation to the next like a chain reaction.

'The Drama of the Gifted Child' is a powerful book and it is worth reading even after 20 years. It is not a scientific book in the sense that it contains testable findings, it presents a practitioner's conclusions gained from personal experience. You may call it an informed speculation, or an interim report from 'the search for the true self' as it is subtitled.

- Drama! (Paperback)

Don't take this book to work and read on break because you'll never come off break. This author really kept my attention throughout the entire book.

The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama, Brief Edition (Paperback)

This book covers plays from the early Greeks to modern plays. Before every play there is a bio of the writer that outlines their history and how they came to write the play you are about to read. At the beginning of each section there is an essay about that time period. It talks about what was happening then, the different writing styles that evolved, the layout of theatres and how they changed and the different prominent writers of that time. The book also includes many pictures from different productions of the plays in the book. It shows pictures with traditional stagings and also updated or stylized stagings. Pretty much all of the plays also have at least one critical essay included as well. This is a great assortment of plays with lots of good background info to get you going. Whether you are just looking for a good collection pf plays to read or are a drama student looking to broaden your play collection for scene study and monologue work this is the book for you.

101 Drama Games for Children: Fun and Learning with Acting and Make-Believe (SmartFun Activity Books) (Paperback)

101 Drama Games for Children is a really excellent book! I highly recommend it for all parents and older children to buy if you deal with children in any way. I teach a drama class of 5-7 yr olds in our homeschool group and it's been a real lifesaver for me! I also have 3 children and I use it with them too. I consider it a must-have book! It's catagorized by the different age levels by a little picture in each corner of each new activity so you can flip through and find a game for the age group you need. It's excellent for birthday parties, or any group games: camps, Girl Scouts, etc. I highly recommend every parent get one of these books! B.J.O.

- Asking the Right Questions: A Guide to Critical Thinking (8th Edition) (Paperback)

This book has been a tremendously positive influence on my life as well as on the lives of those to whom I have recommended it! Before studying "Asking the Right Questions," I was well educated, but nevertheless my thinking was often muddled and illogical. As a graduate student, this book helped me to better define my own ideas as well as understand the ideas of others. I learned how to engage in truly meaningful discourse with others about ideas and principles because I could apply a more rational approach. Differences of opinion became engaging rather than destructive or unproductive. This book and its philosophy gives me hope in the idea of the "democracy of ideas."

As a college professor, I use this book in all of my classes and require students to purchase it. We work on one skill a week as we learn the course content. Students regularly report that having a class focused around critical thinking is a unique and highly valuable experience. While I find it sad and disturbing that few college students are exposed to such skills regularly, I find it encouraging the ARQ provides an effective forum to help me teach these skills. The book is engaging, with many current examples and vivid illustrations. The reading level is appropriate for anyone in high school or higher. And because the content and skills are ones that are pertinent to any individual or college major or profession, it can be integrated into virtually any course. I especially think it would be an excellent foundation for the first-year seminars that are so popular on college campuses.

While I use this book in a classroom setting, it is one that an individual can easily benefit from. I recommended it to my mom, who said, "This book taught me more about evaluating ideas on tv, from politicians, and from other books than anything else I've ever done or read!" She found the examples and exercises quite engaging and helpful.

The ideas and philosophy of "Asking the Right Questions" have the potential to profoundly change an individual by making them a better, smarter thinker! I think it should be required reading for all of us.

- The Importance of Being Earnest (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

Witty and buoyant comedy of manners is brilliantly plotted from its effervescent first act to its hilarious denouement, and filled with some of literature's most famous epigrams. Widely considered Wilde's most perfect work, the play is reprinted here from an authoritative early British edition. Note to the Dover Edition.

- My Name Is Asher Lev (Paperback)

A story about a young man's struggle between the secular world of an artist, and life as a Ladover Hasidic Jew, Chaim Potok's masterpiece MY NAME IS ASHER LEV is truly a classic.

Asher Lev is born to parents who are devoted to the life of the Ladover Hasidic Jew. As his mother supports and stands by the work Asher's father does, Aryeh Lev devotes his life to the causes closest to his people. Most of his life is dedicated to preserving the culture of this Jewish sect, and also to helping those who are being persecuted in other countries. He travels often, sometimes to countries as far away as The Soviet Union to help out his fellow Jew. He's rarely home, and young Asher is often angry and upset, wishing his father had more time for him.

From a very young age, Asher has a deep sense of art, and learns to express his innermost feelings through his creativity. As with any artistic genius, creating art is in Asher's blood and it soon gets in the way of his schooling and his religion and culture. His parents are not happy with the way things are going with Asher, but they tolerate his strange obsession, thinking this is just a passing phase. He will grow out of it, they think. His mother in particular does not dissuade Asher from drawing, if only to keep him happy, hoping that he would reward her with better grades in school. And with the help of local storeowner Yudel Krinsky, Asher obtains the necessary pencils and other art equipment to continue his fascination with drawing.

However, his obsession with art does not die, as his parents had hoped. The older he becomes, the more his passion with art drives a wedge between himself and his parents. He becomes more independent in the way he thinks, and soon his parents find they cannot control him. The life of a Ladover Hasidic Jew is one of structure and daily prayer and obedience to one's elders, to one's Rebbe, and to one's God. Asher lives in direct conflict with all this, although he tries to keep his daily prayers in his routines, and is often dwelling

- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Bantam Classics) (Mass Market Paperback) : by Mark Twain (Author)

One hundred and twenty years after its publication, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remains the quintessential American novel. It is an amazingly well crafted piece of work, as complex or as simple as you want it to be. On one level, it is a dissertation on society, slavery, morality and the meaning of civilization. On another, it is simply an entertaining yarn. Whether you are 8 or 88, there is something here for you.

At the heart of the novel is the unlikely but heartfelt friendship between Huck and Jim, a runaway slave. Both are outcasts of sort, running away from a society they cannot comprehend. It is through his friendship with Jim and their adventures together on the river that Huck truly finds himself. He is continually confronted with the question of right and wrong and he learns to stay true to himself and follow his own heart, regardless of conventional, social, or religious mores. Huck's instincts rarely fail him. And, as Huck suspects all along, he learns more on the river than he ever did in school or Sunday school.

Many readers see the ending (Huck's adoption and continued "civilization") as a disappointment. I disagree. Huck has grown so much that his individuality has already been forged. Aunt Sally can't change him, no matter how hard she tries to "sivilize" him. Besides, Huck always has the option of escape.

The book has been lambasted in recent years for its shocking language. But I think it is important to understand that Twain was simply being honest and faithful to the dialect, language, and social sensibility of the times. It would be unfair (and a mistake) to apply present day sensibilities and standards of political correctness (well intended or not) to this book. The language may seem harsh but it should seem harsh. There is value in that as well.

It would also be lazy to infer that Twain was racist simply because he uses the "n" word in this book and because of his characterization of Jim as simple and naive. Jim is uneducated, yes, but in Twain's world, uneducated can also mean unspoiled, completely human, noble, and honest. Rather than demeaning Jim, Twain is holding him as an example of the dignity inherent in all human beings.

The value of the individual versus the influence of society. The hope and opportunity of freedom versus the comfort and security of civilization. These are themes that have reverberated throughout American literature, American history, and the American psyche. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn develops those themes brilliantly in a captivating story with vibrant and unforgettable characters. It is, and always will be, an American classic.

- Doing a Literature Review: Releasing the Social Science Research Imagination (Published in association with The Open University) (Paperback)

Doing a Literature Review offers students from across the social sciences and humanities a practical and comprehensive guide to writing a literature review. It takes the reader through the initial states of an undergraduate dissertation or postgraduate thesis.

- Literature for Today's Young Adults (8th Edition) (Hardcover) : by Alleen Pace Nilsen (Author), Kenneth L. Donelson (Author)

Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Renowned authors Alleen Nilsen and Ken Donelson offer a comprehensive, reader-friendly introduction to young adult literature framed within a rich literary, historical, and social context. It also provides teachers with criteria for evaluating books of all genres, from poetry and nonfiction to mysteries, science fiction, and horror. Coverage of timely issues, such as pop culture and mass media, helps teachers connect with students' lives outside the classroom. Young adult literature framed within a rich literary, historical, and social context. It also provides teachers with criteria for evaluating books of all genres, from poetry and nonfiction to mysteries, science fiction, and horror. Coverage of timely issues, such as pop culture and mass media, helps teachers connect with students' lives outside the classroom. Young Adult Literature. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Back Cover

Why is Literature for Today’s Young Adults the number one book in Young Adult Literature?



Now in its eighth edition, Literature for Today’s Young Adults offers a comprehensive, reader-friendly introduction to young adult literature framed within a literary, historical, and social context. Renowned authors Alleen Nilsen and Kenneth Donelson provide teachers with practical criteria for evaluating books of all genres, from poetry and nonfiction to mysteries and graphic novels. The authors also include timely issues, such as pop culture and mass media, in order to help teachers connect with students’ lives beyond the classroom.



What is new to this edition?

*
A brand new Chapter 3, “New Technologies, New Attitudes, and New Literacies,” examines both the challenges and the excitement today’s educators face on a daily basis.
*
The 20 Young Adult authors honored with the Margaret A. Edwards Award over the past two decades each receive a one-page write-up documenting their long-lasting contributions.
*
Eight outstanding Young Adult Authors “Speak Out” on issues close to their hearts; for example, Pat Mora on “Linguistic Wealth,” Cynthia Leitich Smith on “Hosting One-Point-Six Million Visitors in Cyberspace,” and Laurie Halse Anderson on “Censorship.”
*
Names and naming is discussed as a literary technique that teachers can use to introduce students to literary criticism that goes beyond just liking and disliking a book.

What do professors say about this top-selling book?

“The Donelson and Nilsen text is a virtual compendium of essential information for educators, librarians, and those who use literature in their work with young adults.”

-Beverly Hearn, University of Tennessee at Martin

“The censorship chapter is really interesting and well-researched.”

-Dr. Joy Wiggins, University of Texas at Arlington

- Children's Literature, Briefly (4th Edition) (Paperback) : by Michael O. Tunnell (Author), James S. Jacobs (Author)

The best way to study children's literature is to read actual children's books, not to study textbooks about them!

The authors of this text are among the few that recognize this truth. Consequently the chapters are purposefully (and generally) short and to the point. Each chapter includes authors' recommendations as well as qualities to avoid in each genre. Appendices are informative (see the information about Awards for children's and young adult lit).

The 4th edition (2007) is even better: the CD database includes over *20,000* children's book titles that you can search (by title, author, genre, format etc), build lists, and customize information for your own purposes. (One small annoyance within the database is the lack of a "back" button - hopefully future editions will improve on this.)

In my 14+ years of college textbook studying, this is one of the better texts to hold my interest and give me information I needed. It is well-written, well-designed, and very helpful. I'll use this (and the database) as a resource on a regular basis in my work with young children and their reading.

- Emma (Penguin Classics) (Paperback) : by Jane Austen

Like all of her novels, Jane Austen's EMMA is essentially a comedy of manners, a work in which the characters move inside a highly restrictive code of conduct and must walk a fine line between the socially acceptable and unacceptable if they are to survive, much less reach their goals. But at the same time the central character, Emma Woodhouse, is a marked departure. Not only is she a young woman of considerable wealth and social standing, she is, as critics are fond of pointing out, "flawed."

The nature of Emma's flaw is essentially Austen's observation of the great failing of the upper-class: an assumption that what they think and do is inevitably correct. And although Emma is quick-witted, generous, and kind, she suffers the effect of this blind arrogance when she comes to believe that she is gifted as a matchmaker and can order the romantic lives of her circle to suit her own liking. The result is a series of seriocomic entanglements and disasters that touches virtually every one with whom Emma comes into contact.

The story requires considerable exposition, and consequently the action is slow to gather; add to this the fact that Emma herself is so overbearing and self-assured that you frequently want to give her a slap. The result is a novel that many, including Austen fans, will find an uphill read. Even so, Austen is writing very close to the peak of her powers here, and her amazing talent for observation, subtle irony, and flashing wit endow EMMA with tremendous charm and interest. In many respects a remarkable novel, but one that I recommend more to determined Austen fans than to casual readers.

- The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Shorter Seventh Edition, One-Volume Paperback (Norton Anthology) (Paperback) : by Nina Baym

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Firmly grounded in the core strengths that have made it the best-selling undergraduate survey in the field, The Norton Anthology of American Literature has been revitalized in this Seventh Edition through the collaboration between three new period editors and five seasoned ones. Under Nina Baym's direction, the editors have considered afresh each selection and the entire apparatus to make the Shorter Edition an even better teaching tool for the one-semester and brief two-semester courses.
"In this Shorter Seventh Edition of The Norton Anthology of American Literature, we offer the most extensive revision in our long publishing history, with the entire apparatus rethought, from headnotes to footnotes to section introductions to bibliographies. At the same time, we have continued to subscribe to three aims present since the anthology's inception: first, to present a rich and substantial enough variety of works to enable teachers to build their own courses according to their own ideals (thus, teachers are offered more authors and more selections than they will probably use in any one course); second, to make the anthology self-sufficient by featuring many works in their entirety along with extensive selections for individual authors; third, to balance traditional interests with developing critical concerns in a way that points to a coherent literary history."—From the Preface

About the Author
Nina Baym (General Editor), Ph.D. Harvard, is Swanlund Endowed Chair and Center for Advanced Study Professor Emerita of English, and Jubilee Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is author of The Shape of Hawthorne's Career; Woman's Fiction: A Guide to Novels by and About Women in America; Novels, Readers, and Reviewers: Responses to Fiction in Antebellum America; American Women Writers and the Work of History, 1790-1860; and American Women of Letters and the Nineteenth-Century Sciences. Some of her essays are collected in Feminism and American Literary History; she has also edited and introduced many reissues of work by earlier American women writers, from Judith Sargent Murray through Kate Chopin. In 2000 she received the MLA's Hubbell medal for lifetime achievement in American literary studies.

- Perrine's Literature: Structure, Sound, and Sense (Hardcover)

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
An authoritative bestseller for nearly 50 years, PERRINE’S LITERATURE: STRUCTURE, SOUND, AND SENSE continues to be an essential and highly effective introduction to literature for today’s students. Written for students beginning a serious study of literature, the text introduces the fundamental elements of fiction, poetry, and drama in a concise and engaging way, addressing vital questions that other texts tend to ignore, such as “Is some literature better?” and “How can it be evaluated?” A remarkable selection of classic, modern, and contemporary readings serves to illustrate the elements of literature and ensure broad appeal to students of diverse backgrounds and interests. Now thoroughly updated with more than 100 new stories, poems, and plays by some of the finest authors of any era, the tenth edition remains true to Perrine’s original vision while addressing the needs of a new generation of students.

About the Author
Dr. Arp received a B.A. in English from the University of Michigan (1954) and a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship to Stanford University. In 1955-56, he produced educational television for the University of Michigan. He received an M.A. from Stanford University in 1960 and a Ph.D. from Stanford in 1962. He has taught at Bowdoin College, Princeton University, University of California at Berkeley, Hull University (England), and since 1970 at Southern Methodist University. His volume, THE FORM OF POETRY, was published by Macmillan in 1966, and he received a Fulbright lectureship at University of Bucharest (Romania) in 1969-70. Arp joined Laurence Perrine in preparing revised editions of SOUND AND SENSE, STORY AND STRUCTURE, and LITERATURE: STRUCTURE, SOUND, AND SENSE beginning in 1982. He became sole author of the books in 1997, and was joined as co-author by Greg Johnson in 2002.

Greg Johnson received an M.A. in English from Southern Methodist University and a Ph.D. in English from Emory University. Dr. Johnson is the author of 11 books of fiction, poetry, criticism, and biography, including the recent story collection, LAST ENCOUNTER WITH THE ENEMY (Johns Hopkins, 2004), the novel STICKY KISSES (Alyson Books, 2001), and INVISIBLE WRITER: A BIOGRAPHY OF JOYCE CAROL OATES.

- The Norton Anthology of Western Literature, Volume 1 (Paperback)

I purchased this book for a class, but was delighted to discover that I will definitely want to hang onto it afterwards. The translations chosen for the 'Ancient World' portion are, for the most part, delightfully vivid and capture the spirit of the original language. I also like the layout - the margin size is just perfect for taking notes.

- The Language of Literature (Hardcover) : by Littell McDougal

This literature book incorporates the tools necessary for comprehension of selected readings, and gives the student a collaborative background for completing written responses as well as essays.

- How to Read Literature Like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading Between the Lines (Paperback) : by Thomas C. Foster

The author is an English professor at the University of Michigan and it becomes apparent quite quickly that he is one of those popular professors who is chatty and has lots of students signing up for his introductory courses on literature. The language is friendly and the examples are entertaining as well as informative. If I lived in Flint, I'd take his classes.

There have been many times I've read a book and just *known* the author is trying to impart more than I am taking away from the prose, and I hear about symbolism in literature, yet I have very little success finding it on my own. One time in high school I had a very good English teacher who would point out the symbolism in stories and novels, but he never told us how to do it, as this book does. With chapters on a wide range of topics (journeys, meals, poetry, Shakespeare, the Bible, mythology, fairy tales, weather, geography, violence, politics, sex and illness, among others) and a wide variety of examples, I found myself learning A LOT. Certainly this would not be of much value to a literature graduate student or professor, but for the rest of us this is a great introduction to getting more out of our reading (or viewing, as the author also touches on film, though to a lesser extent).

The book concludes with a test, in which you read a short story and interpret it using the principles put forth by Professor Foster, then interpretations by several students and Foster himself -- delightful and illuminating! Finally, the author gives a suggested reading/viewing list and an index.

Two problems with the book: first, as I mentioned, the style of the author is conversational, but sometimes to the point of being distracting; secondly, the topics covered are quite idiosyncratic, leaving out as many as are included, though the author addresses this. Still, I give the book 5 out of 5 because it was entertaining, accessible and it has improved my understanding and appreciation of subsequent books I've read and even films I've seen.

- Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama, Ninth Edition (Hardcover)

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Literature, 9/e, the most popular introduction of its kind, is organized into three genres¤Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. As in past editions, the authors' collective poetic voice brings personal warmth and a human perspective to the discussion of literature, adding to students' interest in the readings. An introduction to a balance of contemporary and classic stories, poems, and plays. Casebooks offer in-depth look at an author or clusters of works, for example “Latin American Poetry. Authors Joe Kennedy and Dana Gioia provide inviting and illuminating introductions to the authors included and to the elements of literature. Coverage of writing about literature is also included. For those interested in literature.

About the Author

X.J. Kennedy, after graduation from Seton Hall and Columbia, became a journalist second class in the Navy ("Actually, I was pretty eighth class"). His poems, some published in the New Yorker, were first collected in Nude Descending a Staircase (1961). Since then he has written five more collections, several widely adopted literature and writing textbooks, and seventeen books for children, including two novels. He has taught at Michigan, North Carolina (Greensboro), California (Irvine), Wellesley, Tufts, and Leeds. Cited in Bartlett's Familiar Quotations and reprinted in some 200 anthologies, his verse has brought him a Guggenheim fellowship, a Lamont Award, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, an award from the American Academy for Poetry for Children from the National Council of Teachers of English. He now lives in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he and his wife Dorothy have collaborated on four books and five children.

Dana Gioia is a poet, critic, and teacher. Born in Los Angeles, he attended Stanford and Harvard before taking a detour into business. ("Not many poets have a Stanford M.B.A., thank goodness!") After years of writing and reading late in the evenings after work, he quit a vice presidency to write and teach. He has published three collections of poetry: Daily Horoscope (1986); The Gods of Winter (1991); Interrogations at Noon (2001), winner of the 2001 American Book Award; an opera libretto, Nosferatu (2002); several anthologies; and an influential study of poetry's place in contemporary America, Can Poetry Matter? (1992). Gioia has taught at Johns Hopkins, Sarah Lawrence, Wesleyan (Connecticut), Mercer, and Colorado College. He is also the co-founder of the summer poetry conference at West Chester University in Pennsylvania and a frequent commentator on literature for the British Broadcasting Corporation. He currently lives in Santa Rosa, California, with his wife, Mary, two sons, and an ever growing number of cats.

(The surname Gioia is pronounced JOY-A. As some of you may have already guessed, gioia is the Italian word for joy

- Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama (10th Edition) (Kennedy/Gioia Literature Series) (Hardcover)

The most popular introductory anthology of its kind, Kennedy/Gioia’s Literature continues to inspire students with engaging insights on reading and writing about stories, poems, and plays. Poets in their own right, editors X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia bring personal warmth and a human perspective to this comprehensive anthology. Organized into three genres—Literature, Tenth Edition, presents readable discussions of the literary devices, illustrated by apt works, supported by useful writing tips, and followed by (now) seven full chapters devoted to writing. A broad scope of traditional and contemporary works is provided, most headed by author images and richly detailed biographical notes and some followed by author commentary. While maintaining the characteristics of its previous editions–accessible apparatus, expansive author representation–this tenth edition of Literature has been re-imagined to include new casebooks, a lively new design, and more writing coverage than ever before. New students of literature.
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I picked this book up for a class, expecting to be perfectly bored. Instead, this book woke up my sleeping love of learning and literature. The book is easy to understand and contains MANY great stories and poems in it. It also has a great glossary and index was well. It came with an additional feature, MyLiteratureLab, which is an accompanying web page. That is also very helpful indeed.
This book is so good, there were even people at work wanting to check it out!

- Romeo and Juliet (Shakespeare Made Easy) (Paperback) :

Here are the books that help teach Shakespeare plays without the teacher constantly needing to explain and define Elizabethan terms, slang, and other ways of expression that are different from our own. Each play is presented with Shakespeare's original lines on each left-hand page, and a modern, easy-to-understand "translation" on the facing right-hand page. All dramas are complete, with every original Shakespearian line, and a full-length modern rendition of the text.

This was THE difference between my son completely missing Romeo and Juliet and him "getting it". It shows the original text along side the "understandable" version. Extremely helpful.