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Octavia Butler
First popularized as a genre of literature in the 1920s, for decades science fiction was dominated by white male authors. That is until Octavia Butler, an African American woman, rewrote the script.
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Caretakers and Confidants: Presidential Valets
Presidential valets have been a mainstay at the White House since its earliest days. They not only perform vital tasks for the President, but act as confidantes and companions in the most trying of circumstances.
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Angela Davis
Despite being on the FBI's Top Ten Most Wanted list, Angela Davis went on to become an international symbol of resistance against social injustice.
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Alice Walker
As the first Black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction, Alice Walker helped to bring the Black experience to readers across the globe. A true trailblazer, her work continues to entertain and enlighten.
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Why Literature Students Read Freud While Psychology Students Don't
While many of his theories have been debunked and disproven, Freud continues to have a massive influence on literary criticism. How did a man who was never fully focused on literature forever alter the way we discuss it? And what are we...
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Theme, Setting & Plot
Theme, Setting & Plot explains how the structure of the text contributes to its theme, setting, or plot.
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Interpreting Literature
“Interpreting Literature” looks at the technique of making meaning from what an author writes both literally and figuratively within a literary work. This skill is known as interpretation. Readers can use various techniques to interpret...
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Supporting the Main Idea- Literature
Supporting the Main Idea Literature analyzes literature by showing how examples of paraphrasing and quotes support the main idea about the text.
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What You Need to Know Before You Read Love's Labor's Lost
Welcome to what you need before you read, the series where I attempt to inoculate you from boredom by injecting a little context and relevancy into you reading experience. This video will provide background information, context, and...
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Text Structure and Genre
Text Structure and Genre shows how knowledge of the structure of a text can determine the genre of the text.
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Sensory Words and Phrases
Sensory Words and Phrases explores sensory words and phrases by identifying examples in literature.
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Poetic Devices Explained ENJAMBMENT and ENDSTOPPED
How do poet's decide to end their lines? How are you supposed to read them? In many ways, poetry is more like sheet music than it is a novel; knowing the difference between enjambment and end-stopped lines will help you better read it....
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Religion and Science
Renowned polymath Freeman Dyson (Institute for Advanced Study) gives his views on religion, science and community.
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Missing the Jokes?
David Bellos, Director of the Program in Translation and Intercultural Communication at Princeton University, suggests that the celebrated English comic tradition might simply be a result of translation.
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Nonfiction
This video discusses the nonfiction genre as well as qualities, types of pieces, and characteristics of the genre.
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Against Smoothness
Intellectual historian Stefan Collini, University of Cambridge, describes how, to a certain extent, one can say that the famous literary critic F.R. Leavis wrote in a deliberately difficult way, in an effort to make his readers think and...
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Chinese Cultural Diversity
Chinese scholar and literary translator Michael Berry (UCLA) describes how historical circumstances have affected different Chinese-speaking regions.
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High Five Facts - Chinese Dragon
This video explores five fun facts about Chinese Dragon.
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Hester Prynne: Strength and Resilience
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, "The Scarlet Letter," Hester Prynne is a strong and resilient young woman who faces public condemnation in Puritan Massachusetts for committing adultery. Despite her punishment, Hester refuses to reveal...
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Exploring Themes in The Scarlet Letter
"The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a dark novel set in Puritan Massachusetts. It explores themes of sin, guilt, and the corrupting influence of society on individuals. Through the characters of Hester Prynne, Reverend Arthur...
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Roger Chillingworth: a Tale of All-Consuming Revenge
Roger Chillingworth is a vengeful and manipulative character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, "The Scarlet Letter". Consumed by his desire to discover the identity of his wife's lover, Chillingworth becomes a cold and calculating man....
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Arthur Dimmesdale: Adultery and Guilt of a Puritan Minister
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, "The Scarlet Letter," Arthur Dimmesdale is a respected Puritan reverend who suffers secret guilt and shame for his adulterous relationship with Hester Prynne and being the father of their child, Pearl....
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The Scarlet Letter: A Tale of Sin, Society, and Individuality
Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 novel, The Scarlet letter is a tragic tale of adultery and revenge. Hester Prynne faces public shame and punishment after an affair that results in a child. Her estranged husband resurfaces and seeks to torment...