A Clergyman's Daughter (novel) A Clergyman's Daughter A Clergyman's Daughter is a 1935 novel by George Orwell that follows Dorothy Hare, a clergyman's daughter who suffers memory loss and becomes lost in London; the book explores clas…
A Little Princess Overview and background of Frances Hodgson Burnett's children's novel A Little Princess (1905), its characters, themes, adaptations, and lasting influence on children's literature.
A Tale of Two Cities — novel by Charles Dickens A Tale of Two Cities Charles Dickens's 1859 historical novel set in London and Paris during the French Revolution, exploring sacrifice, resurrection and social injustice through intertwined lives.
A Wrinkle in Time A Wrinkle in Time (1962) by Madeleine L'Engle is a landmark children's novel mixing science fiction and fantasy. It follows the Murry children across space and time and won the 196…
Agnes Grey Agnes Grey (1847) is Anne Brontë’s first novel, a restrained first‑person account of a governess that explores class, gender and moral restraint in Victorian England.
Alan Cheuse: American novelist, short‑story writer and longtime book critic Alan Cheuse Alan Cheuse (1940–2015) was an American novelist, short‑story writer, essayist and prominent radio book critic, known for teaching, reviews and bringing contemporary literature to…
Allegory: Definition, Forms, History, and Uses Allegory An allegory is a narrative or image that uses characters and events as symbols to express abstract ideas or moral, political, or spiritual meanings. This article outlines its featu…
Alliteration: definition, features, history, and common examples Alliteration Alliteration is the repetition of initial sounds in neighboring words; used in poetry, rhetoric, brand names, and pedagogy to create rhythm, emphasis, and memorability.
Allusion (literary device) Allusion A brief reference in speech or writing to a person, event or work that evokes broader meaning. Allusions rely on shared knowledge to suggest ideas or tone without lengthy explanati…
Almayer's Folly Almayer's Folly is Joseph Conrad's first novel (1895), set among Dutch trading posts in late-19th-century Borneo and exploring colonial ambition, family conflict, and cultural disl…
Alyosha Karamazov (Alexei Fyodorovich Karamazov) Alyosha Karamazov Alyosha Karamazov is the youthful, compassionate hero of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov, a novice monk whose faith, humility and moral influence contrast with his brothers' do…
American literature: overview, history, and major themes American literature Survey of American literature covering defining forms, historical development, major movements, common themes, and distinctions including writings by residents and citizens of the…
Anna Karenina Anna Karenina is a realist novel by Leo Tolstoy that examines love, marriage, social norms and moral choice in 19th-century Russia through parallel stories of Anna and Levin.
Anthony Lane — British Film Critic and Journalist Anthony Lane Anthony Lane (born 1962) is a British film critic and journalist known for his long-running film criticism and essays in The New Yorker, noted for literate prose, wit, and wide cul…
Antihero: definition, traits, history and cultural examples Antihero An antihero is a central fictional figure who lacks traditional heroic qualities. This article explains the concept, common traits, historical development, notable examples, and cu…
Anton Chigurh — the enigmatic antagonist of No Country for Old Men Anton Chigurh Anton Chigurh is the cold, remorseless antagonist in Cormac McCarthy's No Country for Old Men, portrayed by Javier Bardem in the Coen brothers' film. Noted for a captive‑bolt weapo…
Antonio Candido: Brazilian Literary Critic, Sociologist, and Scholar Antonio Candido Antonio Candido (1918–2017) was a leading Brazilian literary critic and scholar whose essays and books deeply influenced the study of Brazilian literature and culture.
Aphorism A concise, memorable statement that expresses a general truth or observation; used in literature, philosophy, and everyday speech for persuasion, teaching, or wit.
Apologetic proverb (wellerism): a humorous reversal of sayings Apologetic proverb An apologetic proverb, often called a wellerism, pairs a familiar saying with a witty or literalizing tag that undermines or subverts the original maxim.
Arovell Verlag — Austrian independent publisher of contemporary German-language literature Arovell Verlag Arovell Verlag, founded in 1991 by Paul Jaeg, is an Austrian independent publisher producing contemporary German-language short prose, stories and poetry, a cultural magazine and r…
Arsène Lupin: the Gentleman Thief and Cultural Icon Arsène Lupin Arsène Lupin is a fictional French gentleman thief created by Maurice Leblanc in the early 20th century. The character appears in novels, short stories and many adaptations and inf…
Atticus Finch: Character, Role, and Cultural Legacy Atticus Finch Overview of Atticus Finch, the principled lawyer from Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, his traits, role in the novels and adaptations, influence on law and culture, and critical…
Australian literature: origins, themes, forms and notable writers Australian literature Survey of literature produced in Australia and by Australians: origins, key themes, major forms and important writers from colonial ballads to contemporary multicultural voices.
Ballad: form, history, and modern meanings Ballad A ballad is a narrative verse and song form that originated in folk traditions and evolved into literary and pop-song forms; it is known for storytelling, refrains, and a distincti…
Ballade (medieval French poetic and song form) Ballade A medieval French fixed form combining narrative or lyrical verse with a repeating refrain and envoi; influential in poetry and music from the 14th century onward.
Bard: Celtic poet, musician, and traditional storyteller Bard Singer-poets of Celtic cultures who composed praise poetry, genealogies and stories; trained in bardic schools, distinct from druids, and influential in medieval and modern literat…
Bartje: a Dutch literary figure from Drenthe Bartje Bartje is the central character in a celebrated Dutch rural novel series by Anne de Vries, representing childhood, poverty and regional identity in Drenthe and Dutch cultural histo…
Beat Generation: origins, style, key figures, and cultural legacy Beat Generation Overview of the Beat Generation: its origins in mid-20th-century America, characteristic styles and themes, principal writers, controversies, and enduring influence on literature,…
Belinda (1801 novel by Maria Edgeworth) Belinda (book) A concise overview of Maria Edgeworth's 1801 novel Belinda: publication, themes, characters, reception and its place in discussions of gender, manners and race.
Bellatrix Lestrange (Harry Potter character) Bellatrix Lestrange Fictional antagonist from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series: a fanatical Death Eater, Azkaban prisoner, and notable rival to the protagonists. Portrayed on film by Helena Bonham C…
Bibliography: meaning, types, history and uses Bibliography An overview of bibliography as both lists of writings and the scholarly study of books as physical and cultural objects, including organization methods, historical development, and…
Big Mama's Funeral A short prose work by Gabriel García Márquez blending satire and magical realism. The story examines power, ritual, and myth-making around a provincial matriarch and her elaborate…
Black comedy (dark humor): definition, history, examples, and significance Black comedy Black comedy, or dark humor, treats serious, tragic, or taboo subjects with wit or irony. This article outlines its features, origins, notable works, cultural uses, and the debates…
Blank verse: unrhymed metrical poetry Blank verse Blank verse is unrhymed poetry written in a regular meter (commonly iambic pentameter). Widely used for serious drama and long narrative poems, it balances rhythmic formality with…
Book of Optics — Ibn al‑Haytham's seven‑volume study of light and vision Book of Optics A comprehensive overview of the Book of Optics by Ibn al‑Haytham: contents, methods, historical transmission, influence on later science, and common misconceptions.
Bridge to Terabithia: Katherine Paterson's novel about childhood, imagination, and grief Bridge to Terabithia (novel) Katherine Paterson's Bridge to Terabithia follows two children who create an imaginary kingdom and face friendship, creativity and grief; an acclaimed, award-winning novel widely t…
Bud, Not Buddy — children's novel by Christopher Paul Curtis Bud, Not Buddy Overview of the children's novel Bud, Not Buddy (1999) by Christopher Paul Curtis: setting, plot outline, themes, characters, awards, publication history and its place in children'…
Burmese Days (novel) Burmese Days Burmese Days is George Orwell's first novel (1934), a realist depiction of British colonial society in Burma exploring racism, corruption and personal crisis among imperial officia…
Burton's Gentleman's Magazine A Philadelphia-based 19th-century American men's periodical (1837–1841) founded by William Evans Burton, known for fiction, theater, sport and frontier writing; Edgar Allan Poe con…
Bush ballad: narrative poetry and song of the Australian bush Bush ballad The bush ballad is an Australian narrative poem and folk-song tradition that uses plain language, strong rhythms and storytelling to depict life in the bush, from droving and bushr…
Campus novel (academic novel): fiction about university life Campus novel A campus novel is fiction that centers on academic settings and characters—professors, students, administrators—often mixing satire, institutional politics, and intellectual life.…
Canadian literature: an overview Canadian literature Writing produced in Canada or by Canadians in English and French, including Indigenous voices; notable for themes of landscape, identity and multiculturalism — authors include Atwo…
Captain Hook (fictional pirate) Captain Hook Captain Hook is the principal antagonist of J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, a proud and vengeful pirate captain notable for his hook, rivalry with Peter Pan, and many stage and screen po…
Catherine Morland Fictional heroine of Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey, a young, bookish heroine whose imagination and moral growth drive a satire of Gothic fiction and a coming-of-age social comedy.
Chapter: divisions in books, organizations, religion, and law Chapter A chapter is a named or numbered division used in books, an organizational branch, a religious assembly of clergy, and other formal groupings or legal classifications.
Chapter (books): definition, structure, history, and uses Chapter (books) A chapter is a major division within a book or long work. This article explains chapter forms, functions, historical origins, examples in fiction and law, and related uses such as…
Characterization in Literature and Drama Characterization Characterization is the set of techniques writers and dramatists use to create, reveal, and develop fictional characters, including direct description and indirect methods such as…
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel about Charlie Bucket, Willy Wonka and the golden tickets; known for its inventive fantasy, dark humor, moral lessons and multiple screen and stag…
