"Kokoro" by Natsume Soseki
[ send me this essay ]
This 3 page paper is a close examination of the 1957 novel "Kokoro" by Natsume Soseki. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: HVKokoro.rtf

"Life Of Pi" By Yann Martel
[ send me this essay ]
3 pages in length. Assessing the presence and value of faith in Yann Martel's Life of Pi, it comes as no surprise how faith symbolizes a component of man's existence that seeks unyielding reassurance. The problem with meaning in this particular context, however, is attempting to successfully pinpoint a single yet comprehensive connotation to the concept of faith; indeed, this cannot be achieved as long as any two individuals harbor decidedly different interpretations, particularly when one person is adrift at sea with wild animals while another is warm and secure within the safe harbor of home. No additional sources cited.
Filename: TLCLifePi.rtf

"Obasan"
[ send me this essay ]
This 5 page paper discusses the novel "Obasan" by Joy Kogawa and particularly the main character's aunts' reaction to the internment of Japanese-Canadians, and how their reactions are representative of those of the Japanese Canadian community itself. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: HVKogawa.rtf

"The Color Purple" and "The Doctor's Wife"
[ send me this essay ]
A 7 page paper which presents six similarities and six differences in "The Color Purple" by Alice Walker and "The Doctor's Wife" by Sawako Ariyoshi. In this context the paper is primarily examining the similarities and differences found in two cultural works, one dealing with the struggle of the African American and the other dealing with the struggle of the Asian. No additional sources cited.
Filename: RAcolorwife.wps

"The Key" by Junichiro Tanizaki
[ send me this essay ]
A 5 page paper which presents an interpretation and personal response to the novel "The Key" by Junichiro Tanizaki. No additional sources cited.
Filename: RAthekey.wps

"The Life Of An Amorous Woman" - Dirty Profession, Pure Heart
[ send me this essay ]
3 pages in length. Sometimes life is nothing more than a means to an end, and everything that happens in between the start and finish of a given life does not define the person who has endured its imperfect reflection. This is the case in Saikaku's "The Life of an Amorous Woman" and its concluding statement whereby the protagonist states "I've certainly worked in some dirty professions, but is my heart not pure?" (Saikaku, 1963). From such socially unsavory professions as Geisha, Madame and bathhouse servant, the protagonist's acknowledgement of what might otherwise be construed as an inappropriate or unfulfilling road is indicative of her realization that while she may not have made the best choices throughout her life, they did not serve to taint her pure heart. No additional sources cited.
Filename: TLCLifeAmor.rtf

"The Love Suicides At Sonezaki"
[ send me this essay ]
A 4 page discussion of the early eighteenth century play by Japanese dramatist Chikamatsu Monzaemon. This paper discusses the sexual and religious intonations of the play and discusses it from Buddhist, Hindu, Jewish, Roman Catholic, and modern American perspectives. No additional sources are listed.
Filename: PPjpLove.rtf

"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down": Culture and Medicine
[ send me this essay ]
A 7 page review of the book by Anne Fadiman. The tale of a young Hmong girl whose treatment for a severe form of epilepsy is impended by miscommunications and misunderstandings between the medical establishment and her traditional family. The author of this paper asserts that a little more effort to communication with the family could have proven miraculous in terms of the positive impacts to the patient. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: PPspirit.rtf

"The Tale of Genji"
[ send me this essay ]
A 5 page paper which discusses the masculinity of the male character in Lady Murasaki Shikibu's "The Tale of Genji." The paper also discusses the role and the influence of the women in the story. No additional sources cited.
Filename: RAgenji.rtf