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Literature/Questions Answered by Expert Samuel Noel
| Subject | Date Asked |
| College Major | 6/27/2011 |
| Q: but I am currently a college student and looking to major in B.A. In English-Literature. I am ... A: There are career opportunities for English majors out there. Some are obvious and some require being ... | |
| Phrase meaning | 6/8/2011 |
| Q: by J.D. Salinger. I came across a Phrase that I'm not sure the meaning of. The phrase is "Cold as a ... A: A witch is antithetical to the image of a woman. The witch rejects her feminine role of mother and ... | |
| World Lit Essay | 4/28/2011 |
| Q: I have to write a world literature essay and i was confused as to whether my question was good or ... A: You don't have a question yet for your paper. You are merely "comparing the character traits between ... | |
| english | 3/8/2011 |
| Q: what reason does shylock give for wanting the pound of antonio's flesh? A: You didn't name the work in question, but I assume this is "The Merchant of Venice" Antonio borrows ... | |
| Lewis Carroll | 2/24/2011 |
| Q: " We then had to come up with a researchable question that had something to do with our novels. I ... A: I would strongly recommend using databases rather than commercial search engines like Google and ... | |
| Good American Literature | 1/29/2011 |
| Q: Noel, I'm Mark and I come all the way from across the Atlantic. I'm a 6th form student currently ... A: Here are a few recommendations: William Faulkner: "Absalom, Absalom!"; "As I Lay Dying"; "The Sound ... | |
| the color purple | 5/9/2010 |
| Q: I am stuck on my essay question the question is "how does Alice walker show the change of the role ... A: Well, to start off, the essay prompt already does the work for you; there is an assumption that ... | |
| european monarchy literature | 4/29/2010 |
| Q: I'm doing an exchange in Belgium and am taking a course in architectural history - it's involving a ... A: Two of my favorite novels that deals with the monarchy are written by Alexandre Dumas. One is "The ... | |
| Jane Austen | 3/9/2010 |
| Q: I am currently reading Pride and Prejudice and notice a lot of random letters in the book. I was ... A: The use of epistles (letters) allows another speaking voice to narrate a story. The letter creates a ... | |
| Mark Twain | 2/3/2010 |
| Q: I was wondering what your views are about Mark Twain. Do you believe that he is a racist writer, or ... A: You are probably referring to criticism about Twain with regards to "Huckleberry Finn." In fact, ... | |
| 18th Century Women's Writing | 1/19/2010 |
| Q: I have just recieved this essay question that I am having difficulty with. My gut response to it is ... A: The essay prompt seems incomplete as stated. It almost seems rhetorical in that it posits an idea of ... | |
| World Literature | 1/18/2010 |
| Q: Noel, I hope you can help me answer this: I needed to answer this question about the "Adventure of ... A: I'm assuming that you understand the question and the narrative. If that is the case, the problem ... | |
| help!! | 12/2/2009 |
| Q: ok im writting a research paper on comparing and contrasting romanticism and renaissance literature ... A: The problem as I see it is that your topic is too wide. There are volumes written on just specific ... | |
| any suggestions? | 11/29/2009 |
| Q: I've read all of Laura Ingalls Wilder books and almost all the Rocky Ridge books to my kids (9 yrs ... A: I would have to base my suggestions on my own experiences as a young reader rather than as one who ... | |
| august wilson | 11/21/2009 |
| Q: 1. I'm an M.A student. I have this intension of working on August Wilson as my thesis. I was ... A: From my viewpoint, the critical problem is to gain access to what's already been written. I realize ... | |
| LIT | 8/13/2009 |
| Q: hey, am Lisa currently in the 9th grade from India. I love Literature and the english language (my ... A: What works for one teacher, does not necessarily apply to another. Even the expectations of a ... | |
| theme for romeo and juliet | 6/7/2009 |
| Q: I need help with my theme statement for romeo and Juliet. my theme is about hate. This is what ... A: I am assuming that you are trying to create a workable thesis argument and what you have is a ... | |
| Help finding a topic | 5/11/2009 |
| Q: I need to write a paper about any English novel of my choice but my teacher wants an original topic ... A: I'm assuming that this course is an advanced literature course; otherwise it would have more ... | |
| Quest Theme | 4/10/2009 |
| Q: would you please help me find texts (from different cultures ) which have the theme of quest? either ... A: The motif or theme of a quest is somewhat unusual in short works because of their narrow range of ... | |
| English Literature | 3/31/2009 |
| Q: I have done so much research on English Literature but I still need some help. Where can I find ... A: Locating essays usually requires the use of a library. I think you mean you want to locate essays ... | |
| William Blake | 3/31/2009 |
| Q: sir could you please explain thisDo you think William Blake as a Romantic poet? give illustrations ... A: Romanticism embodies the idealization of children, innocense, imagination. sentiment, nature, ... | |
| Frederick Douglass | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: I need help understanding what this quote meant in the story Frederick Douglass. "He dealt ... A: My interpretation of this quote is that Douglas is speaking about slavery, probably his own ... | |
| Frederick Douglass | 3/29/2009 |
| Q: I need help understanding what frederick douglass meant by these quotes "Crying for joy, and ... A: Slavery was (is) such an abhorrent institution that robs people of every shred of dignity that ... | |
| Need references | 2/24/2009 |
| Q: I have kind of a broad question to ask, and I'm hoping you can help me with it. I am currently a ... A: You can try "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin. It is laden with symbology and application of ... | |
| Literary Analysis | 2/21/2009 |
| Q: My teacher told us that when we are writing the analysis to never use your opinion, but i was ... A: An analytical paper is basically your opinion that is supported with evidence from primary, ... | |
| Dill - To Kill A Mockingbird | 1/26/2009 |
| Q: I'm a Secondary School student. Now, I'm learning about TKAM for my Literature subject. However, I ... A: Dill represents the innocense of youth throughout the story. In a sense he is a foil of other ... | |
| proposal subject | 1/4/2009 |
| Q: I was supposed to do my master in English Literature in Malaysia but the committee has rejected my ... A: In the United States, most colleges and universities require the Masters candidate to find a ... | |
| brit lit. | 1/3/2009 |
| Q: i am home schooled and i have read these poems and the study guide for this lesson over and over... ... A: William Blake was a Romantic poet who focused on spirituality. The lamb can refer to both Christ and ... | |
| literature | 12/29/2008 |
| Q: (little background) I am an African student in a college in MD. I am a couple of semesters away to ... A: There is no universal American standard for a college-level introductory course in literature. ... | |
| Regular English and English Honors. | 12/19/2008 |
| Q: Noel, What exactly is the difference between regular english and english honors? Are students who ... A: The difference between regular and honors English varies from school to school. There is no ... | |
| Books suggestions for my 17 year old brother? | 11/15/2008 |
| Q: First of all, thanks so much for helping out on this site! I was wondering if you might be able to ... A: I would try Gothic horror; there seems to be somewhat of a renaissance of this genre especially with ... | |
| classics | 11/14/2008 |
| Q: I'm doing a highschool reasearch paper on what defines a classic piece of literature. The criteria ... A: What you are actually describing is the "canon" and this is currently being reworked by scholars ... | |
| The Great Gatsby | 3/13/2008 |
| Q: Hi i was wondering if you could explain to me how we relate to Gatsby? I know we all have dreams and ... A: Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was a member of what we call the "Lost Generation," not unlike the Baby ... | |
| Straw Into Gold: The Metamorphosis of the Everyday | 1/4/2008 |
| Q: I was just wondering if you can elaborate further on Sandra Cisneros' essay. I understand that she ... A: I think you have the essence of the essay's purpose. What you haven't mentioned, however, is her ... | |
| animal farm | 12/18/2007 |
| Q: i read the book animal farm but i don't know some of the questions. so i was wondering if you could ... A: Andie, Thanks for asking. I'm not sure I understand your inquiry ("I don't know some of the ... | |
| Research Topic | 12/7/2007 |
| Q: my name is Nora,I'm an MA preliminary student. Actually I'm in big trouble because I'm asked to ... A: You can consider Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw which deals with the issues of class and how a ... | |
| english | 12/2/2007 |
| Q: what did oliver goldsmith do for literature? A: Perhaps one way to look at Goldsmith is not what he did for literature but what he did for himself. ... | |
| Max Wilhelm Meyer, The End of the World | 11/30/2007 |
| Q: Greetings from digital outerspace. I am filmmaker currently working on a short film. I was looking ... A: Unfortunately, I have not heard of Max Wilhelm Meyer either. I tried using academic search engines ... | |
| Need websites | 11/8/2007 |
| Q: ! I need help im taking introduction to literature and i need some good websites for these short ... A: Annie, Unfortunately, my expertise is not in websites. Based on the quality of the works you've ... | |
| Romeo and Juliet (Mercutio's Dream) | 11/4/2007 |
| Q: I have to read the playscript for Romeo and Juliet for my English class in 9th grade. We read some ... A: I think the key to this passage is what follows immediately after: Romeo: Peace, peace, Mercutio, ... | |
Literature
Samuel Noel
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I`m a NY state certified high school English (and music) teacher for a New York City high school. I currently teach Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition. My passion is for literature (English and American), creative writing, and artistic historical periods. I`ve been teaching since 1992 and love it. Do I know it all? No! I`m a professional student. The best way to learn is to teach!
Experience
I have taught freshman composition and literature (college-level) as well as Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition, and high school English.
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