history and criticism

Re-examines the origins of twenty-four popular nursery rhymes, revealing them as commentaries on historical, religious, political, and sexual events.

Presents twenty-one works of criticism on Herman Melville's novel "Moby-Dick, " discussing its language, style, symbols, themes, religious references, and characters and relating the novel to American society, and provides a chronology and further reading list.

Contains twelve essays that describe how racial issues are presented in major literary works such as Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird, " and includes plot summaries, historical background, and a discussion of overt and subtle racism.

Explores how many bioethical and medical debates related to recent advances in science and technology have been addressed in various literary works.

Focuses on the fictional representation of youth gangs in America and traces their origin and development from the early western culture to immigrant gangs of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Presents a collection of essays that examine DJs, dancing, and raves in popular culture, discussing the various styles and trends in music and entertainment.

An overview of the life's work of writer and artist Will Eisner, often called the "Father of the Graphic Novel". Provides a chronology of his life and career, an encyclopedia of people and places in The Spirit comic strip as well as each of his graphic novels, one of the versions of The Spirit's origins, and "The story of Gerhard Shnobble".

A study guide to "The Call of the Wild, " and 'White Fang, " two stories of dogs struggling for survival; providing biographical information about the author, general plot summaries, character lists, summaries and commentaries, critical theories, review questions, and a selected bibliography.

A study guide to "The Scarlet Letter, " a story that explores the price of sin in Puritan Boston; providing biographical information about the author, a list of characters, a plot synopsis, chapter summaries and commentaries, character analyses, critical essays, suggested essay topics, and a selected bibliography.

Camille Paglia explores and celebrates great poems of the Western tradition and reflects on the impact they have had on literature.