Jamie DaSilva Professor Nicholas Helms Critical Theory 8 March, 2024 In Jamaica Kincaid’s essay “A Small Place” she discusses the effects of tourism on her home island, Antigua, a small island in the Caribbean. She describes these tourists as “ugly human beings”(Kinacaid, A Small Place, Literary Theory: An Anthology). Kincaid then goes on to discussContinue reading “Tourism in “A Small Place” and Massachusetts”
Category Archives: Student Work
The Devastating Loss of Ophelia
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia starts as an innocent young girl who tragically loses her life to her insanity and grief over the loss of her father and Hamlet. During the period of Hamlet, Ophelia’s age, gender, and mental illness lead to her death being seen as an unavoidable tragedy that is for the bestContinue reading “The Devastating Loss of Ophelia”
Two Sides of Satan in Paradise Lost (Through Art)
This unessay focused on bringing John Milton’s Paradise Lost alive through art. As an artist, I wanted to do something art-related and thought about drawing a scene from one of the readings we read. As I was more attached to Paradise Lost due to its themes and characters, I wanted to illustrate the story throughContinue reading “Two Sides of Satan in Paradise Lost (Through Art)”
Hope in The Dew Breaker and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano
Jamie DaSilva Professor Nicholas Helms Currents in Global Literature 20 October, 2023 After reading The Dew Breaker and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African I became fascinated by the way each book portrays the theme of hope. Both novels describe the hardships people of color have facedContinue reading “Hope in The Dew Breaker and The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”
Heroism in Lanval and Beowulf
Jamie DaSilva Professor Nicholas Helms Rethinking Medieval and Renaissance Literature 20 October, 2023 After reading Beowulf: A New Translation by Maria Dahvana Headley and Lanval by Marie De France I became interested in the theme of heroism that is shown throughout both texts. Both Lanval and Beowulf are knights that do everything for a singleContinue reading “Heroism in Lanval and Beowulf”
Project 1: Ecological Criticism and Beowulf
Luke Harding Helms Rethinking Medieval Literature September 30, 2021 Beowulf and the Ecosystem Ecological criticisms range in their application and practice within literature. They include analyses in individual close readings of a text’s representation of human and environmental relationships as well as overall studies into the interpretation and expression of the natural world across textsContinue reading “Project 1: Ecological Criticism and Beowulf”
Student Work at PSU: Finding Hope in 2020
I’ve seen an uptick in “survival-mode” tweets lately. How can we, as educators, as disabled people, as Americans, survive to Nov 3, to winter break, to 2021? And as a white man, how can I leverage my privilege to make survival possible for others, particularly for Queer, Trans, and BIPOC folks? Today, one of myContinue reading “Student Work at PSU: Finding Hope in 2020”
Things that Work
Go home, 2020, you’re an apocalyptic cascade of oppressive systems freshly exposed (again) by a global pandemic, worldwide #BLM protests, and a corresponding surge in public conversations about Racial Justice and Disability Justice. In other news, I haven’t been blogging in awhile. I have been active on Twitter (@nrhelms), and I’ve been quite busy withContinue reading “Things that Work”
Sprockets and Springes 