Words Are Things

Persuasion is Jane Austen's last novel. By the time of her death, it was in it's second draft. She may have edited it more or published it as is. We'll never know. This video summarizes chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4. These chapters give us Anne Elliot's background. In these chapters, we see the Elliot family dynamics and the pressure Anne is under to do what her family wants and what society expects. Th...

"O Captain! My Captain!" was written by Walt Whitman. He was very moved by Abraham Lincoln's death that he wrote this poem. Whitman referred to Lincoln as the captain of the ship where the ship is the country.

Coleridge wrote "Christabel" for the book "Lyrical Ballads" but for several reasons, William Wordsworth chose not to include it in the publication. Coleridge was never able to finish the poem and eventually published it as is. This video provides a light-heated summary of the story in the form of a conversation between Coleridge and Wordsworth.

"A Christmas Carol" was written by Charles Dickens and published in 1843. He rushed to get it published in time for Christmas. It was a great success for him and helped make Christmas a popular holiday. The story gave us some very well known characters like Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit, and Tiny Tim. In this video, I'll discuss what happened to Scrooge that made him such a curmudgeon. We'll talk...

The Hunger Games was a hit book and movie. We've all come to know Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Prim, and President Snow. But do we understand Peeta Mellark's role in the story? Does he have a purpose other than to develop a love triangle and maybe be saved by Katniss? Turns out, he does. In this video, I'll discuss how Peeta helps develop the themes of sacrifice, love, and loyalty.

This poem is a great example of the genius of Emily Dickinson. Dickinson describes the moment of death and then interjects a fly. This video contains a reading of the poem and a short analysis of it.

The Masque of the Red Death was written by Edgar Allan Poe in 1845. It was originally published in 1842 under the title of "The Mask of the Red Death. A Fantasy". I think his latter title is a better choice. This is a dark and bizarre story about a bunch of people are holed up in Prince Prospero's abbey to avoid a terrible disease called the Red Death. They believe that by sealing themselves in th...

"A Good Man is Hard to Find" was written by Flannery O’Connor. The Grandmother is manipulative, selfish, and hypocritical. Her need to control the family through manipulation caused their eventual demise. The Misfit is the direct cause of what happens to them, but the Grandmother is the real cause. This video summarizes the story and provides some analysis in a humorous way.

You probably know the Disney version of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" but do you know the story on which it's based? The story, "Little Snow White" was born out of oral tradition, but the brothers Grimm put it on paper and published it in 1812. It's a story of murder, betrayal, friendship, and hope.

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet under 12 minutes. Whether you know the play or not, I hope you enjoy this light-hearted view of it. Sit back and enjoy me explain the play to a teenager.

Get ready to have your mind blown as I bring you a hilarious and concise summary of the play "The Importance of Being Earnest" in this video. From mistaken identities to witty banter, this Oscar Wilde masterpiece is packed with laughs and surprises. Join me as we dive into the world of Victorian society and unravel the humorous twists and turns of this iconic comedy. Don't miss out on this Wilde r...

We know the book is always better than the movie, but how faithful is the movie to the book? How faithful is the 2013 movie to the book "The Great Gatsby?" This is a story love and tragedy. Several movies have been made from the book. The book was written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It was actually not successful when it was published. Over time, though, it’s attained “classic” status. Some sc...

We know the book is always better than the movie, but how faithful is the movie to the book? How faithful is the 2005 movie to the book "Pride and Prejudice?" This is a love story for the ages. Several movies and TV series have been made from the book. In this video, I compare the book to what I think is the best movie version. The book was written in 1813 by Jane Austen. She published the book an...

"The Call of the Wild" is a story about a happy pet dog who is taken from his home and forced to work as a sled dog in the Canadian Yukon Territory. While working as a sled dog, Buck learns important lessons for survival. Eventually he is free to become the animal he was always meant to be.

The Call of the Wild was written by Jack London in 1903. It's set in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon Territory. London actually went to the Yukon during this gold rush in search for adventure and, of course, gold. He didn't find gold but the experiences gave him a lot of content for this story.

Eve's Diary is a story by Mark Twain. It is a comedy about what Eve would have in her diary if she wrote one. This video touches on some of the funniest events in the diary to summarize the story.