Literature

Harry Potter continues to be an endearing franchise. What thematic elements make it so loved years after the books and films have been completed?

Pomegranates have been cultivated by humans for thousands of years, and perhaps one of the oldest harvested fruit. The red, bulb-like fruit is mentioned in Ancient Egyptian texts, Greek mythology, the Bible, and the Quran. Different cultures used this fruit as treatment for various ailments (i.e. tapeworm in ancient Egypt). It is interesting how different ancient cultures viewed pomegranates and used them symbolically in their literature.

Have we, as the 21st century audience, begun to read into literature through a pattern we've created ourselves? It seems as though we are often taught that there is a set pattern of symbols that we often apply to teaching and learning any piece without considering whether it is of any relevance, stating that the author "may be saying…" Should context, thus, still be considered crucial in reading into a piece of somebody's work since it is our only valuable piece of information; the only one given to us for certain about the author's thoughts through their background? Is it the only way of veritably analysing somebody's work or should there, rather, be left some thought to the reader's imagination?

How has the use of color in literature changed, especially in more recent works? Our tv shows and movies are closely edited, digitally graded, and dominated by blue and orange. We over-edit our "candid" photos, dimming the colors to look retro or cranking up the contrast. Do we see a similar trend in written descriptions?

Has the symbolism behind colors changed? Has the use of certain color symbolism been reduced as the result of changing trends?

As our literature becomes divided into increasingly smaller genres and subgenres, is the use of color similarly divided? Thrillers will always be "darker" than romances, of course, but are there other trends in symbolism, shades, etc?

Throughout women-centered literature, hair is a popular symbol and motif. The Bible consistently describes hair as a woman's source of beauty and glory, even her vanity. In classic novels such as Little Women, hair serves as a symbol; Jo March cuts off and sells her hair, her "one beauty," to help her wounded father. In so doing, she symbolically casts off immaturity and vanity in favor of womanhood.

The trend persists in modern books such as Anita Diamant's The Red Tent; women brush, braid, and stroke each other's hair during crucial moments throughout the novel. Women whose hair is forcibly cut or shaved are consistently shamed, and they mourn the loss as if mourning a person. Male characters often stroke, twist, or otherwise fondle love interests' hair as a form of non-sexual intimacy. Even in fairytales and children's lit, a young girl's hair is often pointed out as a defining trait.

Using the examples listed and/or any others you are familiar with, examine why hair is so important in women-centered literature. Have attitudes toward hair played a role in the shaping of females and feminism? What about the lack of hair for female characters who have cancer or other conditions? Are the perceptions and usages of hair in literature changing, and are our perceptions of womanhood changing with it?

While the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings have gained their well-earned places in western literature, Tolkien's published works were only a small scrap of the material he created and wrote about Middle-Earth over a span of 60 years. Tolkien's ideas of Middle-Earth's languages, history, and cultures changed time and time again, even in the span of writing a single short story. Tolkien's 'Legendarium' evolved so frequently that it took a life of its own.

What does Tolkien's Legendarium teach us about the creative process? Most of the work he created violently contradicted itself, does that impact what we view as 'canon'? Can having this outside body of work flavor how we read the Lord of the Rings? Do the works published after his death, such as the Simarillion and the Children of Hurin count as Middle-Earth 'canon'? Was it acceptable for Christopher Tolkien to compile these new books from his father's works? Since new Tolkien work is being published to this very day, can we say that Tolkien's stories are still evolving even in the post-Peter Jackson age?

It can be argued that Romanticism has continued to persist past the 1800s and continued on one form or another. With this in mind, it would be interesting to see a comparison between Romanticism and Hippie culture. Is Hippie culture a continuation of Romanticism? What are the similarities and differences between these ideals? How does it show up in literature?

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison has been called a "master text," a revolutionary work which changed the nature of African American literature in the 1950s. How did Invisible Man reach more than just African American literature? Where can you see its influence in later works – not only in literature, but painting, poetry, photography, etc?