What points support the theme of alienation in The Demon?

Mikhail Lermontov's narrative poem The Demon is a text that obsesses with images of isolation and alienation. In fact, the opening lines set the tone for the rest of the poem:

"A Demon, soul of all the banished/ sadly above the sinful world/ floated, and thoughts of days now vanished/ before him crowdingly unfurled."

Readers are immediately presented with the image of the titular Demon separated from the world. He is exiled, banished from the world of the living. The image is especially potent because he has memories of better times, and this exacerbates his sense of isolation. The Demon has not always been this alienated from the world; instead, he suffers even more because he can remember sensations of a past life. Even when he successfully courts Tamara and kisses her, his kiss kills her, and he is again left alone, unable to connect with the world below.

As far as essay tips, there are a number of both subtle and blatant moments in the text in which the Demon alludes to his isolation. Also, a number of critics apply biographical readings to the poem. Lermontov wrote The Demon while he was in exile in the Caucasus. The fact that the poem is set in the Caucasus, and Lermontov's continual emphasis on the Demon's isolation, lend credence to this reading.

Here's an interesting source that may be useful:

Golstan, Vladimir. Lermontov's Narratives of Heroism. Evanston, IL: Northwester UP, 1998.

I used Charles Johnston's translation for textual support.

Although Night by Elie Wiesel is technically a non-fiction memoir, it is organized and narrated very much like a novel. What novelistic uses of...

Night by Elie Wiesel is organized much like a novel. Wiesel uses imagery throughout as he describes his town of Sighet in the beginning and the horrors of the concentration camps later. A good example is found as the Jews are waiting to be deported to the camps:

"There was joy--yes, joy. Perhaps they thought that God could have devised no torment in hell worse than that of sitting there among the bundles, in the middle of the road, beneath a blazing sun, that anything would be preferable to that. They began their journey without a backward glance at the abandoned streets, the dead, empty houses, the gardens, the tombstones..." (Wiesel 14)

Symbolism is also prevalent in Wiesel's book. The title itself is symbolic of the Holocaust being like one long dark night, and the word "night" is used throughout the book to reinforce that idea.  Fire is another symbol which not only burns Jewish bodies, but it also burns up Elie's faith. 

The best example of foreshadowing is in the section about Mme. Schacter on the train. She screams about seeing fire, but since nobody else can see it, they take her for mad. Yet, when they arrive at Auschwitz, the fire is blazing right in front of them. 

Finally, Elie Wiesel tells about the events as though he is telling a story, giving it a narrative feel. He tells it in such a way that we feel we are right there with him, participating in his experiences, witnessing the Holocaust with our own eyes. 

What are some good essay titles for a portfolio on The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum by Boll?

Well, it would be a really good idea to ultimately allow your students to come up with their own ideas for an essay on The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum.  In addition to the extent that Katharina is guilty of murder, I have compiled another list for you.  Although you failed to mention the age or the ability level of your students, here are a few essay prompts that might be an appropriate fit:

• Discuss the cause and the effect of violence as seen in The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum.


• How is The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum a perfect example of how German society differs from our own?


• How does The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum show both the "misuse and abuse of language" (especially in regards to Orwell's essay "Politics and the English Language."


• What are some ways that sex relates to violence in The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum?
  


• Explain why Totges says that lies “help simple people express themselves more clearly."  How do the characters in The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum prove or disprove this point.


• Explain how the police investigation of Katharina in The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum damages the rest of her life.


• In The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum, how are the classes or status of the particular characters (such as Katharina as simple housekeeper and Hubert Blorna as big-wig attorney) an indicator of their success of failure in life.


• How do the issues in The Lost Honor of Katharina Blum reflect the issues in Heinrich Boll's own life (especially in regards to the terrors involved in police investigation).

All of these ideas, of course, could be simplified for a younger audience.  However, considering some of the language and adult content of this novel, I assumed your students were of later high school age or older.  Good luck in giving your assignment.

On what page does Scout talk Mr. Cunningham out of attacking Atticus?

This scene occurs in Chapter 15 of the novel. Atticus sets his chair in front of Tom's jail cell to protect him from possible lynching from some of the townspeople who want to conduct vigilante justice against him. When Scout, Jem, and Dill follow Atticus (without his knowledge), Scout doesn't recognize the danger the armed men present and runs to Atticus. As Atticus tries to convince Jem to take Scout and Dill home, Scout surveys the crowd and recognizes Mr. Cunningham, the father of one of her classmates.

Scout says, "I sought once more for a familiar face, and at the center of the semi-circle I found one. 'Hey, Mr. Cunningham.' The man did not hear me, it seemed" (Lee 175). Scout goes on to make small talk with Mr. Cunningham about his legal "entailment" and encourages Mr. Cunningham to "Tell (Walter Jr.) hey for me, won't you?"

Scout doesn't directly convince Mr. Cunningham not to attack Atticus, but rather it seems that she reminds him that he's a father too, and Mr. Cunningham can't bring himself to harm Atticus in front of his own children. As Atticus reminds us in Chapter 16, "A mob's always made up of people, no matter what... you children last night made Walter Cunningham stand in my shoes for a minute. That was enough" (Lee 180).

While Mr. Cunningham came as a member of a lynch mob with the mentality of harming Tom and anyone (like Atticus) who got in his way, Scout reminds him that he's also a dad, and as he reconsiders from the role of a father, he can't bring himself to commit the intended violence.

Why did the Texans start to dislike Mexican rule?

When Americans moved to Texas in the 1820s, they were anxious to get land grants from the Mexican government. In order to get these land grants they had to agree to become Mexican citizens, learn Spanish, become Catholic, and obey Mexican law. As time passed, Americans became unhappy with the rule of the Mexicans.

In 1830, Mexico closed the border between Texas and the United States. The Mexican government was concerned too many Americans were coming to Texas. This made the Americans unhappy. The Mexicans also said no new slavery would be allowed. Americans wanted to use slaves on their land. The Mexican government also put high protective tariffs on products from the United States. They wanted the settlers to buy Mexican, not American, products. This also made the Americans unhappy. Texas was not its own state in Mexico. The Americans wanted Texas to be its own state in Mexico. The Americans also objected to some of the things they agreed to do in order to get land. They didn’t want documents to have to be in Spanish, and they didn’t want to have to become Catholic. Finally, the Mexicans started giving new land grants to Europeans.

Stephen Austin worked to resolve some of these issues with the Mexican government. The Mexicans agreed to open the border, to drop the requirement that documents had to be written in Spanish, and to allow people to practice any religion they wanted to practice. However, when Santa Anna ended the republic by ending the Constitution and becoming the dictator, the people of Texas had enough and revolted against Mexican rule.

What is an example of a simile that Suzanne Collins uses in Catching Fire?

A simile is a type of figurative language, one that makes a comparison between two things that seem different at first. Unlike a metaphor, which also compares two things that seem different, a simile uses the words "like" or "as" in the comparison. The purpose of a simile, and all figurative language, is to paint a picture with words for the reader, to make the story come alive a bit more. A simile can make something new or foreign to readers seem more familiar, but it can also make something too familiar or cliché seem fresh and new with a surprising comparison.

One chilling simile that Suzanne Collins uses in Catching Fire is when President Snow shows up unexpectedly at Katniss's house. She describes her surprise in finding him there by saying,

"It's jarring to see him surrounded by the ordinary objects in the room. Like taking the lid off a pot a finding a fanged viper instead of stew" (pg 21).

This simile compares the evil President Snow to a viper, lurking in something familiar and comfortable, like Katniss's home or a cooking pot, and waiting to strike when least expected. 

How did Tom and his wife "cheat" each other in "The Devil and Tom Walker"?

Tom and his wife are introduced as thoroughly unlikable people, and their marriage seems to bear more resemblance to the relationship one would expect to see between sworn enemies. As a fulfillment of their description as misers, Tom and his wife are said to cheat each other at any opportunity.

The term "cheat", as used in the story, probably has no connection to the modern slang that refers to infidelity. Rather, Tom and his wife seem to treat their marriage almost like an antagonistic game, and cheating in this context refers to the ways in which they defy the standard behaviors and expectations of a marriage, consumed as they are with greed. It is mentioned that they can barely resist fighting over things which, under any other circumstances, would be considered common property. Thus, they steal physical property from their common ownership, and also metaphorically steal any enjoyment or comfort that the other might reasonably find in the marriage. 

This helps to explain several subsequent elements of the story. For example, it makes sense of the harsh manner in which Tom's wife greets the news of his meeting with Old Scratch, and her intention of taking the treasure for herself. It also clarifies Tom's motivation in spiting her through his sudden reversal and apparent lack of interest in going through with the bargain. Finally, it explains why Tom hardly mourns his wife's disappearance.