Highest scored questions
7,304 questions
31
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Did J. K. Rowling base platform 9 3/4 on the Gump?
In the Harry Potter series, there is platform 9 ¾ in Kings Cross Station. You travel through this place to go to a magical place.
In The Secret of Platform 13, by Eva Ibbotson, (which is ...
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31
votes
1
answer
2k
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Are there any recorded discrepancies between The Odyssey as oral tradition and The Odyssey as Homer transcribed it?
The Odyssey began as oral tradition, and was later transcribed by someone we now call "Homer." Disregarding the Homeric Question concerning the identity of the person who transcribed these works, it ...
user80
30
votes
4
answers
21k
views
In Brave New World, what caste is Lenina Crowne?
In Brave New World, there is an extensive caste system. However, Lenina's caste is never explicitly pointed out. She is important to many of the male characters in the book, each belonging to a ...
- 469
30
votes
2
answers
16k
views
What's it called when a short quote appears at the beginning of a chapter?
I've read several novels (Cornelia Funke's Inkheart trilogy springs to mind, for example) in which each chapter is associated with a quote from some other piece of literature, which is usually somehow ...
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30
votes
2
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Why is the UK called Airstrip One?
In 1984, London is the chief city of the province Airstrip One (which consists of the UK), which is a part of the superstate Oceania. Is there a reason why it's called Airstrip One?
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1
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When and why did the Brothers Grimm start collecting fairy tales?
Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm are well known for authoring multiple collections of traditional folk tales in the late 18th/early 19th century. Their first major collection of stories was published in 1812. ...
user72
30
votes
1
answer
2k
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Was Nabokov's Pale Fire intended to be read non-linearly, i.e. jumping to each line reference?
Did Vladimir Nabokov ever indicate on record whether he intended Pale Fire to be read non-linearly, i.e. jumping to each line reference?
A friend and I read the book together last summer. He read the ...
- 1,035
30
votes
1
answer
10k
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Why does Mr. Poe cough so much?
In the recent adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, the character Arthur Poe is portrayed with a consistent cough. This is never touched on in the Netflix series, but is it ...
- 1,863
29
votes
5
answers
88k
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In which order should the Sherlock Holmes stories be read?
The canonical Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle comprise:
four novellas:
A Study in Scarlet
The Sign of Four
The Hound of the Baskervilles
The Valley of Fear
fifty-six short stories, ...
- 76.7k
29
votes
2
answers
5k
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Since when has Shakespeare's "Scottish play" been considered unlucky?
In theatrical superstition, Shakespeare's play Macbeth is considered to be unlucky, to the extent that even saying its name more than necessary may bring bad luck: hence the tradition of actors ...
- 76.7k
29
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1
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Why are place names obscured in Charlotte Brontë's The Professor?
All place names in Charlotte Brontë's The Professor appear to be obscured. A few examples from the novel's first chapter:
That gentleman and Lord T. knew well enough that the Crimsworths were an ...
user8
28
votes
3
answers
7k
views
Why must "she" perform impossible tasks in order to be "a true love of mine" in "Scarborough Fair"?
"Scarborough Fair" is, according to Wikipedia, a traditional English ballad, with many different versions. However, one thing that the versions have in common, is setting impossible tasks ...
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28
votes
4
answers
8k
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What is the opposite of deus ex machina?
Deus ex machina is a plot device in which a seemingly unsolvable problem is resolved by a sudden and unexpected external event. For example: "The villain has our hero backed in a corner with no ...
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2
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5k
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Is Sherlock Holmes religious?
In this question, it is established that Sherlock Holmes, from the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was asexual and in explaining that it is stated that he showed very little emotion in general. This ...
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28
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2
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3k
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Did Poe plagiarise someone else's work when writing "The Raven"?
I've read that Poe's been accused of lifting significant elements from many authors including Elizabeth Barrett, Charles Dickens, Leo Penzoni, and Thomas Holley Chivers (and "unknown," of course). ...
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28
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1
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In Foucault's Pendulum, by what method does the translation choose to keep or translate Italian?
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco was originally written in Italian. Most of the book was translated to English, except for the parts that weren't in Italian to begin with.
I understand that ...
user80
27
votes
4
answers
9k
views
Isn't Gríma Wormtongue a very revealing name?
Something which strikes me both while reading the book and watching the movie is the very striking name "Wormtongue". He might as well be named "Evil Dude".
He seems over-the-top ...
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27
votes
3
answers
142k
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Origin of the phrase "Open Sesame"
The phrase, "Open Sesame", is a curious one indeed. Until a few days ago I foolishly believed that it was derived from a slurring of the words "Open, says me".
But after coming to the story of Ali ...
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27
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Why are haiku usually of 17 syllables?
One of the characteristics of Haiku is that the poems are usually of 17 syllables (5-7-5). Exceptions exist, of course, but 17 is the norm.
Why 17? How did the originators of Haiku come to settle on ...
- 7,099
27
votes
6
answers
29k
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Who does the cat represent in Animal Farm?
It's well known that various characters represent real Soviet figures. Who does the cat, who is fond of shirking physical work but enjoys reaping the rewards, represent? Does the cat even have any ...
- 4,615
27
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1
answer
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Origins of quote: "Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup."
I've grown up loving the quote "Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup." and I've been searching around to find out where it came from (with only a ...
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27
votes
1
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9k
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English short story where a wife makes an investigation officer eat the murder weapon
I remember reading this English short story during my school days; it was part of our English curriculum 18-19 years ago.
Plot:
It starts with a wife killing her husband with turkey or chicken or ...
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27
votes
3
answers
2k
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Why are Orcs associated with the colors red, yellow, and black in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings?
In Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings series, Sauron, and characters allied with Sauron, are frequently associated with the colors red, yellow, and black. For example, here is a description of the ...
user111
27
votes
1
answer
20k
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Are quote marks used selectively in "The Handmaid's Tale" or do I have a bad scan of the book?
I've just begun reading The Handmaid's Tale and I'm a bit distracted by the usage (or non-usage) of quote marks in the version I have (ebook).
In the second chapter, the handmaid is describing her ...
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27
votes
2
answers
905
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Translation: Why are parts of the original language kept?
Inspired by this question.
In many translated works (the first to come to mind are translations by Richard Pevear and the English versions of Isaac Bashevis Singer's writings) there are elements of ...
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26
votes
7
answers
49k
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What is the benefit in the Prologue "spoiling" the play in Romeo and Juliet?
In the Act 1 Prologue to the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where ...
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26
votes
5
answers
74k
views
What's the significance of "Oranges and Lemons" in 1984?
The popular London nursery rhyme Oranges and Lemons is quoted and partially recited several times throughout 1984. Winston learns about it from Mr Charrington in Part 1, Chapter 8, then talks about it ...
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26
votes
4
answers
6k
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Story where professor claims a step in a proof "is obvious" when it is far from obvious
I picked up a funny story about a professor who stated that something was "obvious" after taking a long time to think about it: the story on the Wiktionary user page of 'DCDuring':
A ...
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26
votes
2
answers
6k
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Bilbo’s song of Eärendil in “The Fellowship of the Ring”
In The Fellowship of the Ring, the character Bilbo Baggins recites a poem beginning with these lines:
Eärendil was a mariner
that tarried in Arvernien;
he built a boat of timber felled
in Nimbrethil ...
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26
votes
7
answers
10k
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Does "The Charge of the Light Brigade" glorify war or criticize it?
The Charge of the Light Brigade is an 1854 narrative poem at the Battle of Balaclava during the Crimean War.
Does it glorify war or criticize it?
- 1,135
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4
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4k
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What reference is Shakespeare making in Act 2 Scene 2 of Macbeth?
In Act 2 Scene 2 of Macbeth there is this line.
What hands are here? Ha! They pluck out mine eyes.
Someone two days ago told me this is a reference to a different piece of literature. I didn't ...
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26
votes
3
answers
8k
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What is a Byronic Hero?
I just saw this post: Was Heathcliff intentionally made a Byronic Hero?
Not being familiar with literary terminology, I have no idea what a Byronic Hero is. I had read Wuthering Heights long ago (it ...
- 7,099
26
votes
3
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88k
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Why were these animals used to represent the different countries in Maus?
In Art Spiegelman's Maus, he represents different people from different countries as different animals. For instance, he represents the Jews as mice, the Germans as cats, the Polish as pigs, the ...
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26
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2
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Why does Shakespeare's Julius Caesar switch to Latin for the "Et tu, Brute" line?
Like all of Shakespeare's plays, his Julius Caesar is of course written and performed almost entirely in English. But there is one line of this particular play - perhaps the most famous - which is ...
- 76.7k
26
votes
2
answers
1k
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Did Borges invent the idea of writing reviews/summaries of imaginary literary works?
In reading short stories by the great Argentinian author Jorge Luis Borges, I've noticed a repeated theme: many of these stories are written in the style of a review or summary of a much larger and ...
- 76.7k
26
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1
answer
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What specific criticisms did Mark Twain make against Jane Austen's books?
It's pretty well known that Mark Twain was rather vitriolic against Jane Austen, saying things like:
I go so far as to say that any library is a good library that does not contain a volume by Jane ...
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2
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Did Sherlock Holmes have a character development arc across Arthur Conan Doyle's books?
Often, in a large novel, a character would have a character development arc, which is considered an integral part of writing.
But Sherlock Holmes canon consists mostly of smaller stories.
Was there ...
- 4,654
26
votes
1
answer
416
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How did having a full pot of tea betray the doctor's lowly origins?
Memoires of gedenkschriften van minister Pieter Bas (The memoirs of Minister Pieter Bas) is a satirical biography of a fictional Minister of Education. The book is mostly about the man's youth in the ...
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26
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1
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Is the mariner immortal?
I pass, like night, from land to land;
I have strange power of speech;
That moment that his face I see,
I know the man that must hear me:
To him my tale I teach.
This is one of the last ...
user72
25
votes
4
answers
9k
views
What is a Daniel?
In Chapter Three of The Scarlet Letter we find the following as a response to a question of who the father of Hester’s child is:
Of a truth, friend, that matter remaineth a riddle; and the Daniel who ...
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3
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4k
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Is a moral lesson a requirement for fairy tales?
Many of the fairy tales collected by the Grimm's have a moral. Is a moral lesson a requirement for fairy tales?
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2
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Meaning of "the field was found to be plowed as thoroughly as any young man at Oxford" in 'The Book of Dragons'
E. Nesbit, in The Book of Dragons, toward the end of the chapter titled 'The Island of the Nine Whirlpools', wrote:
The nine rubies were used afterwards in agriculture. You had only to
throw them out ...
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25
votes
2
answers
21k
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How to read é, ä, û?
If I want to read Tolkien's text aloud, or appreciate the rhythm and rhyme in his poems, I find it distracting not to know how names including these characters (and similar ones) were meant to be ...
- 361
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2
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8k
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Explain the 28 Feb 2022 Dilbert cartoon use of the phrase "sticking the landing"
Can someone explain today's Dilbert cartoon, in particular explain what "sticking the landing" means?
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25
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3
answers
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How many sailors from Odysseus' crew survived the Odyssey?
It's been a long time since I've read it, maybe 20 years. Of course, Odysseus survives, but does anyone else? How many sailors did he start with, and how many made it home with him (or safely departed ...
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1
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What is the significance of Alec Bings's name in The Phantom Tollbooth?
In The Phantom Tollbooth, basically every name has a significance/pun. For example, Dr. Dischord - his name is 'Discord' with 'chord' - implying bad sounds. Or the DYNNE, or 'din'. And Chroma, with ...
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25
votes
2
answers
529
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Was pretending to be an abridgement of a made-up work invented by William Goldman?
William Goldman's The Princess Bride is famous (among other reasons) for a literary device it employs - it pretends to be an abridgment (or "the good parts version") of a longer work by S. ...
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1
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What were the parts of each of the six Seuss books that ceased publication in March 2021 that were problematic?
Many articles around the internet explain the general reason why six books were removed from publication in March 2021 and some even detail specific examples from 1-2 of the books (for example, The ...
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2
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4k
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In 1984, why does O'Brien expect Winston to know what Room 101 is?
In 1984, O'Brien expects Winston to know what Room 101 is.
I know that Room 101 is more torture, but why would O'Brien expect Winston to know that?
‘What is in Room 101?’
The expression on O’...
user72
25
votes
3
answers
2k
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Do we know what prompted Orwell to write 1984?
I just read through Orwell's short essay, What is Fascism? In it, Orwell defines fascism (or doesn't) with two sentences:
Why, then, cannot we have a clear and generally accepted definition of it? ...
user80