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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 ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
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29 votes
2 answers
16k views

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?
fi12's user avatar
  • 4,435
29 votes
1 answer
3k views

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 ...
Mithical's user avatar
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29 votes
0 answers
1k views

How did real historical Igbo society differ from its portrayal in Things Fall Apart?

I recently read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and found its detailed portrayal of historical Igbo (aka Ibo) culture very interesting. My understanding is that it's a reasonably close ...
user56reinstatemonica8's user avatar
28 votes
4 answers
20k 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 ...
soundslikeodd's user avatar
28 votes
4 answers
88k views

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, ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
  • 72.4k
28 votes
4 answers
8k views

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 ...
SlowMagic's user avatar
  • 413
28 votes
2 answers
5k views

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 ...
Benjamin's user avatar
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28 votes
1 answer
3k views

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 ...
user avatar
28 votes
2 answers
3k views

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). ...
BESW's user avatar
  • 4,950
28 votes
1 answer
2k views

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. ...
user avatar
28 votes
1 answer
10k views

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 ...
DForck42's user avatar
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27 votes
3 answers
6k 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 ...
Mithical's user avatar
  • 24k
27 votes
4 answers
8k 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 ...
Damaris's user avatar
  • 279
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 ...
muru's user avatar
  • 6,910
27 votes
1 answer
8k views

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 ...
Ankit Sharma's user avatar
27 votes
1 answer
63k views

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 ...
Andrew Bickerton's user avatar
27 votes
1 answer
18k views

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 ...
Catija's user avatar
  • 895
26 votes
7 answers
48k views

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 ...
SleepingGod's user avatar
26 votes
5 answers
69k 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 ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
  • 72.4k
26 votes
4 answers
6k views

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 ...
equin0x80's user avatar
  • 457
26 votes
2 answers
6k views

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 ...
Gareth Rees's user avatar
  • 55.8k
26 votes
3 answers
131k views

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 ...
Parzival's user avatar
  • 379
26 votes
6 answers
28k views

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 ...
fi12's user avatar
  • 4,435
26 votes
2 answers
1k views

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 ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
  • 72.4k
26 votes
2 answers
2k views

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 ...
DVK's user avatar
  • 4,516
26 votes
1 answer
2k views

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 ...
Andrew Cheong's user avatar
26 votes
1 answer
756 views

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 ...
user avatar
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 ...
Alex's user avatar
  • 3,409
25 votes
2 answers
7k views

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 ...
Winky's user avatar
  • 355
25 votes
3 answers
7k views

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 ...
muru's user avatar
  • 6,910
25 votes
3 answers
2k views

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 ...
user avatar
25 votes
2 answers
8k views

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?
sno's user avatar
  • 361
25 votes
1 answer
5k views

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 ...
Mithical's user avatar
  • 24k
25 votes
3 answers
84k views

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 ...
Mithical's user avatar
  • 24k
25 votes
1 answer
3k views

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 ...
Catija's user avatar
  • 895
25 votes
1 answer
2k views

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 ...
Nathaniel is protesting's user avatar
25 votes
3 answers
2k views

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? ...
user avatar
25 votes
1 answer
696 views

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 ...
user avatar
25 votes
1 answer
2k views

Which Tintin books were redrawn by Hergé?

The first nine albums were originally published in black and white, with colored editions to appear later: Tintin in the Land of the Soviets (never redrawn in colour ) Tintin in the Congo Tintin in ...
user598527's user avatar
  • 1,099
24 votes
2 answers
14k views

Could you actually go around the world in 80 days?

Around the World in 80 Days is a novel be Jules Verne about an Englishman who makes a bet with some fellow club members that he can travel around the world in 80 days. Nowadays with modern flight, ...
Beastly Gerbil's user avatar
24 votes
4 answers
9k views

Why doesn't James Joyce ever use quotation marks?

None of his books use quotation marks for direct speech. For example: — Will he come? The jejune jesuit! Ceasing, he began to shave with care. — Tell me, Mulligan, Stephen said quietly. — Yes, my ...
Abhijeet Melkani's user avatar
24 votes
7 answers
9k views

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?
kenorb's user avatar
  • 1,045
24 votes
6 answers
28k views

If Tolkien disliked allegory, why are there so many allegorical readings of The Lord of the Rings?

There is a famous quote from J.R.R. Tolkien in which he states his hatred of allegorical writing. "I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old ...
Matt Thrower's user avatar
  • 22.1k
24 votes
2 answers
21k views

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 ...
The Vee's user avatar
  • 351
24 votes
2 answers
6k views

Did Shakespeare consider Julius Caesar a tyrant or a martyr?

I've seen the Shakespeare play Julius Caesar interpreted in two different ways (by people with different social and political views, naturally): either Caesar as a power-mad tyrant who got his ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
  • 72.4k
24 votes
1 answer
4k views

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 ...
Rand al'Thor's user avatar
  • 72.4k
24 votes
2 answers
495 views

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. ...
DVK's user avatar
  • 4,516
24 votes
2 answers
745 views

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 ...
NoahM's user avatar
  • 343
24 votes
2 answers
4k views

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’...
user avatar

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