The book tells the story of a farm boy named Eragon, who finds a mysterious stone in the mountains. Not knowing the stone's origin or worth, he attempts to use it as payment to a butcher. A dragon he later names Saphira hatches from the stone, which was really an egg. When the evil King Galbatorix finds out about Eragon and his dragon, he sends his servants, the Ra'zac, to capture them. Eragon and Saphira are forced to flee from their hometown, with a storyteller named Brom, and decide to search for the Varden, a group of rebels who want the downfall of Galbatorix.…
Abolqasem Ferdowsi’s In the Dragon’s Claws: The Story of Rostam & Esfandiyar from the Persian Book of Kings, is a story that comes from the Shahnameh, a book containing many different narratives detailing Iranian history and mythology. The story In the Dragon’s Claws presents two heroes of Iran, Rostam and Esfandiyār, who are victims of fate. The story traces the power struggle between Rostam and Esfandiyār, as well as the power struggle between Esfandiyār and his father Goshtāsp, the Shah of Iran. While many themes are at work in this story, perhaps the most important theme observed is the intervention of fate and the role of the divine in the lives of the characters. The Iranians believed that “God prefers Iran to other nations and sustains…
So after the dragon went for a flight he set about creating this elaborate trap. And on the stoke of midnight the trap was set off. The trap worked to perfection… however it was set off by a trespassing troll and left the poor creature in ashes. Afraid to face the consequences of trying to kill the tribe’s god, he left the caves of Srazol Mountains to escape the wrath of the dragon and his minions.…
In the novel, Forgotten Fire, written by Adam Bagdasarian, the main culture presented to the reader is the oppressive Turkish culture. The idea of this culture being dominant can be identified through the distinctly negative behavior towards Armenians.…
In the story Dealing With Dragons, Patricia Wrede tells the tale of an unsatisfactory princess who ignores the regular social norms of the day. In this fictional story set in medieval times, it is expected to marry whomever her dad tells her to marry.…
The novel, A World Lit Only by Fire by William Manchester delves into the history of Europe’s dark ages through the early Renaissance. Three key figures constantly referred to within the novel include Erasmus, Martin Luther, and Ferdinand Magellan. All three men are responsible for Europe’s entrance into a modern era of reformation, knowledge, and discovery, and are widely considered to responsible for the development of the humanist philosophy. When Manchester begins weaving his historical tale of the middle ages, he details how the dark ages witnessed very few inventive ideas and was dominated by the Catholic Church and its papacy. As each of the three men are introduced and their accomplishments explained, the story takes a turn and leads towards a modernized era. Erasmus, Martin Luther, and Ferdinand Magellan all share a devotion to their religion which connects to their exploits, however, their overall contributions seem to somewhat differ.…
The Sparks That Ignited a Fire The American Revolution was not started over one particular issue. Instead, it was the result of many different problems. Beginning in 1763, the British government tried to regulate the American colonies more effectively, starting with the Proclamation of 1763 (America, #119). The American people would not accept being controlled, and thus began the fight for independence.…
Trickster tales can express culture and can also be folklores from beliefs. These stories tell us how the tricksters behaved and in most cases convey a lesson or moral. A trickster is a character who does not follow rules and tricks others for their benefit. They can be animals, humans, or other characters. They can also be good or bad, clever or unintelligent, tough or fragile, caring or cruel, and so on. Tricksters are often untrustworthy trouble makers who try to manipulate others to get what they want. Through contrasting tales, Anansi, Coyote and Raven, all had similarities and differences revolved around the…
While the actual master of Esgaroth (Lake-town) cowered and scurried away like a frightened mouse at the sight of the dragon, Bard took charge and encouraged the men to continue fighting against the dragon. Eventually, Bard found Smaug’s week spot and killed him. Smaug’s defeat resulted with the destruction of Lake-town. Bard managed to get the people to calm down, got some shelters built, and sent word for help to the elves. Bard, the men and some elves went up to the mountain seeking gold from the dwarves to help them build a new city. They were denied. They kept trying, but eventually this resulted in battle. The war began as just the Dwarves versus the men and the elves. It later turned into a battle with the goblins and the wargs; the opposing sides joined up to fight the ultimate enemy. Together they won the battle and the dwarves, men and elves became compromising allies bringing peace and harmony for the time…
The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien is said to be one of the greatest children's novels of all time. The novel, due to its use of such characters as goblins, elves, trolls, giants, and others is in tradition, a fairy tale. The tale centers on a small hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins. It follows the journey of a band of dwarves, a wizard named Gandalf, and their robber, Bilbo on their way to retrieving treasure that had long been taken away from them. The hobbit traveled all over Middle-Earth, beginning with Bilbo's tiny hobbit-hole in the ground, to Mirkwood forest, to finally reaching the Mountain in which the dragon Smaug lives. Tolkien uses a large amount of imagery in his writing which can been seen through settings in The Hobbit. The imagery is usually either dark or light, depending on Bilbo's mood and contrast of his surroundings. J.R.R Tolkien uses dark and light imagery in The Hobbit to effectively set an eerie and mysterious mood and to foreshadow events such as Bilbo's journey in Mirkwood and his adventure in the Mountain.…
4. Smaug, “The Shodow”, is introduced in the dwarves’ story as the dragon that drove all the dwarves out of their mountain and claiming their treasure. Smaug’s flaming breath can scorch a city, his huge wings can carry him great distances, and his armor-like hide is almost impenetrable. Smaug can also speak and possesses a dark, ironic sense of humor.…
“The poem contains clear examples of the initial stage of the Call to Adventure.” (Kelley 7). The “Call To Adventure”, is when the hero’s world is introduced to a new threat. In beowulf’s case, that threat was Grendel. The journey itself could be labeled as another part of the hero’s quest called “The Approach” where the hero and his/hers allies must prepare for a challenge (Vogler 1). However, there was another journey occurring as Beowulf went to fight Grendel, the hero’s inner journey. The first step to the hero’s inner journey is “Having limited awareness of the problem” (Vogler 1) and Beowulf, to some extent, had limited awareness of the problem because he had no idea that his quest would cause him to undergo a change of a lifetime. The fight with Grendel’s mother is a repeat of the “Call to adventure” and “The approach” but it furthers the inner journey of Beowulf. It was the step of “Preparing for major change” because Beowulf was becoming more attached to the kingdom, which allowed Beowulf to be better prepared for taking on the role as “King of Geats”. After being crowned king and the dragon attacks, the hero’s quest cycle repeats once again, but, the inner journey is furthered because Beowulf had came to accept his possible doom at the hands of the dragon. Also, the hero’s quest is furthered because this fight can be labeled as “The Ordeal” Where the hero faces their greatest challenge/fear (Vogler 1). Beowulf’s fight with the dragon ended with both the dragon’s and Beowulf’s death, which is one of the last steps to the hero’s quest cycle, “The Resurrection” where the hero dies or sacrifices something and resolves all conflicts (Volger 1). Beowulf’s death allows the kingdom live on, but his death is never…
This story of adventure is about a benign, ignorant creature called a hobbit. This hobbit’s name is Bilbo Baggins. One day, Bilbo gets an unexpected party in his hobbit- hole from twelve dwarves and the wizard, Gandalf the Gray. He is then recruited to be their burglar on their way to the Lonely Mountain to reclaim its vast treasure from the dragon Smaug. The group travel into the wild where they encounter trolls, goblins, the Elves of Rivendell, forest elves, giant spiders, and the men of Lake- town. While in the goblin tunnels, Bilbo meets a nasty creature called Gollum. He also finds a mysterious ring that makes him invisible when worn. Eventually, the party overtakes the Lonely Mountain, inherit its treasure, and split it with the men and the forest elves that helped them. Tolkien demonstrated comparison, characterization, word choice, and dramatic monologue.…
The drugs contain opioids are substances that are derived from pharmacologically similar to opiates, which includes a strong family of analgesics that carry with important risk of addiction. These opioids are a blessing for the people who have debilitating pain, helps to manage and get back to normal functioning, but in contrast it can destroy the lives of an individual with addiction. Prescription drug misuse has become a nationwide epidemic with deaths quadrupling since 1999 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2016).…
Listen to a stanza from the poem, “I’m the Dragon of Grindly Grun,” by Shel Silverstein.…