Every art and discipline must accept competition as a natural condition of life growing from the variant interests and aptitudes of different kinds of men. This competition may lead to the identification of "natural enemies" and, for the discipline of rhetoric, some of these are (1) the business man, who debases rhetoric by using fear and false…

Departing from the tendency to dwell extensively on the symbolism in Shakespeare's plays and to see the works as metaphysical formulations, studies in this book focus on his work as "plays about people"--their reactions as real people to possible situations. Four plays are examined, scene by scene: (1) "King Lear" and the Just…

The significance of Bergman's "Seventh Seal" lies not in the speeches nor in the actions of the central characters but rather in the film's form, its totality created by the emotive elements of imagery and sound together with the intellectual elements of actions and words. The scene-units are related to a central motif (the opening of…

Aspects to consider in studying the film "The Red Kite" are (1) a synopsis of the story, which concerns a young father's musings about life and death; (2) the film's structure, which focuses on the father's encounters in a store, on a bus, in his home, at a party, and finally on a hill while flying the kite; (3) possible themes, such as…

The English teacher should have two aims: to help his students appreciate the literary values contained in literary works and to help them read with sensitivity and sophistication so that they will want to read. Consequently, the teacher who concentrates on making contemporary applications of literary works instead of dealing with the literary…

Various approaches that teachers can use to help students interpret contemporary plays are presented in this discussion of teaching drama. Plays discussed include two from the Theater of Illusion ("Look Back in Anger,""A Raisin in the Sun"), two from the Theater of the Absurd ("Rhonoceros,""Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead"), and two from…

Studying the Bible as a "source book for the humanities" can help students understand Biblical allusions found in literature, the fine arts, the news media, and cultured conversation. Students at Newton High School (Massachusetts) took part in a Biblical study course, using the King James Version because student most commonly meet…

Several people have tried, unsuccessfully, to learn the facts about J. D. Salinger's life. The little information available from secondary sources about Salinger indicates that "The Catcher in the Rye" has autobiographical elements. Salinger's life parallels Holden's fictional adventures in that Salinger (1) was born and reared through…

Genre studies are offered as a needed alternative to the historical approach to the study of public speaking. Five ways to classify rhetorical genres are suggested: (1) by the changes which messages produce in audiences, (2) by the dominant methods or characterizing strategies of a message, (3) by style, (4) by culture or world view, and (5) by…

The major principles of Marshall McLuhan are of great value to the field of speech. Four major principles are evident in McLuhan's work: the media is a broad explanatory basis for historical and cultural change; media is an extension of man; media can be classified as hot or cool; and man explains change by rearview mirrorism. The value of…

This paper suggests basic points of literary and historical background necessary for the study of African literature and provides an annotated bibliography of literary and historical references. The first part of the paper lists threads of historical significance often found in African literature: the division of Africa into colonies in the…

There have been no critical studies of Cable's fiction treated for its own sake; and, without such studies, readers may not become aware of these stories or of their possible value. The absence of a critical position on Cable is due to the decline in his reputation as an artist when he became a writer of popular literature. Before 1925 Cable and…

This biography explores poet Robert Frost's techniques as a teacher from the early days of teaching at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire, to his acceptance of a chair at Harvard University and his subsequent associations with numerous other schools. Also examined are his educational practices and philosophy--particularly his life-long…

This guide provides the teacher with strategies to aid students in examining five representative plays by Bernard Shaw and in comparing his comedy with the comic art of Oscar Wilde, Richard Sheridan, Ben Jonson, and William Shakespeare. Performance objectives include isolating elements which pertain to the life and times of Shaw, delineating…

A study of symbolism in feature films reveals how the symbolism employed by film makers can serve as a bridge between feeling and thought, and between aesthetics and cognition. What individuals read from and learn through a symbol varies with what they bring to it. The filmmaker's symbolims must be universal and not private. However, symbolism in…