Stephanie Trinidad

            The early 20 th century brought about a change in the perception of women both in their public and private lives. Throughout the world women were going from being the homemaker to becoming a working class modern woman. This change also happened in Japan were the term moga was created to describe the modern girl that was starting to appear throughout the country. The novel Naomi by Junichiro Tanizaki describes the evolution of the modern girl through the eyes of the story’s main protagonist Joji who finds himself enthralled with the concept of western culture and the modern girl. Through Joji the reader meets Naomi who looks western in appearance but is Japanese born. The novel starts when Joji meets Naomi who is 15 at the time and from there he attempts to make her a well-rounded young woman who is cultured and educated. Joji learns though his experiences with Naomi how truly the frightening the modern Japanes...

Note: This story is half homage to my favorite video game The Last of Us and half of a longer story that I am developing so this part may never be in the novel. I wanted to share it anyway even though I still have issues with the story as a whole. Enjoy!

            At the beginning of the 18 th century in Japan when the politics of the country were shifting towards a more peaceful time there was one event that would be spoken about throughout the country for years to come. The story of the 47 Ronin who went to avenge their disgraced leader Lord Asano. Lord Asano was asked to entertain Lord Kira who was an imperial emissary visiting from Kyoto. The story of what truly happened during their encounter isn’t clear all that is truly known is that Lord Asano was outraged at Lord Kira and drew his sword and cut Kira who wasn’t able to draw his sword in time to defend himself. Lord Asano was sentenced to commit seppuku for his actions against Lord Kira as well as his crime against the shogunate by attacking someone who worked for the Shogun. Thus prompting the 47 now masterless samurai to avenge Lord Asano and take the life of the person who had caused their master’s land and domai...

            The written word has always been a means of communication whether it’s written in novels, letters, diaries, or even writing a post on Facebook. During the 10 th century C.E. the written language in Japan took on a different form entirely that would still be relevant during the Modern Era. The Heian Period in Japan spanned nearly four centuries would spawn two of the most known books in literature and would show how life inside the Japanese imperial court was like. Two of the most well-known books of the time were written by women who lived within the Japanese court. Wealthy Women during this time in Japanese history were well educated and often worked within the imperial court as ladies in waiting serving the imperial family. One very surprising aspect of this time in Japanese history is that some women were as educated as men, and men weren’t given preference when it came to higher education. The Kana wri...

“We loved with a love that was more than love.” --from "Annabel Lee" "I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity." "All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." "I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat" "There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion." "From childhood's hour I have not been. As others were, I have not seen. As others saw, I could not awaken. My heart to joy at the same tone. And all I loved, I loved alone." "Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality." "There is no exquisite beauty… without some strangeness in the proportion." "It is a happiness to wonder; -- it is a happiness to dream." "And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor, Shall be lifted -- Nevermore!"

"I gave myself permission to care, because there are a lot of people in this world who are afraid of caring, or afraid of showing that they care because it's uncool. It's uncool to have passion. It's so much easier to lose when you've shown everyone how much you don't care if you win or lose. It's much harder to lose when you show that you care, but, you'll never win, unless you also stand to lose. Don't be afraid of your passion." ~Tom Hiddleston

            What would be considered the greatest battle in the history of the Civil War would also be one that many of the soldiers who survived it would never forget. Even as it’s taught to students in the 21 st century and studied by historians what happened on the battlefield at Gettysburg would change the course of the Civil War. The battle and its aftermath were witnessed by not only the soldiers who fought on the fields of Gettysburg but also by the people of the town as well as the countless civilian nurses and doctors who traveled to the front lines to heal the wounded. Many soldiers and civilians recorded their experiences at Gettysburg as to attest of their existence at the battle and the significance of the experience they gained while on the battlefield. Union Soldier Elisha Hunt Rhodes knew that all the troops would be needed in this upcoming battle saying “The troops that have been stationed here have been ord...

         Junot Díaz’s first full length novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is critically one of the most praised novels of the new millennia but it’s also one giant pop culture reference. The book has over two hundred references to pop culture, history, writers, and novels from multiple genres that span several decades. The biggest references are towards J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings which parallels much of the novel. Though the novel isn’t so much about the life and untimely death of the title character but more about a family history that goes back three generations the backgrounds themselves are filled with references to different times in the lives of this family. Under all of the historical knowledge about dictators and comic book characters there’s also a reference to a curse that many of the characters believe has plagued the family since the early twentieth century. The references to popular culture in the...

When a family decides to move to another country the parents do so in hopes that their children would be able to attain an education that would lead them to a better life than the one they left behind in their home country. Parents would often put the entire future in the hands of their children once they’ve entered their new home while they worked to keep the family fed and clothed throughout the years. This was an option for many families who entered Britain during the late 1950’s but for many of the children coming along with their parents they would have to face new challenges. Now in a new country where everyone spoke a different language went to the same schools and lived completely different lives from the ones they once had. Some children were too young to remember the difference while others were forced to quickly learn and assimilate to a new world. Their arrival at their new school was met with difficulties and hardships some would work hard to gain their newfound liv...

            Women’s roles during war varies depending on the task at hand, whether it’s combat or as support but during a war such as the American Civil War the role that they would play is very different. Women weren’t allowed to fight for god and country during the Civil War and their roles were restricted to staying at home and caring for their family or if they were lucky enough to secure a job working for the war as a nurse. For three women they took their roles in the war as soldier, nurse and observer and all would document their experiences during the war.