This title examines the role and theme of the hero archetype in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, To Kill a Mockingbird, 12 Years a Slave, The Scarlet Letter, and Little Women. It features four analysis papers that consider the hero theme, each using different critical lenses, writing techniques, or aspects of the theme.

A literary tale set in mid-nineteenth-century New England reimagines the emotionally volatile, intimate relationship between debt-ridden Herman Melville and passionate Nathaniel Hawthorne to explore how their connection shaped the writing of "Moby Dick.".

"The 1830 murder of wealthy slaver Joseph White shook all of Salem, Massachusetts. Soon the crime drew national attention when it was discovered that two of the conspirators came from Salem's influential Crowninshield family: a clan of millionaire shipowners, cabinet secretaries, and congressmen. A prosecution team led by famed Massachusetts senator Daniel Webster made the case even more newsworthy. Meanwhile, young Salem native Nathaniel Hawthorne—...

Set in 18th Century Italy, this is the tale of a young scholar named Giovanni who falls in love with a beautiful, yet forbidden, girl. Beatrice 's strange and unearthly beauty masks a terrifying curse which Giovanni tragically discovers. Her father, the mysterious Dr. Rappaccini, has made her the subject of a diabolical experiment. In Giovanni's attempt to free Beatrice from the control of her father and to escape the effect she has on him, he...

In a time when adultery is punishable by death, Hester Prynne becomes involved in a risky and scandalous affair with her town's handsome minister.