Essay
Individuality is dying
Nowadays, everything feels grey. The dark gets darker, and the rest fades into the background. Some of us lose our uniqueness, blending into the crowd like worker ants in an endless anthill. Others convince themselves they’re part of something bigger, something unstoppable—and damn, they’re making things dangerously move with anger. Everything burns in red rage, while blue, once calm and steady, has sunk into passiveness. It used to mean peace. Now, it feels like it’s fading, struggling to mean what it once did.
By Onur Maran10 months ago in Critique
Reader Response Analysis of Borges
Jorge Luis Borges’ short story The Circular Ruins is often read as a meditation on reality, illusion, and the nature of creation. However, through the lens of Reader-Response Theory, the meaning of the story becomes deeply personal—formed not solely by Borges’ intent, but by how the text interacts with the reader’s beliefs and experiences. For me, this story resonates profoundly with my spiritual belief that the soul is eternal and that after death, it transcends this earthly plane and moves to a higher state of being. Through that perspective, the story becomes not a tale of existential dread, but one of comfort, transformation, and divine continuity.
By Henry Parrish Jr.10 months ago in Critique
Germany’s New Strategy: Confronting Putin’s Influence in Europe
Germany is no longer playing defense. With rising threats from Russia and internal EU divisions caused by pro-Kremlin leaders, the country is preparing to take decisive action. Under the leadership of Friedrich Merz, Germany is moving swiftly to strengthen its own defenses and push for long-overdue reforms within the European Union.
By sondos azhari10 months ago in Critique
Snow White 2025: Balancing Woke Themes with Classic Storytelling – A Review
The 2025 version of Snow White, to be fair, Disney's live-action remake of its first animated picture, has received mixed reviews from the audience. The remake tried its best to be accepted as a feminist film and one that promotes woman empowerment while balancing the old and the new. I watched the film with a grain of salt and kept my logical mind aside—at least, I tried to! However, I could only fathom the discourse of its nurture to a certain extent. In this review, I go deeper into the intricacies of empowerment, fantasy and the performances the film encompasses.
By Hridya Sharma10 months ago in Critique
HERMANN HESSE : SELF- UNDERSTANDING AND ENLIGHTENMENT - ALEXIS KARPOUZOS
Hermann Hesse’s works often explore deep philosophical themes and the human quest for self-understanding and enlightenment. His writing draws heavily from Eastern philosophy, Jungian psychology, and Western existentialism, creating a rich tapestry of ideas that challenge and inspire readers. Hermann Hesse’s philosophical exploration in his works offers profound insights into the human condition, emphasizing the importance of personal experience, the integration of dualities, and the interconnectedness of all life. His writings encourage readers to embark on their own journeys of self-discovery, recognizing that enlightenment is a continuous, evolving process. Here, we’ll examine some of the key philosophical elements present in his most famous works.
By alexis karpouzos10 months ago in Critique
The Flirtation of Eve. Runner-Up in Self-Editing Epiphany Challenge.
Writing about a crochet hook led me to the original sin. When my brother asked me to write a magical realism story starting with a single object, I picked the tool currently in my obsessive everyday use: a crochet hook.
By Ariana GonBon10 months ago in Critique
An Easter Basket
Who remembers waking up Easter morning searching for their Easter basket hidden by that elusive bunny? Who also remembers what they usually got in said basket. Mine was usually filled with a chocolate bunny and a white cross surrounded by foiled eggs and jellybeans and those colored hard-boiled eggs we dyed the night before. My Easter basket was usually hidden behind the television or behind the curtains. Today, I know some baskets are filled with toys and candy of various kinds, but they always have a chocolate bunny. What was in your Easter baskets if you do not mind sharing?
By Mark Graham10 months ago in Critique
