Sample Literary Analysis Conclusions
1. Through his use of the rebirth motif, Dickens suggests that, like Sydney Carton, England can also be “recalled to life.” For Carton, salvation could come only with a heavy price, death, but that price is one he is willing and determined to pay. Indeed, Dickens hopes Carton’s altruistic sacrifice for love might encourage Britons to put their own needs behind the needs of others, which he believes would ultimately improve Britain overall. This moral challenge posed in A Tale of Two Cities is as timely today as it was two centuries ago, as few could argue that more personal sacrifice and less personal selfishness would do much to improve the world. Perhaps a few kind words would recall to life a depressed friend; a few dollars might recall to life a hungry child; a few hours of work might recall to life a homeless person. Though the days of tension between Britain and France are long over, unfortunately we still have the “haves” and the “have-nots.” Because of this disparity, this novel still teaches a much-needed lesson: that goodness and love shall prevail over our lives, govern our decisions and light the way to "rebirth."
2. Brutus’s downfall in the Tragedy of Julius Caesar is brought about by his own perfectionism. He is absolutely unwilling to accept himself as a flawed man, one who makes mistakes, so when faced with his own shortcomings, he tries to twist reality and distort the truth to bring it back in line with his own unachievable image of himself. Had Brutus been more accepting of his own human fallibility, this tragedy could have been avoided. Through Brutus’s tragic fall, however, Shakespeare illustrates a universal human frailty: that we are often blind to our own weaknesses. Through Brutus, Shakespeare seems to be echoing the Oracle of Delphi: “Know thyself,” a sound bit of wisdom to guide every human. Perhaps by heeding this advice, we can avoid falling into Brutus’s perfection pit ourselves.