MSSU ENG272 - Spring 2025

Robert Louis Stevenson was the author of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and carried a weak constitution in his youth due to being born with weak lungs. He rejected the church in his adult life, something that coincided with his decision to participate in bohemianism.

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“Little Boy” was the name given internally to one of the products of the Manhattan Project, the bomb that would eventually be used in the bombing of Hiroshima that killed several tens of thousands of people.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Boy

“Fat Man” was the name given internally to the other product of the Manhattan Project, and was the bomb that would be used in the subsequent bombing of Nagasaki after the Japanese did not immediately surrender following the issuing of a warning. This model was used several other times in the future, moreso than the “Little Boy” model was.

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Bahama Banks, 1767. Thus God speaketh once, yea, twice, yet Man perceiveth it not. In a dream in a Vision of the Night, when deep sleep falleth upon Men in slumbrings upon the Bed; Then he openeth the Ears of Men, & sealeth their instruction. Job Ch.33.Ver 14.15.16.& 29 & 30 From The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African,… more

While Frankenstein is a story that explains the human condition, it is also a result of Mary Shelley having an interest in science as she was growing up. She read about it and also attended lectures to learn more about science. As an example, she was aware of studies from William Abernathy and William Lawrence that had to do with human life forces and the origins. William… more

In Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, music is very important to the main character, Kathy. However, she only feels comforted by one song she discovered during her time at the boarding school "Hailsham." This fictional song was called "Never Let Me Go" by Judy Bridgewaters, and Kathy treasured this tape during her time at Hailsham. For a while, she often misinterpreted the lyrics… more

Anna Laetitia Barbauld wrote a poem called "The Caterpillar" which is another poem about her empathy towards animals. However, this story teaches more of a lesson. The narrator of this poem has had a habit of killing caterpillars, and at the beginning of this poem, she had just murdered another caterpillar family until she feels remorse for the single one that survived her attack. She is moved… more

In Virginia Woolf's first publication "The Mark on the Wall," she spends the entire story tracing back memories to figure out what the mark on the wall is. She ponders what this mark could be; for instance she questions if the mark on the wall was made from a hole or not, or if it is shadow being projected. By thinking about what the mark on the wall actually is, the narrator goes down many… more

During World War I, Great Britain did not want to fight in the war despite siding with Russia and France. On July 31, 1914, the Parliament and cabinet were both still divided as to whether they would join the war or not. Eventually, the British joined the war due to fears of the German would hold victory in the West theater, which the British believed could lead to an imbalance of power. The… more

William Wordsworth made a famous poem by the title "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud" because of a visit to The Ullswater Valley in Cumbria England. This poem is about walking by Ullswater, only to stumble upon a crowd of daffodils that sway and dance in the wind. By the end of the poem, Wordsworth claims that if he lies in a "vacant" or "pensive" mood, he will remember those beautiful daffodils… more