CliffsNotes on The Federalist


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This CliffsNotes guide includes everything you’ve come to expect from the trusted experts at CliffsNotes, including analysis of the most widely read literary works.




CliffsNotes on Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea


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The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format. In CliffsNotes on The Old Man and the Sea, you explore Hemingway's short masterpiece about Santiago, an old man who conquers a magnificent fish, endures its heartbreaking loss, and rises gallantly above his defeat. This study guide takes you along on Santiago's journey by providing summaries and critical analyses of each of the book's parts. You'll also explore the life and background of the author, Ernest Hemingway, easily the most recognizable name in American literature. Other features that help you study include Character analyses of major players A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters Critical essays on topics like Hemingway's style and themes in the novella A review section that tests your knowledge A Resource Center full of books, films, and Internet sites Classic literature or modern-day treasure—you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.




CliffsNotes on Homer's Iliad


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The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format. Homer's classic Greek epic, The Iliad, plunges you into the midst of the battle of Troy as swords flash and ancient angers flare—and CliffsNotes is at your side through the fray to shield you from being unprepared for class discussion. CliffsNotes character analyses and critical essays delve into the depths of well-fueled feuds and fatal choices to explain the context of the heroic exploits of Achilles, Agamemnon, Hektor, and Priam. As Achaians fight Trojans to the bitter end for the hand of fair Helen, turn to CliffsNotes on The Iliad for plot summaries and commentaries that make sense of the themes of strife and reconciliation in this fast-action work of classic literature. Other features that help you figure out this important work include A close look at the author's life, which offers insight into his writing A background of the epic poem, to help you understand the setting List of characters and their descriptions A map that diagrams the relationships among the characters Glossaries to help you fully understand the poem A review section that tests your knowledge, and suggested essay topics Classic literature or modern-day treasure—you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.




CliffsNotes on Shakespeare's Macbeth


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The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format. Packed with action and vivid portrayal of human relationships, Shakespeare's Macbeth traces the bloody climb to power and tragic ruin of a fate-plagued king. Count on CliffNotes on Macbeth to carry you through the rise and fall of a cast of characters that includes a cruel and ambitious warrior, his wicked wife, and a trio of witches who have wormed their way into audiences' hearts since William Shakespeare first presented their prophecies about 300 years ago. Show your classmates—and your grade-granting teacher—that you're in the know with English literature. You can't miss with scene summaries, plot explorations, language simplification, and insights into the author's life and times. Other features that help you study include A brief synopsis of the play A character map to help you see relationships among the characters Critical essays on major themes and stage productions An interactive quiz to test your knowledge Essay topics and practice projects Classic literature or modern-day treasure—you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.




CliffsNotes on Baldwin's Go Tell It on the Mountain


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The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format. CliffsNotes on Go Tell It on the Mountain explores the Great Migration, a time in American history characterized by a mass exodus of African Americans from the rural south to northern cities. Follow the simple story of a young boy coming of age, a tale that gains complexity as it interweaves with the experiences of his mother, father, and aunt. This concise supplement to James Baldwin book about religion, racism, and familial expectations features summaries and commentaries on each part within the novel. Other features that help you study include Background on the author Descriptive character map and analyses Critical essays on racism, the church, and homosexuality as a subtext A quiz, plus suggested essay questions and practice projects Classic literature or modern-day treasure—you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.




CliffsNotes on Bronte's Wuthering Heights


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The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format. In CliffsNotes on Wuthering Heights, you explore one of Emily Brontë most beloved and enduring novels, combining realism and gothic symbolism to tell a love story that's full of social relevance. In the novel, you follow the self-destructive journey of Heathcliff, as he seeks his revenge for losing his childhood love, Catherine, to another man. This study guide carries you through Heathcliff's life by providing summaries and commentaries on each chapter of the novel. Critical essays give you insight into the narrative structure of the novel, the major themes Brontë explores, and Heathcliff's obsession. Other features that help you study include Character analyses of the main characters A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters A section on the life and background of Emily Brontë A review section that tests your knowledge A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites Classic literature or modern-day treasure—you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.




CliffsNotes on Sophocles' Oedipus Trilogy


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The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format. CliffsNotes on The Oedipus Trilogy is your ticket to a greater understanding of three tragic dramas from Sophocles. Meet the subject of these plays: Oedipus, the banished king of Greek mythology who killed his father and married his mother. Oedipus The King, Oedipus at Colonus, and Antigone are timeless works that continue to captivate audiences even today. This study guide covers all three plays with critical commentaries, summaries, and character analyses—tools designed to open your eyes to the richness of Sophocles' work. Other features that help you study include Life and background of the playwright, Sophocles An introduction to Greek theatre A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters Critical essays on fate and ritual and transcendence in the Oedipus Trilogy A review section that tests your knowledge A Resource Center full of books, films, and Internet sites Classic literature or modern-day treasure—you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.




CliffsNotes 1990s Newbery Medal Winners


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The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also features glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format. The works covered in CliffsNotes 1990s Newbery Medal Winners are a reflection of the society in which they were written. A recurring theme in the novels that won the Newbery Medal Award in the 1990s, regardless of the time period in which they were set, is the interdependence of people. Other significant themes that appear as a common thread are friendship and family, courage and bravery, and the dilemmas of adolescents struggling to become adults. With plenty of background information about each author, plot synopses, character maps, and in-depth analysis of characters and themes CliffsNotes 1990s Newbery Medal Winners is your ticket to understanding and enjoying all of the following novels: Holes, by Louis Sachar Out of the Dust, by Karen Hesse The View from Saturday, by Elaine Lobl Konigsburg The Midwife’s Apprentice, by Karen Cushman Walk Two Moons, by Sharon Creech The Giver, by Lois Lowry Missing May, by Cynthia Rylant Shiloh, by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry Classic literature or modern-day treasure—you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.




CliffsNotes on Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment


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The original CliffsNotes study guides offer a look into critical elements and ideas within classic works of literature. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format. CliffsNotes on Crime and Punishment takes you into a masterpiece of Russian literature, a work published during the time the western world was moving away from romanticism and into a new realistic approach to writing. Following the story of an impoverished young man who expects to enrich humanity by rising to a level above the law, this study guide provides a character list, character map, and character analyses to explore the personalities within Fyodor Dostoevsky's masterpiece. Other features that help you figure out this important work include Life and background of the author Introduction to and brief synopsis of the novel Summaries and expert commentaries for each chapter within the book Essays that explore aspects of the author's characters and theories A review section that tests your knowledge and suggests essay topics and practice projects A Resource Center full of books, publications, films, and Internet resources Classic literature or modern-day treasure—you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.




CliffsNotes on Achebe's Things Fall Apart


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The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format. In CliffsNotes on Things Fall Apart, you explore the ground-breaking work of author Chinua Achebe, considered by many to be the most influential African writer of his generation. The novel, amazing in its authenticity, leaves behind the stereotypical portrayals of African life and presents the Igbo culture of Nigeria in all its remarkable complexity. Chapter summaries and commentaries take you through Achebe's world, and critical essays give you insight into the novel's themes and use of language. Other features that help you study include Character analyses of the main characters A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters A section on the life and background of Chinua Achebe A review section that tests your knowledge A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.