A Literary Analysis. What does it mean to love? Ernest Hemingway once wrote that the essence of love lies in the willingness to serve, do things for, and ultimately, sacrifice oneself to benefit the object of one’s love. But sacrifice can entail a great many things, from the sacrifice of one’s dreams and inclinations inContinue reading “No Sacrifice Too Great”
Author Archives: Ansel Tan
Abortive Sorrows and Pretentious Quips
A Literary Exploration of Ambition, Satisfaction, and Artificiality in The Great Gatsby. How might a man, by conscious action, justify the extraordinary yet terrible privilege of his existence? The answer to this question, in the words of Fyodor Dostoevsky, lies not in merely staying alive, but in finding something to live for. Thus, is theContinue reading “Abortive Sorrows and Pretentious Quips”
Hysterical and Useless
Reflections on Radiohead’s OK Computer in the wake of COVID-19. As a 90s alternative rock enthusiast and a great admirer of narrative, emotionally- charged poetry, I was naturally fascinated by Radiohead’s magnum opus OK Computer. Tinged with piercing electronics and screaming guitar leads, its grandiose, reigning instrumentation drew me in like nothing ever had before.Continue reading “Hysterical and Useless”
the numbers
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The Brutal Insanity of War
An analysis of All Quiet on the Western Front and The Bridge on the River Kwai All Quiet on the Western Front and The Bridge on the River Kwai are, unquestionably, two masterpieces of film and storytelling. Beneath their grandiose cinematics and virtuoso camerawork lie two harrowing and introspective tales that grapple with such weighty,Continue reading “The Brutal Insanity of War”
The Defeat of Nationalism
A Study of Internationalism and Multilateral Corruption
The Canadian Dream (Канадская мечта)
Originally Published April 30, 2019 The year is 1954. It was a dark and frigid August day in Nizhny Novgorod, USSR, and the clocks were just striking six. The grey stone Soviet blocks stretched high into the cloudy sky, forever scarring the city’s skyline with their wretched ugliness. The concrete roads, overgrown with plants andContinue reading “The Canadian Dream (Канадская мечта)”
Joyeux Nöel
Originally Published December 21, 2018 The year is 1943. It’s Christmas Eve, but in Nazi-occupied Paris, Christmas is nothing more than a distant memory. The dark streets were illuminated by small, dim lamp posts with no Christmas lights in sight, the eerie silence loomed over the once bustling city with not even a distant soundContinue reading “Joyeux Nöel”
Finest Hour
Originally Published December 6, 2018. I remember it so clearly and vividly, as if it were yesterday. The old, cracked stone walls a dark shade of charcoal, the aged yet polished desks row on row, and the teacher talking away while tapping away on his dark green chalkboard. There I was, sitting quietly and attentivelyContinue reading “Finest Hour”
The Perfect Storm
Originally Published September 20, 2018. 7:30am. The dreaded buzzing sound of John’s alarm clock fills the room, much to John’s disgruntlement. John lies on his bed for a long ten minutes, mindlessly staring at the ceiling as the repetitive buzzing slowly drives him insane. At last, John slumps from the bed like a zombie withContinue reading “The Perfect Storm”
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