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84 Example Questions (4 closed)

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up vote 15 down vote
When and why did the Brothers Grimm start collecting fairy tales?
added by YviDe Dec 7 '15 at 19:50
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up vote 13 down vote
In "To Kill a Mockingbird", what is the symbolism of Atticus Finch's killing of the rabid dog?
added by ab2 Dec 22 '15 at 2:22
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up vote 12 down vote
Many of the fairy tales collected by the Grimm's have a moral. Is a moral lesson a requirement for fairy tales?
added by James Jenkins Dec 7 '15 at 17:55
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up vote 11 down vote
In "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown (2003), was the Albinism of Silas significant to the story line, or was its purpose to make Silas more distinct?
added by James Jenkins Dec 7 '15 at 17:51
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up vote 11 down vote
I have heard that the "Epic of Gilgamesh" may predate the stories of Noah told in Abrahamic works, is there any evidence to support which is first?
added by James Jenkins Dec 7 '15 at 19:09
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Testing scope for religious works, where a non-religion based answer would be appropriate. This question is partially addressed in Mi Yodeya and several posts at christianity.stackexchange.com both address religious issues for the topic, which would be out of scope here, while empirical answers should be in scope here. – James Jenkins Dec 7 '15 at 19:17
This might also be on-topic on Mythology. – Vixen Populi Aug 27 '16 at 16:41
up vote 10 down vote
Which parts of Greg Bear's "Infinity Concerto" lore are based in Celtic and Mongolian mythologies, and which are his artistic liberties?
added by Hamlet Dec 6 '15 at 21:03
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up vote 10 down vote
What does Nabokov mean by a "Dostoevskian smile" in his novel, Lolita?
added by Hamlet Dec 6 '15 at 21:03
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up vote 10 down vote
Are Endymion and Hyperion by John Keats intended to be related pieces?
added by Aza Dec 7 '15 at 0:38
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up vote 10 down vote
Did Lady Macbeth communicate signs of her instability prior to the blood scene?
added by Aza Dec 7 '15 at 0:39
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up vote 10 down vote
Is Kvothe a reliable narrator in "The Kingkiller Chronicle"?
added by Aza Dec 7 '15 at 0:39
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up vote 10 down vote
The aim of positivistic literature was to teach and be useful. What was the main aim of the romantic literature?
added by bleh Dec 15 '15 at 2:16
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up vote 10 down vote
Is there any known reason for Dickenson's odd use of capitalization and dashes?
added by Adam Dec 18 '15 at 10:48
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up vote 10 down vote
Why was the order of The Chronicles of Narnia changed to be chronological as opposed to the original order in which they were written?
added by sanpaco Dec 20 '15 at 5:24
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This would also be on-topic at Science Fiction & Fantasy. – rand al'thor Jun 12 '16 at 22:10
up vote 10 down vote
How long was the Little Prince on Earth?
added by Razgriz Jan 1 '16 at 4:50
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This question might also fit in the Science Fiction and Fantasy stack exchange. – Mary ML Jun 1 '16 at 0:24
up vote 10 down vote
Are there any major differences between the Fitzgerald and the Fagles translation of the Odyssey?
added by YviDe Jan 13 '16 at 19:18
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up vote 10 down vote
I've read that Shakespeare bought plays and rewrote them--is this true? And if true, are there any books that examine the changes he made?
added by Genxthis Jun 3 '16 at 20:11
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up vote 10 down vote
Are there any English translations of Rilke that match, or come close to matching, his incredible use of sound?
added by Genxthis Jun 5 '16 at 14:21
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up vote 10 down vote
Was any of the contents of Shakespeare beyond the actual lines (stage directions etc.) original, or was it all added in later?
added by rand al'thor Jun 12 '16 at 18:54
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In case people think this is a bad question because the answer is obviously "yes, he wrote proper plays with stage directions", I believe the answer is "no, he only wrote the actual lines". – rand al'thor Sep 21 '16 at 12:35
up vote 9 down vote
What exactly defines a book as 'Bildungsroman' ?
added by Hamlet Dec 6 '15 at 21:02
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up vote 9 down vote
Did Arthur Conan Doyle have *The Adventure of the Second Stain* planned when he wrote *The Adventure of the Naval Treaty*?
added by Hamlet Dec 6 '15 at 21:03
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up vote 9 down vote
In "The Dictionary of the Khazars," are the Khazars supposed to correspond to real-life people?
added by Aza Dec 7 '15 at 0:40
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up vote 9 down vote
Does Ammu have an intimate relationship with Velutha, in "The God of Small Things"?
added by Dawny33 Dec 7 '15 at 1:52
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up vote 9 down vote
Do any of J. D. Salinger's short stories share locations or characters?
added by YviDe Dec 7 '15 at 19:46
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up vote 9 down vote
What are characteristics of the German 'Trümmerliteratur'?
added by wythagoras Dec 13 '15 at 8:40
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up vote 9 down vote
Why was the book Animal Farm banned from schools in the United Arab Emirates?
added by wythagoras, edited by James Jenkins Jan 11 '16 at 11:30
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+1 This question currently has 2 close votes, presumably because it is political in nature. I think this is a good question for the site, the work is a political work, and it has political ramifications which should lead to in scope questions on the site. I am editing the question to remove the trailing part of the question "even if though that is not a communistic country at all" as it does not really add value to the example question. – James Jenkins Jan 11 '16 at 11:29
I think the close votes would be because the answer to the question is blindingly obvious and is not at all related to politics. – Chenmunka Jan 26 '16 at 18:42
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@chenmunka, if it is so obvious, please tell me the answer and I will probably tell you that you're wrong. – wythagoras Jan 26 '16 at 18:44
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A question being "easy" isn't a reason to close. It's still an interesting question. – Catija Jul 1 '16 at 14:10
up vote 9 down vote
Where did Margery Allingham talk about "polishing her prose until it shone overbright"?
added by BESW Dec 20 '15 at 1:32
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up vote 9 down vote
Are Hamlet's accusations about Ophelia completely false, or can I also read some truth into them, as per the text?
added by bleh Dec 23 '15 at 21:50
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up vote 9 down vote
Symbolism of the mirage island in "Lord of the Flies"?
added by creative name Jan 15 '16 at 0:39
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up vote 9 down vote
Many of the Grim Brothers stories are very similar, how did they decide when to include or exclude a story as distinct or as a duplicate?
added by James Jenkins Jan 17 '16 at 11:30
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up vote 9 down vote
What is the connotation of "eye of heaven" in sonnet 18? Why did Shakespeare use this phrase in particular?
added by S. Mo Feb 7 '16 at 10:54
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up vote 9 down vote
Generally do narrators of audiobooks collaborate with the book author for such matters as pronounciation ?
added by Pat Dobson May 16 '16 at 12:34
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up vote 9 down vote
Why does O'Brien expect Winston to know what Room 101 is in 1984?
added by Vampire May 17 '16 at 0:03
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Similar to this question on Sci-Fi: scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/126267/… – Vampire May 17 '16 at 0:04
up vote 8 down vote
Why does Dickens emphasize characters' eyes at the beginning of David Copperfield, but not later in the novel?
added by Hamlet Dec 6 '15 at 21:03
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up vote 8 down vote
How is the theme of the limitations of sympathy addressed in the relationship between Gregor and his mother in Franz Kafka's story The Metamorphosis?
added by Wad Cheber Dec 7 '15 at 1:14
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up vote 8 down vote
How has Atticus Finch changed in "Go Set A Watchtower" from who he was in "To Kill a Mockingbird", or has he?
added by sanpaco Dec 10 '15 at 21:05
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The title is Go Set a Watchman. – muru Feb 17 '16 at 2:41
up vote 8 down vote
Did Philip K. Dick intentionally include Absurdist elements in "Do Androids Dream of Electric sheep?"
added by creative name Apr 19 '16 at 2:16
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up vote 8 down vote
Is there anything that definitely confirms that Svidrigailov actually committed murder in "Crime and Punishment?"
added by JNat♦ Jul 14 '16 at 7:47
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up vote 7 down vote
Why does Miss Havisham drive race cars in Lost in a Good Book?
added by BESW Dec 28 '15 at 4:04
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+1, we can't have literature without Thursday Next! :-) This question might be more appopriate for SF&F though. I always thought it was just one of Fforde's jokes to make her drive race cars, without deeper meanings. – Vixen Populi Aug 27 '16 at 16:49
up vote 7 down vote
Is the “yopp” in Horton Hears a Who inspired by Walt Whitman’s “yawp”?
added by amaranth Mar 18 '16 at 16:40
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“I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.” —Song of Myself – amaranth Mar 18 '16 at 16:40
up vote 6 down vote
Is there any deeper meaning to the name Margareta in Paul Celan's Death Fugue?
added by YviDe Jan 13 '16 at 19:23
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