American novels

The Trade Winds of Change: Emily Cartwright’s Ignorance and Corruption in the Novel "Cambridge&

Michael W. Rickard II

Feb 22, 20195 min read

The Trade Winds of Change: Emily Cartwright’s Ignorance and Corruption in the Novel "Cambridge&

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I Waiting Until the Cows Come Home: Male Sexuality in Toni Morrison’s "Beloved."

Michael W. Rickard II

Feb 16, 20194 min read

I Waiting Until the Cows Come Home: Male Sexuality in Toni Morrison’s "Beloved."

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I Hadn’t Knowed: Intersectionality and the Synthesis of Dessa Rose and Miss Rufel

Michael W. Rickard II

Feb 9, 20193 min read

I Hadn’t Knowed: Intersectionality and the Synthesis of Dessa Rose and Miss Rufel

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“Faithful Are the Wounds of a Friend”: How Harriet Jacobs Is Not Afraid to Offend Her Audience in &q

Michael W. Rickard II

Feb 1, 20194 min read

“Faithful Are the Wounds of a Friend”: How Harriet Jacobs Is Not Afraid to Offend Her Audience in &q

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Michael W Rickard II

Nov 2, 20181 min read

The Big Announcement Revealed!

My first novel, Flunky: Pawns and Kings debuts on Amazon.com on November 25, 2018. You can purchase it through Kindle or order a...

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A Real-Life Highway through Hell: Crafting a Mosaic in "The Devil’s Highway"

by Michael Rickard II

Oct 12, 20184 min read

A Real-Life Highway through Hell: Crafting a Mosaic in "The Devil’s Highway"

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Destruction and Diaspora: Life in "Their Dogs Came with Them: A Novel"

by Michael Rickard II

Sep 20, 20184 min read

Destruction and Diaspora: Life in "Their Dogs Came with Them: A Novel"

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Chick Lit on the Border: Unheard Voices in "Loving Pedro Infante"

by Michael Rickard II

Aug 31, 20185 min read

Chick Lit on the Border: Unheard Voices in "Loving Pedro Infante"

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Death by Culture and Waste in "Desert Blood: The Juarez Murders"

by Michael Rickard II

Aug 17, 20185 min read

Death by Culture and Waste in "Desert Blood: The Juarez Murders"

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Not So Safe Spaces in "Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories"

by Michael Rickard II

Jul 28, 20184 min read

Not So Safe Spaces in "Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories"

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The Subalterned Life in "Bless Me Ultima."

Michael W Rickard II

Jul 20, 20184 min read

The Subalterned Life in "Bless Me Ultima."

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“'Quit Asking Questions and Do What You Are Told': Questioning the Hardscrabble Reality of A

Michael Rickard II

Feb 5, 20184 min read

“'Quit Asking Questions and Do What You Are Told': Questioning the Hardscrabble Reality of A

Here's a copy of an essay I wrote in 2017 about Richard Wright's novel Black Boy. The reality of post-Reconstruction life is brilliantly...

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"Damned By My Fellow Americans: Examining the Horrors of Xenophobia, Racism, and Hybridity in &

Michael Rickard II

Jan 29, 20184 min read

"Damned By My Fellow Americans: Examining the Horrors of Xenophobia, Racism, and Hybridity in &

It's been said war is hell, but hell can be found on the homefront as well as the battlefront overseas. Julie Otsuka's novel When the...

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"The American New Man: Crèvecœur and the Promise of early America."

Michael Rickard II

Jul 4, 20173 min read

"The American New Man: Crèvecœur and the Promise of early America."

As America celebrates its independence, I thought I'd share an English project I wrote two years ago about one of America's earliest...

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“If We Don’t Have the Hardest Luck of Any Two People I Ever Heard of.” How Fate Dooms Frank Norris&#

Michael Rickard II

Apr 19, 20172 min read

“If We Don’t Have the Hardest Luck of Any Two People I Ever Heard of.” How Fate Dooms Frank Norris&#

In naturalist novels, secondary characters also suffer bad fates. Continuing naturalism’s theme of life’s unpredictability and tendency...

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Michael Rickard II

Apr 12, 20176 min read

“If We Don’t Have the Hardest Luck of Any Two People I Ever Heard of.” How Fate Dooms Frank Norris&#

Mac is burdened by his laziness. While environment contributes to Mac’s downfall, hereditary plays a significant part. Mac is...

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Michael Rickard II

Apr 5, 20175 min read

“If We Don’t Have the Hardest Luck of Any Two People I Ever Heard of.” How Fate Dooms Frank Norris&#

Frank Norris' novel McTeague exemplifies naturalism with its examination of character through a slice of life storytelling technique, and...

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