Category Archives: literature

Kafka’s Metamorphosis and the Acceptance of Tragedy

Posted on August 5, 2019 by Ryan Buesnel

Franz Kafka’s short-story Metamorphosis is a harrowing depiction of a bizarre physical and mental transformation. A salesman by the name of Gregor Samsa awakes one morning to find that he has inexplicably developed into an insect. No explanation is given as … Continue reading →

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The Famous Five and the Spirit of Adventure

Posted on May 29, 2019 by Ryan Buesnel

It’s funny the things which stick with you from childhood. I am a 37-year-old man who often finds myself remembering childhood moments which captivated my imagination. Just the other day I experienced a flashback to when I was in grade … Continue reading →

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Modern Circles of Hell: Some New Proposals

Posted on January 18, 2019 by Ryan Buesnel

As Dante’s tour guide through hell, the Roman poet Virgil introduces the former to the nine circles of torment that will face the condemned upon death. These concentric circles roughly correspond to the seven deadly sins, but are extended to … Continue reading →

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Søren Kierkegaard’s Existential Hermeneutics

Posted on November 29, 2018 by Ryan Buesnel

Introduction Although widely recognised for his contribution to the fields of Western philosophy and psychology, Denmark’s Søren Kierkegaard was first and foremost a religious author. In this simple truth lies the key to unlocking the underlying convictions of Kierkegaard’s vast corpus. … Continue reading →

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Falling into the Abyss: Dostoevsky’s The Double and Mental Illness

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Ryan Buesnel

I. Picture this: you overhear your work colleagues talking in the break room one lunch time. You find out they have planned a party for that very evening.  Everyone in the office is invited, and there will be plenty of … Continue reading →

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