Gotham's First Family

by Mary Borsellinoon Batman

Even if you know nothing else about the Batman tale, you probably know how it began: a wealthy family, walking home from an evening out, is mugged at gunpoint. The robbery goes bad, shots are fired, the mother and father die. Only their son is left behind–the young Bruce Wayne.

This is the prototypical myth of Batman, the origin story from which all others spring. The simplicity of it makes it primal, and allows it to be retold quickly and easily as often as required. With each of these retellings, new embellishments are suggested, and the myth evolves. Thomas and Martha Wayne, the ill-fated victims of street crime, have been written as kind philanthropists, blithe socialites, resigned martyrs, concerned parents, and heroes in their own right. They’ve died in the ’20s, the ’50s, the ’70s, the ’90s. Sometimes they haven’t died at all.

By looking at some of the key stories … read more»

Recent Free Essays (Still Available!)

Available Until
Wed 6/3

Case Notes: Salvatore, Stefan and Salvatore, Damon

by Heidi R. Klingon The Vampire Diaries

Note: Since the subjects are fictional characters, rather than sit down
with them separately or together, the therapist viewed twenty-two
hours of tape footage (one “season”) depicting their interactions with
one another and with others.

Stefan Salvatore

Observations
… read more»

Available Until
Tue 6/2

Everybody Lies Except for the CGI

by Craig Derksenon House

“Everybody lies” is the catch phrase of House M.D. In fact, much of the vaunted diagnostic prowess of the main character Dr. Gregory House comes from his ability to see through deceptions. However, the lies that drive the show are not random, but rather a structured set of deceptions that … read more»

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Mon 6/1

The Twithead with the Dragon Tattoo

by Charlotte Mooreon Anne McCaffrey and the Dragonriders of Pern series

Anne McCaffrey tried to kill me once.

It was my first day of active duty as a volunteer for Weyrfest, the Anne McCaffrey programming track at Dragon*Con, and I was literally running late. Barreling through the bowels of the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, I kept my head on a swivel as I … read more»

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Fri 5/29

On Not Flying Solo in Hyperspace

by Richard Garfinkleon Star Wars

We all knows the scene. The Millennium Falcon fleeing pursuit jumps into hyperspace. For a moment the stars become lines and the audience cheers. At least that’s what happened the far too many times I saw the original Star Wars at the age of fifteen (this was before it was … read more»