Tutor profile: Benjamin M.

I have had a lot of people and other students ask me what my top 3 suggestions would be in helping them improve their writing. Picking only 3 was very tough but I have included my answers below.

1. Reading. Read what you are trying to write. If its short stories, pick some up, if its academic papers, find some even if they don't relate to your subject. It is a great way to familiarize yourself with the correct type of tone and style to use. 2. Editing. Most of the times I have seen the largest improve to a paper was simply by taking extra time to proofread and edit. 3. Focusing on specifics and avoiding the vague. This is hard to explain in a sentence but try to avoid any sentences or phrases that are vague sounding and aim for specific points and details.

What is unique about John Milton's depiction of Satan in Paradise Lost within a 17th century context?

Milton's Satan is unique within a 17 century context as Milton's Satan has attributes more commonly associated with a protagonist of a 17th century Epic and not the antagonist. Milton's Satan is persuasive, eloquent, and speaks some of the most memorable lines from the poem in contrast to less complex depictions of Satan as simply pure evil.

Why have some critics argued that Virginia Woolf use of stream of consciousness in Mrs Dalloway gives the novel psychologically complex characters?

Stream of consciousness is usually used by writers to capture the complete consciousness of their characters by not only describing their organized thoughts but how different types of thoughts, feelings, and senses blend into each other. For this reason, the characters in Virginia Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway have rich psychological complexity as their internal monologues and thought processes are on display as opposed to just their actions and fully formed thoughts.