Tutor profile: Kayla M.

How can you fix the following sentences for clarity and conciseness? “Of all the themes at work in Pale Horse, Pale Rider, one of the most obvious ones is that of death. Interwoven into this idea of death, however, is the idea of dreams, with the novella starting with a dream in which Death, in the form of a grey figure on a grey horse, plays a key role. Death remains an ever-present actor throughout the novella, appearing in everything from the news of the war to the funeral parties walking down the street until finally, Miranda, the main character, comes face to face with Death in her hospital room as she lay dying of the Spanish Influenza of 1918.”

One of the most obvious themes at work in “Pale Horse, Pale Rider,” is that of death. Death, in the form of a grey figure on a grey horse, first appears as a prominent figure in a dream at the beginning of the novella. Afterwards, Death remains an ever-present actor throughout the novella, appearing in everything—from the news of the war to the funeral parties walking down the street—until finally, Miranda, the main character, comes face to face with Death in her hospital room as she lay dying of the Spanish Influenza of 1918.

What is the significance of the animal characteristics given to characters in Shakespeares’ “Othello?”

In order to show that it is a person’s actions that determine “beastliness,” and not their race or gender, Shakespeare uses animalistic descriptions of characters when they are making wrong decisions, and not when they are making correct, logical decisions. Thus, though the opinions of Shakespeare’s time would describe Othello as beastly, Othello is only described in such terms when he is ignoring reason and giving in to his baser emotions, like jealousy. Likewise, Iago, who is defined by his jealousy and hate, is mainly described in animalistic terms, showing that even though he, as a white male, would have been thought as the most elevated by the opinions of the time, was actually the most beastly because of his actions.

What is the difference between less and fewer?

Fewer is for countable items, whereas less is for singular items and abstract concepts, such as emotions or adjectives. Thus, one can be less fast or less happy, but not fewer happy.