Non-Fiction

Feasibility, Ethics and Consequences of the Technological Advancements in Society

November 11, 2019
Cross Section
Essay, Non-Fiction
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By Michelle Peterson University of Wisconsin–Madison Published in 1969, Freezing Down introduces readers to the unique and futuristic life of a fiction editor named Bruno. Living in a time with technological advancements, individuals can choose to be “frozen down,” a process in which their lives are essentially frozen in time, stopped, and later awoken at a time they specify beforehand. The exact time may be when a specific medical procedure has been developed, a new technology is available, or other…

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Norwegian Civil Resistance of the Nazi Occupation: 1940-1945

November 11, 2019
Cross Section
Essay, Non-Fiction
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By Kourtney Juhl Minnesota State University, Mankato After finally gaining independence in 1905,[1] Norway had been a nation intent on building a national identity and relishing their freedom. The Norwegian Kingdom had successfully lived in peace, maintained neutrality through World War I, and hoped to remain neutral from the great conflict that was World War II (WWII). To the Norwegians’ utter shock, those hopes came to a shattering end during the early hours of April 9, 1940, when German forces…

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The True Hero

November 11, 2019
Cross Section
Essay, Non-Fiction
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By Jonathan Chang University of California, Los Angeles Heroes are subjective. According to scholar of epics Dean Miller, “the word ‘hero’ projects to us a kind of spurious solidity, so that we use it, and hear it used, as if it actually referred to a single cognitive image.”[1] In this manner, the commonly accepted image of a hero in Scandinavian myth, epic, and legend is not only narrow minded, but actively resistant against the possibilities of what a hero could…

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Subsistence Change for the Norse Vikings at Brattahlid, Greenland

November 11, 2019
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Essay, Non-Fiction
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By Jennifer Lien University of Wisconsin–Madison The immigration of the Viking pioneers to the North Atlantic islands was a period of expansive exploration, settlement, and colonization. Primary sources such as the King’s Mirror and Erik the Red’s Saga inform us about the lifestyles and the journeys of the Norse into the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean that led to the discovery of habitable islands such as the Faroes, Iceland, Greenland, and Vinland. The Norse settlement at Greenland in…

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A Toast from the High Seat: The Feast in the Viking Age

November 11, 2019
Cross Section
Essay, Non-Fiction
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By James Andersen University of Oregon Firelight dances among raucous figures, casting long twisting shadows into the smoky heights of the hall. The din of laughter echoes out into the night, resounding beneath the high-gabled roof. Warriors line the benches, finely bestowed with golden rings glinting. They hail their chieftain, sitting proud in his high-seat, giver of rings and glory. The noble war leader is poured mead by his gracious and wise queen, and standing from his seat raises a…

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At the Intersection of Religion and Divorce in History: A Comparative Analysis of Short Stories by Amalie Skram and Kate Chopin

November 11, 2019
Cross Section
Essay, Non-Fiction
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By Ellen Robison University of Wisconsin–Madison Author and scholar Reza Aslan argues that “literature offers not just a window into the culture of diverse regions, but also the society, the politics; it’s the only place where we can keep track of ideas.”[1] Though Aslan lives and writes in the 21st century, this understanding of literature as reflective of society is by no means modern itself; it has long been understood that authors’ writing is situated by their social identities—their identifications…

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