Essays and Research Papers on African-American Literature

A 6 page essay that contrasts and compares Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God and Ellen Glasgow's Barrow Ground. The writer argues that the protagonists in these books each have the strength of character to carve out the basis for her life strictly on her own terms, but that the two women differ, ...

This 5 page paper argues that silence in Baldwin's Go Tell It On The Mountain is used as a means of maintaining a sense of self and privacy as well as hiding sins and keeping peace. No additional sources are listed.

5 pages in length. In his book entitled "Race Matters," Cornel West claims that xenophobia, consumerism and hedonism are elements that serve to stifle any positive racial progress. The manner by which these three elements have a negative impact upon racial progress is, indeed, clear and can readily be witnessed in everyday society. ...

4 pages in length. The writer discusses theme as it applies to Flannery O'Connor's "Good Country People," "Judgement Day" and "Everything that Rises Must Converge." Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 12 page research paper that examines stereotypes and how African American playwrights have addressed presenting the reality of black life. This examination of the work of some twentieth century African American playwrights demonstrates that African American authors have endeavored to express what they perceive to be the reality of black experience. In defining and ...

This 6 page paper provides an analytical review of W. E. B. Dubois' The Souls Of Black Folk. No additional sources are listed.

A 5 page essay that summarizes the main events from the plot of Toni Morrison's award-winning book, Beloved. The writer demonstrates how Morrison Beloved provides the reader with an in-depth perspective on the psychic toll of slavery. No additional sources cited.

(5pp) "Everyday Use," first published in 1973, is one of Alice Walker's most popular short stories. Three women, a house and some quilts define the complex nature of personal heritage, and its value in life, as well as its value within a family.

(5 pp) Much has been said about Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison and edited by John F. Callahan (1998). Particularly since the original work, was never finished by Ellison, and Junetenth is what Callahan was able to craft from scraps, pieces and drafts left in drawers and boxes, after Ellison's death.

This 5 page paper considers the short story by 'The Lesson' by Toni Cade Bambara looking at the way it is told and the messages in the story. It is a story told from the innocent perspective of a child, but has very strong tones of racial inequality and the role of money in society. ...

A 5 page paper that addresses specific questions: Jacobs intended audience, why she does not have children with her black lover; how she avoids Flint; and why she has children with another white man. The writer also compares Jacobs story with that of Olaudah Equiano's. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 6 page critical review of the story by D.T. Niane. Briefly relates this age-old story from Western Africa. Emphasizes that this brief story manages to incorporate many critical aspects of culture, of conflict, and even of sorcery and magic. It is a story of friendship, of interpersonal relationships and a story ...

A 5 page paper which examines how the past is rooted in the present in each work. No additional sources are used.

5 pages in length. The writer provides a summary of Toni Morrison's "Sula." No additional sources cited.

This 5-page report examines the premise that the behavior of Ralph Ellison’s narrator in his highly acclaimed book, The Invisible Man exemplifies heroism. Ellison’s fictional account takes place in the post war era of the 1950’s. It is narrated by a Black man who comes to believe that he is “invisible” to ...

This 6 page paper provides an overview of the work, focusing on thematic elements. Style is also discussed. Support is provided form critical reviews on the work. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page essay that examines August Wilson's play, The Piano Lesson. The writer argues that there are too fundamental perspectives – that of Berniece who wants to keep the piano, which is a 135-year-old family heirloom; or that of her brother Boy Willie – who wants to sell the piano so that he can ...

(5 pp) This discussion will compare and contrast two contemporary works, The Bluest Eye(1970) by Toni Morrison and White Butterfly(1996) by Walter Mosley, in terms of the social commentary which they suggest. BBmormos.doc

A 5-page paper examining the similarities and contrasts between two novels dealing with the meaning of identity in America and the problems in attaining the American Dream. Lists 2 sources.

A five page paper which compares short extracts from the three texts and looks at the ways in which they deal with specific themes concerning racism, the family and the role of women in the progression from slavery, through segregation, towards integration in the USA. Bibliography lists 3 sources

The theme of the human condition includes everything that a human can experience while on this planet. It covers culture, age, gender, social status and monetary abilities. This 5 page paper provides a tutorial based on five stories that are centered on the human condition as it relates to the social stereotypes assigned through time and place. ...

A 12 page research paper that argues that a knowledge of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is essential for understanding and appreciating great African American fiction such as Zora Neale Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

This 5 page report discusses Toni Morrison’s 1987 novel, “Beloved,” and the 1998 screen adaptation of the novel starring Oprah Winfrey. The writer expresses a strong preference for the novel and asserts that the film was not a good adaptation of it. One of Toni Morrison’s great talents as a writer is the way she develops her characters throughout the ...

(5 pp) The time is the fifties in the rural South; every one had a "code," often in is racially imprinted, but it can come from one's family just as well, and it certainly may not have anything to do with the person that you want "to be" when you grow up. We ...

6 pages. Typical of those who are persecuted by their own guilt, Okonkwo refuses to accept the fact that his actions are those which have already been predisposed. A large part of historic Nigerian populations has been all about survival -- a state of mental, physical, spiritual, political and social survival. In this paper the symbolic use of the ...