Essays and Research Papers on African-American Literature

An 8 page paper comparing and contrasting the two heroines in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, and Willa Cather's My Antonia. Bibliography lists 6 critical 6 sources.

A 4 page paper which compares and contrasts the human dreams in Tennessee Williams' 1944 play, The Glass Menagerie and Arthur Miller's 1949 play, Death of a Salesman, to evaluate what comprises ‘good' and ‘bad' dreams. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A five page paper comparing Maya Angelou’s “The Heart of a Woman” with James Baldwin’s “Go Tell It on the Mountain” in terms of the protagonist’s quest for identity. The paper argues that both writers are driven by a strong sense of personal quest -- Baldwin to find himself through the context of his faith, ...

3 pages in length. Authors Joseph Conrad and Chinua Achebe take us on emotional journeys into their works. The writer describes the talent with which these two authors transport us into their world. We read about the real people of Africa, their emotions and sometimes violent tendencies in their daily survival. These ...

This five-page-paper presents an in-depth analysis of Lorraine Hansberry's , "Raisin In The Sun". Bibliography lists three sources.

6 pages in length. Chinua Achebe has long been a proponent of the effects of westernization on Africa and its people. Most of Achebe's works explore the conflict that is found between traditional African culture and the European culture. This conflict is very evident in two of Achebe's works, No Longer at Ease and Things Fall Apart. Bibliography lists ...

This 5 page report discusses the fact that literary works often demonstrate the boundaries that can and cannot be crossed and the barriers people place between themselves and understanding their contemporaries. Morrison’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Beloved” demonstrated the ways in which characters must deal with a past that constantly haunts them. Likewise, it is clear in Frederick Douglass’ autobiography that he never ...

A 5 page paper which discusses and compares Zora Neale Hurston's essay "How it Feels to Be Colored Me" and Langston Hughes' essay "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain." No additional sources cited.

In three pages this reflective essay considers what the writer learned from these texts and how they can be applied to life’s challenges. There are no other sources listed in the bibliography.

A 3 page essay on Alice Walker's short story "Everyday Use." Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page analysis of two essays on Toni Morrison's novel 'The Bluest Eye'—'Reconnecting fragments: Afro-American folk tradition in The Bluest Eye' by Trudier Harris posits that this novel is not only the story of destructive effects of inter-and intra-racial prejudice on young black girls , but is also a story of Afro-American folk culture ...

A 6 page paper that presents a critical analysis of two of the essays found in Alice Walker's collection entitled Anything We Love Can Be Saved and the ultimate message of activism that is presented by each of these essays. Discussed are the essays "The Only Reason You Want to Go to Heaven is ...

A 2 page essay discussing the diminishing plausibility of Blanche DeBois's potential demise, as alluded to in the first scene of the play.

A 5 page essay examining the importance of dreams in the solving of the mystery of murder in this Margaret Atwood novel.

A 5 page research paper that offers a study guide and suggestions on how to understand and approach the task of essay writing on 2 plays: Oedipus the King by Sophocles and The Darker Face of the Earth by Rita Dove. To repeat this, this paper is not an essay but it rather suggestions and ...

A 5 page research paper that draws parallels between Walker's essay Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self, an autobiographical account of a traumatic incident from Walker's childhood, and her novels The Color Purple and The Way Forward Is With A Broken Heart. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 9 page report discusses the famous author of 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' and dozens of other novels. The life she led, her upbringing, and the role she played in exposing the humanity of the slaves to the rest of the world are also covered. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 6 page essay that contrasts and compares Lorraine Hansberry's play A Raisin in the Sun and Richard Wright's novel Native Son. The writer argues that these are very different narratives in their context and characterization; however, there are scenes in each, where the author and the playwright portray how imagination, the art of daydreaming ...

In four pages this paper examines how a writer’s life affects his writing with the focus being on acclaimed African-American novelist and short story writer Ralph Ellison (1913-1994). Four sources are listed in the bibliography.

A 9 page paper analyzing Walker's emphasis on 'womanism', and the social and historical forces underlying it. The paper defines what Walker means by this term, and shows how she applies it in both her novels and her own life. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

(8pp) A narrative is just another name for relating a story. Angelou tells the story of her life, which is termed an autobiography. An autobiography allows the author to tell those parts of his/her life in their own way, or style. The way that an author writes their story will also ...

This is a 5 page paper discussing themes consisted and found within Morrison’s “Sula”, Anzaldua’s “Borderlands” and the poetry and writings of Namjoshi and Hanscombe and Willis. Themes of cultural dichotomy, opposing forces, self and identity are consistent throughout writings by women minorities. In Toni Morrison’s “Sula” and Gloria Anzaldua’s “Borderlands” both describe situations of ...

A 6 page essay that contrasts and compares Phillis Wheatley's poem "To the University of Cambridge, in New England" with Harriet Jacobs' autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl. The writer argues that for former slaves Phillis Wheatley and Harriet Jacobs, the use of the written word proved to be a means by ...

A 5 page paper which considers if, despite the obvious writing style, that the play is worthy of performance in the mainstream commercial theater, or should be reserved in books as a painful reminder of the past. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This well written five-page-paper on 'The Worn Path,' by Eudora Welty details the theme of life for former slaves after the 13th amendment was instilled. The symbolism and the hidden meanings to the author's words are discussed and brought to light using quotes from the story. Bibliography lists five sources.