Essays and Research Papers on African-American Literature

A 3 page research paper that first briefly discusses biographical background on author Alice Walker and then discusses the themes and characterization used in her short story “Everyday Use.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

An 8 page paper which compares conflicts of the characters in Alice Walker’s short story Everyday Use. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines various elements in Toni Morrison’s Recitatif. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the book “A Long Way Gone” by Ishmael Beah, about his experiences as a “boy soldier” in the Sierra Leone civil war. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page research paper/essay that discusses this aspect of Dunbar’s poetry. The poetry and the life of African American Paul Laurence Dunbar exemplifies a condition that W.E.B. Du Bois referred to as “double consciousness,” which is a “historical self-awareness of African Americans struggling to overcome a legacy of slavery and discrimination while claiming ...

A 5 page paper which examines issues of race, as well as other elements, in Toni Morrison’s Sula. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page essay that discusses "Battle Royal," which is a chapter within Ralph Ellison's classic novel Invisible Man. The novel's protagonist is an unnamed African American man who begins his story by stating that he is socially invisible to mainstream American culture, "I am an invisible man" (Ellison 441). He explains in the first ...

In four pages this paper discusses whether or not the message contained in King’s ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail’ can be applied to contemporary American and also considers its applicability to US foreign policy. There are no other sources listed.

This 3 page paper is a book review of Alice Walker’s collection of short stories, “The Way Forward Is with a Broken Heart.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 7 page paper which examines how the character of Beloved, in Beloved by Toni Morrison, is often the physical manifestation of personal demons for the characters in the story. No additional sources cited.

This 3 page paper discusses their family’s reactions to the problems facing Gregor Samsa in “Metamorphosis” and Sonny in “Sonny’s Blues.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines the social reality of abuse, as seen in Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. The paper examines why such issues still exist today despite the society having made many other strides. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper analyzes the character of Delia in the short story “Sweat” by Zora Neale Hurston and argues that she would behave in much the same way today as she did in 1926. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In seven pages (6 pp. + 1 pg. abstract), an explication of this short story focusing on the overall importance of the snake is presented. Five sources are listed in the bibliography.

A 3 page essay/research paper that discusses and analyzes 2 Harlem Renaissance poets, Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. The writer briefly discusses the historical context and background of each poet and analyzes Hughes' "Mother to Son" and Cullen's "Saturday's Child." Bibliography lists 3 sources that were drawn from the Norton Anthology of African American Literature. ...

In six pages this paper examines the nineteenth-century concept of separate spheres within the context of these works and also discusses how the women in each text conformed to these tenets and considers in what ways they challenged this ideology in their actions and in their writings. There are no additional sources listed in ...

This 4 page paper discusses the linguistic concepts Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison use in their works. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In five pages this paper compares how each play explores the theme of being enslaved by fate. Five sources are listed in the bibliography.

This 3 page paper is a letter to author Sharon Draper about her book, Copper Sun. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines how the theme of violence towards blacks is seen throughout Richard Wright’s Uncle Tom’s Children. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 6 page paper which examines Ralph Ellison’s novel The Invisible Man as it pertains to the search for identity. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

In three pages this paper contrasts and compares these short stories with the emphasis upon the importance of community in each. There are no additional sources listed in the bibliography.

This 3 page paper discusses Ralph Ellison’s use of symbolism in his story, “King of the Bingo Game.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines how selfishness, in August Wilson’s Fences, plays out. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page research paper/essay that explores the significance of the ghetto setting in Lorraine Hansberry’s play “A Raisin in the Sun.” Bibliography lists 6 sources.