Essays and Research Papers on African-American Literature

A 10 page essay exploring the issues surrounding why Eva and Sethe would kill their children. Is it insanity or divine love? Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines how racial and patriarchal issues affect the character of Shadrack in Toni Morrison's 1973 novel, Sula. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which defines the concepts of self-discipline and virtue, examines how self-discipline is applied to virtue, and analyze these applications are depicted in Toni Morrison's 1973 novel, Sula. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 6 page paper discussing two novels - 'The Wedding' by Dorothy West and 'Jazz' by Toni Morrison. Bibliography lists only the two novels as the sources.

This 6 page paper demonstrates how the Pulitzer Prize winning author of The Color Purple, uses fiction and other forms of writing to address her concerns. Examples of this are shown with the use of three of her major novels, The Temple of My Familiar, The Color Purple and Possessing The Secret of Joy. The ...

A 5 page paper looking at the way the protagonist's relationships with others have shaped her own identity in Alice Walker's modern classic. The paper concludes that although Celie begins by writing to God, by the book's end she has turned almost entirely to the community of other women for inspiration and support. No additional ...

A 6 page paper discussing black/white relationships in these two novels of Alice Walker and Toni Morrison, respectively. The paper argues that sharply pitting the two worlds together may make good newspaper copy, but it does not neecessarily make good fiction. No sources other than books.

A 10 page paper contrasting the two very different views on feminism contained in Toni Morrison's 'Sula' and Alice Walker's 'The Color Purple.' The paper shows how Walker's celebration of one's female aspect through a community of women contrasts with Morrison's celebration of the independent female mind. Bibliography lists four sources.

A 6 page paper showing how injustice is depicted in Alice Walker's novel. The paper concludes that the triple forces of alienation, internalization, and liberation are symbolized by the central figures in Celie's life: God, Nettie, and Shug. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

In 5 pages, the writer analyzes 'The Color Purple' by Alice Walker. It is argue that the theme of 'The Color Purple' is oppression and the ability to rise from that oppression as a phoenix from the ashes to soar once again. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper which looks at the format of The Color Purple as a series of letters, and demonstrate how the main character grows through her own writing and reading the letters of others. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 4 page essay discussing the concept of values as they're illustrated by the character of Celie in Walker's book. No bibliography.

A 4 page character analysis of Nettie in Walker's 'The Color Purple.' The writer attempts to prove the thesis that Nettie was one of the story's only characters with a strong sense of values. No Bibliography.

A 4 page essay exploring themes of Alice Walker's 'The Color Purple.' The theme explored is that of survival and change. The writer contends that Shug is the catalyst for Celie's change and ability to survive, then change her life. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper analyzing whether -- and how -- the Steven Spielberg adaptation of Alice Walker's novel changed the story structurally. The paper concludes that Spielberg actually adds meat and depth to a novel that is, by itself, powerful but uncompromisingly spare. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper that provides an overview of the major points and characters in Walker's work. Bibliography lists no additional sources.

A 5 page paper discussing the relationship some of characters experience. In 'The Color Purple' the relationships defined are those of Celie and Mr._____, Andrew and Shug. In the book of short stories, 'In Love and Trouble' the relationships are those of Myrna and Ruel, Myrna and Mordecai. The differences between the males and the ...

A 9 page paper that describes how the authors of these two works utilize structures unique to story development to present their ideas on feminism, relationships, sexuality and domesticity. While both authors utilize different structural formats (Walker presents her's as an epistolary novel, while Otto's is set within the context of a quilting ...

7 pages in length. The importance of language in Alice Walker's 'Everyday Use.' Writer also touches upon the symbolic significance of the quilt.

A 5 page research paper that examines the way that Walker uses the character of Dee to make some profound statements on what it means to be African-American. The writer argues that this short story contrasts Dee's faddish 'Afrocentricism' against the very real, nurturing values of her mother and sister. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 4 page analysis of Alice Walker's essay on the 'human' qualities of animals, specifically a horse of which she was very fond. The paper argues that Walker's essay sentimentally anthropomorphizes the horse, preventing us from seeing its truly animal nature. Bibliography lists 1 source.

An 8 page paper on Hansberry's "Raisin In The Sun" in which the writer analyzes the book as one example of an African-American family's struggle to break out of the poverty that is preventing them from achieving any degree of financial stability, or the unreachable "American Dream." Quotes from the book are used to support ...

A 7 page essay on Hansberry's 'Raisin In the Sun' in which the writer argues that there exists an ongoing struggle to come to grips with family values and morals in the story. Throughout the paper, the point is illustrated that every character seems to demonstrate some individual type of pride. Quotes from the book ...

A 5 page analysis of the award-winning play by Lorraine Hansberry. The writer discusses the in which Hansberry uses the female characters in the play both to define the central male character and to comment on African-American life at that time. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page essay describing some of the differences between the play and the film version of Lorraine Hansberry's play, and the reasons behind them. The writer focuses on costuming in regards to time frames and on the different treatment of men and women in the two versions of the story. No sources ...