Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

Within the genre of anti-war novels, none is surpassed by Johnny Got His Gun. This World War I novel uses stark realism to shock and literally bring the reader to consciousness about the consequences of war. On a lighter side, The Good Soldier Schweik warmed the cockle of the heart of the reader ...

A 5 page analysis of Sigmund Freud's Civilization and its Discontents and Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. The writer argues that a possible explanation for the depression of Plath's protagonist, Esther, may be found in Freud's work. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page research paper on Carson's revolutionary book, which launched the US environmentalist movement. Carson warned about the negative effects of indiscriminate use of man-made chemicals, such as DDT. Her work not only launched the environmentalist movement in the US, but it also changed the perspective of a generation in the way it regards ...

In 5 pages the author discusses the use of supernatural in Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights.' Death is the only thing that can bring two star-crossed lovers together. Bibliography lists 1 source.

An 8 page paper contrasting these two literary movements through an examination of Moliere’s “Tartuffe” and Rousseau’s “Confessions.” The paper argues that while Moliere is trying to put forth a socio-political position, appealing only to our intellect, Rousseau wants to elicit sympathy through evoking our emotions. No additional sources.

An 8 page paper comparing the characters of Claggart in Herman Melville’s “Billy Budd” and Chillingworth in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.” The paper concludes that although one tempts the innocent and the other torments the guilty, they are both moral predators. No additional sources.

A 5 page paper analyzing why these two figures of Greek literature, more than any other literary characters of the classical period, deserve status as mythic figures. The paper argues that the figures of Teiresias and Oedipus, both featured in Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, represent facets of the human condition which transcend culture and time. Bibliography ...

A 9 page paper looking at the way these two works are organized around a governing symbol. In both cases, the paper argues, the works center themselves around the idea of self-protection versus reaching out to love others and find fulfillment in them. No additional sources.

A 6 page paper looking at Samuel Richardson’s eighteenth century novel. The paper discusses Richardson’s use of letters and journal entries to advance plot and express characterization, and concludes that the gradual revelation of the plot and characterization in “real time” allows the reader to know what Pamela knows, as she knows it, and thus ...

A 5 page paper looking at Vergil’s Aeneid in terms of the many unpleasant tasks Aeneas had to perform during the course of this epic. The paper argues that the effect of all this suffering was to imbue Aeneas with a sense of mission toward fulfilling the prophecies concerning the founding of the city of ...

An 8 page paper looking at the ethical dilemmas presented by genetics and /or cloning in these two science fiction novels by Mary Shelley and Aldous Huxley, respectively. The paper argues that science and technology should serve man, not the other way around, and ethics should always present a higher priority than the lure of ...

A 6 page paper looking at this 1929 novel by Thomas Wolfe in terms of its reflection of Wolfe’s real childhood and adolescence. The paper argues that through the act of writing this novel, Wolfe struggled to come to terms with who he was, who he was becoming, and what he wanted to be. Bibliography ...

A 5 page paper that examines the character development and the use of literary elements and techniques in chapters 22-23 of Waterworks by E.L. Doctorow. The character development is very interesting in that it brings the them into focus in relationship to their inherent personalities and desires. The literary style and element used by Doctorow is also very unique ...

A 3.5 page critical analysis on the validity of the statement describing Gustave Flaubert’s 1857 novel, 'Madame Bovary,' as, 'Sex lies at the base of what happens: Along with money it is the key to the conflicts of the novel, an sexual and economic life are so intimately interwoven that one cannot understand the one ...

A 3.5 page paper which defines the term ‘realism,’ then examines how it is used in Henry James’ 1877 novel, 'Daisy Miller,' through descriptive passages and characters. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 15 page comparison between the above mentioned novels by Tim O'Brien. In these novels, O'Brien examines feelings and uncertainties that speak to the heart of being human and leave the reader thinking, rather then feeling that all their questions have been answered. O'Brien's artistry encompasses all of the nuances and pathos of the human ...

5 pages in length. On the surface, Margaret and Mrs. Wilcox of E.M. Forster's 'Howard's End' appear to be two completely different entities whose quests are reaching in opposite directions; however, upon closer inspection, the reader gains significant insight to the fact that the two women are truly more similar than even they realize. ...

1 page in length. The writer identifies the protagonist and antagonist in Updike’s classic story. No additional sources cited.

A 10 page analysis of the role that setting plays in Katherine Anne Porter's short story 'Old Mortality,' The writer argues that setting plays a crucial role as it provides the backdrop that defines and motivates the development of the characters. For this story, setting is not just the physical environs in which the ...

A 5 page analysis of the short story by Katherine Mansfield. For a brief moment, a ray of sunshine lifts the spirits of Josephine and Constantia Pinner, the middle-aged daughters of the recently deceased and tyrannical Colonel Pinner. For that one instant, author Katherine Mansfield demonstrates that they are both thinking of all the ways ...

A 10 page analysis of the infamous book by Richard J. Herrnstein and Charles Murray. The writer defends the arguments put forth by these two authors and supports it with observation from Leon Dash's Pulitzer Prize winning account of a welfare mother. No additional sources cited.

A six page paper showing the importance of symbolic content to the understanding of this 1927 novel by Ernest Hemingway. The paper argues that Hemingway’s use of symbolism underscores his belief that life ultimately has no meaning except for the stoicism created by the hero from inside himself. No additional sources.

A 5 page paper looking at the oppositions Amy Tan has drawn between western and eastern cultures in this evocative novel. The paper contends that it is necessary for the present to become integrated with the ancestral past, the world of the spirit with the world of the flesh, in order for a person to ...

A 5 page paper on the way the author’s ethical stance is developed through characterization in H.G. Wells’ novel. The paper asserts that the protagonist Prendick is a human being in a way that Dr. Moreau is not, and the Beast People can not be, because he accepts membership in the fellowship of the human ...

A 5 page paper examining the characterization of the Misfit and the grandmother in this classic short story by Flannery O’Connor. The story shows how our comfortable assumptions regarding the “goodness” or “evil” of these characters are turned upside down by O’Connor’s emphasis on nontraditional values. No additional sources.