Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

This five-page-paper presents an in-depth discussion on the books "Lord of the Flies," by William Golding, and "Heart of Darkness", by Joseph Conrad. In each book there is a common theme of atavism, which is displayed when the protagonists attempt to return to their ancestral animal behaviors and actions once they are faced with seemingly impossible situations. Bibliography ...

A five page look at this classic work by F. Scott Fitzgerald in terms of the contrast it draws between the working class and the very rich. The paper argues that bigots such as Tom Buchanan fear the encroachment of the working class into their world, which is why common men such as Gatsby did ...

This 5 page paper argues that The inclusion of the 'modern' attributes of sensitivity and awareness is what brings the characters of Mellor in Lady Chatterly's Lover and Jake in The Sun Also Rises to a point where their similarities allow the differences to be ignored and both characters are able to be seen as a Hemingway type hero. ...

5 pages in length. The writer discusses gender issues as they relate to both stories. No additional sources cited.

An 8 page paper which examines the life and work of August Wilson. Much of Wilson's work seems to mirror much of his life, and his journey to accepting himself, and perhaps his father, who abandoned the family when Wilson was young. The argument is presented that, as most writers write from personal experience, to one degree or another, ...

A 6 page paper which discusses the presence of symbolism in the novel "Fences" by August Wilson. The paper presents illustrations of Troy, his father and briefly, his son, in an examination of how these men serve to symbolize the struggle of men and how those struggles are often passed down from generation to generation. And, the character of ...

6 pages in length. Who is Heathcliff in Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights,' and what is his role within the story's context? Indeed, Heathcliff is destined to become a brooding, troubled and angry man who has lost control of his own life due in large part to the abusive treatment he receives as a ...

This five-page-paper presents an overview of the story by Noel Coward, called"Blithe Spirit". It is a comedy of errors and antics when a sance backfires and the protagonist finds himself in the house with his current wife and the ghost of his first wife who died previously. Bibliography lists one source.

5 pages in length. Alienation can accurately be described as an inclination of temperament or outlook. Another way to describe it would be to call it a highly personal and unreasoned distortion of judgment. More often than not, alienation is defined as a negative outlook. In the case of John Fowles' ...

This 13 page paper considers the characteristics of masculinity presented in Beowulf, Marie de France and Chaucer's Troilus and Criseyde and assesses the implications of these characteristics in terms of the problematic developments in each work. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page paper considers the view of Dostoyevsky presented in Notes from the Underground related to the concept of freedom. This paper considers the views of Dostoyevsky along with assertions made by Emma Goldman in her work Anarchism. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 10 page report discusses the English poet Ted Hughes is too often only thought of as having been married to Sylvia Plath when she killed herself. His work was truly remarkable for its deep and unsentimental love of nature, as well as its depth of passion and insight. His poetry often demonstrated the delicately balanced web of energies of ...

5 pages in length. Like ants banded together as a means by which to survive, John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" exemplifies the inherent struggles of class distinction. Indeed, the depiction of toil and strife was to represent the very essence of life for the wayward travelers in search of a day's wage. ...

A seven page paper looking at these two twentiethcentury works by George Orwell and Kurt Vonnegut, respectively, in terms of their evocation of the philosophy that all individuals should be made equal -- whether they're really equal or not. Bibliography lists seven sources.

A 5 page paper that applies intertextuality to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Intertextuality posits that each text exists in relation to others, in fact, texts typically owe more to other texts than they do to their own creators. To demonstrate the intertextuality of Jane Eyre examples are provided that relate the text to Wordsworth, ...

This 5 page paper provides a comparison between the novel Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier and the Odyssey by Homer. This paper outlines the central similarities and some of the differences that are evident when assessing plot, thematic development and characters. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A five page paper looking at Eugene O'Neill's seldom-performed play in terms of its connection with Greek tragedy. The paper concludes that although they are very different in many respects, Greek tragedy tended to stress that pride goeth before a fall, and this is the moral of "The Emperor Jones," too. Bibliography lists three sources. ...

5 pages in length. The writer discusses feminism as it relates to the character of Moll Flanders. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 6 page paper provides two essays, one on fairy tales and children and the other on myths in daily life. The works of Bettelheim and Campbell are discussed. The usefulness of fantasy as teachers is a primary themes throughout. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

12 pages in length. Although written over one hundred years ago, Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" captures the anguish and troubled times both men and women met head-on when confronted with the social and cultural dilemmas. The paradox here is that although the Catherine, Heathcliff and Edgar were of a different social status altogether, ...

A 5 page analysis of "The Five-Minute Marriage" by award-winning British author Joan Aiken. The writer analyzes this mystery/romance novel according to way it treats the theme of greed in early nineteenth century England. No additional sources cited.

This 7 page paper considers the nature and function of folklore as it is related through an assessment of Zora Neale Hurston's Mules and Men. This paper considers the socio-historical significance of folklore in Hurston's novel. Bibliography lists 3 soruces.

A 5 page paper which examines how the authors portray individuals versus society, emphasizing how society limits individual freedoms and how the characters respond to such controls. Specifically considered are Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Willa Cather's "My Antonia," Richard Wright's "Native Son" and Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises." Bibliography lists ...

A 5 page paper which analyzes how women are portrayed as strong characters in William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury," Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God," Willa Cather's "My Antonia," and Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises." Specifically considered are how the authors portray the strength of their female characters, and how ...

5 pages in length. This paper focuses upon the obvious ideological conflict of England and Englishness in the context of the works of two authors, Graham Green's England Made Me and John Betjeman's Collected Poems. The seeming contradictions in the text and viewpoints are discussed. Bibliography lists 2 sources.