Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

This 5 page paper provides a view of the two central couples in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf. This paper compares and contrasts central elements of the two couples and the characterizations of George, Martha, Nick and Honey. No additional sources cited.

A five-page paper which looks at society in the Southern states at the time of Mark Twain and how Southern values influenced his writing. The writer cites examples from four of Twain’s novels, The Innocents Abroad, Pudd’nhead Wilson, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn and considers how Twain juxtaposed the virtues and shortcoming of Southern culture in ...

This 5 page report discusses the correspondence of Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, Madame de Sevigne (1626-1696) that was published in 1725. Her letters, hundreds of them, were written to her daughter after her daughter’s marriage in 1669 and subsequent move to Provence, describe in careful detail the life at court in Paris, her own longing for her daughter, her views on politics and ...

A five page paper analyzing this seldom-read play by Henrik Ibsen. The paper plays particular attention to the element of characterization, and notes why the stress on characterization in this play anticipates its central focus in Ibsen's later drama. Bibliography lists eight sources.

This 7 page paper explores the ideas concerning children's comedy and how it is seen in certain books. Bibliography lists 18 sources.

This 5 page paper looks at the book 'To The Lighthouse' by Virginia Woolf and the way in which this can be seen as the retelling and rewriting of her own childhood in both the physical circumstances as well as events and characterisations. The bibliography cites 1 source.

This 6 page report discusses one of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short stories from the collection “Mosses from an Old Manse” (1846). In “Roger Malvin’s Burial,” Hawthorne presents the story of a man who lies to his wife as to how he helped her father in his dying hour. His life slowly but certainly begins to fall apart after that ...

A five page paper on this twentieth century novel of Southern politics and disillusionment. The paper compares the stories of Jack Burden, Willie Stark, and Cass Mastern, discussing how they are thematically related. No additional sources.

This five-page-paper presents a detailed analysis of Crash by J.G. Ballard and A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess. Bibliography lists two sources.

A 7 page paper which examines how nationalism is depicted in Jakob Walter's "The Diary of a Napoleonic Foot Soldier" and Jaroslav Hasek's "The Good Soldier Svejk" by first considering what nationalism is, then how it developed through a series of events beginning in the early nineteenth century until World War I. Bibliography lists ...

A 5 page paper which examines how protagonists were either haunted or hunted by something or someone in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short stories "The Minister's Black Veil," "The Birth-Mark," "Rappaccini's Daughter," "Roger Malvin's Burial," and in his novel, "The Scarlet Letter." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

5 pages in length. A perfect society would reflect an attitude of equality -- rather than one of segregation -- toward the myriad ethnicities that exist in today's world; however, as much as humanity has moved away from racism, there have been just as many issues that have stalled its enlightenment. Anne Moody's "Coming ...

A five page paper looking at these very important components of this ancient Greek play. The paper points out three different kinds of irony -- dramatic, situational, and verbal -- within the text, as well as explaining the significance of the underlying paradox of the tale. Bibliography lists five sources.

This 5 page paper argues that the short story, Fathers And Sons, is entered on the theme of rejection, even though the tone is one of wistful longing in concert with anger at not being able to make a connection. The style that Hemingway employs can be described as 'reminiscent narrative'. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 6 page consideration on three Southern novels' portrayals of social class and race, and how each author relates to the subject matter. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines Erich-Maria Remarque's classic 1929 novel, "All Quiet on the Western Front" by specifically considering how German soldiers understand the origins of the war, the impact of technology and industrialization on World War I, and how and why the romantic illusions about combat disintegrate, and why Paul Baumer and his comrades ...

A five page paper looking at this 1992 novel by Ken Kesey in terms of the way the symbols introduced in the opening chapter set the stage for the book as a whole. The paper demonstrates how Kesey's use of the grotesque reflects his emphasis on mutation and environmentalism. No additional sources.

This 5 page paper provides an analysis for Ingeborg Bachmann's short story "Word for Word." While the protagonist is the focus of the analysis, the paper also looks at mood, theme, plot and title. No additional sources cited.

A six page paper looking at this Socratic dialogue in terms of its analysis of justice. The paper breaks down Socrates' entire argument as presented in Book I, and shows how Plato used logical deduction to render an abstract argument in concrete terms. No additional sources.

A six page look at this novel by Rudyard Kipling, showing how this book -- the only one of Kipling's novels set in the New World -- brings the motifs of his recent quarrel with an American as well as his love of the sea together into a positive whole. Bibliography lists five sources.

7 pages in length. Taking a look at the female protagonists in two such literary masterpieces as Pygmalion by Bernard Shaw and A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen will give the reader a sense of what it means for a female character to actually become an emancipated woman, and, indeed see if she ever does become one. Bibliography lists ...

7 pages in length. Many audiences consider Nora's departure in the play A Doll's House rather scandalous, viewing her as a villain or bad person because of her actions. Ibsen would have us judge Nora as a victim, protagonist and heroine rather than a villain. Understanding the play and delving deep into the characters portrayed therein, perhaps it ...

This 5 page report discusses the fact that women face considerable barriers in the professional realm, especially those women who have literary aspirations. Drawing from Woolf’s writing and that of Brigid Brophy, this report considers whether or not women are still “like animals in a modern zoo” who are held back by invisible bars. Woolf felt that her own works ...

A 6 page paper which discusses how the power of laughter is a very important theme, or element, in Ken Kesey's "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." A one page outline is provided as well. No additional sources cited.

A 6 page paper which compares a study of rural Islamic culture in North Africa by ethnographer Elizabeth Fernea and the autobiographical memoirs of Leila Abouzeid, which deals with her childhood in Morocco under French colonial rule. Bibliography lists 2 sources.