Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

5 pages. Many texts culminate in a trial, verdict, and punishment in which an individual gets sacrificed for the alleged good of a system; in Herman Melville's Billy Budd, the system 'saved' is the British Navy. In The Caine Mutiny, the punishment gets thwarted, but the lawyer's speech prevents any celebration of this ...

This 5 page considers the beginning of this William Golding book, (chapters 1 – 5), and examines the book with reference to the statement made by Jack; " Say "we've got to have rules and obey them. After all were not savage". The bibliography cites 1 source.

A five page paper which compares the concept of the Trickster in Mark Twain’s ‘Huckleberry Finn’ and the Brer Rabbit stories of Joel Chandler Harris, with reference to the Trickster as a folk-hero, the connection with traditional African narratives, and the way in which trickery is perceived depending on the ethics of the situation. Bibliography lists ...

A 5 page paper which discusses two particular misunderstandings, and the importance of these misunderstandings, in Forster's "A Passage to India." Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

An 8 page paper which examines how Poe innovatively employed the use of symbolism throughout his last short story. Bibliography lists 11 sources.

A 5 page essay/research paper that examines three Chekhov short stories, 'The Chorus Girl' (1886), 'The Darling' (1899), and 'The Betrothed' (1902). The writer argues that these three stories show consistency in Chekhov's attitudes toward women over the course of his career, while, simultaneously the stories also show his maturing style. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page research that examines the characterization of Esteban, the male protagonist in Isabel Allende's House of the Spirits. The writer argues that while the narrative is told primarily through the voices of two of the female protagonists, in many ways, an occasional narrator of the tale, Esteban Trueba, is the true focus of ...

Metaphors enable individuals to communicate ideas surrounding complex and, or, intimate experiences. This 5 page paper argues that Twain uses metaphors to bring a deeper meaning to the action of the story, specifically as it is concerned with Jackson's Island. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 6 page paper considers the way in which both choice and destiny are portrayed in this fourteenth century work. The writer uses The Knights Tale and the Wife of Bath's Tale to examine choice and destiny and how they are seen and manifested in the tales. The bibliography cites 1 source.

A 5 page paper which discusses various events in Beowulf, presenting parts excerpts of the story so that the poetry of this ancient tale can be observed. Some of the events examined are the rise of the Danish nation, Heorot is attacked, the hero comes to Heorot, Feast at Heorot, the fight with Grendel, and the celebration at Heorot. ...

A 5 page paper which illustrates how O'Brien, in "The Things They Carried," uses structure to illustrate the evolution of the protagonist Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, as well as to develop two major themes, reality vs. fantasy and leadership. No additional sources cited.

This 5 page report discusses” The Labyrinth of Solitude” by Octavio Paz, poet, humanist, essayist, and Nobel Prize winner. “The Labyrinth of Solitude,” (1950) for which Paz is best known, is a classic study of modern (or at least mid-20th century) Mexico -- its psyche and its culture. He described Mexico as “a nation where the sun abounds, a prodigious sun, ...

A 12 page paper which discusses many of the elements and events within William Golding's "Lord of the Flies," all of which lead to a deterioration of order. Bibliography lists 1 additional sources.

5 pages in length. The writer discusses fate in relation to Hector, Achilles and Antigone. No additional sources cited.

This 10 page paper considers this factually based book which examines the relationship between the English, the French and the Native Americans in the early eighteenth century. This is undertaken through the story of the Williams family, following the story of Eunice Williams who chooses not to return when her family are released. The ...

This 5 page report discusses two chronicles relating to the life of Charlemagne -- “Two Lives of Charlemagne” by Einhard and Notker the Stammerer. Einhard was advisor and personal friend to Charlemagne who clearly loved the and admired the king. Notker Balbulus also known as the “Monk of St. Gall” and “Notker the Stammerer” wrote a highly anecdotal “life” was ...

A 5 page paper which examines the character of Celia in Christina Garcia's novel "Dreaming in Cuba." The paper discusses the personality of Celia, examining the factors which provide us with background concerning Celia. The paper also examines the family relationships which influence the characterization of Celia. No additional sources cited.

A six page paper which looks at the concept of the hero in two novels about the Vietnam war, Tim O’Brien’s ‘The Things They Carried’ and Richard Currey’s ‘Fatal Light’, in terms of the way in which the protagonists comply with or differ from the traditional notion of the hero in mythology and the ...

A six page paper which looks at the concept of fate in Sophocles’ ‘Oedipus the King’ and the Sumerian ‘Epic of Gilgamesh’, in terms of how far free will can be said to be exercised in a universe which is controlled by an omnipotent deity or pantheon of deities, and the way in which apparent ...

A 5 page research paper that looks at Geoffrey Chaucer's use of humor in his comedic, medieval masterpiece The Canterbury Tales. The writer particularly focuses on the Miller's Tale as being exemplary of Chaucer's gift for comedy. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page essay that analyzes Hemingway's short story "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place." The writer describes the action of the narrative and discusses the implications of the main theme. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page essay that examines Voltaire's Candide and argues that despite the negativity in Voltaire's famous satire, this work is still representative of the optimism of the Enlightenment. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page critique of Stephen Crane’s “Red Badge of Courage”. Suggests that Crane’s characterizations in the “Red Badge of Courage” offer some of the most criticized aspects of his work. Noting that Crane chooses in most cases to refer to his characters by description rather than by name, this paper points ...

This 5 page paper considers Joyce Carol Oates and her book 'Them'. The writer outlines what they like about this book, how it can be read and the value that a reader may gain from this social writer and this compelling, yet disturbing story. The bibliography cites 1 source.

This 5 page paper looks at the character of Addie in William Faulkner's book 'As I lay Dying'. The book looks at the relationship between Addie and her children both before and after her death. Themes of rivalry, sanity and obsession are all considered. The bibliography cites 1 source.