Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

A Eulogy for Michelle This 5 page paper looks at one of the main characters in this book. The paper is in the style of a eulogy and considers the life and character of Michelle. The bibliography cites 1 source.

This 5 page paper looks at three stories—Jules Verne's Around the World in 80 Days, Homer's The Odyssey and Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress. The protagonist in each are compared and contrasted. The stories are looked at in the context of the day in which they takes place. The concepts of adventure and ...

A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares Ralph Ellison's short story, "Battle Royal" and Tim O'Brien's short story "How to Tell a True War Story." The writer argues that although these two stories are different in content and style, these two stories are also similar in that they both largely concern the "gut" reactions ...

a 6 page research paper/essay that posits that Lucky Luciano may have provided Fitzgerald with inspiration for his characterization of Jay Gatsby. The character of Gatsby is also discussed. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 5 page paper considers this book Ross E Dunn, and looks at how the main character managed to make a living during his 29 years of travelling. The bibliography cites 1 source.

This 5 page report discusses Jean Paul Sartre’s short story, “The Wall,” which takes place during the 1930s in the era of the Spanish Civil War. Three men are arrested, placed on trial, and sentenced to death for rather nebulous political reasons. The authorities are prepared to execute people for little or no reason whatsoever, and this lack of causality -- ...

A 6 page paper which discusses two of the short stories in Alice Munro's "Open Secrets" and examines their similarities. The stories examined are "Open Secrets" and "Vandals." The characters are examined in terms of development and growth, an examination which serves to illustrate the general condition of Munro's characters. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

A 5 page paper which compares how the concept of heroism is depicted in each. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page paper gives a critical overview of the short story by Virginia Woolf and examines the feminist themes of the piece as it relates to the early twentieth century. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 4 page paper examines and supports Hugo's main theme, which is that the wrong kind of love can be destructive, and things are not as they appear. No additional sources cited.

A five page paper which looks at romance, realism and the picaresque form in medieval narrative, and the way in which different protagonists exemplify particular elements of idealism and the chivalric code. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A paper which looks in detail at the philosophical elements of Albert Camus’ The Myth of Sisyphus, and considers the way in which Camus relates the mythical tale to the human condition, in terms of Sisyphus’ perception of the absurdity of his situation and the way in which he has defeated the gods through his ...

5 pages. The interesting novel Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid gives the reader an in-depth look at the meaning of culture shock. When nineteen-year-old Lucy comes to America from the West Indies to work for a wealthy couple with four children, Lucy almost instantly sees the difference between true happiness and what is only a ...

A 5 page paper which examines how Swift’s low opinion of pride is depicted in the novel. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page research paper/essay that discusses how author Tim O'Brien uses the structure of this novel to blur the lines between fiction and reality. The writer argues that the structure shows how the narrator jumps from one topic to the next in an effort to circumnavigate traumatic, painful memories that are literally more then ...

This 5 page report discusses “Everyman,” an English morality play written anonymously sometime in the late 15th century. Everyman” is a parable about death and the ultimate destiny of a human being’s soul. “Everyman” reflects both its place in history and the mindset by which medieval sensibilities were governed. “Everyman” is truly a message that was designed to convey the ...

The story of The Tree by Maria Luisa Bombal is based on events in the life of a young woman that are infused with exaggerated and, or, 'magical' elements. This 5 page paper asserts that story is centered on the gender roles of Hispanic society that negate the existence of women through a focus on male roles. Bibliography ...

A 5 page paper which examines John Steinbeck's novel "East of Eden" and discusses its use of symbolism to present the reader with issues of dark and light, good and evil. Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

An 8 page paper which examines how "The London Merchant" by George Lillo and "The Man of Feeling" by Henry Mackenzie depict the poor and common individual of the 18th century. Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

This 5 page report discusses John Donne’s poem “The Flea.” Donne (1572-1631), English poet, writer, and clergyman, has come to be considered as the greatest of the metaphysical poets and one of the greatest writers of the poetry of love. Donne belonged to a group of writers for whom personal passion was more important than social prominence, and whose writing reflected ...

This 10 page paper considers how communism is represented in Thomas More's Utopia, and how he overcomes many of his criticism of the socialist state. More's idea of a Christian communist state is discussed regarding the viability of such as state and the way in which More may have intended for his book to have ...

This 8 page paper provides an overview of both movements but suggests that the Irish Renaissance had a significant influence on the Harlem Renaissance which came a bit later. Difference and similarities are noted. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page essay that examines Jane Austen's characterization of the Rev. Mr. William Collins, and how this character enables Austen to satirize the social conventions of that era. Collins epitomizes many of the social conventions that Austen's fiction exposed as being largely responsible for keeping British women subjugated and economically disadvantaged. No ...

A 6 page paper which illustrates how the character of Santiago in Hemingway's "Old Man and the Sea" is an individualist who will not be beaten. The paper also examines how he is a mentor to Manolin. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page research paper/essay that investigates the levels of fear in Mary Shelley's classic novel. However, the writer argues that fear in the novel is distinctly different from the way the story is portrayed in film. By the time that Shelley portrays the monster committing violence, the reader has learned to sympathize with the ...