Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

7 pages in length. That George Bernard Shaw draws attention to the snobbery of elitist linguists speaks to the importance of communication between and among human beings. The author's forthright contention was that people -- even those from the same country – could barely understand one another for the multitude of languages ...

The social, political, religious and ethnic configurations of feudalism and the growth of towns in the middle ages was seen as being in conflict to the beginning of the industrial era. The literature of this particular era tends to incorporate many of the issues involved within the transition, including a predominant Christian theme and, or, the inclusion of spirituality ...

A 5 page research paper that looks at the life of Edgar Allan Poe and discusses connections between his life and possible inspiration for his works. The writer looks at his poem Tamerlane and short stories, The Black Cat and The Fall of the House of Usher. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

George Orwell wrote the essay, Shooting An Elephant, after having spent time in Burma in the late twenties as a police officer. This 5 page paper speaks of the theme of imperialism and then explores the meaning of the metaphors within the story. No additional sources are listed.

A 5 page paper which considers how the female protagonists in these plays respond in unexpected and unacceptable ways to the social and legal expectations of women in their respective societies, noting the similarities and differences of each. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A five page paper which looks at the way nature is treated in a selection of English poems and plays, including Donne's 'Anatomy', Marvell's 'The Garden', Herbert's 'The Man', Milton's 'Paradise Lost', Jonson's 'Volpone' and Webster's 'The Duchess of Malfi'.

5 pages. Within the pages of Wuthering Heights there are several references to the supernatural. While this might not be a book that one would first think of as 'spooky' the fact is, these references make up a rather major theme of Wuthering Heights. This paper will expose this theme and use examples ...

A 5 page paper which discusses how Homer uses various elements in "The Odyssey" to illustrate Odysseus' response for the need of social order. No additional sources cited.

Joseph Heller's first book, Catch 22, was published in 1961 but did not gain in popularity until the Vietnam war. This 5 page paper contends that, first and foremost, this novel is a satire on the disorganization of the military, war in general and time as a means of understanding life. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 10 page paper which discusses how Oscar Wilde used Christ and religion in his works. The paper discusses various works, letters, and his life in relationship to the use of Christ. Bibliography lists 15 sources.

An 8 page paper which discusses various themes within Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" which speak of paternal and maternal abandonment. The paper also discusses other forms of abandonment and lack of responsibility as they involve Shelley's story. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This model paper provides the student with information on how to explore and write about the theme of denial in Ray Bradbury's science fiction novel The Martian Chronicles. The paper uses comparisons with other Bradbury novels, as well as descriptions of two of the chapters to illustrate that denial is an important -- although underwritten ...

A comparison between The Cosmic Serpent by Jeremy Narby and Generica by Will Ferguson, looking in particular at the way in which the two authors challenge the dominant ideologies of western culture and the alternative perspectives which they offer to the reader. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines "Lord of the Flies" and discusses what William Goldberg presents in terms of faults in society in this novel. No additional sources cited.

A seven page paper which looks at 'Family' by Pa Chin and 'Beauty and Sadness' by Kawabata, in terms of the way in which they deal with the themes of loyalty and responsibility, especially in relation to women.

This 10 page paper compares the opinion of three different critics on the theme of marriage in Jane Austen's novel, Pride and Prejudice. A short summary of the book is included. Quotes and examples given from the text. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 9 page paper which examines J.R.R. Tolkien's "the Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Two Towers," from the trilogy "The Lord of the Rings," as it involves the search for identity. The paper also discusses "Animal Farm" in this examination. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page review of the common elements of survival found in these works by Ernest Hemingway and May Angelou. Instead of fighting against the sea, the marlin, and the sharks, as did Hemingway’s Santiago, Angelou is fighting against the societal realities of being female and black. She, like Santiago, is influenced heavily by ...

A 15 page overview of the plot and literary structure of Auster’s novel. The author of this paper asserts that this novel is a study in literary contrast. The book can be accurately described as a chronicle of innumerable tragedies and a comedy alike. It can equally be described as a bildungsroman, ...

10 pages in length. Perhaps the most blatant similarity between Ballard's Jim and Klima's boy is that they sought out something to cling to that would sustain a sense of normalcy to their otherwise broken lives – something that put some semblance of meaning back into what had become nothing more than a day to ...

A 5 page paper discussing mechanisms by which members of the Pollitt family isolate themselves from each other. Each of the characters of the play has developed a means of creating and then maintaining some measure of isolation from the others. The effort varies with the character, and it varies according to family ...

A 4 page paper discussing several choices of word definition and Chaucer's most likely meaning in line 4456 of the "Nun's Priest's Tale." The author of the article reviewed here provides sound argument for his own choice of word meaning for the passage, but acknowledges that others could arrive at other conclusions. The ...

A 5 page paper which discusses the roles of women in Sartre's "Les Mains Sales" and Camus'' "Les Justes." Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

A 6 page paper which examines the social position of women in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones's Diary" as it relates to the pursuit of a partner and marriage. The two books are examined in their presentation and their focus on this as an important reality concerning women, even today. Bibliography lists 2 additional ...

A 6 page overview of the underlying symbology and themes in these works by J.D. Salinger and William Golding. The author evaluates the manner in which characters, nature, objects, and scenarios are used to symbolize such qualities as evil, good, confusion, and harmony. Bibliography lists 3 sources.