Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

This 5 page report discusses Sahar Khalifeh’s chronicle of life in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, “Wild Thorns,” which is actually more topical today than when it was first published in Arabic in 1976. The novel offers some startling and unsentimental portrayals of everyday life under occupation. The unspoken feelings of the characters in her novel ...

A 5 page paper which discusses paradises found in Homer’s Odyssey and argues that Ulysses’ paradise was home. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

This 5 page paper gives a complete book report on Jeanne Watkatsuki Houston's book, Farewell to Manzanar. Discussed are themes, symbolism, metaphor, social issues. Given and cited are examples from the text. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

6 pages. George Orwell's well-known classic Animal Farm is known to many to be an obvious satire of the Russian Revolution. This paper compares the book to that event to examine how Orwell created a fable about animals to get his political views aired. This is an excellent comparison paper on Animal ...

A 5 page paper which argues that Ibsen’s character Dr. Stockmann, from the play “An Enemy of the State,” did not go about arguing his case adequately. Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

This 5 page paper discusses the use of language bye the two novelists, William Faulkner and Toni Morrison. The novels analyzed are As I Lay Dying and Morrison's Song of Solomon. General overviews of the novels are given. Emphasis given to the use of language and author's voice.Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines the personality and function of the Host as revealed by his description in the “General Prologue” and the part he plays before and after the individual tales. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines how “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is a very good example of how a good novel does more than tell a good story. No additional sources cited.

This 6 page report discusses François de La Rochefoucauld (1613-80) and Blaise Pascal (1623-62) who were both French, brilliant, and thoroughly involved in what has come to be thought of as the moralist tradition. Each was interested in the nature of human beings and human interaction. Each saw that social realities were of a far ...

This 5 page paper looks at Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire and Kate Chopin's The Awakening and analyzes these works from an existentialist point of view. Nietchze is discussed. Characters Edna and Blanche are compared and contrasted. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This is a 10 page paper discussing the idea of Orientalism and the novel the “Wide Sargasso Sea”. Jean Rhys’ novel “Wide Sargasso Sea” is a good example of imperialism and colonization from the perspective of someone other than the colonists which makes it a good example of the Orientalist method of literature. As the ...

This is a 6 page paper comparing the lovers theme in “A Farewell to Arms” and “The Sorrows of Young Werther”. Ernest Hemingway and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe both developed stories which defied conventional thought for the sake of the lovers, love and passion within their time. Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” tells of a ...

A 6 page paper which examines the concept of heroes and heroism in Virgil’s “Aeneid” and Cervantes’ “Don Quixote.” No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts D.H. Lawrence’s “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter” and James Joyce’s “Finnegan’s Wake.” Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

This 5 page paper compares and contrasts the characters from John Updike's A&P with Toni Cade Bambara's character, Sylvia. Quotes from the text included and cited. Bibliography includes 2 sources.

This 5 page paper discusses Heart of Darkness and its themes with the themes of Apocalypse Now. The emphasis is placed on the dark psychological side of the human mind and soul. This paper argues that Apocalypse Now digs deeper than Heart of Darkness and as a result has more impact on modern audiences. Bibliography lists ...

This 6 page report discusses two of James Baldwin’s works that consider the ways in which an individual is defined by his or her environment. Just as a city mouse and a country mouse live worlds apart, so do the characters of Baldwin’s stories in terms of life in suburbs or in Harlem. Bibliography lists ...

This 5 page paper gives an overview of Poe's Cask of Amontillado, including symbolism, structure and character analysis. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines different elements and perspectives in Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” and Bernard Shaw’s “Mrs. Warren’s Profession.” Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page paper which examines how different characters must deal with circumstances that they did not invent, but which clearly influence their lives. The characters discussed are Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jeckyll, and Gus McCrae from “Dead Man’s Walk” by Larry McMurtry. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 6 page paper gives a short synopsis of the book, then analyzes Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley, for symbolism and theme. Emphasis is placed on the novel's themes and symbols paralleling Shelley's own life. Also included are excerpts from David Colling's essay about Shelley and the feminine maternal parallels. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page paper discusses the book by Clinton Cox called Undying Glory: The Massachusetts 54th Regiment. The book is criticized and reviewed with examples given from the text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page critical essay which examines the affirmation of life in Eudora Welty’s novels and short stories. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page paper discusses chapters: 7,15-18, 25-26 of Machiavelli's novel, The Prince. This paper gives an emphasis on the qualities necessary in a prince as accorded by Machiavelli. Quotes cited from text. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 5 page paper looks at Willy Loman's inability to face reality. Many aspects of this tragic personality are considered. The relationships he has with his wife and sons are explored . No additional sources cited.