Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

A 3 page paper which reflects on Willa Cather’s story “Shadows on the Rock.” No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which considers the progress of the protagonist’s struggle for self-assertion, how it is portrayed and what makes it credible, and also compares it with the struggles of others to examine how the inequalities and injustices of class, race and gender impede both men and women from discovering who they are and ...

A 3 page essay that analyzes the structure of Chayefsky's television drama Marty, a poignant story of human relations in which a thirty-six year old butcher, who lives with his mother and describes himself as a "fat little ugly man," tries to find a relationship. The writer argues that the structure of this play ...

7 pages in length. A formalist is concerned about a story's form, how the writer reaches his literary objective and whether or not he is successful in translating that goal to the reader. Hence, a formalist critic would look at Henry James' The Turn of the Screw by way of its structure rather ...

A 3 page paper which presents an examination of Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.” Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

This is an 8 page paper providing an overview of Mark Twain’s “The Prince and the Pauper”. The paper also includes some tutorial language throughout in square brackets. Mark Twain (1835-1910) wrote his social and political satire “The Prince and the Pauper” in 1881 to tell the story of the social injustices which existed within ...

A 5 page paper which examines how Hardy defines the nature of this injustice and the techniques he employs to elicit sympathy for its victim. No additional sources are used.

A 5 page paper which examines the status of women in each of the two ancient Greek plays. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines what the Wife of Bath, in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, thinks women want. The paper also examines this from a modern day perspective as well. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page review of the book detailing the 1993 downing of two MH-60 Black Hawk helicopters in Mogadishu and the fighting which extended through the night. This event now holds the record for the longest sustained American firefight since Vietnam. The author of this paper contends that if Bowden’s book can be ...

A 5 page contention that this classic work of twentieth century literature provides a look in to the soul of the author as well as into the soul of the time in which he lived. The giant beetle into which the protagonist is transformed encounters many of the same difficulties encountered by Kafka himself ...

A 5 page analysis of this classic short story. This paper explores the thesis that “the ironing board and the act of ironing symbolize the mother looking back at the past and also the future of her daughter's life”. No additional sources are listed.

This 3 page paper looks at Virgil's work and the animosity that existed between the two groups. Many quotes from the original work are included. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

5 pages in length. The Underdogs by Mariano Azuela and Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street both reflect the desire for social acceptance amidst a prejudicial world. Esperanza's personal struggle to be accepted amidst a racially intolerant world mirrors Demetrio's efforts to defy social segmentation that proclaims peasants to be unworthy of ...

7 pages in length. Literary history is replete with myriad life lessons amidst the cultured boundaries of its collective texts. To glean these pearls of wisdom is to not only take away a given story's obvious meaning but also scratch beyond the surface to expose an even greater interpretation. "The Epic of ...

This 6 page report discusses the ways in which the Romantic movement or period influenced the styles of art created during its time. Nathaniel Hawthorne is used as the example of American Romanticism personified. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 6 page paper discusses the several works of Raymond Carver, analyzing them for influencial experiences from his life. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 3 page annotated bibliography outlines seven books pertaining to the life and times/works of children's author, Roald Dahl. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the cause/effect relationship between the protagonist, Mai, and her mother, in Lan Cao's book, The Monkey Bridge. Quotes included. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 4 page paper is a general review of the book Half & Half: Writers on Growing Up Biracial + Bicultural” edited by Claudine Chiawei O'Hearn. The paper considers the general theme in the different stories, how they depict the differences and similarities between the different races, cultures and classes. The bibliography cites 1 source. ...

This 3 page paper compares/contrasts the work of Willa Cather to James Welch. Formal paper presentation. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the Medieval attitudes held toward women as evidenced by the characters found in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 6 page essay that compares and contrasts Thomas Hardy's short story "The Son's Veto" (1891) and John Wyndham's "Survival" (1956). The writer argues that while these stories are very different, the manner in which they each portray a mother's devotion to her child is quite similar. Hardy's protagonist, Sophy Twycott, relinquishes her only hope ...

A 3 page research paper that explores the mean and purpose behind metaphors having to do with the body, such as "from the heart" and "head to head." Bibliography listss 3 sources.

An 8 page research paper that explores the relationship between Byron and his fictional creation, the Byronic hero. The writer examines Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Manfred. Bibliography lists 3 sources.