Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

A paper which looks critically at the character of Nadine in the short story Water Child, with specific reference to her isolation, her relationships with her parents and her ex-lover, and the impact which the loss of her baby has had on her life. Bibliography lists one source.

A paper which looks at a selection of Alice Munro's fiction, with particular reference to the conflict between protagonists which is expressed in her narratives and her emphasis on the personal and spiritual growth of her characters. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 6 page research paper/essay that examines Mill's views on liberty and women's rights. The writer argues that the cause of liberty, for both men and women, never had a finer or more eloquent spokesman than the nineteenth century, British political philosopher John Stuart Mill. His writing presents well-considered, comprehensive arguments in favor of ...

3 pages in length. After examining Oedipus the King and Death of a Salesman as tragedies, it is quite easy to establish a common denominator of similarity. Considering there is a 2,400 year span between the two plays, these similarities reflect how mankind still deals with much the same struggles of guilt that ...

3 pages in length. Virginia Woolf's The New Dress addresses women's struggles against inequality by way of illustrating how a patriarchal society has determined what is physically acceptable and what is not. Mabel is plagued with the knowledge of her own "appalling inadequacy" (The New Dress) when faced to confront her physical shortcomings ...

An 8 page discussion of the manner in which rhetoric has been used to define and redefine our identities. While just a couple of generations ago we were content to stand by and watch our men go off to war, for example, today we more and more often find ourselves fighting alongside them. ...

This 12 page paper analyzes both Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde as well as George Eliot's Middlemarch for narrative style. Quotations and examples given from text. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page essay that analyzes this short story of generational conflict. The writer argues that in the modern era, the rapidity of social change has made the background of each new generation subtly different from its predecessor, resulting in a breach of understanding that is commonly known as a "generation gap." Amy ...

A 7 page paper which examines the theme of death in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” and Toni Morrison’s “Beloved.” Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares Kojima Nobuo's "The American School" and Chinua Achebe's "Things Fall Apart." The writer argues that in both works, the context of the narrative presents a native culture trying to accommodate and adapt to an alien cultural presence. The protagonists in each work react to the invaders with ...

This 3 page paper analyzes the romantic elements in Daniel Quinn's novel, Ishmael. Quotes cited from text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 3 page paper addresses the main theme of the poem, citing examples and quotes from the text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

5 pages in length. Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Michael Dorris' The Yellow Raft in Blue Water share a common denominator of inner struggle amidst seemingly insurmountable odds. The social demands placed upon each story's characters speaks to the constant turmoil they experience as they move through their lives in a self-loathing ...

8 pages in length. There are a number of thematic impressions William Blake imparts upon his readers in The Tyger and The Lamb, but perhaps none are quite as prominent in a symbolic nature as the aspect of good versus evil. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines various themes and elements in Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels.” Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

A 3 page paper which examines the characters of Iago in Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Henrik Ibsen’s Krogstad in “A Doll’s House.” The paper examines their motivations and their responsibility for the demise of the relationships due to the involvement of both men. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which analyzes William Faulkner’s story “Dry September.” No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which discusses how this novel represents a satirical commentary on the human condition. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the ability of Frankenstien's Monster to possess a soul. Examples given from the text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page fictional account of what Hitler might have thought if he read Wells’ classic work of science fiction. Written as though by Hitler himself, this paper illustrates a captivation with the wonders of science and how those wonders can be turned toward human betterment as well as with the parallels between the ...

A 4 page contention that “Gulliver’s Travels”, a work which on the surface is a fictional tale of giants and dwarfs, contains a deep societal message. In Part I of “Gulliver’s Travels” (“A Voyage to Lilliput”) Gulliver sets a stage of humility and then follows up on that stage in Part II (“A Voyage ...

This is a 3 page paper discussing man’s inner qualities which are revealed in the characters in Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”. English novelist William Golding (1911-1993) wrote his novel the “Lord of the Flies” in 1954 about a story of a group of English schoolboys who are marooned on an island without adult supervision. ...

A 4 page paper which analyzes a passage from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling as it relates to the truths of contemporary childhood. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page essay that critically analyzes Cather's short story, "The Sculptor's Funeral." The writer argues that this is a masterpiece of the short story writer's art. Within the space of a few thousand words, Cather reveals truths about human nature and the human condition. By the end of the story, the reader has a ...

A 4 page paper which presents a hypothetical dialogue on the book “Ceremony” by Leslie Silko.” No sources cited.