Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

This 4-page paper discusses two stories, "A Short Story" by George Bowering and "The Killings" by Andre Dubus and compares and contrasts the motives of the murders.

This 5 page paper discusses the symbolic nature of the characters and the plot in Kafka's work, Metamorphosis. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page essay that explores the theme of wilderness v. civilization as portrayed in the ancient Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh. The writer argues that through the stories of the main characters, the narrative dramatizes the difference between savagery and civilization. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 4-page paper discusses the symbolism in three Nathaniel Hawthorn stories: "The Birthmark," "Lady Eleanore's Mantle" and "Youg Goodman Brown."

3 pages in length. Love, as the main theme of Plato's "Phaedrus," is a powerful force within the story's overall context. As Phaedrus and Socrates stroll through the countryside, they contemplate all the facets of love from its joyous passion and inherent friendship to its possessiveness and damaging nature. No bibliography.

A 7 page examination of these works comparing characters from one piece with characters from another. This paper addresses four specific questions regarding the reason Swift spoofs reason in "Gulliver's Travels", the lack of similarity between Raymond Shaw (Manchurian Candidate) and Candide, how the misfit of "A Good Man is Hard to Find" would ...

A 3 page essay that offers a character analysis of Troy Maxson from August Wilson's play Fences. Bibliography is incomplete, as the writer could not correctly cite the fax sent by the student.

A 3 page annotated bibliography of sorts on Ernest Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 4 page paper discusses the perspectives, values, and shifts in character which take place in The Heart of Darkness's Marlowe. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 4 page paper provides an overview of some of the central themes of John Updike's story A & P. This paper considers the issue of point of view, especially Updike's use of the first person narrative. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page essay that analyzes Zora Neale Hurston's short story "Sweat" in terms of oppression, which equates the brutality of the protagonist's husband with the mechanics of white imperialism. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

8 pages in length. The writer discuss how each story provides a unique insight into the relationships that exist between and among gender, class, culture, and society in general, as well as the demands placed upon them all to abide by conformity. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

This 3-page paper focuses on the three slave owners in Uncle Tom's Cabin (Shelby, St. Clare and Legree) and discusses the similarities and differences between the men.

This 5 page paper is a comprehensive review of the 1969 edition of The Political Thought of Mao Tse-Tung by Stuart R. Schram. The book looks at both the political ideas of Mao Tse-Tung, also known as Mao Zedong, along with his background and characters, placing the ideals and the development of these ideals ...

An 8 page paper which examines the importance of setting in Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” and E.M. Forster’s “A Passage to India.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 7 page paper discusses the elements of sentimentality and the gothic in Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. Quotes cited from text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares Flannery O'Connor's short story "Good Country People" and Eudora Welty's story "A Worn Path." The writer argues that both stories are deeply psychological in their orientation and suggests that it is how the characters deal with adversity, rather than the adversity itself, that defines who they really ...

A 3 page paper which examines how Dame Alice (the Wife of Bath) uses biblical and classical references in an attempt to justify her lifestyle. No additional sources are used.

A 4 page paper which examines the position of Gilgamesh, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, and Odysseus, from Homer’s Odyssey, as heroes. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines how the characters develop in Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” and “Pride and Prejudice.” No additional sources cited.

This 3 page paper provides an overview of Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography, especially as it refers to the virtue of humility. This paper looks at Part Two and Franklin's claims that he hoped to live a life of humility. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares the way that Emily Dickinson's "The Soul Selects Her Own Society" and Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" picture the relationship between the self and the outside world. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines D.H. Lawrence’s story “The Rocking Horse Winner” and applies the Oedipal theories of Sigmund Freud. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 3 page essay that analyzes the theme of reality versus fantasy in Tim O'Brien's novel The Things They Carried, which presents the experience of soldiers fighting in Vietnam in a realistic manner. A realistic war story is nothing new. Many writers have related the carnage and horror of war, but they do so in ...

A 7 page paper which examines the role marriage and family plays and considers why these institutions matter to the society as a whole. Bibliography lists 2 sources.