Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

A 5 page paper that addresses aspect of James Welch's novel Fools Crow. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, a way of life was coming to a close for North America's Native American population. The imposition of European culture and the massive migration of whites westward rationalized the conquest of the continent. James ...

A 5 page analysis of Tim O'Brien's novel of the Vietnam War—"The Things They Carried." The writer argues that the unusual structure of this novel blurs the line between fiction and reality in order to demonstrate how the war experience affected the soldiers involved. No additional sources cited.

This 4 page paper discusses discusses the book The Long Goodbye and its film adaptation by Robert Altman. Bibliography lists 3 source.

A 3 page analysis of the character Chief Bromden in Ken Kesey’s novel “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

A 5 page analysis of Joseph Conrad’s “The Secret Sharer” as it involves the element of “self.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 6 page paper looks at the thematic connection between illusion and reality in three works: "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker; "The Sandbox" by Edward Albee; and "Barbie Doll." Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 3 page essay on Huxley's last novel. In his last major work, Island, A Novel (1962), Aldous Huxley purposefully combines Eastern and Western ideals to describe an island society that offers a possible template to the modern world for how to emerge from the dystopian culture of the mid-twentieth century. Ultimately, Huxley depicts his ...

This 6 page paper examines the setting of the novel The English Patient. Some quotes are included. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which takes an image from Derek Walcott’s “Omeros” and analyzes it. The image analyzed is the sea swift. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which contrasts the narrative techniques of Jane Austen in “Pride and Prejudice” and Joseph Conrad in “The Heart of Darkness.” Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 4 page paper discusses the book The Holotropic Mind by Stanislav Grof. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 4 page essay that discusses the structure and message of this classic novel. In Billy Budd, novelist Herman Melville pictures two archetypal characters, his protagonist Billy and Billy's archenemy John Claggart. These two characters are diametrically opposed in their views toward life. Billy accepts everyone at face value, and wants to believe the best ...

A 3 page essay that examines both plays. In both Oedipus the King and Antigone, the ancient Greek playwright Sophocles addresses issues of social responsibility. In both tragedies, the protagonists exhibit socially responsible behavior. Oedipus, as a good ruler, diligently searches for the reasons why the gods are displeased with his city and his people, ...

A 5 page book review that summarizes and analyzes this novel. William Wallis' novel Hawk (Stone and Scott Publishers, 2006, 141 pages) is the story of small boy Will Falk and how he copes with an abusive father and an ill mother on a farm in the early 1950s. This text is not a coming ...

A 4 page paper which examines if the Da Vinci Code is entertainment of blasphemy. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 4 page essay that addresses Homer's ancient Greek epic, the Odyssey, and recounts the adventures of Odysseus who spends ten years trying to reach his home after the victory of the Greeks in the Trojan War. However, this epic does not begin directly with the hero, but rather with Zeus recounting the tale of ...

11 pages in length. To struggle within a relationship is nothing extraordinary between two lovers; however, to base an entire relationship upon perpetual mental and emotional exertion represents the basis upon which Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" addresses the nature of conflict and compromise amidst love. Charlotte and Elizabeth share little in their ...

A 4 page paper which analyzes the character of Pecola in Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper which compares the life of African Americans in Mark Twain’s story of Huckleberry Finn to African Americans today. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page paper discusses the way in which Pauli Murray's book "Proud Shoes" reveals Murray's insights into racism in America; it also discusses the way in which assumptions about race impacted relationships between blacks. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines how the theme of nature vs. nurture is presented in the early chapters of the classic novel. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 10 page research paper that discusses the fascinating career of this extraordinary writer. The life of Gloria Evangelina Anzaldua (1942-2004) was remarkable, as she was a "poet, thinker and activist," who death robbed the world far too soon of a vibrant intellect and a compelling writer (Oboler 296). Anzaldua will be remember as a ...

8 pages in length. Atypical of the standard theme of racial intolerance found in most literary circles, Chesnutt's The House Behind the Cedars delves into the impact that being mulatto has upon John and Rena's ability to intersect with white society. The extent to which this duality has a fluctuating effect upon the ...

A 6 page paper which examines the theme of nature in James Fenimore Cooper’s novel “The Last of the Mohicans.” No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which argues that this tale emphasizes the importance of looking beyond appearances to the person within. Bibliography lists 3 sources.