Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

A 3 page journal project on “the Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page essay that discusses the significance of the forest setting in the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm, specifically Hansel and Gretel. The writer argues that the forest setting had particular significance for the Grimm brothers and that it works allegorically within the tale. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This is a 5 page paper which argues that the main theme in Nella Larsen's "Passing" is racism and its impact. The bibliography has 1 source.

A paper which considers the Oedipus myth, and Freud's interpretation of it, in reference to DH Lawrence's Sons and Lovers. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 3 page essay that looks at two chilling visions of life in a fascist state. In George Orwell's chilling novel 1984, he describes life in England under totalitarian rule, where the elite rule with authoritarian control and Big Brother, as a symbol of the state, watches and keeps track of every detail of citizens' ...

A paper which looks in detail at Locksley Hall, by Tennyson, and compares its form, content and structure to three other works by the poet. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines the affects of illness and death as seen in Leo Tolstoy’s “The Death of Ivan Ilyich” and Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis.” No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines the judgments concerning murder and characters in Bessie Head’s “Life” and “The Collector of Treasures.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 3 page paper which compares Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Breakfast of Champions” as they use satire. No additional sources cited.

This 4 page paper examines Tim O'Brien's short story "The Things They Carried" with specific regard to what Jimmy Cross carried, and what these items symbolize. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page paper which examines the meaning that McCullers gives to the word “snow” in her story “The Ballad of the Sad Café.” No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines the significance of Odysseus’ journey to the underworld in Homer’s Odyssey. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which summarizes and discusses Pearl S. Buck’s book “The Good Earth.” No additional sources cited.

A 3 page essay that offers an explication of Whitman's masterpieces, offering an interpretation of what the poet is trying to say in sections 7-14. In Walt Whitman's Song of Myself, this American poet by delineating his own identity, associates himself and affirms his connection with the entirety of the race and with life itself. ...

A 4 page paper which discusses the development of the Western Imperialistic mindset in Daniel Dafoe’s novel “Robinson Crusoe.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses Vo Phien's short story "The Key." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines the idea of authority in Homer’s The Iliad and the Tragedies of Sophocles. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which examines Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Minister’s Black Veil” as they offer presentations of how Hawthorne did not believe men were corrupt nor perfect. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 12 page essay that discusses this play by Samuel Beckett in detail. The compelling question of the play is whether or not Clov will actually leave Hamm, as he threatens to do throughout the narrative. Some interpretations of the play see the characters as being trapped in a cyclical existence that has ...

This 20 page paper provides an overview of Jonathan Raban's Soft City, which can be described as a social commentary and philosophical assessment of the changes in the urban world. The conceptual views created by Raban in the early 1970s marked a significant shift and the adoption of a modernist perspective on urbanization that ...

This 4 page paper relates the concept of Kafkaesque relative to Kafka's Trial. The term “Kafkaesque” has been used to describe the helplessness of an individual in the face of unknown forces that persecute him without reason. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 6 page paper briefly explores O'Brien's novel The Things They Carried to understand why he chose to write a work of fiction rather than strictly reporting facts, and what that means for our understand of the book and of Vietnam itself.

This 14 page paper discusses the book "Managing from the Heart" by Bracey, Hyler, Rosenblum and Trueblood. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 4 page essay that analyzes the theme of the loss of paradise in John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. The protagonists are two friends, both migrant workers, Lennie, who is mentally handicapped, and George. There is a deep bond of friendship between the two men, as they each gain solace from this ...

A 3 page essay that discusses this thirteenth century poetry. Gonzalo de Berceo, thirteenth century Spanish poet, focused on the subject of the Virgin Mary and her importance to Christian worship in his text Milagros de Nuestra Senora (Miracles of Our Lady). Berceo begins with an elaborate allegory that pictures him as a pilgrim finding ...