Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

This paper analyzes some of the symbolism in Demetria Martinez’ novel “Mother Tongue.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 3 page paper that analyzes various elements of Edgar Allen Poe’s story The Cask of Amontillado. No additional sources cited.

In four pages this paper compares and contrasts each short story’s uses of symbolism and Gothicism. Four sources are listed in the bibliography.

3 pages in length. The pull toward violence is as inherent in the human being as the quest for survival, a reality interwoven with such a strong sense of detachment that the act itself is look upon from a viewpoint of untouchability. Jackson's The Lottery and Wolff's Bullet in the Brain are two ...

A 3 page paper which compares and contrasts the legendary/mythic figures Heracles and Jason. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In three pages this paper examines how the theme of adversity is reflected and developed throughout Arthur Miller’s two-act play, Death of a Salesman. There are no additional sources listed in the bibliography.

A 3 page essay that examines Italo Calvino's short story "Adventure of a Reader," which is psychologically complex, as this author within the framework of a brief narrative creates a detailed character study of a man who has intimacy problems, which seem to stem from egotism and an obsessive interest in reading, but which Calvino ...

Euripides' play Hecubais written from the perspective of women in conquered Troy, and looks at how the play is relevant to today's society as it demonstrates that harm, grief and rage that war can influence on those who do not take part and are innocent victims. The bibliography cites 1 source.

A 5 page paper which examines how society shapes individuals’ behavior as seen in Anton Chekhov’s short story The Lady with the Dog. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the book “The Line” by Arch and Martin Flanagan, about the experiences of Arch Flanagan as a prisoner of the Japanese in WWII, building the Thai-Burma Railway. It discusses the idea that conflict is profound; the conflict refers to that between returning veterans and their families. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 3 page paper explains why the title “The Beat of a Different Drummer” is perfect for a book of essays about educator John I. Goodlad. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 7 page paper which examines women’s rights in the 1900s and Ernest Hemingway’s short story Hills Like White Elephants. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

In five pages this paper explores what writer Andre Aciman refers to as a ‘buried’ need for authors to write in a consideration of Tim O’Brien and his works. Specifically considered are O’Brien’s central literary preoccupations, as reflected in his formal choices, dramatic and thematic concentrations with the novel The Things They Carried being ...

In three pages this paper describes three significant personality traits (insecurity, rebelliousness, and pride) that characterize protagonist Jing-Mei Woo in Amy Tan’s story, “Two Kinds.” There are no additional sources listed in the bibliography.

In three pages this paper analyzes the importance of setting in developing the major themes of female oppression during the late nineteenth century, and also considers the significance of the treatment methods the narrator received in reinforcing her oppression. Four sources are listed in the bibliography.

In five pages this paper examines Odysseus’ confrontation with Kyclops (Cyclops) in Book IX and discusses how this reflects the Greek people’s desire for ‘kleos’ (glory and/or fame). Two sources are listed in the bibliography.

A 3 page paper which examines who was more responsible for the death and carnage in Homer’s The Iliad, Agamemnon or Achilles. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines the symbolism in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson, The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant, and A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 3 page paper which discusses how the author makes a strong point of illustrating how humans, and apes, are simply animals in Great Apes by Will Self. No additional sources cited.

This 3 page paper provides an overview of the major theme of Amy Tan's Two Kinds, and relates the relationship between Jing-mei and her mother as it represents this theme. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In eight pages this paper examines what is meant by the hero’s quest and the purpose of his journey as Joseph Campbell described in Hero with a Thousand Faces within the context of the ancient Mesopotamian tablets Epic of Gilgamesh and in Terry Gilliam’s 1991 film The Fisher King. Six sources are listed in ...

A 3 page analysis of Alan Sillitoe’s The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. No additional sources cited.

This 4 page paper discusses Carson McCullers’s novella “Ballad of the Sad Café” and whether the character of Amelia, who is sexually ambiguous, is a model for the author herself. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 3 page book review that offers a summary and comments on this novel by Mongo Beti, which offers a highly critical view of European-led Christian evangelism in southern Cameroon in the 1930s. The main thrust of the novel serves to refute the relevancy of Christianity to traditional African life and, in so doing, indicates ...

A 3 page paper which examines why Athena helps Penelope in Homer’s The Odyssey. Bibliography lists 2 sources.