Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

One word comes to mind when first reading the testimonial of Roberta Menchu and then seeing and reading the criticisms of her words: fear. This 10 page paper explores the concepts of human rights and justice from the perspective provided in the book, I, Rigoberta Menchu, An Indian Woman In Guatemala. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page discussion of some of the central premises presented in this autobiography edited by Leo Simmons. The early life of Hopi Indian Talayesva illustrates that of one who is caught between two cultures, his traditional culture and mainstream American culture. This imbalance is actually one which is addressed by the traditional ...

A 7 page essay that examines Ernest Hemingway's short story "Indian Camp," Jamaica Kincaid's "Girl," and Richard Wright's Black Boy. The writer summarizes and discusses each narrative, looking for the one that best models the most successful family relationships. No additional sources cited.

5 pages. Examines the symbolism and treatment of death as it appears in Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses. This paper also contains contextual information such as the treatment of death by the Comanche Indians and the Mexicans of that era. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 4 page essay that discusses Hemingway's characters in his short story "Indian Camp." Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page paper reviews Louise Erdrich's Tracks, a 1988 novel about Chippewa Indians living in North Dakota. The book analyzes the major characters of Pauline, Nanapush, Margaret and Fleur and how their struggles reflect the overall struggle of the Native Americans to hold onto what is left of their land and their dignity. ...

This paper discusses Achebe's work and how it reflects British imperialism in Africa during the 19th Century. Also under discussion was some of the impact that imperialism had on some of the African, Indian and Asian colonies that belonged to Great Britain. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

A 6 page research paper that examines "Indian Camp" and "Soldier's Home" and argues that Hemingway objectified young women in his fiction. In general, the writer argues that Hemingway did not present females as fully realized characters, but rather focused on the effect that they had on his young male protagonist. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 4 page essay that discusses the meaning of oppression in the lives of four Indian characters in Rohinton Misty's novel A Fine Balance. Only the source is cited.

This 4 page paper is a review about Mark Spence's book, Dispossessing the Wilderness: Indian Removal and the Making of the National Parks. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page summary & review of this novel. The writer gives an overview of the book by Leslie Silko, depicting the life of the half-white, half-Indian protagonist.

A 5 page analysis of James Fenimore Cooper's The Last of the Mohicans and Mary White Rowlandson's personal narrative that tells of her capture by Narragansett Indians in a 1675 attack on Lancaster, Mass. The writer argues that both of these accounts are revealing as to how whites viewed Native Americans and how this showed ...

A 5 page paper examining this unique book by John Demos. The paper argues that the book, which deals with a young girl, Eunice Williams, who is assimilated into an Indian tribe in Colonial America, is definitely nonfiction because its author does not attempt to impose fictional structures on it, and grounds his speculation in ...

A 7 page paper comparing Alice Walker's The Color Purple to Linda Hogan's Mean Spirit. The paper focuses on the two protagonists, Walker's Celie and Hogan's Belle, and observes that Celie is the more fully realized character because the book is centered on her quest for selfhood; Belle is just a symbol for the Indian ...

This 7 page report compares Sherman Alexie's 1993 book with the 1998 movie "Smoke Signals" directed by Chris Eyre tht it inspired. Both comment on the contemporary Native American experience and consider stereotypes about Indians. Both offer the outsider a glimpse of life in a truly "outsider" culture.

A 6 page research paper that examines "Indian Camp" and "Soldier's Home" and argues that Hemingway objectified young women in his fiction. In general, the writer argues that Hemingway did not present females as fully realized characters, but rather focused on the effect that they had on his young male protagonist. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

She is also in a marriage defined by the husband's position of authority and she has a strength of character that allows her to go against the wishes of the authority figure in her life. Unlike Desdemona, Nora refuses to go quietly to her ruin. Where Othello takes the life of his wife, ...

An eight page paper comparing Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex and Shakespeare’s King Lear in terms of their development of the tragic hero. The paper concludes that the way Shakespeare has developed his hero also owes much to the influence of Sophocles and Greek tragedy. Bibliography lists seven sources.

This 12 page essay discusses the perspective of both Shakespeare in "The Comedy of Errors" and "Twelfth Night" and Richard Sheridan's "The Rivals" and each play features female protagonists who demonstrated idealist and realist world views. Bibliography lists 11 sources.

A five page paper looking at this minor character in William Shakespeare's play. The paper traces Laertes' behavior and motivations throughout the play, and analyzes the way he shows up Hamlet's weaknesses and accentuates his virtues. No additional sources.

This 5 page paper compares and contrasts these two infamous works. Common themes are discussed with an emphasis on death. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page report discusses the idea that many of the modern attitudes and beliefs that have shaped literature throughout the ages have demonstrated how people view the realities of love and longing. For example, Jay Gatsby would have never been the character he was without his focus on Daisy and Emma Bovary’s “scandalous” behavior would have never occurred had she ...

A 4 page paper which examines the lessons of revenge and justice. No additional sources are used.

A thoughtful 3 page comparison between the characters of Desdemona (Shakespeare's 'Othello') and Penelope (Homer's 'Odyssey'). Both women are viewed as brave, determined, and loyal -- exemplifying the age-old concept of love in both stories -- No Bibliography.

A 6 page paper which examines the search for truth in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye,” and Willa Cather’s “The Professor’s House.” No additional sources cited.