Essays and Research Papers on (All) Literature

A 3 page character analysis of Don Baker, the blind protagonist in this play by Leonard Gershe. The paper shows Don's difficulty in achieving emotional independence is due less to his blindness than to the self-doubts instilled in him by his mother. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page analysis of the character of Jill, the wacky next-door neighbor of the protagonist of Leonard Gershe's play. The paper points out that Don teaches Jill as much about life as she teaches him, particularly the relationship between freedom and responsibility. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper on Robert James Waller's novel The Bridges of Madison County. Calling upon the opinions of three literary critics/ columnists, the paper argues that the book's popularity is based on sentimentality at the expense of meaning, and is symptomatic of the mental decay of our entire culture. Bibliography lists 3 ...

This 5 page paper that examines the premise of She Walks These Hills, a 1994 novel by Sharyn McCrumb, and explores how the author's background influenced the novel's settings and its characterizations. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

A 5 page essay on Robinson's novel in which the writer details the themes, story, characters, and language. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper discussing the contrasts in Marilynne Robinson's novel, Housekeeping. No additional sources cited.

A 10 page report on T.H. White's 'The Once and Forever King.' The story is described in the context of an Arthurian legend-- modeled very much after stories from that particular era. Symbolism, characterization, Knighthood, and the importance of learning are among the many other elements discussed. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 6 page paper which examines how T.H. White's The Once and Future King compares to other Arthurian legends, the time era it was written, and the further external factors which caused the change in these legends. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page paper on Marion Zimmer Bradley's protagonist in The Mists of Avalon. The paper looks at how the standards of paganism differ from the standards of Christianity, and the character of Morgaine is caught in the middle. No sources.

A 16 page paper analyzing Novick's book 'That Noble Dream: The Objectivity Question and the American Historical Profession.' The paper provides a general review of the issues raised by Novick's book and looks at them in the light of current historical thought. Bibliography lists four sources.

A 6 page essay exploring how the play Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead reflects specific aspects of life: 1. humans as social animals and 2. how the individual finds his or her place in society. The confusions and feelings of what am I doing here and why am I doing it are emphasized.

A 6 page paper on Tom Stoppard's brilliant but cerebral 1995 play, which takes place in two different centuries, using the same set. It contrasts the relationships between Septimus and Thomasina, two characters in the twentieth-century part of the play, with Hannah and Bernard in the twentieth century part, and shows how they develop against ...

A 5 page paper looking at Tom Stoppard's play in terms of whether it has any significance beyond pure escapism. The paper suggests that in this play Stoppard explores the degree to which we as human beings blur the boundaries between illusion and reality, between who we are and who we think we are. Bibliography ...

A 5 page analysis that examines the structure of this Pulitzer Prize winning short story about a dying Vietnamese patriarch. The writer discusses how, in touching and poetic passages, Butler skillfully interweaves past and present so that the reader catches glimpses of an early life in Paris with Vietnamese leader, n Minh, as well as ...

A 5 page analysis paper of Terry Williams' story of natural and personal disaster. The writer details her account of the flooding of a wildlife refuge, and compares it to the losses suffered from her mother's death. Bibliography lists the primary source.

A 10 page paper the provides an overview of Redfield novel. This paper presents his nine Insights and relates them to a psychological perspective on the changing nature of the world. Bibliography lists 1 source.

In 5 pages, the writer discusses the meaning & purpose of 'The Magic Barrel' by Bernard Malamud.

An 8 page paper that provides an overview of the essential elements of Ayn Rand's Objectivist principles and considers the question of whether they are racist in nature. Bibliography lists 5 sources. Ayn

A 6 page analysis of conflict in Ayn Rand's 'The Fountainhead' (20th century lit.). The writer examines how Rand dramatizes the conflict between individuality and conformity through her spectrum of people.(Rand was Born in Russia but is regarded as a U.S. Novelist by most authorities) No Bibliography.

A 3 page essay on Tan's "Rules of the Game" in which the writer focuses upon the symbolic meaning of the book's title and its relevance to life and the human experience. A number of insightful points are made and the story's underlying meaning is thematically interpreted. No Bibliography.

A 5 page paper looking at the way the Americanized daughters in Amy Tan's novel derive their true identity from the legacy of their Chinese-born mothers. The paper concludes that despite the fact that both mothers and daughters experience problems communicating with one another, Tan suggests that it is only through the effort of breaking ...

A 5 page paper looking at the interrelationship of culture and characterization in this excerpt from Amy Tan's novel The Joy Luck Club. The paper asserts that the protagonist can only discover who she is by learning who her mother was, deep down inside -- and it took a trip to her mother's native country ...

An 8 page paper reading Amy Tan's novel The Hundred Secret Senses in the light of Mary Louise Pratt's 'Arts in the Contact Zone' and Alice Walker's 'In Search of Our Mother's Gardens.' The paper concludes that much of our success in making valid cross-cultural alliances occurs in an unconscious and 'magical' rather than logical ...

Abraham Cahan's Yekl is discussed in this 6 page paper that focuses on the conflict within the main character himself. Several themes of this important novel are explored. No additional sources cited.

A 6 page paper that provides an overview of the darker elements in the writings of Joyce Carol Oates. A number of her stories are used as examples to illustrate points being made. Bibliography lists 4 sources.