Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 10 page paper discussing Fineup-Riordin's book from an ethnographic standpoint. Discusses the Yup'ik Eskimos from the various facets of their lifestyles: religious, mythological, and warring. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 3 page paper consists of 2 parts. The first part summarizes the writing process of the writer/tutor, which provides a template that can guide a student in writing personal reflections. The second part offers a reflection on E.B. White's essay "Once More to the Lake." Only this source is cited.

This 4 page paper examines three works independently: The Pearl by Steinbeck, Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury and The Light in the Forest by Conrad. A summary is provided for each to explore ideas suggested by a student. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines Emerson’s assertion, “Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist,” and relate this quotation to the writer’s own experience. No additional sources are used.

This 5 page paper examines the history and relationship of both of these works, and explores themes of individualism and self-reliance. Furthermore, this paper reviews Throeau's criticism of Daniel Webster, which appeared in "Civil Disobedience". Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page essay that discusses Nathaniel Hawthorne's "Young Goodman Brown." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 6 page report that includes 3 separate essays on Bernard Malamud's The Assistant and Ursula K. Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness. The first essay offers a character comparison on the principal characters from The Assistant. The second essay discusses themes from The Left Hand of Darkness and the third, compares the two ...

A 3 page essay that summarizes how Eighner's essay "On Dumpster Diving" provides insightful prose on this topic by skillfully combining personal experience, while giving his reader a sense of place and offering personal opinion. This essay reveals that his elegant prose style turns his life as a homeless person into fascinating reading, which provides ...

A 5 page essay that consists of 3 parts. The first paragraph pertains to a proposed topic for a future essay that will focus on Star Trek aficionados and the role that their obsession plays in their lives. The second is on Sharman A. Russell's "The Adored, Buzzing Around Us," summarizing the essay and offering ...

A 6 page paper that is made up of 2 separate essays. The first essay is on what constitutes a phenomenal woman. The writer relates this topic to the work of Virginia Woolf, Maya Angelou, and Linda Pastan. The second essay is on what constitutes true love. This is related to works by Andy Rooney, ...

A 5 page essay that analyzes Didion's essay "Slouching Towards Bethlehem" in her book by the same name. In this essay, Didion relates her observations about the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco in 1967 and how this phenomenon reflected the social situation of that era. No additional sources cited.

This 3-page paper is an essay encouraging people to read John Fante's Ask the Dust.

A 4 page essay that discusses this short story. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper is an essay about Rush Limbaugh’s book “See I Told You So.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page essay on the famous short story showing how the characterization of Abner Snopes is enhanced by Faulkner's use of symbolism.

A 7 page essay examining the issue of transformation in Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'Young Goodman Brown' and Stephen Crane's 'The Monster.'

This 4 page paper discusses the theme of communication in the first five plays of this Ives book. This paper suggests that each play has a decidedly different approach to communication and each reveals particular issues which the author illuminates with a distinct viewpoint. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page essay that discusses Henry David Thoreau’s famous essay “Civil Disobedience,” in which Thoreau describes in detail what his one night incarcerated in his village’s jail was like. All-in-all the description conveys an experience that was not unpleasant. The question arises as to why Thoreau includes this description as the experience is ...

A 3 page essay that discusses Henry David Thoreau’s essay “Walking,” in which he writes that “in Wilderness is the preservation of the World” (Thoreau). In making this statement, Thoreau refers to qualities that reside in wilderness that he believes to be essential to the continued vigor of human society. These words are profound and ...

A 4 page rhetorical analysis of Henry David Thoreau's famous essay. Civil Disobedience is an eloquent composition that lays out the parameters of what people should and should not accept in governmental action. Thoreau's intention is to demonstrate logically to his readers that to passively accept injustices perpetuated by government is morally equivalent to supporting ...

A 12 page research paper on Mark Twain's classic novel Huck Finn. This paper includes a 9 page essay, an annotated bibliography and 20 literary questions drawn from the essay. The writer explores the topic of cruelty in the novel which shows how Huck learns to overcome a cultural view that rationalized systemic cruelty, as ...

A 7 page paper which discusses how no matter how distant society removes itself from nature, it still has a concern for the wilderness and the rural. The paper utilizes three essays/stories in this examination. The essays/stories are Zora Neale Hurston’s How it Feels to be Colored Me, Flannery O’Connor’s The Life you Save May ...

A 3 page reaction paper to James Thurber's essay "University Days." The writer offer an overview of the essay, describing the sections that she found to be particularly funny and offering speculation on the nature of its humor. Bibliography lists 1 source.

Communication styles are the how and why of the way people interact with others. Communication includes any strategy that might bring meaning into an interaction. This 5 page paper looks at the style and type of communication utilized in Raymond Carver's A Small Good Thing, Cathedral and Where I'm Calling From. No additional sources are listed.

A 7 page paper which examines commentaries on Mark Twain’s novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and discusses whether the writing itself is good, if it reflects racists ideals, and if it should be taught in schools. Bibliography lists 10 sources.