Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 4 page analysis of the use of revenge in this great tale of horror. The author makes three distinct points in regard to Poe’s use of this element. These include his ability to keep the intention of revenge just under the surface of the tale to the final moment, the slowness and ...

An 8 page paper which examines how O’Connor’s characters achieve their moment of grace at their deaths and the role, if any, violence in this recognition. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

This 6 page paper discusses and applies the Aristolian structure for the tragic play to Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman. Examples given, cited from texts. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 3 page paper which compares and contrasts Flannery O’Connor’s “A Good Man is Hard to Find” and Louise Erdrich’s “The Red Convertible.” No additional sources cited.

This 3 page paper examines a passage from Milton's, "Paradise Lost" which describes Adam's interaction with Raphael. Furthermore, analysis is provided in terms of how this passage relates to the entire work. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 3 page paper examines the abuse Tess receives at the hands of these two men. This paper explores the different nature of their abuse, and how it affects Tess. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 5 page paper examines the theme of modernity as presented by Swift in "The Battle of the Books" and "The Tale of the Tub". This paper asserts that Swift was a fan of the classics, believing that modernity did not encourage thoughtful and thorough pursuit of knowledge. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 5 page paper examines the chapter called "Lulu's Passion" from this book which describes life in post-colonial America. This paper focuses on the hardships that Lulu endured. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 4 page paper chronicles the development of the literary heroine through the ages, profiling the characters of Anna Karenina, Sarah(French Lieutenant's Woman), Nora (The Doll's House) and Maria (Maria Nef). Bibliographpy lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper evaluates this classic work for various themes such as death and social mobility. The use of language by the author is also discussed. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines whether Hawthorne believes man is basically good or evil based on this trio of short stories. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

An 8 page paper reviewing three types of motivations for banning books. It appears that books are banned in the 20th century according to one of three categories of reasons: social, political and sexual. Banned books discussed here to address each classification are Mark Twain’s "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," John Steinbeck’s ...

This 4 page paper discusses the role of Ruby as a minor character in Charles Frazier's Cold Mountain. Quotes cited from text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page essay that examines Thousand Pieces of Gold, Ruthanne Lum McCunn's biographical account of a nineteenth century immigrant Chinese woman who survives extraordinary trials. The writer looks at why Lalu Nathoy initially refuses Charlie Bemis' offer of marriage. In a life where there has been little opportunity to experience anything but hardship, marriage ...

A 4 page paper which examines the theme of life and death through admitting one must accept death as seen in Stephen King's novel "Pet Cemetery." Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

A 5 page essay that examines the structure of Doctorow's novel Ragtime and argues that the final chapter of this is far more than the jumbled stew of coincidences that it appears to be on the surface. Rather, the final chapter of this novel offers a successful closing that ties up the loose ends of ...

A 3 page paper which examines the novel “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and then contrasts the novel to the film. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page essay that analyzes John O'Hara's short story "The Ideal Man." The writer argues that the theme of this story is the un-romantic, far from ideal nature of the average American husband during the era immediately following World War II. Furthermore, the writer argues that an examination of this story demonstrates how people ...

A 5 page essay on John O'Hara's short story "A Phase of Life," which deals with how Tom, a recovering drug addict, deals with his addiction and how it affects his relationships. Additionally, the writer argues that O'Hara implies that Tom will again return to his drug-addicted lifestyle. No bibliography is offered.

A 4 page paper which examines the mother/daughter relationships in Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye" and Ursula Hegi's "Floating in My Mother's Palm." Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

This is a 7 page paper that studies Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour” from a formalist perspective. Writer Kate Chopin (1851-1904) wrote during the time of naturalism which was considered as a “literature of manly men”. However, critics argue that a purely masculine approach to naturalism and the reality of the ...

This 4 page paper discusses the effects of war as philosphized by two modern authors: Sebastian Faulks(Birdsong) and Pat Barker (Regeneration). Quotes cited from text. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 3-page paper discusses the survival strategies as portrayed in Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat," and also focuses on how Crane's sometimes omniscient view helps outline these strategies.

This 5 page paper discusses The Unredeemed Captive by John Demos. Quotes cited from text. Synopsis, description of the evolution of Eunice from childhood to womanhood. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 4 page paper which summarizes Hawthorne’s short story and analyzes it. No additional sources cited.