Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 3 page paper which provides a summary of Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse Five.” The paper discusses conflict, theme, setting, and characterization. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page report on Jeannette Haien’s novel “The All Of It.” No additional sources cited.

This 6 page paper discusses the overt political rhetoric of Upton Sinclair's work, The Jungle. A brief synopsis is given, with accompanying analysis of the themes and messages. Quotes cited from text. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

This 4 page paper analyzes Katherine Mansfield's short story, Miss Brill for theme, symbolism, character analysis, and narrative voice. Quotes cited from the text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 4 page essay that examines the early American poetry of Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor. The writer argues that each poet recorded their reactions to colonial life in their verse, leaving a poetic legacy that offers a glimpse of what life was like in a seventeenth century early American colony. The picture of colonial ...

This is a 5 page paper discussing how the ideologies of Alice Walker and Jane Austen are represented in their novels. Women novelists Alice Walker and Jane Austen provide different examples of how they have managed to represent their own ideologies within their novels. Alice Walker wrote “The Color Purple” in 1982 and conveyed her ...

A 4 page paper which examines the destructive nature of Brett, in Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises,” towards herself and men who are incomplete in themselves. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

A paper which considers the theme of negro domination in Chesnutt's The Marrow of Tradition, with reference to his treatment of moral and ethical values within the black and white communities and the socio-economic hierarchy of the South. Bibliography lists one source.

A paper which compares and contrasts these two works and the way in which they deal with the treatment of the elderly in modern society. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

Good vs. Evil : A 3 page essay that analyzes Grisham's novel The Rainmaker. The writer argues that in presenting this narrative, Grisham provides the perfect tableaux for examining the theme of good versus evil, as developed through the circumstances affecting his protagonist Rudy Baylor. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 6 page discussion of Delillo’s novel and its illustration of the impact of the Cold War on American culture. Revolving largely around the analogy of baseball, this novel illuminates many aspects of a war which unfolded largely without recognition by a significant segment of the American public. This lack of awareness, however, ...

This 10 page paper analyzes the Preface to Whitman's Leaves of Grass, the first edition. Examples are cited from the text as well as a discussion on the use of ellipses, language, and exclamation points. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page paper which examines the relevance of the title in Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle.” No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines the symbolism used by Nathaniel Hawthorne in three of his stories: “My Kinsman, Major Molineux,” “Young Goodman Brown,” and “The Maypole of Merry Mount.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 3 page research paper/essay that analyzes how Harold Krebs, Hemingway's protagonist in "Soldier's Home," fits the criteria for being an anti-hero. The writer analyzes Hemingway's characterization of Krebs, arguing that he is an anti-hero. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A paper which looks at some of the main themes in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, including the story of Adam and Eve, the concept of evil as exemplified by The Black Man, and the function of society as civilisation in the wilderness. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 6 page paper discusses the novel by Graham Greene called The Quiet American. A character analysis is given, themes discussed. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page essay that discusses the use of imagery in twentieth century writer Alice Walker's "The Flowers" and nineteenth century author Kate Chopin's "The Story of an Hour." The writer argues that both writers use imagery to heighten the effect of their narratives on the reader. In both stories, imagery that portrays a vitally-alive ...

A 3 page review and analysis of Mary Daheim’s novel “The Alpine Escape.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines the themes of money and class in Flannery O’Connor’s story “Everything That Rises Must Converge.” No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines how Thomas Gray’s observation “Where ignorance is bliss Tis fully to be wise” applies to Flannery O’Connor’s story “Good Country People” and Toni Cade Bambara’s story “The Lesson.” No additional sources cited.

This 5 page paper discusses the significance of boundaries and limits in Conrad's, "Heart of Darkness". This issue is examined in terms of the character, plot and symbolism in the story. Bibliography list 1 source.

This 3 page paper is a persuasive essay that asserts Shakespeare's version of Henry V was both virtuous and honorable. Furthermore, these qualities are examined and based upon the Aristotoelian view of virtue and honor. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A paper which considers the text from the point of view of rhetorical analysis, particularly with regard to the rational narrative, and considers the different perspectives a contemporary and a modern audience would adopt. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 4 page research paper/essay that analyzes the second chapter of Henry David Thoreau's Walden, "Where I lived and what I lived for." The writer argues that the critical evaluation of Walden that sees it as a pastoral fantasy does not take into account the social criticism inherent in this text. Bibliography lists 5 sources.