Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

Kate Chopin wrote at the turn of the century, toward the end of the Victorian era when the rights accorded to women were restricted to those delegated and allowed by the husband or father. This 5 page paper argues that in her short stories, including Desiree's Baby and The Story Of An Hour, she uses irony to present the idea ...

A 5 page paper which examines the how Annie Dillard's style of writing, specifically the use of language, metaphors, similes, repetition, and allusions, develop her theme in her work, "In the Jungle." Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines the interesting and unique subject matter found in the writings of John Cheever. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 3 page essay that examines the writing style of John McPhee in his books Oranges and The Pine Barrens. In these texts, McPhee picks one topic that is as common as grass and one that is so esoteric that most people --outside of New Jersey--have never heard of it. He reports on both in ...

This 9 page paper examines a variety of writers and what in their personal lives seems to have acted as a trigger for creativity. The focus is on fiction writers as well as their non-fiction work. Various writers are named inclusive of Flannery O'Connor, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Amy Tan. Bibliography lists 10 sources. ...

A 7 page research paper/essay that discusses narrative writing technique by analyzing an excerpt from Jean Shepherd's A Christmas Story. The writer describes good narrative techniques and then applies them to the text of the Shepherd narrative. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 8 page paper looks at the work of Thomas Clayton Wolfe, and argues that the works are not only autobiographical but they also limit his work and subjects as much as they inspire them and add value. The paper includes a mind map that looks at his work and the influence of his life. ...

This 3 page paper compares three detective fiction writers: Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Janet Evanovich. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In four pages this paper examines the life of Southern author Kate Chopin and considers how her life influenced her feminist style of writing. Five sources are listed in the bibliography.

This 5 page paper considers three writings by Andrew Sullivan and analyzes his writing style, including how he organizes his material and what he writes about. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper which discusses the writing style of Edgar Allan Poe. The paper examines his short story, "The Tell-Tale Heart," and discusses various elements of style that are particular to Poe. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which discusses the elements of mystery writing. The paper argues that mystery writing clearly involves unexpected events and turns, and also implements many other qualities, in addition to suspenseful events, that help to enhance these surprising events and thus create this unique form of literature. The novels used in discussion include "And Then There Were ...

In five pages this paper examines how Stephen Crane’s literary works and his thematic/structural approaches were influenced by his brief life. Six sources are listed in the bibliography.

5 pages. This is an interesting paper on the colonial views on marriage. Some of the surprising information in this paper will show that the Puritans were not as offended about sex as one might think. The paper includes several quotes from authors who wrote about the colonial lives and times. Bibliography ...

This is a 4 page paper which examines the writing style of Raymond Carver as exemplified in his collection of short stories entitled "Short Cuts". The bibliography has 2 sources.

This 3 page paper is a rewrite of the short story “The Storm” from the point of view of the character Calixta. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 9 page paper analysis of the form used by Hawthorne in this classic work. The structure of the main characters and their portrayals are explored.

In 8 pages the author compares the book version of 'The Hunt for Red October' to the movie version, while examining how the medium effects the text or the content of communication. The 'Hunt for Red October' was a book by Tom Clancy before it became a movie starring Sean Connery and Alex Baldwin. When comparing ...

This 9 page paper discusses communication theory and the relationship it bears to the books "Cities of the Red Night" by William S. Burroughs and "Gilead" by Marilynne Robinson. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 3 page essay that analyzes a play by David Ives, discussing it terms of how the playwright handles the rituals of courtship communication. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper which discusses the types of discourses utilized to define the narrator, the perspectives on realities, and the style of communication used by the narrators in Margaret Atwood's "Alias Grace" and Amy Tan's "Joy Luck Club." No additional sources cited.

The focus of Clyde Edgerton's Raney is the relationship between a newly married couple from very dissimilar backgrounds. This 5 page paper looks at the relationships between the characters in terms of family systems theory, structural theory, Bowen's theory and Satir's modes of communication. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A five page paper which looks at John Steinbeck’s short story The Chrysanthemums, particularly with reference to the way he delineates stereotypical social attitudes towards women and the conflict between men and women which arises from misunderstandings and breakdowns in communication. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page paper showing how lack of interpersonal communication is a common theme in Welty's short stories. The paper particularly looks at the stories Death of a Traveling Salesman, A Worn Path, Why I Live at the P.O., and The Hitch-hikers. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper examines how and why the novel has been remained a successful form of literature. This paper asserts that the novel has remained such a powerful communication tool based upon its ability to criticize society. This paper refers to "Pride and Prejudice" and "Fathers and Sons" in support of its ...