Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

This 8 page paper provides an overview of the central characters and major themes of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. This paper uses the text to support the views presented. No additional sources cited.

This 8 page paper provides a comparative view of the female protagonists in a number of stories. In particular, this paper relate the fact that Willa Cather, Kate Chopin and Zora Neal Hurston all created complex female characters who were challenged both by their personal culture and by the cultural subjugation of their ...

This 4 page paper provides an overview of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs. This paper outlines the reasons why this novel was important and the contextual elements that impacted the readersehip. No additional sources cited.

This 3 page paper discusses the motif of knowledge in All the King's Men and Ibsen's Ghosts. Quotes cited from texts. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines how the authors bring their characters to life. The paper examines Kate Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour,” Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Sack of Amontillado” and William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines the theme and importance of dreams in John Steinbeck’s novel “Of Mice and Men.” No additional sources cited.

This 4 page report discusses O'Connor's short story and Browning's "dramatic monologue." In comparing the primary characters of each, the writer makes the assertion that the character of the grandmother is more selfish than Browning's duke. Bibliography lists only the primary sources.

This 6 page paper provides an overview of the central principles of Robert Pratt’s We Shall Not Be Moved. Robert Pratt’s We Shall Not Be Moved demonstrates the way in which these struggles are manifested. The efforts of the NAACP, Horace Ward, Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Hughes in the desegregation of the University ...

A 3 page paper which discusses how young women and their sexuality are seen by society and by the girls in Alice Munro’s “Wild Swans” and Rosario Ferre’s “Sleeping Beauty.” Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

This 3 page report discusses Slone's book about the mountain people of Knott County, Kentucky, where her family has lived since 1790. Her intent was to dispel the myths and half-truths that exist about the people and the area. Bibliography lists only the primary source.

This 5 page paper examines the similarities and differences between the characters of the Pardoner and the Parson. While both men were preachers, their motivations, values, impact and goals were vastly different from one another. In this way, this author provides poignant religious and political commentary. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page paper provides an analysis of the four characters that were depicted by Chaucer as 'ideal'. This paper determines why these characters were chosen above the others and analyzes their character in relation to the others as well. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper uses three different passages from Chaucer's, "Troilus and Criseyde" to highlight the use of war imagery. Furthermore, this paper analyzes the use of the imagery and how it impacts the story as a whole. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page paper which examines how William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” could be considered a love story. No additional sources cited.

A 6 page discussion of the relationship between violence and the construct of masculinity as revealed in this tale of the old west. The author contends that in Hondo’s world there is no room for compromise, only a pressing need to meet one’s own objectives regardless of the measures those objectives necessitate. No additional ...

A 9 page paper which analyzes the characters of Tituba and Reverend Samuel Parris in “I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem,” John Proctor and Abigail Williams in “The Crucible” film, and Goodman Brown and Satan. Bibliography lists 11 sources.

A 2.5 page paper which examines awakening process throughout the novel. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines the two short stories, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson and “The Shawl” by Cynthia Ozick, comparing similarities in the two. No additional sources cited.

This 3 page paper discusses the themes of freedom and worth within the text of Richard Bach's book, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page essay that examines William Faulkner's short story "A Rose for Emily" in terms of how the structure, tone, and imagery of the story conveys a critical analysis of the social pressures that shaped the lives of women in the Southern upper class during the first half of the twentieth century. Through Faulkner's ...

A 9 page overview of this work of literature. The author emphasizes the relationship between violence and the construct of masculinity which exist in the tale. The contention is presented that in Hondo’s world there is no room for compromise, only a pressing need to meet one’s own objectives regardless of the measures ...

A 3-page, 5-paragraph paper identifying sameness as being the worst single aspect of life in Jonas’ community. Though citizens never experience the depths of depression, neither do they experience the joy of merely connecting with the world around them. In sameness they live their lives, never considering that any other way of life ...

A 3 page exploration of the relationship which exist between work and growth of self. Based on the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson in the essay “Self Reliance”. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A paper which looks at the concept of metafiction with specific reference to Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions, and considers the ways in which the novel critiques modern American society. Bibliography lists 2 sources

This 4 page paper delves into the main female character in the story, and discusses the issue of her autonomy. Furthermore, this paper addresses the notion of autonomy from the viewpoint of different societies. Bibliography lists 1 source.