Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 5 page paper which examines what the monster in Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” symbolizes. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 10 page paper which examines how animal imagery (particularly dog imagery) is used in the descriptions, almanac citations, and dialogue to evaluate their significance and how they contribute to the story’s meaning. No additional sources are used.

This 7 page paper discusses, compares, contrasts Burroughs with Kerouac's style and philosophy. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page review of the book “Mirror Image” by Sandra Brown. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares Maxine Hong Kingston's novel Tripmaster Monkey: His Fake Book and the film Eat a Bowl of Tea. The writer argues that these works exemplify how Asian Americans, as writers and filmmakers, are changing the ways in which this ethnic group of US citizens are viewed. Bibliography lists ...

A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares two works. Lillian Hellman--in her play The Little Foxes--and Toni Morrison--in her novel Beloved--each present an intense characterization of a failed mother. Hellman's portrayal of a mother focuses on Regina Hubbard, a ruthless, conniving woman who places money above all other considerations. Morrison's novel focuses on the ...

A 4 page essay/research paper that offers background on Whitman's life and then a brief explication of two poems in which Whitman expressed his grief over Lincoln's death. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

This 4 page paper discusses Kate Chopin's short story, The Story of an Hour. In particular, this paper focuses on the psychological ambivalence that Mrs. Mallard experiences when she hears of her husband's death. Quotes cited from the text. Bibliography lists 0 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines how the setting in which Jasmine and Harley grew up and the events that took place there affect the identities of these protagonists. No additional sources are used.

A 4 page paper which examines how Dana in Octavia Butler’s novel “Kindred” and the narrator in Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” find themselves in situations where they do not belong. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines the story’s depiction of the protagonist Harry’s failures and also considers his death and its symbolism. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 3 page paper examines the role that language plays in this classic Crane novel. Furthermore, this paper examines the implications of the language, the nuances, and the interrelationship between it and the story as a whole. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

Of all the complaints about Miss Saigon to reach a literary crescendo, the most common complaint is the continued depiction of Asian women surviving U.S.-led wars in the Pacific region, not only women defined as whores, but also the women of representatives of their nations. This works to masculinize American society over Vietnamese society. ...

This 4 page paper examines this short story and looks at major themes. The protagonist is the focus of this paper that looks at her depression and failed marriage. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page essay that analyzes the theme of revelation in this text. Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio is a collection of short stories that share many of the features of a novel, as its twenty-four stories offer interconnected accounts of the various inhabitants of a small, mid-western town. One of the themes connecting the stories ...

A 4 page paper which analyzes the narrator in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 3 page paper which argues that Harriet Beecher Stowe was an activist through her work “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper examining the use of language as the navigational tool leading from emotion to emotion on the occasion of the author’s graduation from eighth grade. In “Graduation,” author Maya Angelou changes moods and emotions, sometimes as frequently as paragraph to paragraph. Over the course of the work, Angelou displays excitement, ...

A 5 page paper which examines the representation of evil in Nathanial Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Scarlet Letter.” No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines the characteristics of a successful short story as seen in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “Yellow Wallpaper” and James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues.” No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which Harley’s relationship, and understanding, of his mother and father in Tawni O’Dell’s book “Back Roads.” No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines how the whale represents the mystery of life and everything it encompasses. No additional sources are used.

This 3 page paper discusses the portrayal of women in The Hamlet, by William Faulkner. This paper argues that Faulkner uses women as literary devices and is not displaying a sexist attitude. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A paper which compares the works of these two authors, with specific reference to short stories by each, and looks in particular at their perspective on social morality and the pressures of social convention on characters. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 6 page paper which compares Daisy Miller from Henry James’ novel and Daisy Buchanan from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby.” No additional sources cited.