Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 5 page paper which examines the significance and symbolism of the river in Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 4 page review and summary of Harlan Coben’s novel “Promise Me.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 5 page paper examines this well known story. The theme of denial is explored within two areas: health and racism. Some quotes are included. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page journal project on “the Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page essay that looks at two chilling visions of life in a fascist state. In George Orwell's chilling novel 1984, he describes life in England under totalitarian rule, where the elite rule with authoritarian control and Big Brother, as a symbol of the state, watches and keeps track of every detail of citizens' ...

A 3 page paper which compares Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and Kurt Vonnegut’s “Breakfast of Champions” as they use satire. No additional sources cited.

This 4 page paper examines Tim O'Brien's short story "The Things They Carried" with specific regard to what Jimmy Cross carried, and what these items symbolize. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page essay that offers an explication of Whitman's masterpieces, offering an interpretation of what the poet is trying to say in sections 7-14. In Walt Whitman's Song of Myself, this American poet by delineating his own identity, associates himself and affirms his connection with the entirety of the race and with life itself. ...

This 20 page paper provides an overview of Jonathan Raban's Soft City, which can be described as a social commentary and philosophical assessment of the changes in the urban world. The conceptual views created by Raban in the early 1970s marked a significant shift and the adoption of a modernist perspective on urbanization that ...

A 3 page paper which examines the meaning that McCullers gives to the word “snow” in her story “The Ballad of the Sad Café.” No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which summarizes and discusses Pearl S. Buck’s book “The Good Earth.” No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which examines Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Minister’s Black Veil” as they offer presentations of how Hawthorne did not believe men were corrupt nor perfect. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 6 page paper briefly explores O'Brien's novel The Things They Carried to understand why he chose to write a work of fiction rather than strictly reporting facts, and what that means for our understand of the book and of Vietnam itself.

A 4 page essay that analyzes the theme of the loss of paradise in John Steinbeck's novel Of Mice and Men. The protagonists are two friends, both migrant workers, Lennie, who is mentally handicapped, and George. There is a deep bond of friendship between the two men, as they each gain solace from this ...

A 3 page summary and commentary on Glorida Anzaldua's 1980 letter to her fellow women writers of color, which focuses on how this writer feels connected through the written word to all Third World women writers, no matter where they are located in the world. Roughly in the middle of this extended letter, Anzaldua inserts ...

This 6 page paper reviews Paul Roberts's book "The End of Oil." Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 6 page paper which compares and contrasts “The Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright and “How Far She Went” by Mary Hood. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses Sherwood Anderson's short story "The Triumph of the Egg." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the relationship between Danny and Jack in Craig Lesley's book "River Song." Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page paper on the theme of morality in Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” and Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried.” No additional sources cited.

An 8 page paper which examines the role of submissive women in a man’s world as seen in Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman,” and John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums.” Annotated bibliography comprises 3 of the pages. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 10 page essay that contrasts and compares the principle of logopoeia in Ezra Pound's Canto II and Eliot's The Waste Land. Ezra Pound defines the poetic term "logopoeia," as "'the dance of the intellect among words'" (Pound How to Read 939). By this Pound means that words not only have a direct surface meaning, ...

This 3 page paper provides a basic overview. The thematic elements along with plot and characterization are discussed. Some author information is also included in this review. No additional sources cited.

This 3 page annotated bibliography provides five sources related to Flannery O'Connor's short story Greenleaf. The primary source is included. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 3 page paper which compares the theme of mother’s and children in Kate Chopin’s short stories “The Storm” and “Desiree’s Baby.” No additional sources cited.