Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

An 8 page paper which discusses, and then compares and contrasts, the element of fantasy in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines the element of the tragic hero in Helene Littmann’s short story Small Fires. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines possible motives and meaning for the murder committed by Emily in William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily. Bibliography lists 3 source.

A 4 page paper which compares and contrasts the characters in The Story of an Hour by Kate Choping and A Sorrowful Woman by Gail Godwin. The paper examines the fact that they are both incredibly vulnerable. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 5 page paper compares the strengths and weaknesses, and the issues families face in the film “Avalon,” and the books “Hunger of Memory” by Richard Rodriguez and “An American Requiem” by James Carroll. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page paper discusses the troubled relationship between Abner Snopes and his son, Colonel Sartoris Snopes, in William Faulkner’s short story “Barn Burning.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 4 page book review that focuses on the character of Snake from James Webb's Fields of Fire (1978). The writer argues that Snake is a man who is totally devoid of this quality in the conventional sense of the word. His internal compass of conscience operates primarily according what he perceives as the course ...

A 4 page paper which examines the thematic role of love in this twentieth-century play and nineteenth-century short novel. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 6 page paper which examines Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” and the author’s style in the novel, as well as his other works. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page report on Michael Shaara’s novel “Killer Angels.” No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines how and why the freed slaves chose to remain in the south in “The Known World” by Edward Jones. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

This 9 page paper discusses various aspects of "The Red Badge of Courage." Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines the element of culture/setting in William Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown.” No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines whether or not Jay Gatsby, in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby, is a great man or not. No additional sources cited.

The Mossbachers and the Rincons : A 6 page paper which compares and contrasts the lives of the Mossbacher and the Rincon families from T.C. Boyle’s novel The Tortilla Curtain. No additional sources cited.

A 6 page paper which illustrates how Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome is a tragic hero. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 5 page paper analyzes "Working Conditions," an excerpt from Elizabeth Stuart Phelps's book "The Silent Partner."

A 4 page aper which discusses Mark Twain’s short story The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines the literary device of paradox and irony in Tim O’Brien’s “On the Rainy River” and Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal.” No additional sources cited.

This 5 page paper explores the theme of C.P. Gibson's short story "The Yellow Wallpaper." Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 4 page paper which examines why Harriet Beecher Stowe developed the three slave owning characters of Shelby, St. Clare, and Legree (in “Uncle Tom’s Cabin), and how they work to offer a critique of slavery. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 7 page critical analysis of Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 4 page research paper/essay that offers suggestions for how a teacher can interpret and instruct middle school students on the thematic message of Nathaniel Hawthorne's masterpiece The Scarlet Letter, which is a complex psychological novel that offers interpretation on many levels. In presenting this novel to middle school students, it is important to aid ...

10 pages in length. Classic literature serves a much greater purpose than merely filling blank pages or recounting interesting tales; rather, the classics have earned such a title because of the life lessons they bestow upon readers. These lessons are learned from the events that take place throughout the story, with many of ...

A 3 page paper which looks at the meaning and significance of the title “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway. Bibliography lists 3 sources.