Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

This 3 page paper discusses the protagonist of Willa Cather's short story "Paul's Case," as well as the author's message. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 4 page essay that examines one aspect of the novel Tehano by Allen Wier, which is a sweeping epic of nineteenth century America. One of the many sub-plots in this novel concerns two brothers: Alexander Wesley Speer and Charles Wesley Speer. Identical twins, Wier describes not only the connection between them, but how the ...

A 4 page paper which examines the view that man is not above the rules of nature as related to Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page book review and personal reaction to Knight's Gambit by William Faulkner, which is a collection of five mystery stories and one novella that all feature the same character, a lawyer practicing in Faulkner's fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi named Gavin Stevens. What makes this collection fascinating is not only Faulkner's adaptation of ...

This 11 page paper discusses the way men and women are portrayed in the works of Ernest Hemingway. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the painting "The Madonna of the Rocks" that hangs in the Louvre with regard to the hand gestures of Mary and the angel Uriel, and asks if they are related (the gestures, not Mary and the angel). It also discusses Dan Brown's concept of the Holy Grail. Bibliography lists 3 ...

A 3 page review of The Rosewood Casket by Sharyn McCrumb. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

A 3 page paper which examines what or who men are as seen in Arthur Miller’s “A View from the Bridge” and Elia Kazan’s film “On the Waterfront.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 7 page paper is a review of the book "Small Things Considered" by Henry Petroski. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 5 page paper discusses Washington Irving's story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," and what it tells us about his worldview. It also discusses the times in which he lived. Bibliography lists 4 sources

A 6 page analysis of Edith Wharton’s short story Roman Fever. Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

This 6 page paper discusses the psychological development of Scout Finch through several episodes that she faces in “To Kill a Mockingbird.” Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 3 page paper analyzes the character of Lyman in the short story "The Red Convertible." Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page review, reaction, of the book The Goal: A Process of Ongoing Improvement by Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Jeff Cox. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page review of Steven Pressfield’s “The Gates of Fire.” No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which examines the difference between journeys and goals and examines the character of Phoenix in Eudora Welty’s story A Worn Path. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines Ernest Hemingway’s story A Soldier’s Home as it involves his own experiences. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines how and if Kurt Vonnegut predicted the future, today, in his story Player Piano. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which examines the futuristic Boston in Bellamy’s Looking Backward. Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

A 4 page paper which examines the development of the character of Primrose from A.S. Byatt’s story The Thing in the Forest. No additional sources cited.

A 9 page paper which analyzes Raymond Carver’s short story What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 4 page paper discusses Henry David Thoreau's classic book "Walden" and the ways in which Thoreau sought to insure that his life was not one of "quiet desperation." Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page paper which examines the characters and theme in the novel “The Silence of the Lambs” by Thomas Harris. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which examines the use of symbols in Kate chopin’s “the Story of an Hour” and Flannery O’Connor’s “Revelation.” No additional sources cited.

This 7 page paper discusses the way in which the authors of "Slaughterhouse-Five" (Vonnegut) and "100 Years of Solitude" (Márquez) have used understatement to tell of human misery. Bibliography lists 6 sources.