Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 3 page paper which analyzes the character of Lucy Gayheart in the novel of the same name by Willa Cather. No additional source cited.

An 8 page paper which examines the role of feminism in nature as presented in Willa Cather’s O Pioneer and Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s Herland. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which examines the theme in Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea. The theme is that a man can be destroyed but not defeated. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 5 page paper discusses Kate Chopin’s short story “The Story of an Hour” and argues that it is her husband’s death, not his survival, that kills her. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper uses Studs Terkel’s interview with Stephen Cruz to illustrate how the American Dream fails many people, and as examination of the idea that money is poetry. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 4 page paper compares and contrasts two classic short stories: A&P by John Updike and Araby by James Joyce. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 3 page paper is an analysis of Flannery O’Connor’s short story “Revelation.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

4 pages in length. The writer briefly discusses two entirely different cultural environments and the psychological impact it has upon the children. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines the women in Susan Glaspell’s Trifles and Zora Neale Hurston’s Sweat. The paper examines the women and discusses whether they should be held accountable for the crimes they committed. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 7 page paper answers a number of short questions regarding an article supplied by the student considering theDepartment of Army Photograph (DA Photo) which military personnel and whether or not this has an impact on the promotions board. The bibliography cites 3 sources.

A 3 page paper which analyzes elements of Lust by Susan Minot. The paper examines the irony and cynicism in the story as well. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which examines how the theme of violence towards blacks is seen throughout Richard Wright’s Uncle Tom’s Children. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the differences between the book and movie versions of “New Moon.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper examines Tim O’Brien’s short story “The Things They Carried” and discusses how the soldiers in Vietnam differ from those at war today in Afghanistan and Iraq. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper is a reaction to the book “As Nature Made Him.” Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 3 page paper which discusses the plot, and development of the main character, in John Updike’s A&P. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 4 page paper which discusses and analyzes the existence of the character of Yackle in Gregory Maguire’s novel Wicked. No additional sources cited.

This is a 12 page paper that provides an overview of how narration effects the content and theme of Woolf's "To the Lighthouse" and James' "The Turn of the Screw". A contrast is drawn between the multifaceted narration of Woolf and the insular unreliable narrator of James. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses those qualities that make Emily Grierson (“A Rose for Emily”) so grotesque. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 4 page paper is an essay on the book O Pioneers! by Willa Cather. Bibliography lists 1 source.

In three pages this paper contrasts and compares these short stories with the emphasis upon the importance of community in each. There are no additional sources listed in the bibliography.

In six pages this paper examines three works from two genres (poetry and short story) in a consideration of how each employs the literary element of allegory. Two sources are listed in the bibliography.

This 3 page paper discusses educator Margaret Finders’s book on adolescent girls and their behavior in and out of the classroom. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page paper discusses several aspects of the classic novel, The Great Gatsby. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 4 page essay that compares the themes in Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner. No additional sources are cited.