Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 5 page paper. Pagan Night, written by Kate Braverman, was Best American Short Story Winner in 1995. This essay: provides an alternate ending, identities the main themes of the original and with the alternate ending, and provides a topic sentence for each paragraph. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 3 page essay contrasts and compares "The Trial of Thomas Builds-The-Fire" by Sherman Alexie and Gloria Bird's "Turtle Lake," which are both by Native American authors. Bibliography cites only the stories.

This 3 page essay summarizes and discusses the themes and characterization in Fitzgerald's short story "Winter Dreams." Bibliography lists only the primary source.

In a paper of three pages, the author writes about irony in the story The Story of an Hour. The author of this paper uses examples from the story to illustrate the character, verbal, and situational irony. There is one source cited in this paper.

In a paper of four pages, the author writes about Flannery O'Connor's stories A Good Man is Hard to Find and Good Country People. The author of this paper considers how these two stories deal with the concept of a good man. There are three sources cited in this paper.

In a paper of six pages, the author writes a critical analysis of the story The Yellow Wallpaper. The author of this paper writes about the authors own experiences with women being treated poorly and compares it to the story. There are six sources cited in this paper.

This 8 page paper reports of Mitch Albom's account of his relationship with Morrie Schwartz, his favorite professor while at Brandeis University. The writer offer a comprehensive overview of the lessons that Morrie provides Mitch during the final months of this life. Bibliography lists only this source.

This 4 page paper provides an analysis of Flannery O'Connor's Good Country People. This paper considers the nature of the characters and the themes of good vs. evil, urban vs. country, intelligence vs. ignorance, and religious vs. secular. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 6 page essay discusses the role that the American Dream plays in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This is a 4 page paper that provides an overview of "The Great Gatsby". The greatness of Jay Gatsby is explored in existential terms. Bibliography lists 1 source.

In a paper of nine pages, the author writes about two stories and how the theme of time and timelessness is used within them. The author of this paper explains how marriage and death are used in both stories The Story of an Hour and The Dead. There are three sources cited in this paper.

This 4 page essay pertains to the role of religion in James Agee's "A Death in the Family." Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This is a 4 page paper that provides an overview of "Huckleberry Finn". Huck's status as an ideal narrator is examined. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page essay that offers an overview of Chopin's The Awakening, discussing themes, setting and plot summary. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In a paper of three pages, the author writes about the short story called The Country Husband, by John Cheever. The author of this paper discusses gender roles from the fifties and the desire to escape suburban life. There are two sources cited in this paper.

In a paper of three pages, the author writes about female relationships in two stories and the laws of the time. The author of this paper talks about Antigone and A Jury of Her Peers and the female characters in both stories. There are two sources cited in this paper.

This 7 page essay offers a brief biography of Ray Bradbury, a synopsis of the plot and analysis of the novel "Fahrenheit 451." Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 6 page essay that discusses how each member of the Wingfield family embraced illusion as a coping mechanism. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 10 page paper which examines the influence and presence of Romanticism and Realism in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. 2 ½ pages are annotated bibliography. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the short stories The Red Convertible and The Things They Carried, about the Vietnam experience. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Richard Farina's Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 4 page paper is written as though three separate newspaper articles on JRR Tolkein's greatest book. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 3 page essay that discusses the points that the writer/tutor found interesting in the texts. This particularly focuses on the social and culture description of the barrio given by Galarza. No other sources are cited.

This is an 8 page paper that provides an overview of Huck Finn. Various discussion questions are answered in depth. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 6 page paper, which includes 3 annotated citations, discusses "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan within the framework of the entire novel, The Joy Luck Club and literary criticism. Bibliography lists 6 sources.