Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

Kate Chopin's story 'The Awakening' focuses on the life of Edna Pontellier, a wife, mother and a woman vastly conflicted about her notion of self and her role in the world. This perspective is used to represent Chopin's perspectives on the role of women in society, and a concentration on the notion of female ...

5 pages in length. Inner strength, unrelenting passion and an extraordinary sense of escapism is representative of Edna Pontellier, the heroine of Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Her intricate character symbolizes the very dichotomy that plagues each and every woman: the desire to be a faithfully devoted wife and mother, while at the same ...

A 4 page essay on the development of the character of Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin's novel. The paper traces Edna's life as a complacent married woman through her romance with a younger man and the subsequent changes this produced in her life. Bibliography lists two sources in addition to Chopin's novel.

A 2 page analysis of Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin's 'The Awakening.' Writer sees her as a character that gradually learns to understand her own true self. No bibliography.

A 6 page paper arguing that Chopin creates the soul of Other, in order to reflect the political themes affecting Creoles in The Awakening. The Other is expressed in the soul of Edna as both black and a 'domesticated' woman. It is also reflected of the soul housed in the construct of the ...

A 9 page exploratory research paper investigating the philosophies of determinism and free will, in particular, how these concepts are depicted in two specific works, The Awakening and The Invisible Man. First, explanations of determinism and free will are presented, then a brief discussion about their inclusion in literature. Finally, an exploration and defense for ...

A 5 page analysis of these two works in regards to tone, setting, and theme in relationship to the psycho-sociological goals of the authors. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper that explores racism and the treatment of the feminine role in these two works. The subject is studied from an analysis of viewpoint and plot in relationship to Neg and Huck/Jim, and the women in the stories. The paper posits that although their intent was similar, Twain could only ...

A 5 page paper that provides an overview of the racial and societal impacts for Jim and Neg in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Kate Chopin's Neg Creole. No additional sources cited.

In this 2 page essay on Chopin's 'The Storm,' the writer is concerned with how flowers are used as images of the intimacy between nature and human longing. Specific examples and quotes are used to support points made. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page paper that analyzes Chopin's short work in terms of making a statement about the plight of women through the literary techniques of foreshadowing, paralellism, similes, and imagery.

A 6 page paper on the moral and philosophical questions that are present in this novel. The writer discusses the main characters and Melville's obvious interpretation of them as they relate to good and evil. Bibliography lists eight sources.

honesty, humility and the art of peacemaking. This 5 page paper explores Melville's presentation of the character of Billy Budd in terms of these three qualities. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

honesty, humility and the art of peacemaking. This 5 page paper explores Melville's presentation of the character of Billy Budd in terms of these three qualities. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

Captain Vere, the pivotal character who determines the fate of the title character in Melville's Billy Budd, appears at the onset to be a man conflicted. Vere has a strong sense of duty and his personality appears to be defined by his notion of compliance with his role as Captain and the conflict that ...

A 10 page paper looking at Herman Melville's classic novel. The paper examines Melville's use of symbolism, and shows how all the literally hundreds of lesser symbols work together to underscore the effect of the symbol of the white whale. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

In this 7 page analysis, the writer discusses Melville's symbolic use of the color white in his classic novel 'Moby Dick' -- as well as in several others. According to the writer, numerous examples exist concerning purity, the 'rightness' of mankind, etc; Excellent examples are provided and assertions are supported with proper citations. ...

A 5 page discussion of how Captain Ahab challenges the very order of creation in his pursuit of Moby Dick. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page analysis of Melville's story, focusing on the denial and rationalization abilities of Captain Delano. The story ultimately is the illustration of the unthinking prejudice of race based on a lack of understanding, and the author makes his points against the backdrop of mental instability and lack of mental wholeness. To ...

A 5 page paper comparing and contrasting Herman Melville's 'Benito Cereno' and Charles Johnson's 'Middle Passage.' The paper argues that while Melville showed a much more prejudiced attitude toward blacks, Johnson reflects more cynicism toward human nature in general. No additional sources.

A 7 page paper looking at Susanna Rowson's Charlotte Temple and Herman Melville's Pierre in terms of their emphasis on sin and death. The paper concludes that both novels end so tragically because eighteenth and nineteenth-century society could not accept any other retribution for turning one's back on society. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 10 page examination of the way emotion and reason are reflected in these author's worldviews. Looking specifically at 'Bartleby the Scrivener,' 'The Snows of Kilimanjaro,' and Invisible Man, the paper traces a historical progression from irrationality to full-fledged absurdity, and notes the loss of emotional center that accompanies it. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper which advocates the addition of Mark Twain's controversial post-Civil War novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885) to the American high-school curriculum. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 7 page paper on the life and works of Mark Twain. It points out that the persona the author presents in the earlier short stories [Innocents Abroad, The Gilded Age, The Prince & The Pauper, etc;] is much different than the one he presents in Huckleberry Finn. Bibliography lists 5 sources including Twain's ...

A 7 page paper examining Twain's evocation of morals in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. The paper concludes that Twain wrote books not only for entertainment, but to express his particular views on morality as well. Bibliography lists nine sources.