Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 6 page paper on Stephen Crane's classic war novel. The paper examines Crane's attitude toward fate in light of the literary school of naturalism, and concludes that while Crane has naturalistic tendencies, he also allows for the effects of free will. No additional sources cited.

A 6 page essay on Crane's use of French Impressionist technique of layering to create movement and tone, the writer discusses specific passages in the book and compares them to techniques used by Monet, Renoir and other artists of the period. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper critiquing a literary criticism article by Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet, in which Blythe and Sweet compare O'Connor's story 'A Good Man Is Hard To Find' with William Butler Yeats' 'The Second Coming.' The paper concludes that there is really very little valid basis for comparison, due to the differing literary ...

In 5 pages, the writer discusses Flannery O'Connor's life, her style, and her place in the literary world. Flannery O'Connor was born Mary Flannery O'Connor. O'Connor wrote a collection of short stories, 'A Good Man Is Hard to Find'. Her novels were 'Wise Blood' and 'The Violent Bear It Away'. ...

An 8 page paper looking at three short stories: 'A Good Man is Hard To Find,' 'Good Country People,' and 'Everything That Rises Must Converge.' The paper argues that in her fiction, O'Connor tries to show how craven and worthless and ugly and stupid we are without the benefit of the grace of God. She ...

A 14 page paper showing how foreshadowing both increases suspense as the story unfolds and underscores the story's theme, makes its ending seem completely inevitable. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

5 pages in length. On the surface, Flannery O'Connor's A Good Man is Hard to Find appears innocent enough in its content. But as the reader becomes more and more involved in the underpinnings that embody the story, it is quite clear there is a distinctive flavor of evil versus Christianity. ...

In 5 pages the author discusses why the tress symbolize the fate of the family in 'A Good Man is Hard to Find' by Flannery O'Connor. Trees are very symbolic. They have many meanings depending on how one looks at them and what connotation is given them. Trees are symbols of both good ...

A 4 page paper discussing the contrasts between the Old South and the New South in Flannery O'Connor's short story, A Good Man is Hard to Find. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page paper that considers what will happen to the May family's farm after the death of Mrs. May in Flannery O'Connor's Greenleaf. This paper reflects upon the role that family order plays in designing lifestyle and the problematic elements in interpersonal relationships. Bibliography lists no additional sources.

A 5 page paper showing how O'Connor develops her themes of grace and redemption through the ornery character of Mrs. May in this short story. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 10 page paper comparing the way Flannery O'Connor and John Updike develop a clash of worldviews in their short fiction. Stories analyzed are O'Connor's 'Revelation', and Updike's 'A & P'. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 7 page paper discussing O'Connor's use of simultaneous but conflicting states of being in her short story, and in her work as a whole. The paper breaks down some of the difficult theological concepts in 'Revelation,'and shows how it works on two levels at the same time. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page paper discussing O'Connor's last short story. Written under the influence of O'Connor's knowledge of the progress of her terminal disease, 'Revelation' deals even more with condemnation and redemption than her other works, even they also are known for the same underlying messages. A vision of the entrance into Heaven of ...

This 3 page essay discusses a specific passage from Flannery O'Connor's Revelation (pp. 414) that illustrates active voice and uses language to convey meaning and mood. No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper examining Flannery O'Connor's 'Good Country People' from a theological standpoint. The paper asserts that to attempt to analyze O'Connor's fiction from a humanistic standpoint is to miss its entire point - that the pivotal moments in our lives occur with an experience of a breakthrough to Christian consciousness. Bibliography lists 3 ...

A 5 page essay covering various topics and issues in O'Connor's 'Wise Blood.' The writer discusses Hazel's 'religious' beliefs, personal background, etc.; Also explored are Enoch Emory's 'wise blood,' the characters of Sabbath Hawks, Hoover Shoat, etc; No other sources cited.

8 pages in length. The fictional works of Flannery O'Connor elicit several levels of emotion within the weave of racism and prejudice. Two of the author's short stories -- Everything That Rises Must Converge and Judgement Day -- reflect just such a backdrop in their attempts to demonstrate the absurdity of such ...

5 page discussion of the book 'All quiet on the Western Front' - a story about a boy's loss of innocence and of life as well as the genuine tragedy of war (World War novel). No bibliography.

A 10 page analysis of the E.M. Remarque's novel about the grim realities of War and (WWI) and a young man's loss of innocence. The writer details his discoveries along with the cultural assumptions and illusions of the time that underlie the text and concludes that, through this novel, Remarque alludes to the destructive nature ...

A 6 page research paper on the famous novel All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. After the publication of this novel, the world could never again look on war as a glorious endeavor. The writer demonstrates how Remarque created his pacifist manifesto by showing how World War I impacted the lives ...

A 5 page paper discussing Erich Maria Remarque's 'All Quiet on the Western Front' and the emotions it evokes about soldiers in World War I. The writer also includes an interview with an American Vietnam veteran. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

An analytical 6 page essay in which the writer discusses this classic feminist work from a personal point of view. In the book, Gilman describes a Utopian society successfully created and inhabited by 100% women. 'Her Land' was originally published in 1915 as a magazine article and did not become a book until 1979. *The ...

It has often been suggested that art is an imitation of life. While such is certainly true, this paper asserts that the reverse is also true, as in the life and career of American author Jack London. In this 5 page report, the writer examines the adventurous life of the nomadic London ...

A 9 page paper describing the major obstacle that primary characters face in order to win the race--their own personal relationship. London presents the reader with a primary statement on man and nature and uses a sled dog race as the vehicle to combine the two in a single goal. Although they also ...