Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A five page paper looking at the process by which adolescents separate themselves emotionally from their parents’ values and goals. The paper argues that in both stories, the young protagonists come to the difficult realization that the person their parents want them to be is simply not who they are. No additional sources.

A five page paper looking at these two works (by George Orwell and Aldous Huxley, respectively), comparing and contrasting their futuristic utopias. The paper concludes that Huxley is more afraid of technology for its own sake, and Orwell is more afraid of totalitarianism, but the works have much in common. No other sources.

A three page paper looking at this short story by Katherine Mansfield in terms of its symbolism, tone, and theme. The paper concludes that Miss Brill may be overly sensitive and also too much in need of approval, but she does not deserve to be ridiculed. No additional sources.

A three page paper looking at Arthur Miller’s play in terms of those aspects which are deliberately not realistic. The paper discusses Miller’s intentions in presenting the play in this manner. No additional sources.

A five page paper looking at the way Anne McCaffrey’s 1968 novel presents the topic of female self-actualization. The paper shows that as the women’s movement of the late sixties got underway, women needed positive images of strong women such as the protagonist of this novel. No additional sources.

A five page paper looking at William Faulkner’s short story in terms of the mental illness of its protagonist. The paper shows specific points in the story in which Emily can be shown to be insane. No other sources.

A five page paper looking at these two stories by John Steinbeck and William Faulkner in terms of the way they reflect the protagonist’s internal struggle with him- or herself. These struggles may be reflected in concrete action or simply transform the character from within. No additional sources.

A six page paper defining the stock female and male protagonists of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s works. The paper observes that the male is the locus of the novels, but he always defines himself in terms of his ideal woman; the female is the locus of most of the stories, and defines herself in terms of ...

A fifteen page paper comparing these three novels by John Steinbeck and Richard Wright in terms of the way they look at the concept of community from the perspective of the human development of their protagonists. The paper concludes that in Steinbeck’s works, society is wrong, but individual people can work out a form of ...

A six page paper comparing the protagonists of these two works (by William Faulkner and Richard Wright respectively) in terms of their racial identities, and their reactions to them. The paper asserts that it is very difficult to establish a positive racial identity when one’s race is constantly disparaged by society as a whole, and ...

A five page paper looking at this classic dystopia in terms of its motto: “Ignorance is Strength.” The paper examines how believing this plays into the hands of a totalitarian state. Bibliography lists five sources.

A five page paper looking at these two stories, by William Faulkner and Virginia Woolf respectively, in terms of how well they conform to Samuel Johnson’s observation that good stories should present “representations of general nature” -- in other words, reflect common experience. No other sources.

A seven page paper looking at this important feminist novel by Kate Chopin. The paper shows how Chopin uses the conflict within the character of the protagonist to develop the novel’s theme. Bibliography lists three sources.

A 6 page paper looking at these two works by John Steinbeck. The paper asserts that although both use social protest as a backdrop, Battle is essentially a novel of the individual, while Grapes is a novel of the human community. No additional sources.

A five page paper comparing and contrasting the marriages of the two couples described in Bessie Head’s short story. The paper shows that tragic as it is, experiencing a really bad marriage made the protagonist Dikeledi a stronger person than her friend Kenalepe who had things much easier. No additional sources.

A five page character study of the protagonist of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby' in terms of the way his characterization relates to the novel's theme. The paper asserts that Gatsby -- like the 'flapper' society in which Fitzgerald himself lived -- had abandoned the ethics of the previous generation and followed only the ...

A five page paper looking at this international bestseller in terms of the relationship between its two main characters, Michael and Hanna. The paper shows that Hanna's life was flawed by pride, and Michael's by detachment. No additional sources.

A five page paper looking at Julia Alvarez’ “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent”, and comparing the immigrant experience portrayed there to that of an Italian-American personally interviewed. The paper concludes that the secret lies in creating a totally new hybrid culture which combines Old World and New, past and present. Bibliography lists three ...

An eight page paper comparing two short stories from the turn of the twentieth century: 'A Respectable Woman' by Kate Chopin and Virginia Woolf's 'A Society.' The paper shows how in their treatment of feminism, each refutes the restrictive character of Victorianism and welcomes the Modern age. Bibliography lists six sources.

A seven page paper looking at the way this fictional heroine of the well-known children's series was created, and has developed through the years. Written by many writers under the single pseudonym Carolyn Keene, the series has been extremely influential in the adolescent lives of millions of young girls. Bibliography lists five sources.

A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts John Steinbeck’s short novels, 'The Pearl' & 'Of Mice & Men,' and also provides some biographical information on the author, including a brief discussion of some of his other works and some of the writing awards Steinbeck received. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A five page paper looking at Ernest Hemingway's novel in terms of the way it fits the profile of modernism. The paper defines modernism and concludes that it is Hemingway's portrayal of the twentieth century's loss of meaning that makes the novel modernist. Bibliography lists three sources.

A five page look at this classic work by F. Scott Fitzgerald as a definition of true American Literature. The paper asserts that its tension between acquisitiveness at any cost and our search for 'something more' characterizes our society. Bibliography lists two sources.

A ten page paper looking at the significance of Thomas Kuhn's 1969 postscript to his 1962 work, in terms of the way it expands and clarifies the misunderstandings inherent in the original work. The paper breaks the postscript down into its seven component subsections and analyzes the implications of each. No additional sources.

A five page paper looking at J.D. Salinger's 'Catcher in the Rye' and Harper Lee's 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in terms of the way each author uses theme, plot, tone, and characterization to expand the reader’s sense of life’s possibilities and help us make decisions about how to put those possibilities into action in our ...