Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

An 11 page paper. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee was published in 1960 but the story takes place in 1930s Alabama. In this paper, the writer provides an overview of three main characters in the book. The overview is intended to describe the characteristics and qualities of each of the identified players. The ...

S. E. Hinton's book The Outsiders appeared in 1967 and has been heralded as one of the first young adult ficion books that deals with real situations that do not have a positive outcome. This 5 page paper explores the question, Is the story still applicable to adolescents of the nineties? Bibliography lists 9 sources.

This five-page-paper presents an in-depth discussion about the book by Marge Piercy "He, She, and It." The use of Jewish feminism is outlined and it is explained how it is used in the story. Bibliography lists four sources.

5 pages in length. In her book July's People by Nadine Gordimer, the author introduces us to Bam and Marlene Smales, a couple who are sensitive to the plight of blacks during apartheid. However when the blacks have a revolution, the Smales are forced into hiding. This book effectively explains the diverse ...

A ten page paper looking at these issues as they are manifested in three short stories by Kurt Vonnegut: "Miss Temptation," "The Kid Nobody Could Handle," and "The Foster Portfolio," all from his collection "Welcome to the Monkey House." The paper illustrates Vonnegut's belief that conformity limits our ability to understand one another by masking our ...

Edgar Allen Poe's famous short story, The Fall Of The house Of Usher begins with the narrator riding toward the estate of a friend from childhood. This 3 page paper provides a brief synopsis of the story. No additional sources are listed.

A 5 page paper that examines the many parallels that exist between the life of author Ernest Hemingway and his 1929 novel A Farewell to Arms. Discussed are the author's experiences with love and war during his service in World War I and an analysis of how these experiences are directly incorporated into A ...

5 pages in length. Ann Banks' "First Person America" and John Ford's "Stagecoach" individually represent a changing class-consciousness related to modifying economic and social conditions of the 1930s. Indeed, it can readily be argued that imaginative texts do not directly document such experiences of the 1930s, but rather they indirectly represent conflicts, tensions, ...

This five page paper presents a discussion on the symbolic meaning of the poem, "Huswifery", by Edward Taylor. A discussion on what the author wanted and how he used symbols to illustrate his desires is included. Bibliography lists one source.

This five-page-paper presents a discussion on Aldous Huxley (Brave New World), Friedrich Nietzsche (Twilight Of The Idols), and Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Notes From The Underground), and whether they present a serious challenge to the Christian Faith. Bibliography lists three sources.

Historical writing of geographical origin is sometimes popular, sometimes interesting and often informative. This 10 page paper examines the memoirs of Wallace Stegner and Norman MacLean with a focus on the historical aspects. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

Tony Hillerman is a well known author of southwestern mysteries. He is unique in that he sets many of his works in the four corners area of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona; on or near the largest Navajo Reservation in the United States. This 5 page paper provides a review of the books Sacred Clowns and Talking ...

This six-page-paper presents a comparison to the assimilation of the main characters to the white community by a black man and a Korean man. Using Spike Lee's movie, "Do The Right Thing" as well as Chang Rae Lee's novel, "Native Speaker" the writer discusses the attempts at assimilation as well as the final decision made by both men. Bibliography ...

This 5 page paper looks at the novel Lord Jim by J Conrad and examines the development and meaning of the relationship between Jim and Marlow. The paper also considers the use of the third person narrative in enhancing the story. The bibliography cites 1 source.

A 5 page paper that examines Walker Percy's 1961 book entitled The Moviegoer and explores both the vertical and horizontal search that its main character, Binx Bolling, experienced in this book. Included are definitions of both searches as well as a look at the results these searches provided and the changes they brought to ...

A 5 page analysis of William Faulkner's novel "As I Lay Dying," which concentrates on the character of Addie, the mother of the Bundren family that dies at the beginning of the novel. The writer argues that root causes of this family's dysfunction come from the restrictive societal definition of femininity. No additional sources cited. ...

A 5 page paper which discusses the use of imagery in C.S. Forester's novel "Mr. Midshipman Hornblower. In this novel, which tells the tale of the young Horatio Hornblower prior to his heroic adultlife, we are presented with an incredible imagery that makes us feel we know this young man. No additional sources cited.

This 5 page report discusses both “Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing” and its writer, Judy Blume. Over the past three decades, Judy Blume has inspired both controversy and devotion. Her readers, young and old, are passionate about her stories and her ability to understand the nuances of interpersonal relationships and the various dilemmas virtually all people find themselves in ...

A 5 page overview of the diaries of Ralph Josselin, a moderate Puritan clergyman who, over a forty year period spanning between 1641 and 1683, provides a detailed record of his political responsibilities. Emphasizes the historic significance of this work and its value to historians and practically anyone else interested in this period of ...

Richard Nelson's journal of a journey, The Island Within, provides a perspective that is at once aligned with the humanist view of nature and the practical aspects of survival. This 5 page paper examines the theme of the book: that humans are able to live in spiritual and physical harmony with nature. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This five-page-paper presents an in-depth discussion on the books "Lord of the Flies," by William Golding, and "Heart of Darkness", by Joseph Conrad. In each book there is a common theme of atavism, which is displayed when the protagonists attempt to return to their ancestral animal behaviors and actions once they are faced with seemingly impossible situations. Bibliography ...

A five page look at this classic work by F. Scott Fitzgerald in terms of the contrast it draws between the working class and the very rich. The paper argues that bigots such as Tom Buchanan fear the encroachment of the working class into their world, which is why common men such as Gatsby did ...

This 5 page paper argues that The inclusion of the 'modern' attributes of sensitivity and awareness is what brings the characters of Mellor in Lady Chatterly's Lover and Jake in The Sun Also Rises to a point where their similarities allow the differences to be ignored and both characters are able to be seen as a Hemingway type hero. ...

This five-page-paper presents an overview of the story by Noel Coward, called"Blithe Spirit". It is a comedy of errors and antics when a sance backfires and the protagonist finds himself in the house with his current wife and the ghost of his first wife who died previously. Bibliography lists one source.

5 pages in length. Like ants banded together as a means by which to survive, John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath" exemplifies the inherent struggles of class distinction. Indeed, the depiction of toil and strife was to represent the very essence of life for the wayward travelers in search of a day's wage. ...