Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A seven page paper looking at these two twentiethcentury works by George Orwell and Kurt Vonnegut, respectively, in terms of their evocation of the philosophy that all individuals should be made equal -- whether they're really equal or not. Bibliography lists seven sources.

A five page paper looking at Eugene O'Neill's seldom-performed play in terms of its connection with Greek tragedy. The paper concludes that although they are very different in many respects, Greek tragedy tended to stress that pride goeth before a fall, and this is the moral of "The Emperor Jones," too. Bibliography lists three sources. ...

A 5 page paper which examines how the authors portray individuals versus society, emphasizing how society limits individual freedoms and how the characters respond to such controls. Specifically considered are Mark Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," Willa Cather's "My Antonia," Richard Wright's "Native Son" and Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises." Bibliography lists ...

A 5 page paper which analyzes how women are portrayed as strong characters in William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury," Zora Neale Hurston's "Their Eyes Were Watching God," Willa Cather's "My Antonia," and Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises." Specifically considered are how the authors portray the strength of their female characters, and how ...

This five-page-paper describes the underlying theme of Jewish Feminist Theories that are woven throughout the fabric of the book, "He She and It," by Marcie Piercy. Bibliography lists three sources.

A 7 page paper that argues the point that the personalities and philosophies of the characters in William Faulkner's The Sound and The Fury are most effectively presented and emphasized in the order in which the author presents the four sections of the story. Discussed is Faulkner's combination of the stream-of-consciousness technique and the ...

6 pages in length. Ernest Hemingway was as simple as he was complex. The lucid and uncomplicated images he created with his seemingly elementary style were anything but; in fact, the complexity that resides within his characteristically eloquent prose, which demonstrate a purity and precision like no other, are known only to those ...

A 5 page paper that analyzes the concepts of animal intelligence and primeval memory presented by Jack London's 1903 novel The Call of The Wild and compares these concepts with the forces behind the modern Animal Rights Movement as well as the Feminist Movement. Included are views on the relationship between humans and animals ...

This 2 page report discusses “The Monkey Wrench Gang” in terms of the unique voices Abbey presents and their attitudes regarding the environment. Looking at two of the characters, Hayduke and Seldom Seen, and their attitudes presents a broad spectrum of the motivations that drive people to protect their visions of the environment. No secondary sources.

A 6 page research paper that explores how Ralph Waldo Emerson reflected his life and life in his famous essay, "Self-Reliance." Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 5 page paper discussed Clyde Edgerton's successful novel Raney, as related to the family structure theories of Minuchin, Bowen and Satir. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A six page paper comparing these two plays by Arthur Miller. The paper concludes that in both plays, the hero is standing in the midst of a tidal wave of reality against which he cannot possibly win, and yet he refuses to back down because that would mean ceasing to believe in the illusion that ...

This 12 page report discusses the quest for personal identity that is so deeply interwoven in the relationship between mothers and daughters. The reason the Amy Tan book and its subsequent movie were so successful was the fact that those relationships served as examples of how women, young and old, strive to place themselves beyond the control of strong mothers and ...

A 5 page paper which illustrates how the stories "Uncle Tom's Cabin" by Harriet Beecher Stowe, and ""Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan, both appear to eliminate stereotypes, while simultaneously accentuating them. No additional sources cited.

This 8 page paper looks first at the life and education of Emerson, and then goes on to consider his works and teachings. Proponent of the ' Transcendentalists' he became an essayist, poet and lecturer who beliefs can be seen as relevant in today's world as much as the changing world he lived in. In ...

This 8 page thesis paper supports the notion that literary quality has vanished in part due to the rise of postmodern techniques. The New Criticism and movements since are explored in depth. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A ten page paper showing how John Updike used the material of his own life to craft these two stories. Although "Pigeon Feathers" is more demonstrably autobiographical than "A & P", both stories reflect circumstances of Updike's life and concerns he had at the time of their writing. Bibliography lists fifteen sources.

A 5 page paper that offers interpretations of The Turn of the Screw by Henry James. The focus is on the governess. An overview of how the story would be perceived through a Freudian analysis is presented. The writer then discusses the primary issue of good versus evil, explaining the governess' role in the tale. ...

A 6 page paper comparing the major themes of this story with the author's life. Louise and Kate both lived in male-dominated worlds, but both realized that male domination did not fully prevent them from enjoying their own lives. The heroine of The Awakening was made to insist on her freedom; Louise and Kate share the ...

A six page paper examining the symbolism of mirrors in this nineteenth-century novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The paper argues that mirrors emphasize the degree to which our true essence is distorted when we are perceived only as reflections of external standards and beliefs. Bibliography lists six sources.

A six page paper looking at the way Mark Twain and Frederick Douglass perceive white people as evidenced by "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass" and Twain's "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn". The paper concludes that both Twain and Douglass show Southern white society -- not whites as individuals -- to be the most significant ...

The notion of 'identity' is often interwoven with both status and character. In literature, the 'identity' of a character is developed through a number of literary devices such as dialogue, observation or the opinions of others. This 2 page paper compares and contrasts the identity of Shakespare's Hamlet and Henry James' Daisy Miller. No additional sources are ...

Modern society has a propensity to dichotomize; thus, good always stands in opposition to evil. The traditional interpretation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novella, The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, always leads to that particular duality. This 5 page paper argues that the inner 'evil' of Mr. Hyde was an integral component of Dr. Jekyll's personality, ...

An 8 page paper which discusses how the move from a physical sense of home to a philosophical sense of home in the novel "Watership Down" by Richard Adams, is a concept central to living in postmodernity. No additional sources cited.

A 6 page paper which examines the character of Meursault in Albert Camus' book "The Stranger" and argues that he did not live a meaningful life as put forth through the notions of Vicktor Frankl in "The Meaning of Life." The views of Frankl are that by creating a work or doing a deed; by experiencing something or encountering ...