Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 5 page paper which analyzes both sides, society's and the individual's, of the issue concerning life decisions as they relate to refusing life support systems, as presented in the play "Whose Life Is It Anyway." No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper comparing two of Walt Whitman's works, discussing a carol appearing within one. There is no joy in either the eulogy to Lincoln or in the sailor's urging his captain to rise from his blood-stained space. The Carol of Death offers a glimmer of hope within "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd." ...

A 5 page essay that analyzes similar short stories by John Updike and James Joyce. In his short story, A & P, John Updike appears to have intentionally patterned his narrative on the famous story by James Joyce, Araby. In each case, the protagonist is a young man, who is compelled by the circumstances of ...

A 5 page paper which provides a critical book review of C.S. Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters." The paper addresses values presented by Lewis as they involve plot, characters, satire, humor, and good vs. evil. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page comparison of these two exceptionally captivating works of fiction. Contends that John Updike excels in being able to take the works of classic literature and molding it into a more contemporary format and that this is what has occurred with "A & P". Indeed, "A & P" is just a ...

A 5 page paper which analyzes style as it is developed through imagery and descriptive language, the use of deductive organization, providing both direct and indirect evidence from the story. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 6 page paper which discusses George Orwell, his novel "1984," and his time period as it effected his writing. Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

A 5 page paper which examines the issues presented in the text, applies its themes to sociological concepts of subculture, ethnocentrism and identity, then considers who should and who should not read this book. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper which attempts to determine the author's true message, other than those of happiness and misery. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper which explores the theme importance of the condition which argues there is no incongruity between crime and culture as it relates to three of Oscar Wilde's works. The works presented for examination are "Pen, Pencil, and Poison," "The Decay of the Lying," and "An Ideal Husband." No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which discusses the story "Barn Burning." This brief paper addresses characters, setting, narrator, summary, tone, style, irony, theme, symbols, and an evaluation. Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

(5 pp) This 1930 short story by Katherine Anne Porter tells of the last day of a dying woman. We as readers learn Granny's story from different points of view, and are still left wondering if there is still more to the story than we may ever know.

This 5 page paper is a review of the short story, The Country Husband by John Cheever. No additional sources are listed.

(5 pp) Samuel Clemen's masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (Tom Sawyer's Comrade) (1884) poses Huckleberry Finn as a hero in his own right. However Huck is a hero on the move; he refers to Tom Sawyer often, but this is still Huck's novel.

A 5 page essay that examines Jackson's short story, The Lottery. In this story, Jackson addresses the nature of evil. Jackson demonstrates that evil doesn't necessarily announce itself. Evil, inhumanity, and injustice can be so commonplace in human society that they disappear into the framework of our daily lives. In other words, evil can be ...

(5 pp) Some old wag, has said, "the more things change, the more they stay the same." We will be balancing that thought against two works that are centuries apart: John Winthrop's "A Model of Christian Charity" (1630) and Philip Roth's "Defender of the Faith" (1959).

A six page paper which looks at the significance of the title in the novel The Monkey Bridge, and how the concept of the bridge between cultures and generations is exemplified by the protagonist. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page paper which summarizes the book "Freedom Road" by Howard Fast. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines how Poe is well-represented in the short story, with a consideration of the author's life and an analysis of the story's setting, plot, characters, point of view, style, theme and conclusion. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page essay, in which the writer discusses how Tan explores the intricate bonds that exist between mothers and daughters. The novel concerns four aging members of the "Joy Luck Club," who gather regularly in San Francisco to play mah-jongg. By exploring the lives of these women, both past and present, and their relationships ...

A 5 page research paper that explores what various critics have said concerning the use of tone in Cather's My Antonia. The writer argue that My Antonia is a narrative of exile and longing in which the tone of the novel acts as a pivotal element, coloring the way that the reader is meant to ...

A 5 page paper which examines the existence of homoerotics and homosexuality in James Joyce's "Portrait of an Artist as Young Man." Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

(3 pp) Using two separate stories we will look at the misguided intentions of characters, that lead to tragedy or loss, from two separate stories: the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925) and Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (1911).

A 5 page overview of the novel by Ernest Hemmingway. Examines Hemmingway's characteristic use of nature and symbolism to take the place of words for human emotion. Presents the contention that Hemmingway's masterful use of plot, setting and symbolism are equally important to the novel's success as is the universal themes of love ...

A 5 page paper which compares different aspects of "Roger Malvin's Burial" and "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathanial Hawthorne. The aspects of the stories discussed are theme, development, character analysis, and resolution. No additional sources cited.