Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 6 page paper which discusses various aspects of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' as they involve feminine nature. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

(5 pp.) Both of these American writers wanted to do more than entertain people; they wanted to influence how people thought, or how they perceived the world. My premise is that Hawthorne wanted to influence the conscious mind through parable or fable. Poe was more of a mental subterranean, and wanted to reach ...

A 5 page essay that, first, looks at the work of Christian writer James W. Sire and his definitions of worldview. After defining Christian, Naturalist and Existentialist worldviews, the writer demonstrates how the Naturalist worldview applies to Stephen Crane's short story "The Open Boat." Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A comparison between the characters of Willy Loman in Miller’s Death of a Salesman and John Proctor in Miller’s The Crucible, looking at the importance of the themes of deception and integrity in the two dramas and the way in which these themes are developed by the actions of the protagonists. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

(5 pp.) Humans have been hoping for the perfect world forever, forgetting that they were once expelled from it, and it may be quite some time before there is another open apartment in the park. Edgar Allan Poe envisioned "Eldorado" (1849) Henry David Thoreau lived at Walden Pond for over two years, ...

The novel, The Thread That Runs So True by Jessie Stuart uses the analogy of the thread to make the point that the people that are a part of the culture of the Eastern Kentucky Appalachia are united into what can be viewed as a 'whole cloth' containing a mixture of all the different components that constitute the geographical and ...

Growing Up by Russell baker focuses on the lives of his immediate and extended family as the world reeled from the impact of the stock market crash and then entered the Great Depression. This 5 page paper focuses on three of the minor characters and their role in the presentation of the theme of values. No additional ...

A Review of the Story by Harriet Farley A 6 page overview of the factors behind this story published in the mid nineteenth century in the “Lowell Offering”, a publication sponsored by capitalist cotton mill owners purportedly as a creative outlet for their largely female employees. Contends that in reality this publication and ...

A 6 page paper which examines how the Poe fictional short stories "Berenice," "Fall of the House of Usher," "Ligeia," and "The Oval Portrait" (also referred to as "Life After Death") paralleled his real-life emotional trauma over the illness and death of his wife, Virginia. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

This 5 page paper focuses on the intelligence of the protagonist. How the lack of intelligence, as the reader perceives it, leads one to come to quick conclusions about his actions. Ideas involving intelligence are discussed. No bibliography.

A 5 page paper which analyzes relationships in "China Boy" by Gus Lee. The relationships discussed are those between Kai and Toussaint, and Kai and Edna. No additional sources cited.

A 7 page paper which examines how these characters challenge the conventional views of men and women. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page paper presents an analysis of Billy Budd's trial. The fairness of the conclusion is discussed at length. A synopsis of the story is included. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines how Miller’s most celebrated play relates to the writer’s life. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

(5 pp.) Have you ever finished a book and said to yourself - I want to meet that author? Such an idea seems to be prompted not only by the work itself, but also, by the concept -who could think that up - how cool! After reading his 1999, Pulitzer award ...

(5 pp.) According to Smith (1997), it was John Irving's high-school wrestling coach, Ted Seabrooke, who broke the news to him, that "talent is overrated. That you're not very talented, needn't be the end of it." Seabrooke also told him: "An underdog is in a position to take a healthy bite." And Irving, ...

A 7 page paper which examines the image of the tragic hero who fights and the motives that make him fight in both works. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page paper which discusses "The Poorhouse Fair" by John Updike, as it relates to Updike's purpose and intent. No additional sources cited.

Freud once wrote about fiction - in an essay called, The Uncanny, in which he described the psychological processes that are often found in what may be called 'ghost' stories. This 8 page paper proposes that the 'ghost' or 'horror' story teaches the reader about themselves - what it is that lies deep within the unconscious and is in ...

(5 pp) The Peaceful Warrior by Dan Hillman has now been on bookshelves for over two decades. It is a "coming of age tale," but it is a "new age," one of mental awareness and maturity, as college student Danny has discussions, "journeys," and insights with his guide, Socrates, an old geezer-appearing ...

A 5 page paper which analyzes Toni Morrison's novel "Jazz." The paper discusses how Morrison's uses jazz and sexual identity as a foundation for the story. Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

The 'southern novel' is thought to be a separate literary genre and perhaps it is. This 6 page paper compares and contrasts The Color Purple by Alice walker and Tobacco Road by Erskine Caldwell. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

An 8 page essay that critically analyzes F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece of American fiction The Great Gatsby, which addresses some hard, but fundamental truths about the state of the country's moral compass in the years following World War I. While the motivations behind American achievement are presumably based on high moral principles, Fitzgerald pictured a ...

A 6 page overview of Alice Walker’s novel “The Color Purple”. Contends the most important message in this novel is the maturation of Celia from a woman who was treated as an object for other’s gratification to a woman who controlled her own destiny. Comments about the manner in which this maturation is ...

A 9 page fictional rendition of the maturation of a young African American boy from impressionable youth to determined man. Emphasizes the influence his experiences in a ten year stay in South Africa had on his eventual direction as an adult back in the United States. Notes the importance of cultural memories and ...