Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 5 page paper which discusses different elements of style as seen in Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms." Bibliography lists 3 additional sources..

A seven page paper which looks at the life of Emily Dickinson, the reasons for her poetry being published posthumously, and the ways in which her poetry reflects her lifestyle and her attitudes. Bibliography lists 5 sources

A 6 page investigation into Poe’s use of emotion in this macabre story of horror. Contends that Poe’s utilization of emotion is two faceted, consisting of a deep undercurrent of masked emotion punctuated only periodically with the raw unleashed acknowledgment of emotion. Emphasizes that Poe uses this more subtle approach to emotion to ...

A five page paper which looks at the two works Black No More and Bright and Morning Star and compares the narratives in terms of genre, technique and themes, with regard to the way in which the two authors treat the themes of racial bigotry and discrimination within a predominantly white society. Bibliography lists 4 sources

A 6 page paper comparing and contrasting these two short stories. Emphasizes that Kate Chopin was one of the greatest female writers of the late 1800s. Concentrating on short stories, Chopin used her extraordinary talent to illuminate the societal plight of women during the Victorian era. While Chopin is distinctive in her own ...

Ernest Hemingway may be the best known enigma that ever graced the American literary scene. This 5 page paper explores the man as he is represented by the character of Santiago in The Old Man And The Sea. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

This 5 page paper provides an overview of the book. Several themes are discussed and some of the women's stories are touched on. No additional sources cited.

(5 pp) Steinbeck's 1937 novel of Mice and Men is a classic study in lost or unfulfilled dreams. Do we have different dreams at different times of our lives? Is it possible for a group of people to share a dream? Can dreams be fulfilled? Do dreams serve ...

(6 pp) The legend goes that when Abraham Lincoln met diminutive Harriet Beecher Stowe, he said to her, "Ah - you are the little lady that started the "great war." Certainly that is not quite the truth but Stowe's book did have a great influence on the events of the time. This ...

A 10 page research paper that investigates Stephen King's technique as a short story writer. This analysis looks at five of King's short stories from his Nightmares & Dreamscapes collection and also offers some basic biographical information. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 5 page report discusses two of the most important event of the second half of the 20th century and the ways in which very different individuals responded to them. Using Anne Moody’s “Coming of Age in Mississippi” and Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” illustrates the ways in which individual people have their lives determined through their reactions ...

A 5 page paper which examines how Mark Twain’s personal attitudes about the issue of slavery may have been incorporated into his classic novel, considering specifically whether or not the conflict between Huck’s ambivalence about slavery and his affection for Jim reflected Twain’s own inner conflict. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page report discusses two novels and the ways in which the characters react and interact with the natural world. James Welch presents a world in which all aspects of life are changed by the arrival of white men and their horses and guns. Alfredo Vea, Jr.’s “La Maravilla” presents a world that was once known and understood and ...

(5 pp) When we first begin to make the effort of learning, or deciding who we are, or who we want to be, we usually have to take into account how others perceive us. Naturally the first who do that are our parents. We have that problem presented in the readings that we ...

A 5 page paper which illustrates how Arthur C. Clarke's predictions, in "Childhood's End," have come to pass. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

A 5 page paper which examines how the film was more successful at portraying the heroine as a strong female character in her world which is dominated by men. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page outline of the stories which unfold in these three books. The author utilizes a feminist approach to conclude that in comparison to the weaknesses of human nature, the scenarios which unfold in these books reveal the importance on relying on something stronger than humanity. We must look to our spirituality ...

This 5 page paper considers this apparent simple, yet understated character in this short story. Bill Miller is a bookkeeper and in looking at the character of this man we can see reflections of the way in which the exterior of anyone may be seen as concealing hidden depths and desires which may manifest as ...

A 5 page paper which discusses the themes of love and death in two of William Faulkner's tales. The stories discussed are "A Rose for Emily" and "Barn Burning." No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper. This essay on this well-known story by Hemingway focuses on three topics of symbolism: religion, endurance and suffering loss. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

5 pages in length. Postwar activities inherently reflect the inevitable process of catch-up and convergence; while this process takes place, scores of people work diligently as a means by which to piece their lives back together. The social, political and economic chaos that ensued in the South after World War II illustrated the ...

This 7 page paper provides information on each work and compares and contrasts the two. The American Dream is discusses as a thematic element. Race as it pertains to both works is discussed. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 6 page paper which examines the play’s genre, its purpose, structural elements (plot, conflict, characterization, setting), the dialogue, the themes, what the movement reveals, other elements employed to enhance the structure, and the meaning of the title. Also considered are the significance the play has on the contemporary theatre, the play’s original production, ...

An 8 page essay that examines two works. Like Arthur Miller's famous play Death of a Salesman, Andre Dubus' novel House of Sand and Fog largely concerns the obtainment of the American Dream, and what this means in the life of the protagonist in each work. While these protagonists are extremely different, they are ...

A five page paper which compares short extracts from the three texts and looks at the ways in which they deal with specific themes concerning racism, the family and the role of women in the progression from slavery, through segregation, towards integration in the USA. Bibliography lists 3 sources