Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

This 8 page paper explores Stephen Spender's reflections of nazi persecution of homosexuals in his book, The Temple. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines how the element of symbolism is used in each short story. No additional sources are used.

A 5 page paper which discusses Mark Twain's use of Language and Imagery as literary elements in 'Life on the Mississippi.' No additional sources cited.

A 5 page essay that paraphrases, or restates, the principal points of Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous essay 'Self-Reliance.' No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines how symbolism is used as a literary device throughout the play, and includes criticism from, among others, the playwright and the play’s original director, Elia Kazan. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 5 page paper which analyzes two characters from each of the stories, "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller, and "Young Goodman Brown" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The character discussed are Elizabeth and John in "the Crucible," and Goodman Brown and Faith in "Young Goodman Brown." Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

A 10 page paper which considers the book’s thesis, a review of the contents, what the author accomplished, its strengths and weaknesses, and to whom this book would appeal. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

O’Neill, Thoreau & Whitman – On Societal Inequities: This 7-page essay compares Eugene O’Neill’s “The Hairy Ape”, Henry Thoreau’s “Walden” and Walt Whitman’s “Song of Myself.” In addition, these works are used to explore sociological ideologies germane to Man’s need to belong, economic disparities between classes and the like. Coming from different walks ...

A 5 page paper which discusses how Ken Kesey's character of McMurphy, in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," is representative of Christ. No additional sources cited.

Skeletons in the closet were, once upon a time, left there to clatter in the wind and to scare the children of the household. This 5 page paper explores the role of ancestors as examples in William Kennedy's Very Old Bones. No additional sources are listed.

This 8-page comparative essay examines Faulkner’s, “A Rose for Emily” and “The Sound and the Fury” relevant to the concept of time. Each of the major characters holds fast to an idea of time that is far afield of reality. Yet, all the divergent viewpoints eventually do seem appropriate in light of the themes ...

A 5 page paper which examines how the ideas in Kingsolver’s collection of essays, “High Tide in Tucson” appear in the content and style of “Pigs in Heaven.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page essay that discusses how director Ridley Scott's movie Blade Runner expanded creatively on the themes presented by Philip K. Dick's novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? The writer argues that Scott's film actually improves on the story presented in the novel through the changes made in the adaptation, while preserving the ...

A 5 page examination of Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous essay "Self-Reliance." The writer discusses how Emerson urged his American readership to have faith in themselves and also in what was still a very new nation, the United States of America. The writer argues that his essay shows that, in so doing, Emerson summarized characteristics of ...

A paper which looks at the elements of realism within Dreiser’s ‘Sister Carrie’, and in particular the way in which the main characters interact with society, and cope with their ostracism from mainstream culture as a result of their non-conformist behaviour.

(5 pp) Faulkner likes to present a character to us as he appears to others and as he in fact appears to himself. There will be times when these two views are definitely opposing, such is the case of Joe Christmas: a mixture of black and white, with no resting place in ...

A paper which considers the complicated and ambiguous ending of Philip Dick’s novel. The Man in the High Castle, looks at ways in which the ending might be re-written, and considers the effect that such alteration would have on the text of the narrative as a whole.

A 10 page research paper that focuses on Edgar Allan Poe's use of satire in his short story "The Spectacles." However, the writer also includes biographical information on Poe, as well as the evaluation of Poe by various critics. Bibliography lists 20 sources.

Faulkner and Larsen in the Context of Racism: This 8-page comparative essay examines William Faulkner’s “Light in August” and Nella Larsen’s “Passing” for the common and contrasting threads pertinent to the racial undercurrents that are a part of this country’s cultural legacy. While coming from totally divergent backgrounds these two critically acclaimed American authors both ...

A 5 page paper which reviews the book "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin. No additional sources cited.

A paper which looks at Mordecai Richler’s The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, particularly in terms of the way in which the relationships which Duddy has with his family and others contribute to the formation of his character and the impulses which motivate him to achieve his goals of material success.

A 10 page paper which analyzes and interprets the novel by employing practical literary criticism and application of literary theory. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page paper which analyzes how that quote relates to the book as a whole. No additional sources are used.

A 5 page essay/research paper that examines how Edgar Allan Poe used satire in his short story "The Spectacles." The writer argues that Poe possessed considerable skill as a satirist, as this story mocks the romantic conventions of his era making the romantic emphasis on appearance a laughable farce. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

Comparing Ideologies -- Frederick Douglass and Henry David Thoreau: This 5-page comparative essay examines the critically acclaimed works by these two American authors -- Douglass,’ “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass An American Slave” and Thoreau’s, “Civil Disobedience” -- looking for the elements of connection and disparity. Bibliography lists 2 sources. SNFredth.doc