Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

(7 pp) Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 novel, The Scarlet Letter remains a masterpiece of American literature, defining the Puritan tradition of the early colonies. It was a psychological time of limits, boundaries and silences, particularly for women.

(6 pp) Few writers today have the ability to engender the classic horror tale in the same way that has been attributed to Edgar Allan Poe. Movies can illicit Jason in a hockey mask until it is time for him to apply for social security, but they will seldom have the class that our ...

A 5 page paper which provides a brief overview of each book, considers how the narrative voices in each affect the reader’s response to the novels (empathy), examines the underlying message in each book, whether or not the author’s point of view intrudes or leads to conclusions about themes and characters, discusses whether or not ...

In The Awakening, Kate Chopin presents the theme of sexual passion rather than a moralistic presentation of Victorian values. The story is focused on the portrayal of human sexuality and Chopin writes as an individual, a woman and as a member of a society which condemns such acts of passion. This 5 page paper explores the portrayal of ...

7 pages in length. Pudd'nhead Wilson is not only about an action gone awry. Thick with undercurrents of antebellum Southern culture, the book is a sad but true telling of the real criminal; that of society. This book shows the way in which both racial prejudice and slavery are the true crimes. Bibliography lists 10 ...

A 6 page paper which examines the novel’s theme, setting, character, and considers whether or not the book should be recommended, and if so, to whom. No additional sources are used.

A paper which looks at the various ways in which Steinbeck incorporates social comment in The Grapes of Wrath, such as the role of capitalism in the fate of the migrant farmers and the way in which Transcendentalist philosophy plays an important part in the fragmentation and realignment of the families.

A 5 page paper (4 pp. + 1 pg. outline) which examines the story’s description of Sylvia’s journey from girlhood to adulthood. No additional sources are used.

A 5 page paper which examines how houses and homes are represented in each novel. No additional sources are used.

(5 pp) Poetry is often thought of as the language of feelings. The wonderful thing that we have finally learned about feelings is, that they are neither right or wrong -they just exist. It is usually thought, that one person does not make another feel a certain way. Rather a given feeling ...

A 6 page paper which examines the story’s theme as well as the uses of irony and symbolism. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

10 pages. In studying several of the plays by Eugene O'Neill, one can find a recurrent theme running through each of them. That of the mother, or maternal figure, and different representations of this maternal personification. The plays that are pertinent to this theme within this particular paper are Desire Under the Elms; Strange Interlude; Long Days Journey ...

An 8 page paper which compares and contrasts McCarthy’s 1992 novel with director Billy Bob Thornton’s 2000 screen adaptation. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page paper which summarizes the play, examines its social message, and discusses the merits of the play as literature and as social commentary. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts the theme and tone of the novel and film, as well as the characters Rudy Baylor and Jonathan Lake. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines how the disillusionment with the American Dream is portrayed in each novel. No additional sources are used.

A 5 page paper which examines the novel’s protagonists and antagonists and how their characteristics put them in conflict; a description of this conflict and how it develops the action; considers how this conflict stems from contrasting ideas or values; examines the major characters’ dilemmas and how they are dealt with; whether or not they ...

A 7 page paper which discusses various elements in "A Woman of Independent Means" by Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey. The paper analyzes world changes and events and discusses how these affect the main character of Bess Steed Garner. The paper also discusses personal events, such as death, and analyzes how these affect Bess. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which discusses the elements of comedy in William Faulkner's "As I Lay Dying." The paper also discusses how these elements of comedy help to shape the novel. No additional sources cited.

This 5 page paper argues that In A Farewell To Arms by Ernest Hemingway, the metaphor of rain is used repeatedly as a symbol of separation and death. No additional sources are listed.

Renaissance refers to a time of transition, learning and growth in the arts, sciences and the social sphere. This 5 page paper explores the Southern Literary renaissance of the thirties and forties in the United States. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 6 page discussion of the presentation of the races made in these two classic books of black literature. Asserts that while a number of black writers have expressed their views on the frictions between blacks and whites and indeed the frictions between any groups of individuals who differ from one another is some specific ...

A 5 page paper which discusses how "House on Mango Street" by is a novel of development. The paper examines how Esperanza changes as the book progresses and how these changes tell the reader something of the character. No additional sources cited.

A 7 page paper which presents criticism of Kate Chopin's "The Awakening," and also analyzes particular aspects of Chopin's novel as they relate to the criticisms. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper which discusses various themes found within "The Great Gatsby." The paper discusses how the story is about Gatsby as well as Nick Carraway. The themes discussed involve the significance of the eyes of T. J. Eckleburg, the significance of Gatsby's pulling out his numerous silk shirts in front of Daisy, and the relevance of the ...