Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 10 page paper which compares and contrasts "Passing" by Nella Larsen and "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The paper argues that the two individuals are clearly influenced by society in their endeavors to be something different, yet they are both clearly controlled by their past as well. Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

The Puritans strongly aligned the roles found within the Christian context with social roles. This 6 page review of the book, Samuel Adams, Radical Puritan by William Fowler explores the connection between a political career and the Puritan belief. No additional sources are listed.

In this 6 page paper, the writer considers how successful Washington Irving and Nathaniel Hawthorne were in distancing themselves from the tales they told. Irving makes a statement that the tale he is about to report was not written by him and he is simply reporting the story. Hawthorne makes no comments of this nature. ...

Horror stories are built on two elements: a journey into the unknown (such as the subconscious, an experience or circumstance) and surprise or suspense. This 5 page paper explores the elements of theme, character, setting and point of view in Stephen King's short story, Suffer The Little Children. No additional sources are listed.

10 pages in length. Critics have long heralded E. L. Doctorow's Welcome To Hard Times as significantly more realistic of the Western frontier than what other books and Hollywood movies have depicted. Conspicuously absent from Doctorow's version is the squeaky clean, overly friendly image in late nineteenth century society, where men were praised ...

A 5 page paper which considers whether or not Billy Pilgrim is a modern-day Jesus, and if so, how this impacts the novel’s message. No additional sources are used.

This 5 page report discusses the haunting short story “The Yellow Wallpaper,” written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (1860-1935), is both a feminist exploration of the ways in which women of Gilman’s time were limited to a very narrow definition of what was socially acceptable for them and a declaration of realism regarding the inherent damage done to women because ...

This 6 page report discusses two of the most popular American fiction writers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries are Stephen King and Toni Morrison. King is often condemned as nothing more than a marketing phenomenon or that his writing is just a game of gore and horror but King is a writer that takes chances while dealing with ...

A 5 page paper which argues that Newman, in Henry James' "The American," serves to offer the reader religious undertones. The paper argues that the character of Newman symbolically presents the immorality of the British class system. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

This 6 page report discusses the most basic aspects of Henry David Thoreau (1817-62) and the two years he spent at a crude cottage beside Walden Pond, a small body of water outside Concord, Massachusetts. Walden is essentially a daily account of his stay in the woods, of which he wrote, “Every morning was a cheerful invitation to make ...

5 pages. Many texts culminate in a trial, verdict, and punishment in which an individual gets sacrificed for the alleged good of a system; in Herman Melville's Billy Budd, the system 'saved' is the British Navy. In The Caine Mutiny, the punishment gets thwarted, but the lawyer's speech prevents any celebration of this ...

This 5 page considers the beginning of this William Golding book, (chapters 1 – 5), and examines the book with reference to the statement made by Jack; " Say "we've got to have rules and obey them. After all were not savage". The bibliography cites 1 source.

A five page paper which compares the concept of the Trickster in Mark Twain’s ‘Huckleberry Finn’ and the Brer Rabbit stories of Joel Chandler Harris, with reference to the Trickster as a folk-hero, the connection with traditional African narratives, and the way in which trickery is perceived depending on the ethics of the situation. Bibliography lists ...

An 8 page paper which examines how Poe innovatively employed the use of symbolism throughout his last short story. Bibliography lists 11 sources.

Metaphors enable individuals to communicate ideas surrounding complex and, or, intimate experiences. This 5 page paper argues that Twain uses metaphors to bring a deeper meaning to the action of the story, specifically as it is concerned with Jackson's Island. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper which illustrates how O'Brien, in "The Things They Carried," uses structure to illustrate the evolution of the protagonist Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, as well as to develop two major themes, reality vs. fantasy and leadership. No additional sources cited.

A 12 page paper which discusses many of the elements and events within William Golding's "Lord of the Flies," all of which lead to a deterioration of order. Bibliography lists 1 additional sources.

This 10 page paper considers this factually based book which examines the relationship between the English, the French and the Native Americans in the early eighteenth century. This is undertaken through the story of the Williams family, following the story of Eunice Williams who chooses not to return when her family are released. The ...

A six page paper which looks at the concept of the hero in two novels about the Vietnam war, Tim O’Brien’s ‘The Things They Carried’ and Richard Currey’s ‘Fatal Light’, in terms of the way in which the protagonists comply with or differ from the traditional notion of the hero in mythology and the ...

A 5 page essay that analyzes Hemingway's short story "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place." The writer describes the action of the narrative and discusses the implications of the main theme. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page critique of Stephen Crane’s “Red Badge of Courage”. Suggests that Crane’s characterizations in the “Red Badge of Courage” offer some of the most criticized aspects of his work. Noting that Crane chooses in most cases to refer to his characters by description rather than by name, this paper points ...

This 5 page paper considers Joyce Carol Oates and her book 'Them'. The writer outlines what they like about this book, how it can be read and the value that a reader may gain from this social writer and this compelling, yet disturbing story. The bibliography cites 1 source.

This 5 page paper looks at the character of Addie in William Faulkner's book 'As I lay Dying'. The book looks at the relationship between Addie and her children both before and after her death. Themes of rivalry, sanity and obsession are all considered. The bibliography cites 1 source.

A 5 page paper which discusses connections between "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by Joanne Rowling and "Beowulf" as they involve literature and historical connections. The paper also discusses the similarities between the character of Harry Potter and that of Beowulf. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

This 5 page report discusses the idea that American writers of the 18th and 19th centuries can be classified as either "Redskins" or "Pale Faces." The Redskins reflect more closely with the American Experience while the Palefaces reflect a far more European influence. Walt Whitman and Mark Twain are used as examples of “redskins,” while Henry James and Henry Wadsworth ...