Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts the stories “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen and “The Story of an Hour” and “The Storm” by Kate Chopin. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This is a 5 page paper discussing the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe using the examples of “The Cask of Amontillado”, “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Raven”. Comments by critics, fans and a biographer are included. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

This is a 7 page paper discussing the novels “Neuromancer” by William Gibson and “Slaughterhouse-five” by Kurt Vonnegut. While both novels incorporate the traditional themes found in the science fiction genre of futuristic elements and devices, they also introduce the 20th century format of science fiction which uses escapism to explore contemporary themes extrapolated to ...

This is a 5 page paper discussing the similarities and differences found in the autobiographical book “Rocket Boys” by Homer Hickam and the movie “October Sky” which was a portrayal of the book on screen. Although the movie exaggerates several aspects in the book and condenses several years and characters, the vital components and the ...

A 6 page paper which examines “The Artist of the Beautiful” and “Roger Malvin’s Burial” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The paper examines how Hawthorne’s stories reflect themes and elements of mythology. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines their differing codes of conduct, and how they choose separate paths to find happiness. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines Flannery O’Connor and her work. The paper discusses the influence of various aspects of cultural realities during in her time period. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines how Jack Kerouac’s novel “Dharma Bums” illustrates East meeting West in terms of social and spiritual endeavors. No additional sources cited.

This 5 page paper looks at the assumption that Willy Loman is just a product of America, and argues that such is not the case. Mary McCarthy's views are used as a springboard for discussion. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts Linda from “Death of a Salesman” and Amanda from “The Glass Menagerie.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines various forms of allegory in William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies.” Bibliography lists 9 sources.

A 7 page paper which examines how the author explores the race problem in “Pudd’nhead Wilson” and his analysis of race in “Huckleberry Finn” by focusing on the individual characterizations of Roxy and Jim. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines maturing and coming of age in Maya Angelou’s “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” and J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines the significance and meaning of invisibility in Ralph Ellison’s “The Invisible Man.” The paper argues that his invisibility is directly linked to a theme of blindness and lack of social responsibility. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

6 pages. George Orwell's well-known classic Animal Farm is known to many to be an obvious satire of the Russian Revolution. This paper compares the book to that event to examine how Orwell created a fable about animals to get his political views aired. This is an excellent comparison paper on Animal ...

This is a 6 page paper discussing Harriet Jacob’s story “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl”. Harriet Jacobs’ account of her story of slavery, her desire for freedom yet her desire to remain close to her family is well depicted in her “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” (1861). In the ...

A 5 page paper which examines how “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is a very good example of how a good novel does more than tell a good story. No additional sources cited.

This 5 page paper looks at Tennessee Williams' A Streetcar Named Desire and Kate Chopin's The Awakening and analyzes these works from an existentialist point of view. Nietchze is discussed. Characters Edna and Blanche are compared and contrasted. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This is a 6 page paper comparing the lovers theme in “A Farewell to Arms” and “The Sorrows of Young Werther”. Ernest Hemingway and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe both developed stories which defied conventional thought for the sake of the lovers, love and passion within their time. Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms” tells of a ...

A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts D.H. Lawrence’s “The Horse Dealer’s Daughter” and James Joyce’s “Finnegan’s Wake.” Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

This 5 page paper discusses the significance of rain in A Farewell to Arms. Rain is used in this novel to depict loss and examples are given to justify this thesis. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines different elements and perspectives in Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” and Bernard Shaw’s “Mrs. Warren’s Profession.” Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page paper which examines how different characters must deal with circumstances that they did not invent, but which clearly influence their lives. The characters discussed are Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jeckyll, and Gus McCrae from “Dead Man’s Walk” by Larry McMurtry. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page critical essay which examines the affirmation of life in Eudora Welty’s novels and short stories. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page paper looks at Willy Loman's inability to face reality. Many aspects of this tragic personality are considered. The relationships he has with his wife and sons are explored . No additional sources cited.