Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

This is a 6 page paper describing the themes and American dream aspects of John Steinbeck’s “Tortilla Flat”. The novel tells of one aspect of the American dream and that is of friendship and camaraderie overcoming poverty and hopelessness. “Tortilla Flat” has often been compared to “Camelot” and the tales of “King Arthur” as the ...

A 5 page paper which compares the character of Jay Gatsby in “The Great Gatsby” with Robert Cohn from “The Sun Also Rises.” No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines the symbolic relationship between man and nature in “O Pioneers” by Willa Cather. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines several themes from Henry James’ “Daisy Miller.” Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

A 6 page paper which examines the roles and significance of women in William Faulkner’s “Absalom, Absalom” and John Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath.” No additional sources cited.

This is a 5 page paper discussing the theme of freedom in “The Scarlet Letter”. Written in 1850, during a time when independence was at the forefront of the minds of Americans, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” tells the tale of an oppressive and restrictive society which condemns independent thought. Hester Prynne, as the main ...

A 5 page paper which discusses Virginia Woolf’s concept of the moment of being, as seen in “Mrs. Dalloway,” and James Joyce’s concept of the epiphany as seen in “The Dead.” No additional sources cited.

A 5 page research paper/essay in which the writer explores the Faulkner's characterization of "Miss Emily" and the forces that drove her insane. The writer argues that through the story's structure, Faulkner offers a critical analysis of the social pressures that were the lot of women from upper class families during this era. Bibliography lists ...

A 5 page paper which examines how Robert Louis Stevenson builds suspense and mystery in his novel “The Strange Case of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde.” No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which discusses the theme of abortion, and the decision concerning having an abortion, found in “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 7 page paper which discusses the importance of property and possessions in “Grapes of Wrath” and “The Sun Also Rises.” The paper illustrates how while the two stories present people who understand that material wealth is nothing, the family in “Grapes of Wrath” perceive such differently as they believe that property, land, is the most valuable possession one could ...

A 5 page paper which compares the styles, plots, symbolism, themes, and characterizations of Anton Chekhov and Flannery O’Connor. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

This is a 7 page paper about the life and works of Arthur Miller. Arthur Miller was one of the major playwrights in the 20th century and continues to be one today into the beginning of the 21st century. Born in New York and educated in Michigan, Miller returned to New York to write and ...

This 5 page paper discusses the novel Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry in terms of racism. This paper probes the issue of what the reader learns of racism and life in the American South through reading this book. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines how the physical or metaphorical separation or attachment to Europe and or America is evident in these two works. No additional sources are used.

A 5 page essay that examines two of the novels from Paul Auster's "New York Trilogy," City of Glass and Ghosts. The writer uses these novels to discuss the concept of the city and how it affects the construction of identity. No additional sources cited.

This 10 page paper discusses 3 authors: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemmingway, and Henry James all of whom were expatriates in seach of 'truth' amid their disillusionment. Furthermore, these writers are discussed in terms of how their personal feelings are reflected in their literary works. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

This 8 page paper discusses the similarities between Goblin Market and fairy tales in general. Examples from the text of Goblin Market highlight the information in this paper. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 10 page paper which discusses the use of grammar and profanity in J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye.” The paper examines how it was perceived at the time of publication and how it is perceived now. Bibliography lists 12 sources.

A 5 page research paper that examines Roy Hobb's search for identity in Bernard Malamud's novel The Natural. The paper includes a prewriting questionnaire. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page paper is a comprehensive summary of McTeague; A Story of San Francisco, a realistic and dark book by Frank Norris. The bibliography cites 2 sources.

This is a 5 page paper discussing time elements used in “Diving into the Wreck”, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and “Song of Solomon”. Adrienne Rich, T.S. Eliot and Toni Morrison all use effective perspectives to explore psychological time and history in their works “Diving into the Wreck”, “The Love Song of J. ...

A 5 page paper presenting an historical, albeit fictitious, conversation among these three authors. The works being discussed are: Whitman's Crossing Brooklyn Ferry; Auster's City of Glass and Kerouac's On the Road. The writers discuss symbolism and similarities and differences among these three works. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines how the poet’s childhood, influences, literary movement and beliefs inspired him to become the distinctive writer he was. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

This is a 6 page paper discussing the effectiveness of the female protagonist in “Beloved” and “Oranges Are not the Only Fruit”. The effectiveness of the female protagonist in literature is often linked with the strength found in the central character who can be considered a proactive participant for a particular cause. The female protagonists ...