Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 7 page paper which examines and discusses the claim that J.D. Salinger, in “Catcher in the Rye,” provided the reader an America in which Holden Caulfield is punished for innocence. The paper discusses the character of Holden and Mr. Antolini as representatives of innocence and wisdom. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A review of Michael Shaara's epic novel of the Civil War, The Killer Angels, which looks in particular at the development of the main characters, especially Longstreet.

This is an 8 page paper discussing Huckleberry Finn in relation to racism, realism and social Darwinism. When the “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was released in 1884, it was originally thought to be considered racist and has over the years been banned from many reading lists in schools. Upon further reflection however, critics believe that ...

This 5 page report discusses two primary characters who are well-known in terms of literary, social, and historical commentary and considers their development as would be applied in Sigmund Freud’s understanding of human personality. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 10 page paper which examines chapters 87 and 88 of Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick” and discusses present themes of domesticity as they relate to the society of Melville’s time. Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

This is a 6 page paper discussing the symbolism as portrayed by the coyote as similar to that of the American attitude toward illegal immigrants in the United States. T.C. Boyle’s “The Tortilla Curtain” tells an effective story of illegal immigration in Southern California. While he tells the story of several characters throughout the novel ...

A 5 page paper which examines points of contrasts between the realism in “The Empty House” by Algernon Blackwood and the naturalism in “The Lost Phoebe” by Theodore Dreiser. No additional sources cited.

A 6 page paper which examines the use of romanticism in the work of Nathaniel Hawthorne. “The Scarlet Letter,” “The House of the Seven Gables” and “The Blithedale Romance” are all discussed. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page research paper essay on Glenn David Gold's novel Carter Beats the Devil. In this work, Gold adopts a real-life individual, Charles Carter, a famous magician from the 1920s, and offers a fictionalized version of his life, which interweaves events and people from history into the narrative. The writer focuses on how Gold ...

A 6 page essay that compares several of Hawthorne's works. Using short stories, "Young Goodman Brown," "My Kinsman, Major Molineux," "The Minister's Black Veil, " and "Rappaccini's Daughter," and also Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter. The writer discusses themes of sin and evil that permeate Hawthorne's work. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines the use of symbolism in Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery.” Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper which compares and contrasts the strengths and weaknesses of male characters The Colonel, Leonce Pontellier, Robert Lebrun and Alcee Arobin, from a feminist perspective. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page paper which analyzes one of Hemingway’s earliest short stories from the 1920s. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines the point of view presented in Edith Wharton’s short story “His Father’s Son.” Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

A 10 page research paper that examine three stories by Ernest Hemingway in regards to his concept of masculinity. The stories are "The End of Something," "The Three-Day Blow," and "Cross-Country Snow." The writer argues against the conventional interpretation of these stories, which sees Hemingway as misogynist. Instead, the writer sees these stories as presenting ...

A 5 page discussion of the content and curricular merit of this book illustrating the journey of twelve-year old Matthew Dunn’s trip back to his mother’s tribal homeland in northeastern Alberta. This paper contends that this book is a welcome change from many of the more stereotypical depictions of Native Americans. No additional ...

A 5 page discussion of the parallels drawn by Upton Sinclair’s 1906 book and the period which would come to be known as the Progressive era. The author of this paper contends that “The Jungle” exposes this period in a manner in which few of his time dared. Sinclair attacked one of the basic ...

This 12 page paper gives a brief summary of these books by Robert Graves. However, the paper primarily focuses on Claudius and compares Robert Graves' version of Claudius to the actual historical version of the same person. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

This 5 page paper discusses the book "Mill and Town in South Carolina" by David L. Carlton. This book is about the early days of the cotton mills and Carlton uses this book to describe the cotton industry, race relations, culture in the South, etc. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 5 page paper discusses the novel "The Quiet American" by Graham Greene. This paper examines the book as well as including historical information and conclusions. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 5 page paper discusses the book 'How Can I Help? Stories and Reflections on Service' by Ram Dass and Paul Gorman. This inspirational book is filled with real-life stories of heroism and courage. Bibliography list 1 source.

This 5 page paper dicusses the idea of wilderness according to Thoreau, who often wrote about it. Many of Thoreau's works are examined for examples. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 6 page paper dicusses the characters of Bone, Raylene and Daddy Glen. Specifically, this paper analyzes these characters in terms of class, sex, and gender. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 8 page paper dicusses this book and Mary E. Elkins Freeman, its author. This book is interpreted as well as selctions given as examples. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 5 page paper considers the different types of love that are portrayed in this novel set in 1890’s Nebraska. The loves include love of the land, for the family and also youthful passion. The bibliography cites 3 sources.