Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

This is a 5 page paper describing the lessons learned by the protagonists in Alice Walker’s “The Flowers” and Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal”. In Alice Walker’s “The Flowers” and Ralph Ellison’s “Battle Royal”, the protagonists each awakened from a naiveté regarding their “place” as African Americans within the society of the American South. The little ...

This 5 page paper provides an overview of Raymond Carver's compilation of stories entitled What We Talk About When We Talk About Love. The paper focuses on how marriage and family are portrayed and that is compared with how things are in contemporary society. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” as it involves a failed revolution. The film “Gandhi” is discussed in terms of possible approaches to a successful revolution. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper examining how three women authors approach female independence. Kate Chopin, Zora Neale Hurston and Anzia Yezierska all addressed the issue of female independence in the works considered here. Chopin's The Awakening, Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God and Yezierska's Bread Givers: A Struggle between a Father of the Old ...

A 5 page paper which examines the symbolism present in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.” Bibliography lists 6 additional sources.

A 5 page paper which examines Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” as they present the reader with the element of dark suspense. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines the title character in Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” in terms of what he stands for and what he represents. Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

A 5 page paper which how the motif of savior or Christ-like imagery is used. No additional sources are used.

This is a 5 page tutorial text paper analyzing Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1843). Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart” (1843) includes all of the elements required by Poe to make a complete short story. The tale contains the elements of terror felt by the narrator, his madness and his killing of the old man, ...

A 5 page paper which examines predominant themes, characters and events detailed in the book that were omitted from the film, considers any characters and events that were added to the film that did not appear in the book. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 8 page paper looks at the disturbing but infamous tale about a town that murders a lottery winner as an annual ritual. Reviews written prior to 1980 are compared to critiques published after that year. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page essay that contrasts and compares two short stories that deal with the relationship between communities and individuals, "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker and "No Name Woman" by Maxine Hong Kingston. The writer argues that Kingston's story is concerned with a broad perspective that shows how a sense of community is defined by ...

A 5 page research paper that examines Hemingway's characterization of Frederic Henry as a "Hemingway hero." The writer argues that Frederic personifies Hemingway's concept of heroism and also relates this to Hemingway's era. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines “Are These Actual Miles?” by Raymond Carver and “Hills Like White Elephants” by Ernest Hemingway as they relate to marriage. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines how C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia,” specifically the 5th book titled “The Horse and His Boy,” captures the minds of the readers. Bibliography lists 5 additional sources.

A 7 page research paper that explores the historical significance of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's famous short story "The Yellow Wallpaper" (1892). The writer discusses how the story dramatizes the effects of patriarchal medical opinions, which were popular in the late nineteenth century, and how they affected Gilman's protagonist, who slowly goes insane while being treated ...

A 5 page essay that examines Kate Chopin's short story "Desiree's Baby." The writer argues that in this story, Chopin utilizes irony to prove her point, which is that any disparity between the races is a matter of environment, upbringing and opportunity and not a factor of genetic inheritance. No additional sources cited.

A 14 page research paper that examines the work of Tillie Olsen, in particular her novel Yonnondio and her short story, "I Stand Here Ironing." The writer argues that Tillie Olsen's writing reflects her personal and political upbringing. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 5 page research paper that examines and analyzes Dave Barry's first novel Big Trouble. The writer argues that while the American reading public has long enjoyed Barry's slice-of-life comedy, this novel is somewhat of a departure for Barry as, while the novel is frequently hilarious, it also presents a grittier, seamier side of life ...

A 5 page essay that examines Jackson's short story "The Lottery." The writer argues that this story's basic theme is that institutions and traditions should not be respected simply because they have existed for a long time. "The Lottery" forces the reader to reconsider and reexamine preconceived notions of what is considered to be "good" ...

An 8 page analysis of Cormier's book for young adults, The Chocolate Wars. In sections that explore specific aspects of the book, the writer analyzes Cormier's prevailing themes, which concern the tyranny of a small group students known as the "Vigils." No additional sources cited.

This 5 page report discusses and compares the 1993 movie version (directed by Martin Scorsese) of “The Age of Innocence” with Edith Wharton’s original 1920 novel. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page paper dicusses "Wuthering Heights" by Emily Bronte and "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte. Specifically, this paper examines how each author presents the notion of real love versus infatuation in their novels. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper which compares Lightman’s 2000 fictional text to the experiences and observations of the average citizen, with references made from popular culture and the intersection between global technology and how human bodies are affected by technology. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page report discusses Ernest Gaines’ A Gathering of Old Men, originally published in 1983, and allows the reader to hear from a number of perspectives and voices about what the experience of being African American in the South has meant to individual old (black) men. The story is about 15 old ...