Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

A 3 page paper which examines Twain’s feelings on the Fugitive Slave Act (1850-1877) as seen in his novel “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.” Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

A 3 page discussion of the role of revenge as the central emotional element in this work. Just as Poe was preoccupied with death, disfigurement, and the darker aspects of the universe, so too was he preoccupied with the theme of revenge. This paper recounts the steps of this revenge as it is ...

A 10 page comparison of the philosophies of two of America’s most respected scholars. While Elshtain advocates working within the system to effect change, West advocates more aggressive measures which share many similarities with Marxism. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This is a 4 page paper comparing the dark themes and central characters in Hawthorne’s tales “Young Goodman Brown” and “The Minister’s Black Veil”. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s stories “Young Goodman Brown” (1845, 1846) and “The Minister’s Black Veil” (1836) tell of similar characters, Young Goodman Brown and Reverend Hooper, who cannot focus on their own sins ...

A 10 page paper which examines Stein’s fundamental role in the advancement of women by considering how her writing style, her controversial life, and her ideas of self-reliance and independence influenced the women’s rights movement. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 3 page paper considers two quotes from Huckleberry Finn, considers why and how they are racists, and how it demonstrates a racist attitude in the book. The bibliography cites 2 sources.

A 2 1/2 page paper which provides a character analysis of some of the characters in the short story “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell. Bibliography lists 3 additional sources.

A 4 page paper which examines the symbolic nature of white elephants in Ernest Hemingway’s short story “Hills Like White Elephants.” Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

This 3 page report discusses two very different American short stories, produced almost 150 years apart, demonstrate the important nuances of setting in the overall telling of a story. Bibliography lists only the two primary sources.

A 5 page research paper that examines William Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury and As I Lay Dying. The writer argues that these novels demonstrate the importance of self-sacrifice and compassion through the lack of these qualities in the dysfunctional family that is featured in each novel, respectively the Compsons and the Bundrens. Bibliography ...

A 4 page research paper that examines the generational conflict inherent in the mother/daughter relationship, which is exemplified in Amy Tan's short story "Two Kinds," which features a relationship between a Chinese-born mother and her American-born daughter. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page tutorial which assists the student in refining their rough draft of an essay on identities in Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye.” No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which analyzes Stephen Crane’s “The Red Badge of Courage” in relationship to Henry and Wilson. Bibliography lists 5 additional sources.

A 4 page paper which examines how the themes are developed through an analysis of protagonist Frances “Frankie” Addams. No additional sources are used.

This 5 page paper gives examples of foreshadowing in John Steinbeck's novel: Of Mice and Men. Examples of foreshadowing are taken directly from the text and cited. Explanations are included. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 10 page paper discusses Ernest Hemingway and his development of the 'Code Hero'. Examples from his own life which potentially influenced this evolution are offered as well as examples from Hills Like White Elephants'. Quotes cited from text. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page paper which compares how evil temptation affects the characters of Rev. Samuel Parris and the slave Tituba; John Proctor and Abigail Williams; and ‘Goodman’ Brown and his wife, Faith. No additional sources are used.

A 3 page paper which considers the similarities and differences between the female characters in The Chaser, Hills Like White Elephants, The Girls in their Summer Dresses and The Gift of the Magi, in terms of the way in which they are presented and their interaction with the other characters in the narratives. Bibliography lists ...

A four page paper which looks at the different ways in which authorial and character voice is used in three texts, Wieland, The Coquette and Uncle Tom's Cabin. The paper considers the use of the epistolatory narrative and dialogue as well as the way that ventriloquism is used for propagandist purposes in Wieland. Bibliography lists ...

An eight page paper which considers the role of Charlotte in Charlotte's Web and Billina in Ozma of Oz, in terms of their relationship to the main characters and the function of subordinate characters in the hero-quest narrative.

A 6 page paper which examines the use of puritan thought in Nathanial Hawthorne’s story “Young Goodman Brown.” Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

A 4 page paper which examines aspects of Nora’s character in “A Doll’s House” by Ibsen. No additional sources cited.

This 5 page report discusses the two essays by F. Scott Fitzgerald and E.B. White and suggests that they are representative of the mythological qualities that have been assigned to New York city. As such, the city is seen in terms of ancient myths involving a quest, accomplishment and reward. Bibliography lists 3 sources. ...

This 3 page paper provides an overview of the life and times of this great writer. His major works and publication dates are duly noted. An analysis of The Sun Also Rises is also included. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

5 pages in length. As two of the most outspoken and unforgettable figures in black history, Sojourner Truth and Frederick Douglass both sought to bring about cultural, social and gender change to an otherwise intolerant white society. Their literary efforts, forever bound and protected by time, have chronicled the struggles inherent to black Americans since ...