Essays and Research Papers on American Literature

This 6 page paper discusses the theme of love as portrayed in Ernest Hemingway's book, The Sun Also Rises. Quotes cited from text. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

A 2 1/2 page paper which discusses similarities between Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and Joyce Carol Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been.” No additional sources cited.

This 4 page paper provides an overview of the work and explores characterization. The focus of the report is on the character Gaius Marius. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which examines a few of Angela Carter’s short stories as they reflect her statement of how she likes to put “new wine in old bottles.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page discussion of Poe’s characteristic use of setting to accentuate his tales of horror. In “The Oval Portrait”, “The Raven”, and “The Fall of the House of Usher”, however, we find considerable differences in Poe’s use of setting. Although his approach in each of these stories is distinct, however, they are ...

An 8 page paper which examines some of the stories presented in Clarissa Pinkola Estes’ “Women Who Run with the Wolves.” No additional sources cited.

A 4 page paper which examines the position of Captain Vere and the position of Billy Budd in “Billy Budd” by Herman Melville. No additional sources cited.

This 8 page paper discusses Mark Twain's irreverant "Letters from the Earth" and his view of creation. Also included are the viewpoints of such authors as Harold Bloom, Elaine Pagels, Carl Sagan, and Asimov. Annotated Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 12 page paper discusses the messages of Raymond Carver through the various relationships he depicts in his short stories. Stories analyzed include: Gazebo, Fat, What We Talk About, Vitamins, Cathedral. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page paper which examines how the film relied on the visual techniques of mise-en-scene, cinematography, lighting, the use of soundtrack, changes in the point of view, presentation of theme and the alteration of style to distinguish its storytelling from that of the novel. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 7 page paper discusses the mother-daughter relationship in Rebecca Wells' book, The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. Quotes cited from the text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 5 page paper provides an overview of this futuristic novel. It is discussed from a feminist perspective. Various issues about present day society and the future utopian society contained in the book are each discussed. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 9 page paper discusses how Fitzgerald relayed the idea of a wasteland in "The Great Gatsby" and how Mason relayed the idea of a wasteland in "Shiloh". These two works, although very different, both reveal deficits in human character, thereby creating a "wasteland". Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the role of Emily in regards to her killing Homer. This paper analyzes her motivations and attempts to conclude whether Emily was a criminal, a lunatic or a heroine. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 5 page paper discusses these two classic Wharton novels. This paper compares how each of these novels addresses the issue of innocence and experience, and how innocence is lost through experience. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 9 page paper discusses the character of Tom, and how he can be likened to that of a Christ-figure. This paper discusses how Tom uses Christian values to combat slavery. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 3 page paper examines how these two notable works exhibit both class and racial prejudice. This paper furthermore highlights how these issues benfitted as well as disadvantaged society. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This is a 5 page paper discussing feminism in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s story “The Yellow Wallpaper”. Charlotte Perkins Gilman uses various elements of feminism within her 19th century story “The Yellow Wallpaper”. The main character in the tale remains a nameless narrator who is a woman who is restless, anxious and depressed about her domestic ...

A 3 page essay that examines Flannery O'Connor's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find." The writer argues that this is a short, but intensive psychological study. Although there are other characters in the story, it is principally about the elderly woman referred to as the grandmother and the escaped criminal who ...

A 2 1/2 page paper which examines William Faulkner’s short story “That Evening Sun” in relationship to a statement of Faulkner’s wherein he stated that literature should help an individual “prevail, not merely endure.” No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines why this text should be regarded as a naturalist novel. No additional sources are used.

A 4 page paper which examines the themes of democratic freedom, diversity, the celebration of individual and the common man, and considers the language Whitman uses to convey his message. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page essay that argues that Twain took a sociological stance in his book The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson. While Twain's story is set in the antebellum era, it addresses sociological attitudes that were still prevalent throughout American society. People honestly believed that racist conventions, such as segregationist policies, could be rationalized through ...

This 6 page paper discusses the historical, cultural and biographical background/influences which may have contributed to the writing of Joseph Heller's book, Catch-22. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This is a 4 page paper discussing language and style used in passages from Jules Verne’s “Around the World in Eighty Days” (1873) and Paul Theroux’s “The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train Through Asia” (1977). A comparison of travel logs while in the city of Bombay as described in Jules Verne’s “Around the World in ...