Essays and Research Papers on Asian Literature

This 5 page paper discusses the “Diary of Lady Murasaki,” a poet in the Heian court of Japan in 1000 AD. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

This 10 page research paper examines the topic of ero-guro-nansensu or "erotic-grotesque-nonsense" movement in Japan, which became prominent in the 1920s. At the forefront of this trend was Edogawa Rampo and the writer examines this Japanese literary genre focusing on Rampo and how two of his short stories, "The Human Chair" and "Caterpillar," epitomize ...

A 5 page paper on the way the characters of the four sisters in Tanizaki's classic novel epitomize a conflict of values, and values in transition in pre-war Japan. One source (the book itself) listed.

A 4 page essay that contrasts and compares two short stories, Ihara Saikaku's "Barrelmaker Brimful of Love" and Nawal El Saadawi's "In Camera." Saikaku's story is set in seventeenth century Japan and El Saadawi's narrative is set in twentieth century Egypt, yet both authors relate their particular society's perspective on social justice, in regards to ...

This is a 6 page paper discussing Jhumpa Lahiri’s “Interpreter of Maladies”. Jhumpa Lahiri (1967- ) wrote “Interpreter of Maladies”, a collection of nine short stories, in 1999 which since has been critically acclaimed in addition to having received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Although this was Lahiri’s first major publication, the cross-cultural, -gendered and ...

A 7 page essay/research paper that offers an analysis of Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni's 1995 short story collection, Arranged Marriage. This examination demonstrates that the underlying theme of the collection extends far beyond the limited scope implied by the title, as these stories encompass the various ways in which Indian girls and women adapt to a ...

This 4 page report discusses R.K. Narayan's (1906-2001) major undertaking with his "shortened prose version of the Indian epic" of The Ramayana, or (in translation) the "Tale of Prince Rama." Issues of colonialism, struggle, and empire are also considered. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 4 page essay that discusses the meaning of oppression in the lives of four Indian characters in Rohinton Misty's novel A Fine Balance. Only the source is cited.

A 5 page analysis of R.K. Narayan's The Guide. This fascinating book takes a look at Indian life from rather a different perspective. Raju, the protagonist, is something a rake and a confidence man, who gets trapped by his own scheme into actually becoming the person that he pretended to be. No additional sources cited.

This 5 page paper argues that “The Arabian Nights” borrowed a great deal from other literary traditions, including Indian, Persian and other Asian sources; as well as classical Greek sources. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page essay that discusses Bharati Mukherjee's provocative novel Jasmine tells the story of an Indian village woman's journey from her life in her native village to life in the United States and how this journey incorporates several transmutations of identity. This journey of self-discovery leads Mukherjee's protagonist from the traditional obligations of her ...

A 5 page paper that provides an overview of the story presented in Lord's book, and reflects on correlations between the actions and perceptions of the main protagonist and the life story of the author herself. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 5 page paper on this nonfiction work by Jung Chang. It tells the story of three generations of Chinese women in the author's family, and how the cataclysmic changes of the twentieth century affected their very different lives. Bibliography lists one source.

A 3 page discussion of this work of Japanese literature focusing on one specific scene. The writer analyzes the importance of Mr. Stevens' meeting with Miss Kenton as it relates to the story. No Bibliography.

A 5 page essay discussing the issue of sociocultural values in this acclaimed book. The writer examines various changes occurring in Japanese society as it became 'Westernized' and how such changes affect the characters in Tanizaki's novel.

Soseki's novel is analyzed in this 6 page paper. The writer's thesis seeks to demonstrate the timelessness of the Japanese work. The primary relationship in the work is discussed in depth through a character analysis in addition to the exploration of several of the author's themes. No additional sources are used.

An 8 page paper that provides a comparison of the family represented in these two works. This paper suggests that while Pa Chin's account of family interactions within a Chinese family compound presents familiar elements of the family structure in China, Hsueh-Chin's account supports a definitively different gender perspective. Bibliography lists no additional ...

A 5 page paper on this seminal work of modern Chinese fiction. It demonstrates how Wang departs from old romantic narrative patterns of traditional Chinese literature to show the opportunities and dilemmas of women in modern Chinese society.

A 5 page paper discussing two forms of cultural expression in relationship to modernism. The two forms discussed are literature and the cinema. These forms of cultural expression can be considered to be quite dissimilar, being that their essential framework is composed of slightly different ingredients, but despite these differences the essential modernism influence is ...

This 5 page essay analyzes Saikaku's story entitled Life of a Sensuous Man (translated). Two specific themes are discussed with citations to support the themes. Especially emphasized is Saikaku's use of irony. No additional sources cited.

In 5 pages, the author discusses "From Korea to Heaven Country by Lee Ki Chuck, looking at the story from a cultural heritage perspective. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 6 page research paper that examines the reign of Alexander the Great relative to how it changed the perceptions of monarchy in the hellenistic world. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 14 page overview of the importance of infrastructure in attracting investors in Vietnamese construction. Relates the economic problems the country is experiencing and proposed a research design for an alternative wastewater disposal project designed to be of both environmental and economic benefit. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

A 5 page paper contrasting the lives of women in 17th century China depicted in this book by Jonathan D. Spence with the lives of Chinese women today. The paper concludes that Chinese women today, regardless of class, have more options than were available to their seventeenth century counterparts. Bibliography lists one source.

A 6 page paper analyzing this autobiographical work by Maxine Hong Kingston. The paper looks at the degradation of women in traditional Chinese-American families, and shows how Kingston used myth to build a sense of self. No additional sources.