Essays and Research Papers on British Literature

5 pages in length. Without the inclusion of characterization, plot and irony, there would be little point in constructing any works of literature whatsoever, for these literary terms describe the very heart of a story's content. The people within a tale must have a sense of existence, which is what characterization gives to ...

A 5 page paper looking at various anecdotes concerning food or eating in Jonathan Swift’s 'Gulliver’s Travels,' and analyzing the way Swift uses them to comment satirically upon the human condition. No additional sources.

A 5 page paper on this poignant little 1878 novella. The paper concentrates on the characterizations of Daisy Miller and Frederick Winterbourne, and shows how their relationship was affected by their difference in social class. No additional sources.

A 5 page paper which examines the tension that exists in John Milton’s works in regards to humanities dreams, which involve pure spirituality, and the reality, which involves the gross and decayed. For the most part, Milton provides the tension by illustrating how God is pure and man is involved in a constant struggle to exist in that purity, ...

A 7 page paper which compares British author C.S. Lewis’ book, 'The Screwtape Letters,' to Plato’s 'Phaedrus' to examine the three ways in which the twentieth century Christian thinker might have revealed himself to be a Platonist. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In 5 pages the author discusses the use of supernatural in Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights.' Death is the only thing that can bring two star-crossed lovers together. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 6 page paper looking at Samuel Richardson’s eighteenth century novel. The paper discusses Richardson’s use of letters and journal entries to advance plot and express characterization, and concludes that the gradual revelation of the plot and characterization in “real time” allows the reader to know what Pamela knows, as she knows it, and thus ...

An 8 page paper looking at the ethical dilemmas presented by genetics and /or cloning in these two science fiction novels by Mary Shelley and Aldous Huxley, respectively. The paper argues that science and technology should serve man, not the other way around, and ethics should always present a higher priority than the lure of ...

A 6 page paper looking at this 1929 novel by Thomas Wolfe in terms of its reflection of Wolfe’s real childhood and adolescence. The paper argues that through the act of writing this novel, Wolfe struggled to come to terms with who he was, who he was becoming, and what he wanted to be. Bibliography ...

A 3.5 page paper which defines the term ‘realism,’ then examines how it is used in Henry James’ 1877 novel, 'Daisy Miller,' through descriptive passages and characters. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A seven page paper looking at Milan Kundera’s 1984 novel in terms of the literary devices and techniques that shape it. The paper concludes that its abundant use of symbolism and its surreal tone give Kundera’s novel the feeling of a dream.

A five page paper on Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.” The paper shows how the conventions of the stories expose social expectations and conflicts within the British culture in which they were produced. Bibliography lists three sources.

5 pages in length. On the surface, Margaret and Mrs. Wilcox of E.M. Forster's 'Howard's End' appear to be two completely different entities whose quests are reaching in opposite directions; however, upon closer inspection, the reader gains significant insight to the fact that the two women are truly more similar than even they realize. ...

A 5 page paper on the way the author’s ethical stance is developed through characterization in H.G. Wells’ novel. The paper asserts that the protagonist Prendick is a human being in a way that Dr. Moreau is not, and the Beast People can not be, because he accepts membership in the fellowship of the human ...

A five page paper analyzing the symbolism of the narrator’s floppy hat, which he gives to the stowaway Leggatt in Joseph Conrad’s novella. The paper concludes that after the hat falls in the water it represents Leggatt himself, because he has served as the directional marker by which the captain charts his course. No ...

A 5 page paper looking at Emily Bronte’s famous novel in terms of whether its basic motivation is love or revenge. The paper proves that it is a story of vengeance; Heathcliff’s love for Catherine is dangerous and destructive, and when he is thwarted, Heathcliff shows a vicious side which contributed to the death of ...

A ten page analysis of the theme of absurdity in Lewis Carroll’s “Through the Looking Glass” and “Alice in Wonderland,” as compared to Franz Kafka’s “The Trial.” The paper notes that while both Kafka and Carroll present universes in which their protagonists are aliens, Carroll’s is run according to a rigorous (if alternative) logic, and ...

A six page paper looking at the importance of parties and visiting in establishing and reinforcing social contracts in Jane Austen’s novel. The paper concludes that socializing is how Austen’s characters establish the parameters by which the contracts of life are forged, and how they move in and out of these parameters to get things ...

A five page paper looking at the relationship between Miss Jean Brodie and her students in Muriel Spark’s “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie.” Particular attention is given to the question of whether Miss Brodie’s betrayal by one of her students was deserved.

A six page paper looking at the dissension between the upper and lower classes in Maria Edgeworth’s “Castle Rackrent” and Anthony Trollope’s “An Eye for an Eye.” The paper shows that even though the two novels present their arguments very differently, both authors assert that the lower classes are not doormats created for the ...

A six page paper comparing these two variants of the “Jekyll and Hyde” story -- the original by Robert Louis Stevenson, and the more recent update by Valerie Martin, “Mary Reilly.” The paper picks out three compelling scenes from each book and gives a little background on each author. Bibliography lists three sources.

A five page paper looking at Thornton Wilder’s classic little novella in terms of its structure, setting, plot, characters, and theme. According to Wilder, the point of our lives is to love and be loved; there is no deeper meaning. No additional sources.

A five-page paper analyzing the dominant themes in this 1922 novel. The paper concludes that “Babbitt” represents the conformity and moral sterility of American suburban life.

A five page paper analyzing Virginia Woolf’s novel in terms of the way it illustrates the social changes England experienced in the years immediately following the First World War. The paper argues that Virginia Woolf shows in Mrs. Dalloway a safe, protected world that is passing away, together with the horror of those who perceive ...

A five page paper looking at this late selection by the well-known Romantic poet Lord (George Gordon) Byron. The paper points out a number of literary devices used by Byron in this poem to support his contention that youth is the time for affairs of love, and maturity is the time for activism. Bibliography lists ...