Essays and Research Papers on British Literature

A 7 page paper looking at four pivotal chapters in Jane Austen’s novel -- Chapters 34-37. The paper shows that in these chapters the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, learns valuable lessons about human nature, and emerges with a finer sense of discernment. No other sources.

A five page paper comparing Daniel Defoe’s eighteenth-century novel with two movie versions made from it. The paper argues that movie versions of novels set in remote time periods frequently say more about the periods in which the films themselves were produced than they do about the period in which the original novel was set. ...

A 20 page paper looking at the way three late eighteenth-century women writers -- Jane Austen, Charlotte Smith, and Mary Robinson -- portray romantic love. Specific works considered are Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility,” Smith’s Sonnets II, VIII, and XII, and Robinson’s “January 1795” and “Stanzas Written Between Dover and Calais, July 20, 1792.” Bibliography lists ...

A five page paper showing how T.S. Eliot and Virginia Woolf consciously defined modernism in their critical essays and employed it in their works. Specific works discussed are Woolf’s “The Metaphysical Poet and Modern Fiction” and “The Mark on the Wall,” as well as Eliot’s “Tradition and the Individual Talent” and “The Waste Land.” No ...

A five-page paper analyzing Walt Whitman’s poem in terms of its relationship to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The paper looks carefully at symbolism and imagery, concluding that Whitman uses his poetic art to help him work through his shock and grief. No additional sources.

A five page paper looking at the way Jane Austen develops Elizabeth Bennet’s assertive character in this 1813 novel. The paper asserts that although Elizabeth’s sphere of activity is confined by the narrow scope of her life, she manages to assert herself in the midst of her confinement, and she refuses to passively buy into ...

A five page paper looking at this 1516 work by Thomas More in terms of how well it reflects our impressions of the perfect society today. The paper concludes that because More’s society subjugated women and held slaves, we would not consider it perfect; but he reflects the society in which he was raised. No ...

A ten page paper showing how Jonathan Swift, through his characterization of the passionless, horse-like Houyhnhnms, satirized the Rationalists of his own day. The paper argues that in trying to emulate the Houyhnhnms, Gulliver is cutting himself off from his own species, just as pure rationalists cut themselves off from their own hearts. Bibliography lists ...

This six-page-paper presents a discussion on the play The Good Woman of Setzuan. Bibliography lists one source.

A six page paper looking at the way women's roles contribute to public welfare, as seen through the eyes of three seminal nineteenth and twentieth century thinkers. Specific works considered are John Stuart Mill's 'The Subjection of Women,' Charlotte Perkins Gilman's 'Herland,' and Adrienne Rich's 'Of Woman Born.' No additional sources.

A six page paper looking at Jane Austen's final novel in terms of the way it deals with the maturation of the heroine. The paper notes that while many readers have objected to the tutorial role of Emma's eventual husband, George Knightly, Emma really doesn't mature as a result of Knightly's advice; she matures as ...

A five page paper looking at the popular children’s series by Joanne Rowling. The paper argues that the reason these books are so popular is they contain moral values adults appreciate together with an understanding of what it’s like to be a child. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

An eight page paper examining the main characters of 'Tess of the d'Urbervilles,' 'Far from the Madding Crowd,' and 'Jude the Obscure', both in terms of their relationships to one another and their relationships within their society. Bibliography lists three sources.

A ten page paper looking at the way Wilde's works reflect his homosexuality, but also the way his homosexuality determined the dominant themes of his writing. Particular works considered are 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' and 'Lord Arthur Savile's Crime.' Bibliography lists seven sources.

Written in 1688, Oroonoko is a story of an African Prince who is wed to the woman of his dreams and then captured and sold into slavery. It is also the story of an aristocratic young woman who 'befriends' the savage. This 5 page paper argues that Behn represents all the major patterns of structural differentiation in colonial, ...

In 5 pages, the author discusses Katherine Mansfield's "Miss Brill." Miss Brill is portrayed as naïve about life, and not objective about herself. No other sources are cited.

A 5 page paper which discusses various aspects of the book 'Jude the Obscure' written by Thomas Hardy. The story is summarized briefly, followed by a brief illustration of Hardy's life and its involvement with the story. This is followed by a critical analysis of the story which discusses the character of Jude and its relationship to Hardy. Bibliography ...

A seven page paper looking at this early work by George Orwell. The paper notes that the book is a memoir of an era in Orwell's life when he lived among the poor in these two cities, and scathingly lays the fate of the British street people at the feet of the upper classes of their society, who are ...

5 pages in length. Jane Austen's insightful glance into the inner workings of society, relationships and one's own personal existence is what has endeared her to her many readers. Tackling all these social elements and more is "Sense and Sensibility," her tale of money, manners and marriage, women's role in society, the idea ...

A 5 page comparison between Jane Austen's Emma and in Anthony Trollope's Can You Forgive Her? The writer argues that each novel illustrates the expertise that Austen and Trollope possessed over their craft. In each case, the author's command of dialogue and exposition serve to expertly shape the reader's judgement of the characters and situations that ...

This 12 page report discusses “Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure: Fanny Hill” by John Cleland (1709-1789). The ways in which eroticism and prostitution are presented in the novel are discussed. Throughout the novel, Cleland allows a time-travel glimpse into British concepts of sexuality, female identity and maternity during the 18th century. Bibliography lists 4 ...

A three page paper on Oscar Wilde's novel, detailing the way Dorian Gray's portrait turns ugly and decrepit as its real flesh-and-blood subject stays fresh and innocent-looking. Wilde's work shows the fallacy of believing we can judge a person by his or her appearance alone. No additional sources.

This 5 page paper considers the limited roles of men and women in Jane Austen's society and assesses the social conventions, enforced by gossip, that keep women in line. This paper specifically explores the characterization of Elizabeth Bennett in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and argues that she is a representation of a modern woman in a nineteenth ...

A six page paper looking at three of Geoffrey Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" -- specifically, the Wife of Bath's Tale, the Nun's Priest's Tale, and the Miller's Tale -- in terms of whether they have a moral. The paper asserts that they do, and that their morals are reflective not only of the individual stories but of the storytellers themselves. Bibliography ...

An eight page paper looking at the way Bronte's title character is able to develop a sense of personal autonomy despite the restrictiveness of the class structure of Victorian society. The paper shows how Jane is able to triumph through assertiveness and a strong, distinctly unfeminine will. Bibliography lists six sources.