Essays and Research Papers on British Literature

Dr. Faustus, the play by Christopher Marlowe, was written in the late sixteenth century and rewritten in the early seventeenth. This 8 page paper argues that the portrayal of women Dr. Faustus, is relegated to the level of pornography and that may have as its closest modern parallel in 'cybersex' or 'virtual reality'. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

A 5 page research paper that explores Jane Austen's 'Pride and Prejudice' from a viewpoint that incorporates Aristotelian ideas concerning virtue, particularly magnanimity. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page literary analysis of Henry Fielding's eighteenth century novel, in which the writer argues that Joseph Andrews and Abraham Adams are symbolic of the virtues of a good man. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

Albert Camus and Margaret Atwood inhabit two very different world and write from two very different views, however, in Surfacing by Atwood and The Stranger by Camus they share the same sense of alienation for their protagonist. This 5 page paper asserts that the unnamed narrator in Atwood's second novel and Meursault in The Stranger are both portrayed as ...

A seven page paper looking at the way Joanne Rowling develops Harry Potter's struggle against Sirius Black as an archetypal hero myth. The book cites Joseph Campbell's "Hero with a Thousand Faces" as evidence. Bibliography lists four sources.

A 15 page research paper that analyzes the Clerk's tale from Geoffrey Chaucer's fourteenth century masterpieces, "The Canterbury Tales." Using Gayle Rubin's 1975 article, "The Traffic in Women," as a framework, the writer argues that the tale of patient Griselda fits the model outlined by Rubin. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This five page paper presents a discussion on the symbolic meaning of the poem, "Huswifery", by Edward Taylor. A discussion on what the author wanted and how he used symbols to illustrate his desires is included. Bibliography lists one source.

This 5 page paper considers the clash between appearance and reality, between expectation and result, with a focus on how these elements determine irony in the works of Sherriff and Shaw. This paper considers the notion of irony and the correlation between the illusion of heroism during the period of The Great War. ...

A five page paper looking at these three poets and the use of the faculty of imagination in their work. The paper focuses on the way these poets extol the human imagination as a creative faculty, use their own imaginations in constructing alternate realities in their lyric modes, and call upon the reader's imagination in ...

A 3 page overview of Thomas Hardy's "Tess of the D'Ubervilles". Examines the role that Tess'ancestry had in her ultimate descent into madness and her murder of Alec D'Uberville. No additional sources are listed.

A 5 page overview of the diaries of Ralph Josselin, a moderate Puritan clergyman who, over a forty year period spanning between 1641 and 1683, provides a detailed record of his political responsibilities. Emphasizes the historic significance of this work and its value to historians and practically anyone else interested in this period of ...

: This three page paper provides a critical analysis of the play by John Osborne. One source cited.

5 pages in length. The writer discusses the underlying theme of Heathcliff's physical and emotional abuse. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page paper explores the factors that determine a good marriage from the 19th century woman's point of view. '… but everybody should marry as soon as they can do it to advantage.' Bibliography uses Jane Austen's Mansfield Park as its only source.

6 pages in length. Who is Heathcliff in Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights,' and what is his role within the story's context? Indeed, Heathcliff is destined to become a brooding, troubled and angry man who has lost control of his own life due in large part to the abusive treatment he receives as a ...

This 10 page report discusses the English poet Ted Hughes is too often only thought of as having been married to Sylvia Plath when she killed herself. His work was truly remarkable for its deep and unsentimental love of nature, as well as its depth of passion and insight. His poetry often demonstrated the delicately balanced web of energies of ...

A 5 page paper that applies intertextuality to Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. Intertextuality posits that each text exists in relation to others, in fact, texts typically owe more to other texts than they do to their own creators. To demonstrate the intertextuality of Jane Eyre examples are provided that relate the text to Wordsworth, ...

5 pages in length. The writer discusses feminism as it relates to the character of Moll Flanders. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page paper. The Horse Dealer's Daughter is one of D.H. Lawrence's short stories. As with all his work, this one is rich with symbolism. The story, however, is approached in terms of a Freudian analysis. The focus is Mabel. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 5 page paper considers the message and purpose behind the C S Lewis book The Great Divorce. The message and tools used, including symbolism and metaphors, to convey the message are examined. The bibliography cites 1 source.

12 pages in length. Although written over one hundred years ago, Emily Bronte's "Wuthering Heights" captures the anguish and troubled times both men and women met head-on when confronted with the social and cultural dilemmas. The paradox here is that although the Catherine, Heathcliff and Edgar were of a different social status altogether, ...

A 5 page analysis of "The Five-Minute Marriage" by award-winning British author Joan Aiken. The writer analyzes this mystery/romance novel according to way it treats the theme of greed in early nineteenth century England. No additional sources cited.

A five page paper looking at Chaucer's "Miller's Tale" from the "Canterbury Tales" in terms of its relevance to today's world. The paper argues that a joke that requires too much explanation is no longer funny, and because six hundred years has passed between Chaucer's day and our own, this has happened to him. Bibliography ...

A 6 page paper which examines how J.R.R. created terror in his science-fiction fantasy novel, "The Lord of the Rings." Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 6 page paper discussing how these two influences work together in the novel. Wilde is able to employ his devotion to aestheticism to weave the tale of Dorian Gray and its attached homoeroticism because he gives all involved a lifestyle in which things can be hidden or contorted, but always used for the main characters' benefit. ...