Essays and Research Papers on British Literature

A 5 page research paper that examines Julian Barnes' novel Flaubert's Parrot. Towards the end of this work, the protagonist, Dr. Geoffrey Braithwaite concedes that he has failed in his purpose to write an account that would make sense out of his life. Despite his ramblings and investigations throughout the narrative, Braithwaite closes his observations ...

A 3 page paper which examines Rudyard Kipling and Robert Louis Stevenson in regards to the 1800s and colonial projects. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 7 page research paper that argues that Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe and Samuel Richardson's Pamela are both examples of "coming of age" novels. Defoe pictures a classic tale of adventure in which a young man is tested by adversity, which leads him to a maturity that is symbolized by deepening spirituality. ...

A 3 page paper which examines the theme of racism in Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness.” No additional sources cited.

A 5 page paper which examines how Hardy defines the nature of this injustice and the techniques he employs to elicit sympathy for its victim. No additional sources are used.

This 3 page paper discusses the Medieval attitudes held toward women as evidenced by the characters found in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 6 page essay that compares and contrasts Thomas Hardy's short story "The Son's Veto" (1891) and John Wyndham's "Survival" (1956). The writer argues that while these stories are very different, the manner in which they each portray a mother's devotion to her child is quite similar. Hardy's protagonist, Sophy Twycott, relinquishes her only hope ...

An 8 page research paper that explores the relationship between Byron and his fictional creation, the Byronic hero. The writer examines Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and Manfred. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 4 page paper which analyzes a passage from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling as it relates to the truths of contemporary childhood. No additional sources cited.

This is a 5 page paper discussing the individual and society as found in “Candide” and “Frankenstein”. Sociologists have outlined the various relationships which exist between the individual and society. Emile Durkheim for one believed that man was an animal with unlimited desires which could only be controlled by the moral guidelines and interactions given ...

A thirteen page paper which considers the reaction of the Victorian audience to the publication of Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray, with specific reference to societal conventions of the time and Wilde's perspective on aestheticism as expounded in the narrative. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 6 page research paper/essay that examines Mill's views on liberty and women's rights. The writer argues that the cause of liberty, for both men and women, never had a finer or more eloquent spokesman than the nineteenth century, British political philosopher John Stuart Mill. His writing presents well-considered, comprehensive arguments in favor of ...

8 pages in length. There are a number of thematic impressions William Blake imparts upon his readers in The Tyger and The Lamb, but perhaps none are quite as prominent in a symbolic nature as the aspect of good versus evil. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines various themes and elements in Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels.” Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

A 4 page paper which discusses how this novel represents a satirical commentary on the human condition. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 3 page paper discusses the ability of Frankenstien's Monster to possess a soul. Examples given from the text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 4 page contention that “Gulliver’s Travels”, a work which on the surface is a fictional tale of giants and dwarfs, contains a deep societal message. In Part I of “Gulliver’s Travels” (“A Voyage to Lilliput”) Gulliver sets a stage of humility and then follows up on that stage in Part II (“A Voyage ...

This is a 3 page paper discussing man’s inner qualities which are revealed in the characters in Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”. English novelist William Golding (1911-1993) wrote his novel the “Lord of the Flies” in 1954 about a story of a group of English schoolboys who are marooned on an island without adult supervision. ...

A 9 page paper which examines Jane Austen’s “Northanger Abbey” as it relates to the famous gothic novel “The Castle of Otranto” by Horace Walpole. The paper discusses whether Austen’s novel is a parody or whether it is true to Walpole’s tradition. Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

A 7 page paper which examines what the monster's story/voice is; whether the monster is a mere life form or actually acquires human qualities and if so, what and how; considers if the creature possesses a soul and if so, what the implications are for the creature and the novel. Bibliography lists 5 sources. ...

This 4 page paper discusses Hamlet's strategy throughout the play. Exampls and quotes cited from the text. Bibliography lists 1 source.

This 4 page paper discusses the works of DeTroyes, and Marie de France in regard to the Arthurian legends. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 4 page paper which examines the symbolic use of character, narration, setting, imagery, and figurative language in its representation of race. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 5 page report discusses British novelist Minette Walters' 1994 book, The Scold's Bridle, and whether it provides a useful example of the theories of Sigmund Freud. The report suggests that Freud's theories are particularly applicable in Walters' story. Bibliography lists only the primary source.

A 6 page paper that presents a tutorial essay which presents a more first person perspective, being George Orwell, and arguing why “1984” was written. Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.