Essays and Research Papers on British Literature

A 6 page essay that examines Sarah Scott's utopian novel A Description of Millenium Hall (1762). The writer argues that the main problem with utopian fiction is how to make an ideal society interesting to the reader. Scott handles this problem adroitly through the employment of Sir George Ellison, a wealthy merchant traveling ...

A 12 page paper which examines how the text begins as a realist novel but ultimately ends like a fairytale. No additional sources are used.

A paper which compares Orwell's 1984 and Burgess's A Clockwork Orange, looking at themes such as free will, the nature of good and evil, social control and violence. Bibliography lists 2 sources

A selection of definitions from Samuel Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language which illustrate the way in which he included his personal opinions and views in the definitions. Bibliography lists 3 sources

This 5 page paper discusses the use of satire in the works of Voltaire and Cervantes. Specific examples offered. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

This 3 page paper analyzes Shakespeare's play, Hamlet, and compares it to a game of chess. Specific examples and quotes offered. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A paper which looks at the theory that Jane Eyre begins as a realist novel and ends as a fairy tale, and concludes that this is not the case: Bronte conforms to the realist genre throughout the narrative. Bibliography lists 5 sources

:A 4 page essay that examines the meaning and symbolism behind Blake's depiction of a "tyger" as the personification of evil. The writer discusses how this poem fits with Blake's conception of "contraries" or opposites and the theological implications of the existence of evil. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page essay that examines Chaucer's use of irony in describing the Prioress in the Prologue. The writer discusses this description in detail, offering translations of the description from the Middle English and pointing out where Chaucer used irony to comic effect while also showing the Prioress to be a shallow hypocrite rather ...

This 5 page paper discusses the social impact of the work of Bronte and Dickens. Jane Eyre, Middlemarch, Oliver Twist, and Bleak House utilized. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 12 page (9 pp. + 3 pp. annotated bibliography) paper which examines how far the text goes as a work of feminism, but since many people feel it is a political work, is it possible for the concepts of feminism and politics to coincide? Bibliography lists 10 sources.

A 6 page explications of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's "Song of the Bower." The writer argues that this poem demonstrates Rossetti's passionate nature and his feeling that he will soon be parted from the woman who inspires his passion. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 4 page paper compares and contrasts the characters of Marlow, in Conrad's Heart of Darkness, and Gilgamesh from the Epic Journey of Gilgamesh. Supporting quotes used. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

This 10 page paper analyzes J.M. Barrie's original version of Peter Pan. Quotes cited from text. Scenes are analyzed for symbolism, characterization, imagery, and satire. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 9 page paper which examines this science fiction masterpiece from a feminist perspective, specifically considering how the tragedies in Mary Shelley’s life influenced her writing style, and includes other feminists’ points of view of life as a woman during this period. Bibliography lists 11 sources.

A 4 page essay that examines the themes of poison and disease in this Jacobean drama that rivals Shakespeare for tragedy and human pathos. The write argues that Webster uses these themes to emphasize his points concerning the structure of society during this era, as well as the worldview of those opposing the Duchess who ...

This 8 page paper analyzes Book Two, Canto 12 of Spenser's Faerie Queen "The Bower of Bliss". Quotes cited from the text. Analysis offers insight into Sir Guyon's actions. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 6 page paper which examines the significance of the title, as it relates to the main character’s development, in Jeanette Winterson’s “Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit.” No additional sources cited.

This 5-page paper is an analysis of Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse and the views of Mr. and Mrs. Ramsay toward Victorian marriage.

A paper which looks at the treatment of Nazism in Britain in Remains of the Day, and the author's comentary on the relationship between upper and lower classes as exemplified by Stevens and Lord Darlington. Bibliography lists 4 sources

This 15 page paper analyzes The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde for elements of the Aesthetic Movement. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 3 page paper is a criticism on Mansfield's Miss Brill from a psychological standpoint. Examples, quotes cited from text and supporting literature. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 8 page paper analyzes Thomas Hardy's book, Woodlanders for examples of Darwinism. Quotes, examples, supporting evidence, cited from various texts. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

This 3 page paper examines the relationship between Victor Frankenstein and his monster. Examples, quotes from text offered. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 4 page essay that discusses Virginia Woolf's characterization of Mrs. Ramsay in To the Lighthouse. The character of Mrs. Ramsay provides the social "glue" that holds her large family together. Life within her family resolves around and is dependent upon this character in her roles as wife and mother. However, in this psychologically complex ...