Essays and Research Papers on Canadian Literature

A 5 page book review that summarizes and analyzes the action in this "coming of age" novel about two boys who survive the Canadian wilderness due to their own resourcefulness. No additional sources cited.

This 5 page paper gives a brief overview of Doug Coupland's book, Shampoo Planet. The basic theme of self identiy and a search for self is examined and examples are given. Also discussed are the symbolism of the characters and the setting. Bibliography lists 1 source.

10 pages in length. The art of mystery writing is a talent that few authors grasp throughout their lifetime; in the case of Canadian Timothy Findley, however, the natural talent for enigmatic literary prose flows without incident from the writer's insightful imagination. The multiple award-winning author has set a permanent place for himself ...

A 5 page research paper/essay that examines Alice Munro's Lives of Girls and Women and Richard Wright's Clara Callan as to which novel best expresses female experience. The writer argues in favor of Munro's book. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

A 5 page essay that discusses and analyzes Alice Munro's short story "An Ounce of Cure." In this story, a young woman recalls the most embarrassing event of her adolescence, an incident which dramatizes the truth that choices have a lasting effect, as they inevitably lead to consequences that affect the course of growth and ...

This 6 page paper discusses the novel The Stone Angel and more specifically, the main character Hagar. This paper examins the way in which Hagar "sees" others and how this is a reflection of her own personality. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page essay that analyzes 'One Good Story, That One' and 'Trap Lines,' short stories by Canadian writer Thomas King. Both of these stories concern storytelling and the writer discusses the points conveyed. No additional sources cited. Bibliographical data on 'Trap Line' was unavailable.

A 5 page paper which examines the issue of parenting, as presented in the two different time periods. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

This is a 7 page paper discussing the novels “Neuromancer” by William Gibson and “Slaughterhouse-five” by Kurt Vonnegut. While both novels incorporate the traditional themes found in the science fiction genre of futuristic elements and devices, they also introduce the 20th century format of science fiction which uses escapism to explore contemporary themes extrapolated to ...

A 5 page paper which examines the theme of victimization at the hands of oneself in Margaret Atwood’s “Surfacing” and Mordecai Richler’s “The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz.” Bibliography lists 2 additional sources.

A 5 page paper which examines the issue of race in Michael Ondaatje’s novel “Coming Through Slaughter.” Bibliography lists 5 additional sources.

A 5 page paper which examines how humans often inflict pain and suffering on others as seen in Joy Kogawa’s novel “Obasan.” No additional sources cited.

This 7 page paper analyzes and discusses symbolism, theme, irony, plot, imagery, and simile/metaphors in Margaret Laurence's book, The Stone Angel. Quotes cited from the text. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 10 page paper which examines man’s need to understand their environment as presented in Michael Ondaatje’s novel “In the Skin of a Lion.” The work is examined in light of a comment by Northrop Frye. No additional sources cited.

A paper which looks at a selection of Alice Munro's fiction, with particular reference to the conflict between protagonists which is expressed in her narratives and her emphasis on the personal and spiritual growth of her characters. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

This 6 page paper evaluates the symbolism contained in Swamp Angel with emphasis on the title. Who or what is the Swamp Angel is revealed. Several quotes are included. No additional sources cited.

A 10 page paper which examines the nature of human relationships seen in Sinclair Ross’ work “As for Me and My House.” No additional sources cited.

This is a 6 page paper reviewing and discussing elements of Lori Lansens’ Canadian novel “Rush Home Road”. Lori Lansens’ first novel, “Rush Home Road” is about the story of Adelaide (Addy) Shadd, a seventy-year old black women living in a trailer park, Lakeview, about twenty miles south of Chatham, Ontario near Lake Erie. Addy ...

A 6 page paper discussing the religious growth of Pi, a Hindu native of India who becomes Christian and Muslim, holding to all three religions simultaneously. Piscine (Pi) Patel is the narrator and protagonist of Martel’s Life of Pi. Sensitive and thoughtful, he takes in life’s events and is aware of their influence ...

A 3 page paper discussing identity in this work. In the age in which the term “cop out” was commonly heard, the quest to “find” oneself typically qualified as the ultimate “cop-out.” Too often, it involved resigning from life and abandoning convention in favor of drifting. Proulx’s Quoyle certainly could have taken ...

A 3 page essay that discusses Richards' narrative writing style in his novel Nights Below Station Street. The writer argues that Richards' story reads more like a screenplay for a movie rather than a traditional novel. The reader takes the role of the camera, seeing the action from a detached point of view. This detached ...

This 7 page paper takes the work of Father Gabriel Sagard, who travelled to Canada from France in 1624, entitled The Long Journey to The Countries of the Huron, and examines it to show the student how to ‘read between the lines’ to gain an insight to the lives of the natives and real ...

A 7 page paper which examines what it means to be a writer as presented in Alice Munro’s “Lives of Girls and Women.” Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 9 page essay that examines the role of art in Urquhart's best-selling Canadian novel The Stone Carvers. The writer argues that art is what motivates personal experience and expression for the principal characters. Art is their refuge and, then finally, art provides a means to heal the awful trauma of war and loss. While ...

Daily routines are the salt and flowers of life, according to Tom Wayman’s philosophy, and his poem “Routines,” focuses on the “salt,” or negative side of that daily existence. Wayman uses the experience of performing manual labour to make a point in his academic work, so that everyone knows the difference between what is academic ...