Essays and Research Papers on Canadian Literature

A 4 page essay that offers a brief synopsis and analysis of two Canadian novels, Gabrielle Roy's The Road Past Altamont and Anne Hebert's Kamouraska. The writer discusses the meanings behind these two feminist works. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page essay that analyzes Canadian writer Howard O'Hagan's novel Tay John, which is a deeply psychological novel that brilliantly blends elements of Native American legend with narrative that encompasses virtually all of the myriad factors that make up the cultural background of the Canadian West. This examination of the rich symbolism that ...

This 9 page paper examines the protagonist in Robertson Davies' Fifth Business and his obsessions. Dunstan's obsessions are saints in addition to two people in his life. The story, by a Canadian writer, takes place early in the twentieth century and involves one event that ties several lives together forever. Bibliography lists ...

This 10 page paper provides an in-depth analysis of this classic war story, examining a wide variety of themes. This paper discusses the perspectives of war, politics, love, marriage and more as offered by this story and author, and presents a psychological analysis of the major characters. Bibliography lists 1 source.

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.

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 ...

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 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 ...

A 4 page essay that offers a brief synopsis and analysis of two Canadian novels, Gabrielle Roy's The Road Past Altamont and Anne Hebert's Kamouraska. The writer discusses the meanings behind these two feminist works. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page essay that analyzes Canadian writer Howard O'Hagan's novel Tay John, which is a deeply psychological novel that brilliantly blends elements of Native American legend with narrative that encompasses virtually all of the myriad factors that make up the cultural background of the Canadian West. This examination of the rich symbolism that ...

This 9 page paper examines the protagonist in Robertson Davies' Fifth Business and his obsessions. Dunstan's obsessions are saints in addition to two people in his life. The story, by a Canadian writer, takes place early in the twentieth century and involves one event that ties several lives together forever. Bibliography lists ...

This 10 page paper provides an in-depth analysis of this classic war story, examining a wide variety of themes. This paper discusses the perspectives of war, politics, love, marriage and more as offered by this story and author, and presents a psychological analysis of the major characters. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page research paper/essay that discusses three short stories by Melissa A. Hardy, a Canadian writer born in the US. The writer focuses on the psychological aspects of the three stories discussed which are The Heifer, The Uncharted Heart, and Discriminatio Spirituum. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

This 4-page paper discusses two stories, "A Short Story" by George Bowering and "The Killings" by Andre Dubus and compares and contrasts the motives of the murders.

A 4 page paper which examines the importance and affect of the narration in Sinclair Ross’ “As For Me and My House.” No additional sources cited.

An 8 page paper which examines the importance and role of social class in the novels “The Flute” by Gabrielle Roy and “Obasan” by Joy Kogawa. No additional sources cited.

A 10 page paper which examines the focus on and symbolic nature of art as seen in Jane Urquhart’s novel “The Stone Carvers.” Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 6 page paper which compares the theme of initiation in Thomas King’s “The Borders” and Margaret Laurence’s “The Loons.” No additional sources cited.