Free American Literature Essay Examples & Topics. Page 8

2,044 samples

A Distinct Social Purpose of American Literature

American literature has a distinctive social purpose, which is to perpetuate the country's past experiences, maintain connections and solidarity with the rest of the world, and raise the population's educational levels.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 571

The “Housekeeping” Novel by Marilynne Robinson

Despite the routine of Housekeeping, this process reflects the characters of the novel's protagonists and demonstrates the differences between generations. Therefore, the novel is called Housekeeping because the author wanted to emphasize the importance of [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 615

James Baldwin’s Place in American Society

The central theme of the speech and the article is the author's long-term search his place in the world and struggle to come to terms with the way he is treated in a white-dominated racial [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 556

The “Evil Companions” Book by Michael Perkins

The fusion of pornography and the noir crime novel is tough to achieve without erasing the noir themes of guilt, loss of identity, or sinister reaction to internal needs or social injustice and replacing them [...]
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 854

The “Go Ask Alice” Novel by Beatrice Sparks

The article also observes the emergence of Rick Emerson's 'Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World's Most Notorious Diaries', a work that aims to analyze both Sparks and the influence of [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 615

The “Jesus’ Son” Book by Denis Johnson

The book is a powerful and moving exploration of the human condition and inspires the reader. Fire is a powerful symbol of the human spirit's capacity for resilience and hope in adversity.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 930

“The Book of Unknown Americans” by C. Henriques

As the primary literary device, the author uses the conflict, which consists of the fact that Alma cannot get along in a new country without knowledge of the language, and also in the fact that [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 565

“The Bluest Eyes” by Toni Morrison

Although black slaves were freed by Lincoln in the 1860s, the 1960s in the United States and the prewar 1920s and 1930s were not a time of equality between whites and blacks at all.
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1940

The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald Review

Gatsby's dream to become wealthy to gain Daisy's attention "is simply believable and is still a common dream of the current time". However, Gatsby is the story's main character and is a "personification" of the [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 261

“I Know Why the Caged Bird…” Article by Prose

The book, the Prose argued, is "freighted with tons of sociopolitical ballast," and not enough attention was paid to the composition and language. Of course, To Kill a Mockingbird is not meant to be a [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 289

Human Emotions in Ted Chiang’s Short Stories

Throughout the story, the emotional conflict between hope and despair is evident as the characters grapple with the uncertainty of the situation and the consequences of their actions.
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1700

Private Love, Public School by Yared: Book Analysis

While the instances of personal interactions between Gerry and homophobic community members demonstrate egregious absence of tolerance, these are the examples of discrimination entrenched in legal and social institutions that the novel proves to be [...]
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2508

“Motorcycles and Sweetgrass” Book by Taylor

The author, through comical events, explores the nature of traditional beliefs and values, and also emphasizes the need to preserve traditions in continuous contact with the wider society.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 854

Irony in The Ransom of the Red Chief by O. Henry

The irony is further exemplified when the two men end up paying the father to take his son back. These instances reveal how the roles of the father and the kidnappers are displayed in a [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 321

The Role of Family in American Poems and Short Stories

For instance, in the poem, Those Winter Sundays, Hayden is seen reflecting on the parenting style of his father, especially how he provided for them. Similarly, in The Lottery, families are united in an effort [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 404

Impressions of “The Great Gatsby” by Fitzgerald

The contact between Gatsby and Nick is unique and consequently flavors the narrative. Global controversies such as depression are excluded from the narrative of hedonistic affluence and moral bankruptcy.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 269

Survival and Memory in Music of the Ghosts by Ratner

When it comes to individual memory of Teera's childhood, the author explains the connection between her memories of her father and musical instruments: "Perhaps it's because as a child she grew up listening to her [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 302

The Reality of the Ready Player One Novel by Cline

The characters' avatars in Ready Player One demonstrate people's desires and insecurities that they cannot control in the real world. Ernest Cline has created a solution to classroom overcrowding, school bullying, and reality through the [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 371

Is Troy Maxson (Wilson’s Fences) a Victim of Racism?

As a black American, Troy's childhood experiences have been passed on to his children, making him a victim of an oppressive culture. Therefore, this makes Troy a victim of racism and culture, contributing to his [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 581

The Origins of the Final Solution by Browning

The book is one of the three books produced to examine the establishment of the Nazi Jewish policy. The Origins of the Final Solution was drafted to serve the sole purpose of providing the detail [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 979

The Novel “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison

Dandelions have a strong meaning to Pecola's view if the world and the way the world views her. She can feel her resemblance to the dandelions and they amount to her feelings about the people [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 371

Ideas of “A Good Man Is Easy to Find” by Vala

The article discusses how the writer develops the story's themes and how they reflect the author's life and philosophical views. The key concept presented in the article is the idea that Flannery O'Connor's stories share [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 288

Reading Journal on Gilman’s “Herland”

The primary protagonists and the culture they are discovering are the focus of Herland. The descriptions of the characters and their differences are provided from the perspective of the narrating character.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 562

Kahlil Gibran’s A Self Portrait

Kahlil Gibran, a Lebanese migrant in the United States, was considered a rebel in the world of Arabic literature. The diversity of Gibran's educational background is reflected through the marriage of English and Arabic [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 611

Individual & Natural World in American Literature

Thus, despite this mutual awareness of individuality and connectedness with nature, a state of calm and patience is necessary to be an individual."There is Another Sky" is a short poem by Emily Dickinson where the [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 556

The Abortion Theme in Society and Literature

The author does not directly mention whether the couple or the parent had opted for abortion but relating to how society handles unwanted pregnancy, the thought must have crossed people's minds, and that is how [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1155

Traditions & Rituals in The Lottery

It is important to note that groupthink and old traditions can be harmful to the growth and development of society. In conclusion, it is critical not only to praise traditions without question but criticize them [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 278

Immigrants in The Jungle by Upton Sinclair

The hardship of immigrants is the central theme of The Jungle. Sinclair utilizes the plural form of "you" to connect the reader to both the individual and the scenario.
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 328

“A Farewell to Arms” Character Change

In the transitional situation, Henry has to deal with the loss of a friend due to the war. I equate this to losing two of my close relatives, a situation that has made me focus [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 349

Comparison of Anton Rosicky and Rip Van Winkle

The current discussion will compare the differences exhibited by Anton Rosicky and Rip Van Winkle in terms of conflicts, dependence/independence, and communication. First, the author presents the significance and the position of the character's friends [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1128

War’s Effect on Perception in Literary Characters

Frederic Henry, in A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, drastically changes his attitude and perspective about war because of the leg injury he receives, the loss of his ambulance crew, and the execution of [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 413

The Book “House of Cards” by William Cohan

The failure of the investment bank is important as it reflects the inability of the management to mitigate risks. The event is essential because of the statement made by the hedge fund manager that bank [...]
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 180

The Adventures of Beekle Book by Dan Santat

In the beginning, the story introduces the setting of the imaginary world and the main character Beekle. Children were able to elicit the main concept of the story about the meaningfulness of friendship and socialization.
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 938

Poe’s Short Story “The Cask of Amontillado”

At the time of the trial, Montresor is proud of what he did because it was fair in his eyes. According to this alternative reading of the event, Montresor sees family honor as his adversary, [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 606

How to Be an Antiracist Book by Kendi

In the 2019 nonfiction book, "How to Be an Antiracist," Kendi, an American author and historian, incorporates social criticism and narrative. Becoming an antiracist is acknowledging that racism exists and affects everybody because humans have [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1379

Influence of Mark Twain on Writers

While attempting to provide a voice to his protagonist, Mark Twain employed his "vernacular of the people" when writing Huck Finn to give a voice to an illiterate, impoverished white youngster in the American hinterlands [...]
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1160

The Short Story “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan

Most prominently, this technique is used during the climactic confrontation between Jing-Mei and her mother, when the Jing-Mei's long-deceased sisters are mentioned. Over the course of the story, Jing-Mei's mother projecting her dreams on Jing-Mei [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 611

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair: Critical Analysis

The purpose of their activity was to expose the vices of society through various investigations and the study of documents. The purpose of the author was to show the public the arbitrariness that reigned there.
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2513

“Into the Wild” by Krakauer

I think that the author of this book does this in order to reveal a mixture of events to the readers of the book in his own way.
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 658

Identity, Drugs and Music in Literature

One of the themes in James Baldwin's novel "Sonny's Blue" is the usage of drugs by young people. Thus, the drugs have a way of hiding the reality of the users' struggles such that people [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 584

“Catch-22” by Heller: Summary of the Book

A living person is formally considered dead, the head of the syndicate takes contracts from the enemy to bomb their positions, counterintelligence accuses the innocent, and the most inadequate military receives titles.
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 934

Carnival Season in Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado”

In this monograph, the author explores the depiction of madness in literary works and specifically Poe's "The cask of amontillado". This article in a scholarly journal analyzes the protagonist of Poe's 'The Cask of Amontillado' [...]
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 669