Literature Essay Examples and Topics. Page 23

8,758 samples

Psychological Strategies to Understand Literature

This approach explores the motivations of a writer, his characters, and that of the audience, drawing on Sigmund Freud's theories and other psychoanalytic theories to understand fully the meaning conveyed in such text. The characters [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 568

Mark Twain’s Excerpt From “Life on the Mississippi”

As a result of working continuously in the steamboat on someone's payroll, the author is astonished at his failure to appreciate the marvelous qualities of the great river since he was being desensitized to its [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 846

Censorship on Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The main protagonist of the novel is Guy Montag, a fireman whose job like others, is to burn books without questioning the impact of his decision.
  • Subjects: Concepts in American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1153

“Edge” by Sylvia Plath

As it is one of her last composed poems, there are a lot of discussions surrounding the influences of her near imminent death on the sad melancholic tone of the poem and is it is [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 571

“Henry IV” by Shakespeare

In this particular part of the series of plays he wrote on the history surrounding Henry IV, Shakespeare introduces the audience to the Henry IV as a King who has acquired the throne through unjust [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 904

“The Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickens

The story 'The Tale of two Cities' written by Charles Dickens is considered to be dedicated to the disclosure of French Revolution period; it is the classic work representing the archetypal characters through the concepts [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1503

“Dreams From My Father” by Barack Obama

Being a cultural anthropologist, she played a vital role in the development of Obama in that he grew up appreciating the fact that he was different and at the same time having the belief that [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1599

Valentino Achak Deng. “What Is What” Novel by Dave Eggers

The theme is very intricate and it finds its realization in different aspects of the book, such as the authorship the author's tone that can be perceived while reading, the genre, the choice of the [...]
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1830

“Salvation” Essay by Langston Hughes

Hughes also demonstrates that he has a much higher understanding of human nature in his descriptions of the people of the church and his slight addition of sarcasm within the essay.
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 924

“The Principles of Newspeak” by George Orwell

Newspeak proponents are members of the Party who are determined to remove all words and phrases that have anything to do with freedom, rebellion and oppression among other afflictions of the regime.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 552

Greek Attitude Towards Death and Afterlife

The thoughts about death and the beyond can send shivers down the spine of a contemporary person and the attitude of ancient Greeks to death was practically the same.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 876

A Perspective on Philip Roth’s ‘The Human Stain’

Roth uses the "first person voice of the writer Nathan Zuckerman to tell the story of Coleman Silk, a black man who passes for a Jew ", a professor of classics and dean of faculty [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1506

“The Boxers as Event, Experience and Myth” by Paul Cohen

The first part is mainly concentrated on the thorough chronological recollection of the events that preceded and followed the rebellion, the rise of Boxers and the role of Taipings in the life of China at [...]
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1196

The Life of Langston Hughes

The development of the Harlem Renaissance has led to the recognition of a considerable influence of the Negro culture on American culture.
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1127

Historical Criticism of Ivanhoe’s Book

Although, certain critics from the nineteenth- and twentieth-century explore the themes of the novel and concur that the lady Rebecca is very fascinating of all the characters in the novel many of the readers also [...]
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1485

Analysis of “Araby” by James Joyce

The reference to the fact that the priest who lived in the house before them had left the furniture of the house to his sister, suggests that the family could have used the furniture had [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 836

“Annabel Lee” the Work by Edgar Allen Poe

The narrative description of the elegy expresses the narrator's undying love for 'Annabel Lee' detailing a love which had originated many a year ago in the unidentified 'kingdom by the sea'.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 971

Naturalism in Jack London’s and Stephen Crane’s Works

The development of imaginative literature may be characterized by the sequence of successive changes of the literary trends driven by the changes of social conditions and the change of topicality of the themes expressed in [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 940

Nella Larsen’s “Passing”: Character Comparison

Of these works, "Passing" is one of her novels that attracted the audience's special attention due to its touching upon the topic which will always be urgent- the racism."Passing" presents a race-based conflict of two [...]
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 841

“The Man Who Was Almost a Man” by Richard Wright

In his novella The Man Who Was Almost a Man Richard Wright tells the story of a seventeen-year-old African-American adolescent, Dave Saunders, who has a strong desire to buy a gun to prove to everyone [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 875

Feminism in ‘Trifles’ by Susan Glaspell

The Feminist Movement, also called the Women's Movement and the Women's Liberation Movement, includes a series of efforts by women in the world to fight for the restoration of gender equality.
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 907

Eudora Welty’s “A Worn Path”

Introduced as simply an old woman, bent over, using a walking stick and wearing funny clothes, Phoenix's character is brought out in intimate detail through the imagery of her journey since many of the physical [...]
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1568

The Role of God or Goddess in Aeschylus’s The Oresteia

Says William von Humboldt of the Agamemnon, and his remarks might be applied to the entire trilogy: "Among all the products of the Greek stage none can compare with it in tragic power; no other [...]
  • Subjects: Dramatic Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1527

The Theme of the Tragic Hero “Othello”

For Othello, the doubt and suspicion growing in his mind regarding a possible relationship between Cassio and Desdemona were started with Desdemona's father at the beginning of the play. For Othello, his greatest weakness is [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1558

Turn of the Screw: A Complication of Ambiguity

In this case, it is assumed that the ghosts are not real and are just figments of the governess's imagination and the 'evidence' she sees in the behavior of the children regarding the ghosts' existence [...]
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 13
  • Words: 3611

The Role of ‘Mockingbird’ in Literature

Such is the case regarding Tom Robinson in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, Cinna in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, and Lennie in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 851

Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler

The character Pearl is considered a perfectionist, and when the father deserts the family, she is challenged in her attempt to hold the family together as strongly as it used to be.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 13
  • Words: 3652

Fuenteovejuna by Lope de Vega: Theme of Love

Laurencia, the object of the Commander's desire further makes clear to Mengo that in her understanding love is inseparable from honour and thus involves the lover's commitment to their own and their beau's reputation as [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1682

Chekhov and Carver: The Struggle Against Ambiguity

To say that "All conflict in literature is, in its simplest form, a struggle between good and evil" is to describe a specific type of literature such as fairy tales, but in the short story [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1002

Charles Dickens: “Great Expectations”

'Great Expectations' by Charles Dickens deals with "the aspirations and ambitions of the protagonist and narrator, Pip, to improve his status in life and create conditions for better living"..
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1840

Athena and Gender Roles in Greek Mythology

According to Eicher and Roach-Higgins, the elements of her dress were important because they immediately communicated specific ideas about her character that was as contradictory as the physical gender of the birthing parent."In appropriating the [...]
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1608

The Pearl by John Steinbeck

Kino plans to travel to another city to sell this pearl, but his brother warns that the pearl is evil and he should just sell it.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 926

Gender Identity in Hemingway’s “Garden of Eden”

She asserts that the man in the newspaper is a different man than the one she is married to because the one she is married to could never dream of being mentioned anywhere without having [...]
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1861

Importance of History for the Understanding of Shakespeare

First of all it is necessary to mention, that the historical period, Shakespeare lived and created in was featured by the bloom of the philosophical considerations on the matters of perfect community, and the attempts [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1102

“The Storm” by Kate Chopin and Critical Article

The article related to this short story, "Looking at setting and Atmosphere" analyses and demonstrates the importance of minor details in a short story. The author of the article is right that the story is [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 565

Blind in Raymond Carver’s “Cathedral” Book

The narrator admits from the very beginning of the story that he is nervous about having a blind man in his house, suggesting that he himself is actually quite blind to the reality of the [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1008

Don Quixote and Hamlet: Comparative Analysis

It cannot escape our attention that Don Quixote's illusions are strongly associated with his commitment to "protect justice", therefore they cannot be discussed as "thing in itself", as it is the case with Hamlet's illusions, [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1554

Beatrice From Shakespeare’s “Much Ado About Nothing”

Even though the main plot of the story is centered on challenges threatening to sabotage the union Hero and Claudio, Beatrice along with Benedick with their constant verbal jousting finds itself quite an interesting counter-plot.
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 568

“Recitatif” by Toni Morrison

The main characters of the story are the two girls, Roberta and Twyla and the ambiguity of their race is what the story relies upon.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 629

“The Telephone” by Anwar Accawi

The gathering of the townsfolk to watch its installation showed me that this was a culture that was closely knit and knew how to share in the joy of one another, making it their own.
  • 5
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 926

“And Our Flag Was Still There” by B. Kingsolver

Kingsolver uses everyday examples to unveil importance of the American flag as a symbol of national unity and patriotism. In sum, the flag means much more for American people than a national symbol: it is [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 552

‘Trifles’ by Susan Glaspell Review

As Ben-Zvi asserts, "the concerns of the women are considered little or silly and insignificant and this is the most important reason for the men's comments about them.
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 934

“White Lies” by Natasha Trethewey

As in the second stanza, she writes, "I could easily tell the white folks" meaning she's addressing white people and without any fear whatever lies she had to tell.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 947

“Howl for Carl Solomon” Poem by Allen Ginsberg

The poem "Howl for Carl Solomon" by Allen Ginsberg is the brightest example of the artistic protest against the humiliating and unfair standards and norms according to which human society lives.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1932

Oedipus the King as a Piece of Classic Literature

This story is nothing short of a treasure in terms of the use of literary devices, and various other techniques employed by the writer to elevate this work to the status of one of the [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1012

“Black Rain” the Novel by Masuji Ibuse

Taking it upon himself to complete Yasuko's recollections of the dark days, Shizuma must rewrite the journal to bring to the reader an unmistakable account of the injuries, the horrors and the victimization that was [...]
  • Subjects: Modernist Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 626

Postmodern Age: Philip Larkin’s “Here”

The format of the poem also serves to create a sense of isolation and disconnection. The swerving described throughout the first stanza is adopted by the mind of the reader and is never fully brought [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 878

The Frame Story in “1001 Nights”

The formality in the frame stories throughout The Thousand nights and a one uses is due to many causes: the strength of convention, the narrative function of most of the stories, the element of doctrine [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 820

“The Art of John Updike’s A&P” by Toni Saldivar

Sammy's decision to quit his job is therefore based both on his rejection of the conservative and restricting viewpoint of his manager as well as the free and nonconformist lechery of the butcher as he [...]
  • Subjects: American Novels Writing Style
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1037

The Epic of Gilgamesh and the Ancient Egyptian Culture

The Epic of Gilgamesh and the culture of the ancient Egypt have their own similarities and differences based on the historical events that took place in this cultures and the religious beliefs of the two [...]
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 679

Shakespeare’s Othello: A Tragic Hero

When Alexander the Great died, Aristotle fled to Chalcis, where he died the following year at the age of about 62 William Shakespeare was a strong adherent of Aristotle in his writings.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2137

Parker’s Back by Flannery O’Conner

The central theme of the story is the reflection of the biblical features on the characters' actions and morality. Parker, the protagonist of the story, depicts the features of the biblical concepts burning the tree [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1204

“Liberty’s Daughters” by Mary Beth Norton

Only in recent decades have U.S.historians begun seriously to evaluate the mobilization of women and to consider the ways in which relations between men and women changed in the era of the American Revolution.
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1270

The Secret Agent: A Simple Tale by Joseph Conrad

Verloc is a particularly unique spy character because he fails where the traditional spy succeeds, and lacks the strength and wit of the spy we are familiar with.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1941

“Lord Jim” by Joseph Conrad

The life of Lord Jim seems to be surrounded by certain signs and symbols; in particular, colors have a deep and important meaning in the understanding of the nature of every character.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1678

Marginal Characters in Medieval Literature

Marginal characters thus may be claimed to play a crucial role in literary work and in the first place of its conceptual realization.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2650

“The Rape of the Lock” by Alexander Pope Review

Here Pope states the epic question or the primary concern of the poem: how a "well -bread lord could assault a gentle belle?" and in return how a "gentle belle" could reject a lord?
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1891

How Poe Builds Suspense?

The use of language and stylistic techniques enriches the suspense and horror of the actions being described. For instance, in The Masque of the Red Death, the prince is depicted as a madman who enjoys [...]
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1760

Greek Homoeroticism in “Death in Venice” by Thomas Mann

Thesis Statement: The homoerotic, or homosexual, nature of the plot in 'Death in Venice' by Thomas Mann is a fair representation of classical Greek homoeroticism and how homosexuality was viewed in a very conservative manner [...]
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1941

Reaction Paper of the Book “A Child Called It”

Likewise, his position in the family changing from a 'son', 'the boy' and finally to 'it' not only indicates the severity of torture faced by David, but also the writer's expertise in explaining it.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 697

Shakespearean Macbeth as a Tragic Hero

In addition to fighting for his king, Macbeth is quickly and well rewarded for his efforts as King Duncan makes him the new Thane of Cawdor in addition to his already holding the title of [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1105

Du Fu’s and Li Bai’s Poem Literature Comparison

Li Po's poems are simple and unpretentious."High in the Mountains, I Fail to Find the Wise Man," is a distinctive poem of Li Po. Li Po spoke with the sensitivity and sensibility of a mature [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2217

The One Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula Le Guin

Those running away are not sure of where they are going as Le Guin put it at the end of the story "The place they go towards is a place even less imaginable to us [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 781

Mrs. Mary Rowlandson’s Narrative of the Captivity

A peculiar feature of works of this type is that the main characters, women, are not treated as they should be: they see numerous deaths of their dearest people, they are deprived of the fulfillment [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 892

“To His Coy Mistress” Poem by Andrew Marvell

The title shows the intolerance of the passionate young man to the lady who is hesitant. The literal meaning of the poem is that the passionate man is intolerant of the coyness of the lady.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 640

Cheikh Hamidou Kane: Ambiguous Adventure

For that reason, Samba finishes his spiritual training and enters the school, and this is the point where the main conflict in the book starts to manifest itself.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1684

Poetry Comparison by Emily Dickinson and Langston Hughes

The general impression of Emily Dickinson's poems is that they are very economical with words and the message being conveyed. The general impression of these poems is that the writer feels oppressed and discriminated against [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 861

“Fifteen Dogs” the Book by Andre Alexis

Human intelligence that the gods give to the dogs does not make them happy but subjects them to continuous thoughtful considerations and emotional perception of the surrounding world that ultimately leads to suffering.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 877

The Story “Miss Brill” by Katherine Mansfield

It becomes clear when different ideas appear in her head, and all the participants of the performance know her and love her as one of the members in the general fun.
  • 4
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 967

“Up the Wall” by Bruce Dawe

In the poem "Up the Wall," Bruce Dawe narrates about the depressing existence of a housewife who is talking to his husband.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 288

Robin Hood’s Case and His Strategic Issues

He was not able to stand the rule of the sheriff who had been employing the dictatorship. By creating this group, there were more plans that Robin was to make to accomplish his task of [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 590