Literature Essay Examples and Topics. Page 3

8,500 samples

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

This essay will examine the key themes of the story and the historical context, provide a brief analysis of the main characters, and give an overall reader's opinion about the novel. The idea of friendship [...]
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1143

William Shakespeare’s Othello

Othello leaves Venice in the company of his wife, Iago and Cassio and Desdemona's attendant known as Emilia. Othello's love for Desdemona is a major weakness that leads to his downfall.
  • 3.7
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 837

The Tent Delivery Woman’s Ride Poem by Mills

Arguably, the central theme of the poem is the personal journey of self-discovery and the events that influence the decisions made on the way. Therefore, she managed to overcome the traumatic experience and return to [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 658

Harrison Bergeron Theme

In summary, the loss of freedom and civil rights would lead to America's dystopia are the main messages of Harrison Bergeron.
  • 3.3
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 943

Jacksonian Era: “Liberty and Power” by Watson

The book "Liberty and Power: The Politics of Jacksonian America" by Watson is an insightful analysis of the political thinking and worldview of the Jacksonian era - more than two decades after Monroe's presidency and [...]
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 644

“My World of the Unknown” by Alifa Rifaat

The distinct feature of this story, as well as other Rifaat's writings, is the fact that the author does not oppose the Muslim traditions of marriage and patriarchy.
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1113

“The Piano Lesson” by August Wilson

The main theme of the play under consideration is the importance to understand, accept and cherish our past, which is symbolized by the family heirloom piano.
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 570

Comparing Emerson and Thoreau

In his essay "Nature" and "Divine School Address", Ralph Emerson opposes it as the perfect "City of God" to the City of Men or society.
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 923

“A Father’s Promise” a Story by Donnalynn Hess

Driven by the promise of his father, Jakob, to be reunited after the war, the main character of the story finds it indispensable to rely on God, for only He is able to lead the [...]
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 641

What Makes Don Quixote a Parody?

That means that a parody is not only expected to make people laugh and distract them from the monotony of daily existence.
  • Subjects: Dramatical Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1367

Gilgamesh and Odysseus: A Comparison

After offering prayers to the dead, the people of the river offered the sheep to them and put the remaining parts in a pit that had been dug with shadows of the dead gathering around.
  • 4
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1373

Masculinity in “The Kite Runner”

Because of this, Amir is constantly trying to live up to or prove his father's expectations of him as a son, and he does it by turning to his father, the father.
  • Subjects: Concepts in American Novels
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2266

The Thematic Concept in Water Names

Like the narrator, a reader may think that the story presents a happy ending, as the young woman "went to join the kingdom of her beloved". The woman wants the girls to find the answer [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 864

Dinner Guest: Me by Langston Hughes

In the second line of the poem, he says that "The Negro Problem", thus attempting to bring out some of the challenges that the Negros had to face in their endeavors to fit into the [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 584

The Tell-Tale Heart Essay

However, when the police came to the Old Man's house he gives himself away to the police because he hears the heart of the old man beating behind the floorboard and this incident may suggest [...]
  • 3.6
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 663

“The Lady with the Pet Dog”: Oates & Chekhov [Analysis]

As aforementioned, the plot of the two versions of this story is the same; the storyline of the two versions carries a clandestine love affair between Anna and Gurov with a happy conclusion where the [...]
  • 3
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 883

To His Coy Mistress Analysis

After making sure that the mistress is convinced, the speaker now explores the goodness of sex and claims that through sex, they would release the frustrations that have taunted them for a long time.
  • 3
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1898

“The Sanctuary of School” Story by Lynda Barry

However, to understand the background of the story and the causes that made a little girl cry, it is vital to see her living conditions and the peculiarities of her family.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 305

The Symbol of Fire in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

The fire symbolizes the ambivalent nature of the creation: one the one hand, it grants rebirth and creates life, one the other mercilessly punishes people. The fire in the novel is the ultimate power regulating [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 319

Roman and the Greek God Apollo Differences

This essay examines the similarities and the differences between the Roman and the Greek god Apollo, and his importance in the leadership philosophies.
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1126

“Educating Rita” by Willy Russell: Literature Analysis

The author presents a solution to this question by demonstrating through the main character, Rita, that education can upgrade the diminished position and status of women in society. Education is Rita's expedition of self-realization to [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 840

Guy de Maupassant: “The Necklace” Essay

The writer takes the reader through the life of these characters and in particular, the poor family of Loisel and the rich family of Forestier.
  • 3.6
  • Subjects: Dramatic Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 909

Gilgamesh and Enkidu Friendship Essay

The role of friendship in the Epic of Gilgamesh is vital. This essay unfolds the theme of friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu that develops in the course of the story.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1151

Brother by David Chariandy: Novel Review

The novel Brother by David Chariandy explores the concepts of brotherhood, discrimination, and internalized racism through the eyes of Michael and Francis. The theme of brotherhood is apparent through the relationship between Michael and Francis [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1810

“Heaven” by Cathy Song, an Asian Writer

Since her grandfather worked on the railway, the poet imagines that their household was similar to the untamed West of the past and that he never imagined that this would be the place where he [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 843

Social Status in “The Necklace” by Guy de Maupassant

Through reading and writing works of literature, people get to think about the world they live in, about the presuppositions and traditions we come to know, the wondrous and unexpected, as well as that which [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3496

Baal’s Qualities in Christian Demonology

The increasing interest in the occult world and other rituals linked to diabolical are becoming extensive in a wide segment of the populace, prompting renewed vigor in comprehending their actions. The expression accentuates the Canaanite [...]
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2247

“The Other Shore” by Xingjian Gao

Although the play had a religious connotation, it highlighted the government's failure and the inherent struggle by the people which aggravated the leaders, thus leaving the country and becoming a French citizen.
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1108

Modernism in Eliot’s “The Hollow Men” Poem

This scene of destruction indicates the spiritual devastation of the men, as the depiction of death and the afterlife connect with the Christian idea of the soul.
  • Subjects: Modernist Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 575

“To Any Would-Be Terrorists” by Naomi Shihab Nye

While trying to address the extremist audience, the writer resorted to the strong methods of personification to be able to talk straight to each reading the letter. Despite the character of the text, the writer [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 929

“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley

The monster then travels to Geneva and meets a little boy called William in the woods, where he hopes that the young boy who is not yet corrupted by the views of older people and [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2158

Myths in the “Medusa” Poem by Sylvia Plath

The allusion to the Gorgon Medusa is used to reinforce the metaphor: the mother strangles her daughter with her influence, like a monster with tentacles. The myth is the basis for the poem, which refers [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 338

Stereotypes of Women in “Pride and Prejudice”

In this novel of manners, the author describes the character development of the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, and depicts the society of late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century England with its values and flaws. One of the [...]
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 995

Geoffrey Hill’s “Genesis” Poem Analysis

The miracles illustrated in the poem represent the deamonic revision of aspects in Book of Genesis. The result is the restoration of the sacrality of the Earthly kingdom.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 300

Women, Friendships, Marriage in Lynn Nottage’s “Poof!”

Maybe Loureen and Florence treat their problems a little differently depending on the fact of having children or the degree to which the husband's attitude can be tolerated. The general opinion about women and their [...]
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 554

John Updike’s “A&P”

Moreover, Sammy is unhappy at his place of work, and he is glad when the three girls walk in and take the mind of his work and away from his small and closed world.
  • 2
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1003

“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 [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 565

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

“Serving in Florida” by Barbara Ehrenreich

Barbara's Ehrenreich's text 'Serving in Florida' can be described as effective in terms of defining the main problems of the American poor through the prism of the personal experience of the author.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 866

Essay Review on the Refugee by Alan Gratz

Despite the different reasons that prompted Isabel and Josef to leave their native country, and the fate of their loved ones that affected the emotional state of the children, they are similar in that the [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 573

The Poem “Daystar” by Rita Dove

The readers are encouraged to reflect on everlasting truths and the role of a common woman in her daily life as a mother and wife.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 925

“Woman as Other” by Simone de Beauvoir

This article was able to prove the main argument that a woman is an "other"; however de Beauvoir was unable to win a decisive victory because in order for this statement to be accepted as [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2054

“Black Cat” a Story by Edgar Allan Poe

In turn, the use of various stylistic devices helps the writer create a sense of suspense and show the immense moral tension that the main character struggles with.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 751

Father-Son Relationship in The Odyssey by Homer

In Odyssey therefore, it is expected that the relationship of Odysseus and Telemachus is as admiring as it is; the father is proud of his son, who is courageous and the son is proud of [...]
  • 4
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 825

Romanticism, Realism, and Modernism in Literature

Romantic literature is characterized by several key traits, such as a love of nature, an emphasis on the individual and spirituality, a celebration of solitude and sadness, an interest in the common man, an idealization [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 619

Realism and Naturalism in American Literature

In the earlier decades, realism was not the dominant literary style in the US but became more influential and important to a famous novelist in the US.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1198

Parallelism in the Declaration of Independence

This is the technique that Jefferson uses in writing the Declaration of Independence. In using this technique Jefferson enumerates to illustrate the patience of an oppressed people.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 556

Frankenstein: The Theme of Birth

Frankenstein is a ruthless man who can stop at nothing in his pursuit of knowledge, and when he discovered the secrets of life, he uses it to create a monster.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1474

The Problem of Single Mothers in Dominican Republic

For example, a child brought up by a single mother tends to relate with women in a more comfortable manner than the ones brought up by the two parents. In this light, a father has [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1115

Rich Dad Poor Dad Essay

The author tries to bring to the attention of the users how basic knowledge of finances is very vital in any business undertaking and how corporations can contribute to the rich becoming even richer.
  • 5
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1277

The Feminine Power in A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Considering the Elizabethan times much was expected from women in terms of respect and submissiveness to the men in that society, such that a daughter going to an extent of going against a fathers choice [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1725

American Literary Identity: Past, Present, and Future

The paper will discuss the background of American Literature and how it has came about, the writing style of American authors and what makes the American text different and unique from other national literatures and [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1248

ZZ Packer’s “Drinking Coffee Elsewhere”

This follows the revelations of her background in the interview that ZZ Packer, just like the character Dina in the story, moved from a dominantly black neighborhood to a dominantly white university.
  • 2.3
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1386

Quinceanera by Judith Ortiz Cofer

In Spanish, the word "quinceanera" is used to refer to a celebration of the transformation of a girl into a woman where she matures and becomes responsible.
  • 3.5
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1212