Literature Essay Examples and Topics. Page 34

8,575 samples

Reading “Crime and Punishment” by Dostoevsky

The most important moments from the first part occur in the second chapter, when Raskolnikov, in a conversation with Marmeladov, expresses his opinion that poverty is not a vice it is the truth, while severe [...]
  • Subjects: World Philosophy Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 588

“The Fine Art of Baloney Detection”: Analysis

Although Sagan's work demonstrates a brilliant, incisive, and insightful skewering of elaborate lies that are used to trick gullible people into believing nonsense, the article lacks the crucial element of recognizing the dangerous potential of [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1135

The International Mission Board Foundations Magazine

The book's meaning, essence, nature, and content are a set of disclosures of missionary practices, tactics, strategies, tools, and fundamental concepts of the influence of the International Missionary Council on the surrounding world and reality.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 380

The “Dear Evan Hansen” Play by Steven Levenson

In the first act, Evan Hansen writes himself a letter, mentioning that he should not worry about anything and be the way he is. Evan is not perfect, but he learned to accept himself, which [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 829

Heroic Quests in Sundiata and Popol Vuh

Examples can be found in Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali, telling about the heroic quest of Sundiata, and in Popol Vuh: The Mayan Book of the Dawn of Life, telling about the heroic twins [...]
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 837

The “Out With It” Book by Katherine Preston

The author gives an account of how she dealt with her shuttering in front of her peers while describing people's reactions, such as "did you forget your name?" The book helps to understand Katherine's struggle [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 918

Characterization and Imagery in Morrison’s “Recitatif”

Morrison utilizes the element of characterization and imagery of her characters in the story to portray the idea of internalized racism to the audience as it plays with the reader's mind by being ambiguous about [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 578

Literature: Development Throughout History

With the evolution of language and the written word, the capacity of people to create stories also changed and developed, being responsible for the creation of new literary genres, traditions and customs.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2169

Forget Tradition: “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

There is a high chance that Old Man Warner is not concerned about the lottery itself as he is worried about preserving the old traditions. Once the lottery is forgotten, the habitual way of life [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 589

“Dreams of Suicide” by William Meredith

However, due to the extensive use of literary elements, such as allusions and metaphors, discussion of the poem's use of imagery and symbolism can serve as a solid basis. Thus, "Dreams of Suicide" became a [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 283

Censorship and “13 Reasons Why” by Jay Asher

Though the novel "13 Reasons Why" by Jay Asher could be seen as inappropriate for young adults, attempting to censor it would mean infringing upon the author's right to self-expression and the readers' right to [...]
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 587

Sex Trafficking: “Girls Like Us” by Rachel Lloyd

As one of the most ignominious felonies in the world, it turns people of all ages and sexes from all parts of the globe into victims forcing them to do perverted acts daily.
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 838

Issues in “The Necklace” by Guy De Maupassant

In The Necklace, De Maupassant raised several contemporary issues at once: the conflict of desires and opportunities, the discrepancy between the spiritual organization of a person and the social conditions of their existence.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 523

Themes of M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang

What is more, he is not satisfied with all aspects of the love story that happened years ago, and Gallimard desperately attempts to alter the events in his imagination.
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 290

Love and Compassion Themes in Literature

The theme of love and compassion is evident in the literature, and it shows the connectivity between all human beings. For instance, in this story, Hope's parents had friends living on the other side of [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 398

The Rediscovery of Light by Paul Churchland

In general, Churchland does not appear to realize that the irreducible component of light he is referring to is the subjective experience of brightness.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 295

Hero’s Journey in the 21st Century

Consequently, questions on the prevalence of such individuals in the 21st century remain, with the young people having ideas of flawless, staller, and a perfect individual as their hero.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 842

“America’s Girl” by Dahlberg

One interesting thing about the narrative is that it initiates the biography of Gertrude's life in the form of a story.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1133

“All the Shah’s Men” Book by Stephen Kinzer

The events in the Middle East in the middle of the 20th century showed a moment of crisis that changed the social structure of Iran and led to the Islamization of the country, which resulted [...]
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 877

The Myth of King Minos and the Minotaur

Finally, a gorgeous bull of a white color came to the land and, therefore, Minos became the King of Crete. Minos' promise to Poseidon was clear and stated that he first would sacrifice a white [...]
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 603

Abuse of Power in “The Iliad” and “The Metamorphoses”

Portraying the lives of gods and depicting relationships between them, as well as their interactions with humans, both "Iliad" and "Metamorphosis" elaborate on the theme of power abuse by those at the helm.
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 310

The Novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley

Later, the reader can understand that the main hero feels quite lonely and pays much attention to his research and studies to cover this inner loneliness caused by the loss of his beloved ones.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 350

Critical Reading of Oates’ “Where Are You Going…”

Though I agree with Slimp that Connie desperately wants her mother as she comes to understand the depth of evil Arnold represents, the third and sixth paragraphs of the story suggest that the reason Connie [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 802

Quotes From Tragedy of King Lear by Shakespeare

Chapter three in the book of Genesis tells about the temptation of a woman by the serpent and the violation of the prohibition on eating fruits from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil.
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1117

Mayan and Egyptian Myth of Creation Comparison

As the creator of humans and gods, he had the initiative to bring order to earth and the heavens. Like other creations narratives, the Mayan initializes that in the beginning, the earth was void as [...]
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1186

The Biography and Literary Work of Alice Walker

The last quarter of the twentieth century has marked the rise of African American prose and poetry, born from the massive cultural legacy and complex history of the Black people.
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1114

The Last Stand of Fox Company: Book Report

The book describes the American soldiers during the Korean war, with some of the main struggles being not even the battles but events in between.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 588

Unhitched by Judith Stacey

In the introductory chapter, the author underlines the necessity to unhitch the concepts of love, commitment, marriage, and parenthood and redefine a current understanding of family and fidelity.
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1718

The Role of Poetry According to Keats and Shelley

For Shelley and Keats, poetry is a product of a free and inconstant flow of imagination inspired by sensuous and aesthetic experiences. This stance is reflected in Shelley's essay "A Defence of Poetry", Keats's letters, [...]
  • Subjects: Romantic Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 392

Feminism in “A Doll’s House” by Ibsen

Benhabib's chapter, "Feminism and the Question of Postmodernism," highlights the connection between feminism and postmodernism in contemporary society. Nasrin examines the role of feminism in enforcing justice and human rights activism.
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 353

Father-Son Dynamics in “Fences” by A. Wilson

Despite Troy's accusations that his father was wicked and the devil, his father has continued to beat him brutally. His isolation from his father shaped Troy's view of manhood after the violence and betrayal of [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 826

Poverty in “A Modest Proposal” by Swift

The high number of children born to poor families presents significant problems for a country."A Modest Proposal" is a satirical essay by Jonathan Swift that proposes a solution to the challenge facing the kingdom.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1371

“The Left Hand of Darkness” by Ursula K. Le Guin

The part that I felt enlightened and surprised about simultaneously was the dialogue between the Faxe and Genry. The discussion about the known and unknown gave me the feeling of relief, for I have realized [...]
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 365

“We Real Cool” by Gwendolyn Brooks

The poem suggests that the life of a person who could be represented by this poem is far from perfect. As Brooks starts her poem with a positive note, it is immediately understood that the [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 492

Inferno by Dante as a Spiritual Autobiography

Dante's conception of the universe is commonly known as a straightforward representation of the Medieval view of the afterlife. If the reader interprets the text through the lens of allegory, it becomes clear that Dante [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 611

The “Two Old Women” Poem by Lydia Huntley Sigourney

Two neighboring crones, antique and gray, Together talk would at close of day One said with brow of wrinkled care, "Life's cup, at first was sweet and fair, On our young lips, with laughter gay, [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 423

Gender Influences in Kindred by O. Butler

Kindred is the story of a strong woman from a comfortable but not ideal 1976, who travels back in time to XIX on the estate of slave owner Tom Whalen. The novel shows the reader [...]
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 656

I’m Nobody! Who Are You? Poem by Emily Dickinson

Who are You?" is a short lyric poem written by Emily Dickinson and first published in 1891 in the Poems of the 2nd Series. In this poem, the speaker is a kind of "nobody" who [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 352

Frank L. Baum’s Biography and Contribution

Many critics see the similarity of Oz to the work of John Bunyan "Piligrim's Progress" in the image of the yellow and straight road and the richness of history with images.
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 834

Short Story as Preferred Genre of Literature

They are written in a simple language, and they are usually direct to the point. As a result, the audience develops a satisfaction with a narration that takes the readers to the fantasy world, making [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 379

The “Beowulf” Anglo-Saxony Epic Poem

The willingness to save the opponent's head describes the main hero's braveness, which is one of the central features that is explained during the poem.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 376

The Accuracy of “The Machine Stops” Fiction

The machine is a metaphor that represents those at the top of a hierarchy or the government who control people and run all the activities within the system.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1676

Reflection on “Overstory” by Richard Powers

At the beginning of the Overstory, Nick is profoundly connected to trees because his forefather had a chestnut farm. The veteran betrays Adams to protect Mimi and is subjected to a light sentence.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1400

Supernatural Forces in Literature

Moreover, Gilman has used ghosts as one of the supernatural forces to create the mood of the story and the theme of mental illnesses.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 977

Oedipus: Three-Way Compare and Contrast

Sophocles used the myth of the unfortunate King Oedipus in the plot of his drama to show the clash of the will of the gods and man's choice.
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 611

Jonathan Swift’s Essay “A Modest Proposal”

The text begins with the description of the realities of society living in the time of famine. Since small children are not capable of work, they only constitute the source of expenditures to families and [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 275

Robert Frost’s “Mending wall” as Opposition

On balance, the discursive nature of the poem lends itself to a discovery guided by the author via repetition and comparison, and the air of playfulness pervades the first part of it.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1274

“Where Our Monsters Come From” by Braudy

The author's explanation of the present-day anomalies compared to the beast from the past and nature monsters reflects the societal anxiety and scientific progress by modern desires to enable created monsters to dominate the world.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 619

Revolutionary Mothers Book by Carol Berkins

Carol Berkins also shows what happened after the war, more so where the women were not given equal rights as their husbands during the drafting of the constitution.
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1616

“The Addict” by Anne Sexton: Poem Analysis

In the poem "The Addict," Anne Sexton vividly describes the experiences and feelings of an addicted person who is not understood by other people and struggles with the addiction. Thus, the poem creates a vivid [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 146

Mood in Poe’s “The Masque of Red Death” Short Story

Edgar Alan Poe's short story The Masque of Red Death is a unique piece, allowing the reader to experience Gothic fiction and analyze death's inevitability through the author's allegoric instruments.
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 389

The Significance of Myths Nowadays

To be honest, while identifying, researching, and developing the project, I discovered much information and realized the great significance of myths nowadays. Each step contributed to my understanding of the presence and significance of myths [...]
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 552

Inferior Characters in “The Golden Age” by Apuleius

In The Golden Ass, the behaviors of Lucius and Socrates are ridiculous due to the impossibility of coping with their curiosity and pleasure but prioritizing sexual satisfaction, basic human needs, and the overwhelming power of [...]
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2278

Marriage Relationships in “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” by Hemingway

Harry and his wife, Helen, are stranded in Mount Kilimanjaro and their interactions reveal that their rocky relationship is a result of a mixture of frustration, incorrect decisions, getting married for wrong reasons, and unreciprocated [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 670

The Holocaust: Poem “Tears of Blood”

The extermination of the Roma was part of the general policy of the National Socialists to destroy political opponents, homosexual people, terminally and mentally ill, drug addicts, and Jews.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 633

The Veldt and “The Lottery”: Insights and Value

Both The Veldt and The Lottery are stories that dive deep into the topic of human nature, traditionalism vs.modernization, and the notion of family that can have various meanings and aspects.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1476

Navajo Stories: Changing Woman Myth

Furthermore, from this story, the reader will learn about the special relationship of Navajo to the stars, the constellations of which provide the life principles and values of the people.
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 892

“Mother Tongue” by Tan

Although the topic of the narration is language, the writer emphasizes its role in her mother's life and finishes the text underlining the value of her mother's opinion. Quoting her mother, the writer intends to [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 303

Analysis of “A&P” Story by John Updike

The first characteristic of the modernist literary movement found in Updike's A&P is the method called stream of consciousness. From the very beginning of Updike's short story, the reader is immersed in the flow of [...]
  • Subjects: Modernist Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 567

“Rip Van Winkle”: Rip Van Winkle’s Personality

Van Winkle is satisfied with the status quo, even if it is not the best, and having more ambitions would probably make him a different person. Thus, Van Winkle's henpecked status is a blessing, rendering [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 345

Edgar Allan Poe: Literary Devices and Their Meaning

The purpose of his style, ornate and yet concise, of the grotesque characters, the growing tension in the narrative is "the greatest possible effect on his readers".
  • Subjects: American Novels Writing Style
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1154

A Tale for the Time Being Novel by Ruth Ozeki

Following one of her dreams, Ruth is surprised to discover previously unseen pages of the diary, which point toward a happier ending for Nao and her father.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1677

“The Pillow Book” by Sei Shonagon

The diversity of styles is evident since the author writes about nature, the seasons, the conversations between the Empress and the Emperor, the things that amuse and captivate her.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 545

“Romeo and Juliet” Staged in Greek Style

According to the analysis, it is evident that even though the story, plot, and characters stay the same, the change in the style of "Romeo and Juliet" will have a significant difference from the original [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 880

John Updike’s “A&P” Short Story Analysis

A&P by Updike is a story of personal protest against the 'general good' for everyone, a path to self-respect, and the right to be different. To understand the nature of the protest committed by the [...]
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 563

“Abina and the Important Men” Book by Getz and Clark

Since the book is based on a transcript of a court hearing, most of the scenes unfold in the courtroom, where the woman tries to convince important people of the significance of her rights.
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1174