Literature Essay Examples and Topics. Page 59

8,586 samples

Arthur Miller Contributions to the Literature

All his life Miller was a true proponent of communist and socialist ideals, which revealed his idealistic attitude to life and the place of an individual in a society, the relationship of the society and [...]
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2749

“Candide” a Poem by Voltaire

This work still remains one of the greatest works of literature and expresses the author's philosophy and criticisms of contemporary French society and politics through the characters of the poem.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 847

African Americans in Langston Hughes’s Poems

The tone and spirit of the poems display the author's frustration with the fate of African Americans. In addition, because the poem is the brightest example of Harlem period, the presence of musical elements contributes [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 819

Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Book “The Brothers Karamazov”

The book The Brothers Karamazov by Fydor Dostoyevsky is a must-read Russian novel that was written in the 19th century with an aim of painting the dilemma that the society was facing in its pursuit [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2752

“We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” by Philip Dick

Overall, one can argue that the film-makers decided not to focus on the main theme of Phillip Dick's novella, in particular the contrast between the expectations of an individual and his real life.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1385

John Cheever’s Satirical Tone in “The Wrysons”

The author emphasizes the main idea of his short story which is the fear of changes in the first lines of his work with the help of concentrating on the description of the peculiarities of [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 856

“The Open Boat” a Book by Stephen Crane

The mood in the story is melancholic, partly due to the predicament of the boat and its occupants. According to the description of the boat in the book, there is little space for the sailors [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 831

“The Heart of Darkness” a Novel by Joseph Conrad

As its mission, the European imperialism had the "civilization" of the world and expansion of the Christianity over the conquered nations through the forced introduction of the European administrative powers and its culture.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 896

“Factory Work” a Poem by Deborah Boe

In the first stanza, the poem gives a detailed description of the monotonous nature of the job that the main character does and how it has changed some of her physical aspects.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 595

Life Conflict: “Anna Karenina” by Leo Tolstoy

The problem of non-adherence to the conventional role of a married woman becomes a paradigm for the analysis of the problems that are created in interrelated patterns.
  • Subjects: Dramatical Novel
  • Pages: 10
  • Words: 2795

Clive Lewis’ Biography and Books

The renowned author, Clive Staples Lewis, was sired in Ireland in the city of Belfast in the year 1898 on the 29th day of November.
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1983

“I Love Yours for White People” by Lac Su

However, in the pursuit of a better future, the Asian community faced significant resistance on the part of the residents. In the memoir, the author focuses on the eternal confrontation between various cultures leading to [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1391

The Novel “Sula” by Toni Morrison

In the context of the novel, the author addresses the story of two black-American heroines namely Nel and Sula. Although the author begins by introducing some of the key characters, Sula and Nel are the [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1691

“Zami: A New Spelling of My Name” by Audre Lorde

The author's unconventional approach to representing female development provides me with clear understanding of how society and upbringing can influence the development of the self.
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 557

“New Atlantis” an Utopia by Francis Bacon

Therefore, it is possible to state that Francis Bacon's New Atlantis is aimed at criticizing the use of reason as the central principle for creating an intellectual utopia as the practice shows that the possession [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 587

“Breadwinning Daughters” a Book by Katrina Srigley

This paper examines the major tenets of the book and evaluates their significance to the history of Women in Canada. The writer introduces the book to readers by showing how women contributed to development in [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2226

Modern American Plays’ Quotes

That is why Linda's monologue is important to demonstrate the other side of the problem and to draw the men's attention to the fact that Willy should be respected in spite of obstacles and conditions.
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1667

Alice Walker and Patricia Smith Works: Literature Comparison

Every society that is characterized by a mixture of racial interfaces is prone to a level of conflict that usually arises when some of the characters in the society esteem themselves as superior by virtue [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2539

Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea

Since the goal of the author is to reveal the darker side of North Korea, Demick specifically drew her interviewees from Chongjin, which is one of the largest towns in North Korea whose residents have [...]
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2515

Poverty in the Novel “Snow” by Orhan Pamuk

All through, the author creatively captures the attention of the reader without watering down the content and flow of the storyline. The reality of poverty is undeniable in this book.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 829

“Eveline” a Book by James Joyce

Moreover, contrary to the opinion that women cannot provide for the family, it is seen that Eveline uses all her income in the house while the men of the house only give part of what [...]
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1115

“The Brothers Karamazov” a Novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Thus, Ivan's seemingly revered attitude towards religion is rather explainable he believed that, while being closely affiliated with a religion, people would be innately encouraged to refrain from committing crimes, out of their fear of [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1700

“Brides of the Well” a Short Story by Shekhar Kapur

The theme of the short story is hope as the two young girls pertaining to a lower caste hope that their sorrows will end and "the High Caste God's would deliver them a different destiny".
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 580

The Novel “A Passage to India” by Edward Morgan Forster

The reason for this is that the themes and motifs, contained in it, reveal the hidden reason why, throughout the course of Britain's colonial rule in India, the socio-economic dynamics in this country never ceased [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2537

“Richard II” a Play by William Shakespeare

Hence, the movie review interprets the performances of Fiona Shaw and Ben Whishaw in the third scene in the third act, where they act as King Richard II in the play, Richard II.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1727

Varying Moral Worlds in The Odyssey and Aeneid

Some of the issues that differ between the two societies, as highlighted in the two poems, include marital love, representation of the underworld, the idea of fate, and pride/hubris. It is believed that the intention [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1761

Justice in Dante’s Poem “Inferno”

It is possible to consider three sins and the way the sinners are punished to see Dante's idea of justice and the way it is similar to the contemporary concept of justice.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1121

Taming One’s Id in Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi”

The novel Life of Pi by Yann Martel is a captivating chef-d'oeuvre that features three main parts, which follow the life of Pi and a tiger that is referred to as Richard Parker.
  • Subjects: Dramatical Novel
  • Pages: 20
  • Words: 5587

Tracy Kidder’s Novel “Strength in What Remains”

The author brings up a theme of a civil war refugee who has fled to the United States from Africa and who struggles trying to match his old experiences to the new ones and to [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1748

Robin Hood and His Organisation’ Issues

The organisation is running out of funds because the clients, viz.the wealthy travellers, have started avoiding the Sherwood Forest after learning of the existence of Merrie Men. Therefore, Robin faces the threat of the Sheriff [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1198

The Poem “Manfred” by George Byron

Thus, till the end of the whole poem, the main character is not able to embrace peace and forget about the guilt. Manfred is guilty and he is not able to get rid of tortures.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 586

The “Epic of Gilgamesh” and Mesopotamia

Another instance in the epic, which portrays women as sexual objects, is the use of the women as sex tools in the temple. Women in Mesopotamian society had the duty of brewing wine for men [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 880

Defining the Reliable Narrator in Literature

Therefore, such types of narrators are usually a sample driven by first-person narratives, which allow the audience or the readers of the literary works considerable flexibilities of shaping their perception of the story.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 961

Travel Narratives: “The Grand Tour” and “Vagabonding”

Although both Pugh and Osnos provide seemingly similar observations on the same issue concerning the economics and politics of the places that they visit, these observations contribute to creating a completely different image of the [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1361

A Valediction: Forbidding Mourning by John Donne

It is also necessary to mention that Donne chooses a very specific realm of the spiritual to show the links between the idea of pure, platonic love and its ore down-to-earth equivalent.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1105

Zombies in the Real Life

Thus, although the concept of 'zombie' is discussed by the adherents of the Voodoo religion as reflecting the real creatures, zombies are made up mythical creatures which represent the people's religious visions, fears of the [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1086

Reasons of Immigration Literature Growth

Cofer is currently "the Franklin Professor of English and the director of the creative writing program at the University of Georgia".
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 867

“The Jungle” Novel by Upton Sinclair

The excerpt tells about the background of these events and explains how and why Jurgis has got to Chicago in the first place.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 832

Femme Fatale in Hard-boiled Fiction

The convention of the femme fatale is of great significance for the noir fiction as far as it can reveal the historical and cultural background of Los Angeles in the 1930s.
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1449

The Twelfth Night by Shakespeare

The Twelfth Night, for instance, concentrates on such issues as love, friendship, relationships between the man and the woman as well as the distribution of gender roles in the society.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1935

Literary Genre of Existentialist Novel

Existentialist literature is often characterized by the absurdity of the existence of man, and how a man often dwells on the ugly and dark sides of things.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1385

“The Language of Blood” by Jane Jeong Trenka

The letter from the mother of the adoptee brings the memory of the girl to life at her ancestral land. The author is extremely critical of the life she was subjected to while in Korea.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 561

“Osage County” a Drama by Tracy Letts

Being also preoccupied with the problems in her marriage and separation with her husband, Barbara Fordham works hard on trying to settle the relationships in her family and on understanding what goes wrong with her [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 562

“Nobody Knows My Name” by James Baldwin

It is imperative to note that the topics that the author raises in his works are truly intriguing, and it necessary to understand their importance.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 551

“The Stranger” a Novel by Albert Camus

Meursault is the main character in the book; he is a young man, who is narrating the readers about the things that have happened in his life.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 868

“Breakfast of Champions” and “The Bonfire of Vanities”

However, the most important sentences in the first chapter are those that introduce the concept of Communism, America's attitude to it, and the distribution of wealth in the world: "Dwayne Hoover's and Kilgore Trout's country, [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 834

John Updike’s Story “A&P”

The final line brings closure to the story by showing that despite Sammy's efforts to please the three girls and even going to the extent of quitting his job, they hardly appreciate his gesture and [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 626

Humanism in African-American Literature

The fact that this was indeed the case can be illustrated, in regards to the story's episode, in which Sonny expresses his contempt of the narrator's idea that it is thoroughly natural for people to [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2237

“Moby Dick” by Herman Melville

The United States of America are comparable to the Pequod, in the sense that this country is a melting pot of cultures.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1146

“Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Hence is the unique peculiarity of the narration: the short story is interpreted as the text with the contradictions. Hawthorne uses his favorite device of the ironic ambiguous features, the shift of the viewpoint from [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1106

“Oedipus Rex” and “A Doll House”

The main issue is that Ibsen uses these techniques to show how the protagonist discovers her inner strengths, while Sophocles applies them to depict the frustration of a person and the destruction of his vanity.
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 636

“The Odyssey” by Homer Discussion

With this knowledge, it is necessary to examine the role played by the other characters in the poem. On the other hand, Penelope knows that she is expected to remain faithful to her husband.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1124

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Theodor Geisel

It is important to note that the book is a story about the conflict between introversion and extroversion that results in the victory of extroverted people who are the basis of the human society.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1389

“America” by Allen Ginsberg

The interpreter needs to examine important clues to understand the intended message of the author. Historians unearthed evidence that showed the problems of the U.S.economy in the decade of the 1950s.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 781

Journey to Self in “Quicksand” by Nella Larsen

From the very beginning of the novel, the author reveals the problem of the individual and its place in society. And vice versa, in the society of the black, she experiences the white side of [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1177

Oedipus the King – Characters and Performance

Oedipus's cleverness makes his candidature to surface as the best individual to inherit the throne, hence becoming the King of Thebes. He is a seer and prophesized that the end times of Oedipus is nigh.
  • Subjects: Dramatical Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 634

“Funeral Blues” and “Richard Cory”

The difference between these two works is that "Funeral Blues" sticks to the same tone through all the four stanzas, while "Richard Cory" has a rapid shift in the last quatrain, from utter admiration it [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 838

“Sister Carrie” by Theodore Dreiser

The life in the city turns out to be a complete disappointment to her, and she is ready to give up as she does not want to be a burden for her sister.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1130

Life-Challenges in “The Joy Luck Club” by Amy Tan

Thus, Wu Xing implies that the universe's building blocks exist in the state of circumstantial uncertainty depending on what happened to be the qualitative features of how one of the elements relates to the other, [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3328

American Novels: “A&P” by John Updike

By depicting the behavior of a teenager named Sammy who works in the supermarket chain, the writer illustrates the way in which an individual responds to the culture dominated by consumption and rigid norms that [...]
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1104

The Prince’ by Niccolo Machiavelli Literature Analysis

Since he was highly educated and well-travelled, Machiavelli was made the senior official of the Florence government serving as the head of the second chancery and secretary to the council of the Ten for War.
  • 1
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1697

Local Customs and Traditions in the US

This difference in customs impacting behavior can be seen in the story "My Mother, the Crazy African" wherein Lin is ashamed of her mother who is thoroughly immersed in her Nigerian culture and background despite [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 623

Selected Works of Lu Hsun

In this essay, I will argue that the eighteen short stories in the Selected Works of Lu Hsun presents a picture of the social realities of china and present the emergence of the new Chinese [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2538