Literature Essay Examples and Topics. Page 59

8,877 samples

“The Tale of Heike” and “The Pillow Book”

Although the authors sometimes succumb to the traditional gender tropes, the subtle changes to the roles that men and women played in the 16th-century society, as well as the behavior norms that they were supposed [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1435

“When the Emperor Was Divine” by Julie Otsuka

The title of the book, current references, tokens that children carry with them to the campsite, the killing of the dog on the eve of departure to the camp, and the experiences of the family [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1425

“Native Son” a Novel by Richard Wright

Towards the end of the novel, the author could have featured or explored the life of Buddy. Since from the very beginning Buddy is portrayed as someone who wants to be like his brother, the [...]
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1148

“Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Molly Whuppie” Tales

Both Jack's and Molly's parents are poor, and the children in the stories are forced to experience difficulties in finding food and trying to survive; therefore, the boy and the girl get into ogres' houses.
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 859

Madness in “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Poe

Poe uses a wide range of tools to create an uncomfortable mood, yet it is his ability to maintain the balance between reality and madness that shines through the whole story.
  • Subjects: American Novels Writing Style
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 594

Positivism in “The Birth-Mark” by N. Hawthorne

In the novel, the conflict between nature and Positivism showcased by juxtaposing Aylmer, an aspiring Positivism scientist, and his wife Georgiana is rendered with the help of the third-person view, which sets the tone for [...]
  • Subjects: Concepts in American Novels
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1376

“Riders of the Purple Sage” Western by Zane Grey

The book "Riders of the Purple Sage" was one of the first in the genre western. Overall, storylines intertwine the fates of the main characters, which allows the audience to understand them better, and an [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1111

Alexander Pope, a Poet and Translator

Pope was living with his parent in their house, but his works on some of the writings by Homer provided him with enough finances to find his own dwelling, which happened to be a villa [...]
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 309

Edgar Allan Poe’s Life, Poems, Short Stories

The recognition of his works is based mainly on the uniqueness of the themes and characters the author created, as well as his excellent command of the language and exceptional imagery and style.
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1159

“The Epic of Gilgamesh” in Art Interpretation

It is imperative to mention that the analysis of ancient works is incredibly important because it enhances the understanding of the traditions and values of the people."The Epic of Gilgamesh" is regarded as one of [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 832

Life Meaning in “Tuesdays With Morrie” by Mitch Albom

Morrie questions the importance of spirituality and the ability of a person to love and be loved. The virtue is ridiculed by society and is considered to be a manifestation of the softness of the [...]
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 862

Character Building in the Reluctant Fundamentalist

By building his character, Changez, in a very original manner and displaying him as both the lover and the critic of the American traditions, the author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist makes the audience realize the [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1666

Search for Meaning in “The Lucky One” by Sparks

However, despite the consensus among critics, both the fate and the chance are methods that are used by the author to reveal a much deeper concept of the journey through which the protagonist searches for [...]
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1239

The Damned Human Race by Mark Twain

This is a clear indication of the great distinction that exists between the higher animals and man. Despite the negative attributes of a man, he is also religious.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 417

“My Life With the Wave” by Octavio Paz

Up to that extent, the reader is already in a world that he or she has suspended reality. Up to this extent, the reader is already in a world that the unimaginable happens.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1125

Chinua Achebe’ Book “Things Are Falling Apart”

Chinua Achebe, an African author with his origin in Nigeria mainly focuses on the colonization of African countries and the role of women in the society in the village of Umuofia in his book Things [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 874

Race and Culture in Langston Hughes’ Poems

The most obvious way of assessing the extent to which Langston Hughes responded to the historical context of his race in his work is to assess his thematic concerns. Again, just like in "Cross," Hughes [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1229

“The Romance in the Forest” by Ann Radcliffe

Ann Radcliffe's "The Romance in the Forest" explores the relationship between Adeline and the men in the book. Adeline is the lead character in the book, and she is supposed to exemplify the strength of [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 564

“Barn Burning” a Story by William Faulkner

Another aspect that is worth noting is that it is entirely possible that the boy has recognized that Abner is emotionally unstable and requires the support.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 2015

Early American Literature: Thematic Elements

This paper explores the issue of how these people's ideas contributed to the shaping of the culture of that time. The literature portrayed the ways of life of the early dwellers of America, and it [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1184

LGBT Literature: “The Picture of Dorian Gray”

The chosen book is Oscar Wilde's 1891 classic: The Picture of Dorian Gray; a story carefully fashioned to affirm the tilt youths have toward beauty, and the extent most could go to retain that unique [...]
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1112

“Stones and Switches” by Lorne Simon

The main hero of the novel, a young man, named Megwadesk, is plagued by misfortune following him around, and struggles against it as his perceptions of right and wrong are shifting between Christianity, spiritualism, and [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 681

20th Century Literature of the American West

The abundance of beautiful descriptions of the nature coupled with limitless opportunities that are beyond the reach of common people make the majority of literary works of the twentieth century a combination of wonderful and [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1377

”Arcadian Adventures With the Idle Rich” by Leacock

The short story that is found in the second chapter of the book describes a significant flowering of the seeds of individualism and corrupt materialism that occur in Plutoria Avenue in a large city in [...]
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1100

Miller’s “A Doll House” and “A Sorrowful Woman”

The succeeding sections of this work give the literal evidence, which indicates the place of a woman in the society, and support the thesis on the need to radicalize the society on gender equity.
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 959

“Planet of Slums” a Book by Mike Davis

In his book, Mike Davis explains to the readers the mechanisms of how slums work, and puts forth an idea that the blame for slums being dangerous and miserable lies not on the inhabitants of [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 920

“Ching Kang Shan” by Mao Tse-tung

Thus, through this poem, Mao Tse-tung describes the establishment of the Red Army in China; this poem can be considered as a 'hymn' of the revolution.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 552

Repetitive Narration in Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”

It also shows that Lennie and George were never going to escape the desperate circle of the routine of their lives."The deep green pool of the Salinas River" that is "still in the late afternoon" [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 568

“Year Zero: A History of 1945” by Ian Buruma

Through numerous examples of events happening in many countries after the end of the war, Ian explains to us that the changes in socio-political systems were made by the people who tried to make the [...]
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 824

“The Giver” a Novel by Lois Lowry

Before the Sameness, the world of the book was much like ours. Finally, the central box lists the emotions and sensations, probably the cause most responsible for the occurrence of the Sameness.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 538

Elena Poniatowska and Her Feminism

Thus, the primary objective of her journalism and fiction was to break the indifference of the society and to open people's eyes to the problems of those who are silently excluded from public life.
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 603

Sandra Cisneros’ Life and Work

Cisneros was the only daughter in a family of seven children, and they often traveled from Mexico to the United States, as her father was involved in upholstery, which demanded constant movement between the two [...]
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 598

Loyalty in “The Gift” by Rosario Ferre

In general, loyalty is considered to be a state or a feeling of devotion and faithfulness that is oriented to a particular person, a group of people, cause, or country, etc. Exclusionary one presupposes that [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 315

Loyalty in “Hard Times” by Charles Dickens

For instance, the author ridicules this blind loyalty to Gradgrind's philosophy and outlines various ways it has affected the lives of his children and people that surround him.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1104

Word Choice in “The Curse” by Arthur C. Clarke

When I read the story for the first time, it hardly drew my attention to the words chosen by the author to depict this scene. And why earlier in the text the author used the [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1695

Dependence in Octavia Butler’s “Bloodchild”

In spite of the fact that Butler rejected the idea that she intended to discuss the problem of the humans' enslavement in her work, it is impossible to ignore the accentuation of the issue of [...]
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1103

Themes in David Auburn’s Play “Proof”

In particular, she considers her level of mathematical skills at the age of 25 as well as the confusion she endures after the death of her father as a possibility that she inherited her father's [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 606

Humanism in Thornton Wilder’s Play “Our Town”

Rather than invoking the idea of creation, Wilder seems to describe the role of birth to the continuation of generations and the role that physicians play in conserving human values. In this case, Wilder wanted [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 662

Chiew’s, Ramos’, and Chimamanda’s Short Stories

The consistency of the three works in addressing power struggles within the family as a social unit is a lesson to the society of the urgent need to restructure the family as the basic social [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 819

Gender Fights in “The Chrysanthemums” by Steinbeck

In this story, the author managed to challenge the traditional views on gender roles and demonstrated the tragedy of a person constrained by the existing order."The Chrysanthemums" pictures individuals in the stagnant world and identifies [...]
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 855

Afghani Childhood in “The Kite Runner” by Hosseini

The purpose of writing this book, on the author's part, had to do with his intention to reflect upon his childhood memories of having lived in Afghanistan through the years 1965-1980.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2221

Tales of Times Now Past and The Tale of Genji

Moreover, the difference in mentalities and perspectives peculiar to bearers of various cultures preconditioned the appearance of the unique masterpieces that could help to understand the peculiarities of peoples lives in ancient times.
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1373

Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” Poem

With Eliot's description of Prufrock's thoughts and consciousness, the reader observes that Prufrock's personality and character are a representation of what most people experience as they advance towards old age.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 610

Solidarity in The Waste Land and Angels in America

In his 1922 poem "The waste land", Thomas Eliot attempts to portray how social solidarity of in the modern world is affected by social and cultural changes such as the change in gender roles, dynamism [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1137

Joe Christmas in Faulkner’s “Light in August”

Although it is possible to perceive him as a bad person, the analysis of Christmas' character and the adverse episodes, in which he is represented as the main actor, reveal that he is not more [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 592

“The Story of an Hour” Plot by Kate Chopin

In this case, the duty of the person breaking the news was to appear gentle while transmitting the sensitive news. It was quite unnoticed that a sob was to hit her hard since she was [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 554

Homelessness in “Light in August” and “Wise Blood”

The concept of home is commonly regarded in relation to the process of formation of individual identity, and, in almost every culture, the definition of a home serves as an indicator of a person's wholeness [...]
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1425

Racism in “To Kill Mocking Bird” by Harper Lee

The family is transformed from poverty to wealth, but it remains one of the few white families ready to accommodate and recognize the black people as a part of the society, while other Whites oppress [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 833

Denmark’s Occupation in “Number the Stars” by Lois

She is also courageous because she had to hide in the other family, away from her parents. She was brave when she encountered the Nazis in the Annemarie's apartment and pretended her elder sister.
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 632

Autobiography in “Song of Rita” by Rita Joe

Rita uses the poems to outline her main challenges, which are reminiscent of the challenges, which faced aboriginals of her time. Rita uses the book to show her patience in an abusive marriage which she [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 574

“A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier” by Beah

The theme of the father is firmly connected to the central theme of war in the book: the young boy, the main character of this true story, treasures his family more than anything in the [...]
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1094

Puritans in “The Scarlet Letter” by Hawthorne

As I read through the introductory part of the novel, the statements made by the narrator reinforced the idea that the Puritans were bad people. I was surprised at the obsession they had when it [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 330

The Ebers Papyrus and The Book of the Dead

Though a range of facts concerning the household and traditions of the people of Ancient Egypt remain buried under the sands of time, several facts about the culture in question can be considered relatively well-known.
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1107

Ibsen’s A Doll House and Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex

Of course, the most suggestive similarity of the two plays is that recognition and reversal occur simultaneously for protagonists as they learn an important thing about themselves and this knowledge changes their life completely forcing [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 627

American Dream in Hansberry’s and Miller’s Tragedies

Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun" and Miller's "Death of a Salesman" tell the stories about how people can perceive and be affected by the idea of the American Dream, how they choose wrong dreams [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1694

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Carver

The question, therefore, concerns the ubiquitous darkness that surrounds the main characters throughout the story and the purpose of this darkness, whereas the key problem concerns the reasonability of using darkness as the basis for [...]
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1121

Walt Whitman’s and Emily Dickinson’s Poetry

In particular, Walt Whitman focuses on the experiences of a free individual who cannot be restricted by the conventions established the society. In turn, it is important to show how this person differs from the [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 881

Hero in “The Odysseus” and “The Epic of Gilgamesh”

This paper explores the differences and similarities between the heroes of the ancient epics such as "The Odyssey" by Homer and "The Epic of Gilgamesh" the product of the culture of ancient Mesopotamia.
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 558

“Girl” Story by Jamaica Kincaid

This vision is somewhat old-fashioned, but the meaning behind this is much bigger, as the word "lady" in the context of this short story implicitly represents the depiction of the superlative human personality traits, not [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 573

Tweeter-Drama: Social Media as a Theatre Platform

Jeremy Gable, who works as a teacher, explains that the world of social media is too powerful and it can not be repressed by the regular theatre plays or any other traditional activities.
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 282

“Annabel Lee” Multi Rhythmic Poem by Edgar A. Poe

Therefore, the author's works created a powerful impact on the establishment of a connection between content and literary form. Thus, Poe's writings possess the power to show the links between a concept and a form [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 824

“Slut” Word in Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl”

In my opinion, "a slut" remains to be the most important word in Kincaid's story because it could perform several functions in the girl's life: it helps to create a goal for a girl that [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: American Novels Writing Style
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 557

Feminism and Roles in “A Raisin in the Sun” Play

These are such questions as: "What does Beneatha's conduct reveal about her intentions?", "How does the character treat female's role in society?", "How does Beneatha regard poor people?", "How does the heroine explain her choice [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 824

Rebellion in “No Name Woman” by Maxine Kingston

Rethinking and remastering her mother's talk-stories, the author bears witness to the oppression of women's bodies, minds, and spirits that they managed to withstand. The author muses that she is the only one tending to [...]
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 838

Characters’ Traits in Shakespeare’s Macbeth

As weird as it might sound, Lady Macbeth is very emotional; as a matter of fact, the crimes that she committed can be attributed to her emotionality rather than her greed, though the latter has [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 844

Tao Qian’s and LI Qingzhao’s Poems Comparison

Thesis Statement: The use of song lyric and art collection in Li Qingzhao's work portrays the disillusionment associated with the Song Dynasty while Tao Qian's dianyuan style depicts the disunion and desire for freedom during [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1427

“Learning to Read and Write” and “The Library Card”

Frederick Douglass' "Learning to Read and Write" and Richard Wright's "The Library Card" are the stories of perseverance and resolve in overcoming the obstacles that prevented the marginalized black people from the most basic and [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1385

Jamaica Kincaid’s Biography and Works

The challenges that young Jamaica experienced during her childhood and during her time in the United States comprise one of the inspirations that led to her passion for writing.
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 396

Commercialized Writing in “Erasure” by P. Everett

Everett's subjects focus on social observations of the life of African Americans, as well as how it is disruptive by the existing stereotypes on the life of the black community.
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1118

The Holocaust Effects: Books “Tzili” and “Wartime Lies”

The natural experiences of growing up are changed and twisted by the war and its horrors, but the specific developments, their perceptions, and impacts are affected by the children's personalities and circumstances of their lives, [...]
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1383

The Novella “Billy Budd, Sailor” by Herman Melville

The work was published in 1924, and one of the reasons for its triumph in America and the United Kingdom was the precision, with which the author portrayed the historical and cultural context.
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1420

Beowulf, the Hero of the Epic Poem

Wisdom in Beowulf's life is evident in his journey to Denmark and his reign over the Geats. At this time, all he had in his mind were the battles he was going to engage in [...]
  • 3
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 585

Relationships in The Epic of Gilgamesh

In the story of Gilgamesh, Enkidu helps the wild animals to escape traps set by people. In Catullus, the narrator shows that toiling in further lands to gain profit is worthless if it is not [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 617

Literary Devices and Structure of Amenemope Text

Lichteim comes to the conclusion that the author of the book of Proverbs in the Bible was familiar with the text of the Amenemope, explaining why there is a lot of similarity in the two [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 564

Old Traditions in “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson

Evidence of this can be seen in the way in which the townspeople seemingly forgot the exact origins of the lottery, what it was for, and why they had to do it in the first [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: Concepts in American Novels
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 475

Social Inequality in “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte

At the same time Jane Eyre symbolizes the struggle of the social classes in 19th century England. The story traced the development of the ten year old child as a hapless prey in an oppressive [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2243

Jungian Mother Archetype in Children’s Literature

The books "Charlotte's Web", "The Root Cellar", and "The Secret Garden" explore how the restoration of the loss of the feminine ego can have nourishing implications on the lives of the affected individuals.
  • Subjects: Concepts in American Novels
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1656