Literature Essay Examples and Topics. Page 8

8,616 samples

“The Letter of Discovery” by Christopher Columbus

The extensive description of the journey along with the highly detailed depiction of people inhabiting America, the environment, and the related issues, can be seen as the primary advantage and strength of the letter.
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 584

Transcendentalism: The Role of Emerson and Whitman

Emerson argued that American intellectuals should create their unique style of scholarship and literature, while Whitman celebrated the beauty and diversity of America in his poetry.
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1150

Realism in the Poem “The War Prayer” by Mark Twain

The poem is an example of realism, as it reveals the truth of war, describes events on the battlefields and indicates the consequences of armed conflicts. The image of the war and its consequences in [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 382

“A Wall of Fire Rising” by Edwing Danticat

The author suggests that even the kind of history that the children of the oppressed Haitians learn in school is doctored to whitewash the atrocities colonizers meted on the natives, further emphasizing the systemic nature [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 862

“Man of the People” by Chinua Achebe

The story begins with the excitement surrounding Nanga, a leader, and teacher who has become a man of the people and achieved unprecedented heights.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 839

“Of Mice and Men” and “Death of a Salesman” Compared

In relation to this concept is the fact that Lennie and George's dreams inspire the duo to be mutually cooperative and loving as is evident through Gorge's action of covering up for Lennie's deficiencies when [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1315

Narcissism: Jane Eyre’s Mr. Rochester

This paper will explore the notion of narcissism and use examples from Bronte's s novel to prove that Mr. Rochester consistently behaves in a way that forces the reader to question the moral integrity of [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1174

Key Points in “Hard Core” by Linda Williams

In the first chapter of Hard Core: Power, Pleasure, and the "Frenzy of the Visible," author Linda Williams reveals the concepts of "speaking sex" as a feature of pornography and the "knowledge-pleasure" sexuality represented in [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1139

“What the Living Do” by Marie Howe

This essay will examine the content and value of the poem in relation to the psychological, emotional, and literary elements used by the speaker to express the contrast between those living and the dead.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1227

“Telephone Conversation” by Nobel

In the poem "telephone conversation", the writer uses humour to deflate as well as to intensify the pain he endures as a result of racial prejudices.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1201

The Relationship Between Kafka and His Father

The father was a burden to him and though at times he was to be good to the son, his deep feelings of hatred towards his father would not be shaken by any good gesture [...]
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1054

“Borders” by Thomas King

The theme discussed in the story is the way identity is protected by Indigenous peoples in the territories of the USA and Canada and the ways governmental impositions restrict it.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 978

“A Secret Lost in the Water” by Roch Carrier

It is true that a short story like this, requires a lot of control on the part of the writer, and the writer controlled the entire narration with elements of several symbolisms and figures of [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 581

Bluebeard by Perrault and the Bloody Chamber by Carter

The ways in which fairy tales were compiled and presented have changed with the course of time, so have the topics and morals of the tales, but the essence of these literary pieces ha remained [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1109

“Sylvia’s Death” by Anne Sexton

The poem "Sylvia's Death" by Anne Sexton is devoted, as the title suggests, to the death of poet Sylvia Plath. The poem itself is like a monologue or a short speech devoted to Sylvia and [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 549

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

“Fleur” by Louise Erdrich

The reader explores, again, that Fleur's character is surrounded with mystery, when she is violated by one of the players and Pauline is not able to help her even she knows what is happening.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 621

Kinds of Disgrace in “Disgrace” by J. M. Coetzee

The book covers the mid-life of David bringing to the fore the events which he has contributed to himself and some he has not that are set in motion and lead to his near-total destruction.
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2110

“Jin Ping Mei” by Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng

The thrust of the paper is focused on taking a multidimensional exploration of the importance of the theme of sexuality threaded in the composition of the novel by Sheng.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 15
  • Words: 3642

Commonwealth in “Utopia” by Thomas More

The comment presents an issue of Utopia, the controversy of More's discussion that affects the commonwealth of the state that will be analysed to argue that the statement is true.
  • Subjects: World Philosophy Literature
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2564

Virginia Woolf’s Life and Works

The sudden death of her mother in 1895 and the death of her half-sister Stella several years later led to Virginia's first nervous breakdown.
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1227

“Adua” the Novel by Igiaba Scego

Adua, the character in the novel, is a reflection of Igiaba. The political condition in the country forced Adua and her family to flee.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1666

“A&P” a Short Story by John Updike

This product display forms a landmark for the narrator to track the progress of the trio of girls. This is a big car to hold the screaming mom and kids.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 949

“The Chrysanthemums” a Short Story by John Steinbeck

The description of the Salinas Valley; closed off "from the sky and the rest of the world" by "the grey-flannel winter fog," which "sat on the mountains like a lid" such that it made the [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 645

“The Open Boat” by Stephen Crane

The central characters, the correspondent, the captain, the oiler, and the cook, are all survivors of a shipwreck which left them stranded in the water in a small and flimsy dinghy.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 640

A Rose for Emily: A Short Story by William Faulkner

However, in the course of the third part of the story, Faulkner quickly shifts from Miss Emily and Homer conjuring up some form of a relationship to discussing her purchasing the poison.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1134

The Poem “Persimmons” by Li-Young Lee

The main theme of the poem is the variety of the world's elements, all of which have their meaning. The first stanza of the poem implies that the author is in the sixth grade.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1123

Oedipus Rex Play’s Appeal to Modern Audience

In the environment of the contemporary culture, the scenario might seem surreal since it is placed in the setting of an ancient world, yet the fact that the play makes the foundation for the Western [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 651

“Here’s to You Jesusa” by Elena Poniatowska

The story begins with a depiction of Jesusa as an elderly woman with a rather harsh and rude character; this description is accompanied by the author's explanation of her relationship with the main protagonist and [...]
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1410

“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

Characterization’s Importance in Literature

This statement by the narrator is a significant tool of characterization because it reveals that the main character is insane. The narrator is also important in revealing the character of the old man.
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1135

Heart Power in “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle

He uses the metaphor of the hummingbird to pass the message that people may think to be at the top of a situation, but any time could be a downfall the same way a hummingbird.
  • 4.5
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1689

Franz Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis”: Social Aspects

When Gregor turns into the creature, he does not care about that in the slightest; on the other hand, he cannot reconcile himself with the fact that he will miss his train and will not [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1234

Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare

The author expresses his affection to a person he does not name, yet it is suspected that the mysterious object of the poet's admiration who is mentioned in most of the other sonnets is a [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 844

“Marley: A Dog Like No Other” by John Grogan

John Grogan's international bestseller "Marley: A Dog Like No Other" is suited for children of all ages, and it tells the story of a young puppy, Marley, who quickly develops a big personality, boundless energy, [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 846

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

This paper focuses on covering the characters of the book, especially Christopher McCandless, and studying the central theme the search for personal freedom in times of modernity.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1136

Are the Witches Responsible for Duncan’s Death?

For example, Banquo was given good news by the witches about the likelihood of his children becoming kings and yet he did not rush to murder as it's in the Macbeth's case.
  • 3.7
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 598

Gothic Masculinity in the Wuthering Heights

Masculinity may explain the character of the forceful male or the threatening female who bears the forces of a man. Cottom explains that the Gothic uses "manipulation of the thoughts, and images to the figure [...]
  • 3.7
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2582

Gardens in Pride and Prejudice

In the novel, the author compares this garden to Darcy's perception of himself. He boasts about how he knows the number and the location of each and every tree in the garden.
  • 5
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1242

Greek Gods

The second aspect of the relationship between the Greek gods and humans is that the gods sought to influence human action to achieve their own "divine" ends.
  • Subjects: Mythology
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 573

The Literary Function of Dreams in the Epic of Gilgamesh

These dreams greatly influence the plot of the narrative since the characters perceived that the deities sent the dreams, they needed interpretation because they had a unique revelation, and were able to foretell the future.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1623

“Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison Book Analysis

Also, Morrison predicts the importance of Milkman's journey to his southern ancestral home when he states that Milkman's walk in the Not Doctor Street was dreamlike and strange following his quarrel with his father.
  • Subjects: American Novels Writing Style
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1894

“Our Time” by John Edgar Wideman

By focusing on the viewpoint of his mother and his brother Robby, John Edgar Wideman was trying to show the feeling that he went through in his life.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1108

John Updike’s “A&P”: Themes & Conflicts Analysis Essay

The main character of the story is Sammy, a teenager who tries to rebel against the system and structure of social norms represented in the text in the form of rules and standards typical for [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1431

O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”: Literary Analysis

Also, O'Brien seems to exaggerate in his vivid accounts of the experience the soldiers in the war. This collection of short stories is devoted to a platoon of American soldiers who fight in the Vietnam [...]
  • 3
  • Subjects: Concepts in American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1204

The Other Wes Moore

The Source of all the Differences Although he does not categorically state it, it is evident from Moore's account of the two lives that the main point of divergence between him and the second Moore [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1176

Literary Analysis

In the poem itself there are actually two voices, that of Soledad and another that asks her who she seeks and tells her to clean her body, as such it can be assumed that this [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2336

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love Analysis

Raymond Carver is the writer who uses minimalism in his writing style to set up the tone of the story from the very beginning."What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" by Carver explores [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1060

One Theme Represented in “Mr Green”

Green, Butler develops the theme of gender identity through the use of minor character like the narrator's Mother. In conclusion, through the minor character; mother, Butler has managed to develop the theme of gender identity.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 631

Themes of Innocence and/Or Experience

Due to the grandmother's innocence, she believes Misfit is a 'good man' and thinks that he qualifies to be one of her children simply because he would not shoot a woman and he believes in [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 885

Why Picture of Dorian Gray Is in the Canon?

In the novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Dorian is a handsome man and wants to maintain that image. People do respect and value life in the novelThe Picture of Dorian Gray.
  • 5
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 859

The Play “All My Sons” by Arthur Miller

As a result, the play depicts a family in which a son, Chris Keller, is dissatisfied with his father and unable to regard his father, Joe Keller, as a responsible citizen for the country to [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 554

Psychoanalytic Approach to Jamaica Kincaid’s Lucy Novel

Her difficult adventure tells the story how "she was no longer the girl she had been, but she was not yet the woman she was going to become"."Lucy" by Jamaica Kincaid can be interpreted from [...]
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1212

Analysis of “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

The essence of the latter is in the opposition of a person to society and its norms. Further, the second conflict in "The Story of an Hour" is the internal struggle and confusion of Louise.
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1135

“Water by the Spoonful” by Quiara Alegría Hudes

In the realm of the virtual world, Haikumom is a mentor that guides people throughout their journey of sobriety, as she is the administrator of the website and has been "clean" for nearly six years.
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1515

The Epic Poem “Beowulf”: Arms and Armor

Beowulf uses all manner of tools to slay and protect himself from being slain, and the poet constantly compares the hero to the monsters he fights. Beowulf's three great battles are the most prominent: the [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 678

Roland Barthes’ Article “Death of the Author”

Before the sensational statement of Roland Barthes, literary criticism perceived the author of a work and the work itself as a whole, and people viewed the author's personality through the prism of what was written.
  • Subjects: Writers
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 599

Jon Krakauer’s “Into the Wild”

Krakauer, inspired by the deeds done by Christopher, repeated his travels, following his steps in accordance with the diary notes left by the deceased.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 370

“Neighbors” by Raymond Carver: An Analysis

The photos symbolize their neighbor's, Kitty represents the couple's insatiable urge to act s others, and the locked doorknob symbolizes their inability to abandon their lifestyle.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 189

Sonnet 71: Shakespeare’s Work

Sonnet 71 is a love poem that carries the message that the lover should not mourn the eventual death of the speaker.
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 557

Okorafor’ “Lagoon” Chapters Analysis

Unlike the prologue, which basically foreshadows the story, chapter 1 foreshadows only the synthesis of races, which the author refers to as "mixing".
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 553

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

Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart: Turning Sorrow Into Meaning

In the novel, the culprit for the destruction of Okonkwo's personality, the disintegration of the clan, which Elder Mbata speaks of in the second passage, the destruction of family ties and religion, is the person [...]
  • Subjects: Themes in American Novels
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 547

Conflict in ‘The Most Dangerous Game’ by Connell

Rainsford went through an internal conflict when he was in the ocean and had to keep stay focused by not panicking and realizing that his clothes were not helping his strokes and he 'wrestled out [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 258

“Death and the King’s Horseman” by Wole Soyinka

Wole Soyinka's play Death and the King's Horseman relies on the real incident about the man who prepares to commit ritual suicide and accompany the deceased king to the afterlife. The connection between the world [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 632

Betrayal in Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”

The betrayer, Macbeth betrays the King, friend and other subjects in the kingdom. However when Macbeth is told he has just been chosen as the Thane of Cawdor, scenes of the possibilities of him as [...]
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 887

“On Bullshit” by Harry G. Frankfurt

While the nature of the phenomenon will be described in detail on the following pages, the abstract under analysis states a number of reasons as to why the author decided to address the issue in [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 825

William Shakespeare: Hamlet and Macbeth

It is important to examine the role that the setting plays in Hamlet and Macbeth in relation to the tragic flaw and developments of the plot.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 559