Literature Essay Examples and Topics. Page 9

8,849 samples

“Living Like Weasels” by Annie Dillard

However, there is no denying that human beings are not completely divine beings; there are animal instincts in us, like using the five senses to judge our environment and react to it; the desire to [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 846

H.G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds” and British Imperialism

Though the British Empire was the complex of colonies, dominions, mandates, protectorates, and other territories ruled by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the people of the Empire lived in fear on [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 846

Little Red Riding Hood Revisited by Russell Baker

It is important to stress that Baker filled his new version of the story with a number of professions being popular and respected by modern generation."The purpose of this enlarged viewing capability," said the wolf, [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 810

Irony in “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe

As the atmosphere of gaiety during the carnival changes to the horror from the catacombs beneath Montresor's palazzo the reader ascertains that the carnival was a prelude created by the author to admit the drastic [...]
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1437

The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway

In The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway reveals his conception of heroism not as a measure of the glory and recognition his character receives, but instead in the determination of the struggle.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3388

“The Diary of a Young Girl” by Anne Frank

Anne Frank has compiled several versions of her diary, and one of them was directed at the readers of the future who should know about all the misfortunes of civilians during the Nazi occupation of [...]
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 742

Freedom in “Purple Hibiscus” by Chimamanda Adichie

The main character and the narrator Kambili, is virtually silent in the presence of her father, she can hardly express her views, knowing that it may result in a fit of her father's anger.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 753

“The Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Thesis: The poem is about the wanderings of the ancient mariner who is permanently traumatized and alienated by his killing of the albatross and his experiences lead him to the spiritual realization that all creatures [...]
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2447

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

‘I Heard the Owl Call My Name’ by Margaret Craven

The title of the book brings out the presence of death through superstition, an owl calling the name of a person, which is believed to mean the person will soon die. That is why the [...]
  • Subjects: American Novels Influences
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1640

Hamlet and David Ball’s Backward and Forward

This is the essence of Hamlet and what makes the sentiment so true to our time the inherent pain of life, a cosmic sense of injustice, and the karmic balance of natural order.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 849

World Literature. Forests in “The Ramayana”

The symbols of nature are various, and have different meanings, depending on the context, but the key meanings of these symbols are life itself, and the beauty of the surrounding world.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1043

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

The stories tend to explore the delicate issues of cultural diversity and cultural assimilation of the characters in the stories which she shares up to the present.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2305

“Lord Jim” by Joseph Conrad

The life of Lord Jim seems to be surrounded by certain signs and symbols; in particular, colors have a deep and important meaning in the understanding of the nature of every character.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1678

“The Concise History of the Crusades” by Madden

In his book, Madden follows the scope of traditional history and the traditional construction of crusades, which means that in his work, crusades are linked to Jerusalem and travels to the Holy Land.
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 12
  • Words: 3291

Irony in “A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings”

The news spreads far and quickly, but the creature fails to live up to the expectations of the curious crowd and is soon forgotten. It is likely that the angel's stay was exactly as he [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 1
  • Words: 217

“Araby” a Short Story by James Joyce

This symbolizes the boy's world and how blind he is to the reality of the world. The young boy gets to realize that his actual world is very different from his na ve dreams and [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 853

British Drama Development: the Victorian Age and Modern Period

The dramatic structure of this Victorian age drama involves the adaptation of the early Aristotelian primacy of the plot. In the conclusion, the play ends on the same tradition whereby all the conflicts are resolved, [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 668

A Mystery Story Analysis

What is the theme of MacDonald's "Gone Girl?" The story centers on a private detective who is intelligent and appears in the wrong place at the right time.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 593

Hospitality History in “Hotel” by Arthur Hailey

The author fulfilled the purpose of the book and the needs of the audience, as he described realistic events, created a down-to-earth hero and made the plot thrilling.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1991

The Theme of Shame in “Anna Karenina” and The Idiot

Although the theme of shame is central to both Anna Karenina and The Idiot, the nature of this feeling is explained differently: Tolstoy regards shame as the result of a person's actions, while Dostoevsky considers [...]
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1092

“The Semplica-Girl Diaries” by George Saunders

Nevertheless, the streaming growth of the industrial revolution of the 19th century brought some significant changes to the understanding of social inequalities."The Semplica-Girl Diaries" is one of the chapters from the diary called Tenth of [...]
  • Subjects: Historical Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1464

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

“Shame” Autobiography by Jasvinder Sanghera

Trapped by the Indian culture into a marriage she objected, Jasvinder's sister had to endure the suffering without sympathy from the parents. The title of the book symbolizes the story of a girl who caused [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1805

Victorian Poetry and Its Characteristics

One of the most prominent traits of Victorian poetry was that most poems portrayed the themes of isolation, alienation, and the distinction between love and life.
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1102

“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

The Mother Image in a Poem, a Song, and an Article

Both the children and the husband will definitely miss her because she is the epitome of their comfort and sustenance."The Mother Return" by Dorothy Wordsworth is a highly sensational poem.
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1494

“The Big Sleep” by Raymond Chandler

However, to understand this argument, it is pertinent to know the distinctive features of the social world that the author describes events in the Big Sleep.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1217

Feminist Deceit in Short Stories

In the story, male dominance and female oppression is clear from the beginning when men become the first to enter the house followed by women.
  • Subjects: Gender in Literature
  • Pages: 8
  • Words: 2240

“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

“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

Edgar Allan Poe – American Literature

The main themes that are evident in his work are the themes of death and love. He speaks of a chilling wind from the sky that emerged resulting in the death of her wife.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1921

Mary Shelley’s Fears in “Frankenstein”

Mary Shelley's creation is often spoken about as a philosophical work telling about the influences of industrialization and technological progress on the society and the ideas about the values of life and death, the argument [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1647

“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

The Leaves of Grass: Walt Whitman’s Poems

The works of Walt Whitman embody the spirit of the social changes, love of labor and freedom, which reflect the moods of the American society of the XIX century.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 839

“Raisin in the Sun” and “Harlem”

Hansberry and Hughes introduce the same idea of a dream compared to a raisin dried up in the sun, but explain it in different ways in order to show how the interpretation of a thought [...]
  • 3
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 826

Winston Smith: The Issue of Heroism by George Orwell

In spite of the fact, Winston is inclined to rebel against the authorities and regime, his character cannot be discussed as heroic because Winston's will is weak, his fears are stronger than his intentions, and [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 545

Loneliness & Isolation in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein

In addition to making him and his creature be isolated, Viktor does not accept the idea of duty and responsibility for his actions because of his inability to understand what it means to be responsible [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 600

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway

For the heroine, abortion is the collapse of last hope, leading only to the continuation of a meaningless life. Consequently, abortion is a crime against the life of a human person.
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1112

Mahatma Gandhi: What One Should Know

Gandhi stated that he was sorry due to the Mob's ignorance and narrowness. Gandhi believed that it was not possible to change the convictions of a person by use of violence.
  • Subjects: World Philosophy Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 864

George Orwell’s “Why I Write”

The third part of the essay reflects Orwell's personal motives in writing and the development of his style which is rather "public-spirited" because Orwell wanted to reflect the social issues in writing.
  • 4
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 564

“The Populist Vision” by Charles Postel

The author begins his narration by explaining the origins of the Populist Movements, which according to his research, was stirred by the Farmers' Alliance in the Midwest and southern region during the 1870s and 1880s.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 899

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

Little Briar Rose by the Grimm Brothers

The story was represented at the beginning of the eighteen century, the time when the traditions and societal values were of paramount importance and, therefore, the ideal of a person is the one endowed with [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 568

Stream of Consciousness

It is important to note that stream of consciousness is a major contributor to excellent delivery of thoughts and ideas in literature.
  • 5
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1412

Science & Nature in Frankenstein & Blade Runner

A novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is a romantic work that reflects the consequences of "blind science" and human ambition, and Blade Runner by Ridley Scott depicts the industrialized society and world of the future [...]
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 896

My papa’s waltz

The boy had to waltz with his father and as they did so, he hit his right ear on his father's buckle because he was a small one.
  • 3.5
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 568

On His Blindness: A Response to the Poem

On the whole, this rhyme creates a melody that enables the reader to sense the author's despair and his loneliness. This is the main question that John Milton tries to answer in his poem.
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 869

Sex and Death in Stoker’s Dracula

By presenting the portrayal of Mina as the one belonging to the New Women generation, the author provides an example of the Victorian woman that is capable of resisting the devil's seduction.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 820

“An Imaginary Life” by David Malouf

Raising the issues of de-colonization and the consequences of the political and cultural dependence of the colonized territories, the postcolonial writers criticize the racist inclinations of colonizers and the colonial rule in general.
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 9
  • Words: 2577

The novel “Twelfth Night” by William Shakespeare

The disguising behavior brings a good deal of confusion in the love of Orsino and Viola, a conflict that continues in the rest of the story leading to sufferings of Malvolio who is tricked by [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1385

Love for Nature: A Symptom of a Lovesick Heart

Although the setting for the song was in a field of barley the reader can easily sense that the composer wanted everyone to know that he is a lover of nature.
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 1010

The Knight: Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales

The Knight is the narrator of the first tale in Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales. The Knight's character is the complete opposite of the knight in the Wife of Bath's Tale who rapes a girl.
  • 3
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 595

The Theme of Revenge in Shakespeare’s Hamlet

The latter, after seeing his father's ghost and learning the truth, feels that he is taken over by revenge and sets up a performance that copies Claudius's, the murderer's, plan and results in a tragic [...]
  • 4.5
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1081

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

The contraries used by the poet in "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" are the backbone of this poem. The structure of "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell" is the first feature of the contraries [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1097

“A Sweet Devouring” by Eudora Welty analysis.

In the beginning of the story, the author mentions that it was her wish to hear that the family was less fortunate, instead of that they were doing well.
  • Subjects: American Novels Writing Style
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 608

Everyday Use by Alice Walker

The two hand-stitched quilts draw attention and become the center of conflict in the family of Mama and her two daughters.
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 6
  • Words: 1705

Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Through the drama, it is possible to see the attitude of the author to the issue as well as her views since her literature presents her feelings and her opinion on the sensitive social matters.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Plays
  • Pages: 7
  • Words: 1900

Racism in the “Dutchman” by Amiri Baraka

Generally, one is to keep in mind that Baraka is recognized to be one of the most important representatives of the black community, and the theme of racism in The Dutchman has, therefore, some historical [...]
  • 5
  • Subjects: Comparative Literature
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1401

There Is No Word for Goodbye

She noted that it was not that easy for the doctor to take her away from her people as Athabasca's were reluctant to "give up" their people. However, she managed to find the source of [...]
  • 2.5
  • Subjects: Aspects of American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1091

The Night In Question By Tobias Wolff

While his family suffered, he enjoyed his life to the fullest and when he was confronted by his mother about the matter, he resulted to a confrontation denying the fact that he had a problem [...]
  • Subjects: Concepts in American Novels
  • Pages: 5
  • Words: 1586

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

As the reader goes through the story, one can clearly see the images of what is happening because of the detailed imagery depicted by the author in the story; it is these imageries that triggers [...]
  • Subjects: British Literature
  • Pages: 2
  • Words: 621

Travelling through the dark

As the speaker touched its belly, he was sorry that he could not be able to save the young deer that was warm in the belly of the dead deer.
  • 5
  • Subjects: Poems
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1327

A Good Man Is Hard to Find: Literary Critical Analysis Essay

The short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find" stands as the American Southern Gothic writer Flannery O'Connor's most disturbing work of fiction."A Good Man Is Hard to Find" is the title work of [...]
  • 4
  • Subjects: Concepts in American Novels
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1263

Themes in Native American Tricksters

Whether the character is the wizened old man Coyote of the Crow tribes, Raven in the Indian lore or even Wakdjunkaga of the Winnebago, the narratives seems to be written from the same script.
  • 5
  • Subjects: World Literature
  • Pages: 4
  • Words: 1255

“The Fish” by Elizabeth Bishop

Consequently, the fish appears as a courageous fighter who has been struggling for existence and is rewarded by the gift of life it that gets from the narrator in the end of the poem.
  • 3
  • Subjects: American Literature
  • Pages: 3
  • Words: 961