Themes in American Novels Essay Examples and Topics

In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald pays attention to the relationships between both Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan and Daisy Buchanan. Scott Fitzgerald's book is mainly focused on the relationship of Daisy with Gatsby and Tom, [...]

Perhaps that is clearly illustrated by the quote that presupposes that whoever can control the past, has power to control the future; while whoever has the ability to control the present, wields the right to [...]

Towards the end of the story, Mathilde Loise decides to tell the truth to Madame Forestier concerning the necklace and the misery that she had undergone.

Given the nature of family structure and power, it is not surprising that Merricat wanted to rid herself of the oppressive traditions that her family held.

The beliefs and norms of the people in Panem are centred on the self-interest; they are obsessed to acquire the comfort and lifestyle of the affluent people.

The first evidence to support their ignorance of McCandless is his lack of knowledge and experience to understand and survive the wilderness.

This essay discusses the rhetoric devices George Orwell uses to convince the audience of the credibility of his arguments regarding the ambiguity of political language.

The story reveals a Western culture, where the narrator exhibits freedom and openness in her conversation with other characters of the story. This is depicted in the conversation of the narrator with her mother in [...]

The intense training depicts the importance of reward to the tributes. Further, the society is in touch with the preparedness of their tributes via media.

The misunderstanding between An-Mei Hsu and Rose Hsu-Jordan occurs due to their differences in the views on the roles of females in the family.

It is ironic in the sense that Abner is punished for his injustices to the wealthy yet the justice system does not consider the social injustices of the rich society to the poor.

Jimmy Cross, a lieutenant enlisted to take care of the other soldiers is the victim of the guilt burden. Collectively, these soldiers experienced different forms of emotional torture, which boiled down to emotional burdens as [...]

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.

In spite of the fact that the events depicted in Beloved take place after the end of the American Civil War, Sethe, as the main character of the novel and a former slave, continues to [...]

The Back of the Bus by Mebane presents the American South during the era of racial segregation and complex black-white interactions.

The themes of empathy and compassion are actively developed throughout the novel; at first, Lauren realizes that the world is cruel and she must learn to live in it.

Maus, through the comic, explains the Holocaust through his father's experience, and we see that it was not an easy place to come out because of the horrors and mistreatment in the concentration camps.

The population had to work hard to pay taxes to the state and various fees required by the Church that assured them of the importance of that.

In the novel Joseph is introduced as the sister of “the illustrious Pamela whose virtue is at present so famous”.

Through symbolism, O'Connor was able to convey the characters' unique features with their names, connection to parents with Hulga's wooden leg, Joy's mindset with her glasses, and Pointer's non-religiousness with the hollow Bible.

He gives the money to his brother who purchases a corsage for Sally and a new black shoe for the dance.

This was an indication that although his faith had started to change, he still had faith in God. He was able to come out of the holocaust with a stronger faith.

Even without the name of the main character, the audience can tell how she behaves and relates with others, which brings out the imbalance of power that exists between men and women particularly when it [...]

This analysis would focus on the essay's Chapter 3 dedicated to fiestas in general and the Day of the Dead in particular, which reflect many national traits of Mexicans.

People are prone to hunger and starvation, the man and the boy, for instance, are at the verge of starvation when they come across an apple orchard and a well.

The paper will examine how Naylor manages to achieve this through an analysis of the main idea, stylistic devices and classification of the piece.

The younger one is in a hurry to go home, the older one hesitates, he clearly does not want to leave, although it is already deep night. There are no human meanings in the world: [...]

To be more specific, the consideration of actions and motivations of the protagonists of the stories so that to see what courage meant to them and to the authors.

The main conflict of the novel is built around one of the main characters' awareness of the legacy of evil that he has inherited from his mother and his hesitation about whether he is destined [...]

The central tempter of the story is Tom Sawyer because he is ready to give something valuable to the other boy rather than paint a thirty-yard fence. The reason for the inability to withstand temptation [...]

The girl from the new family reminded Alvarez of her own plight when she had moved to the United States and had not yet been accepted completely by the community.

The present work thus seeks to elaborate the reason behind Hong's valuation of 'Bad English' as featured in the book 'Minor Feelings.' The valuation of 'bad English' by Hong partly purposes to celebrate and appreciate [...]

The story begins as the narrator is on his way to his teaching job when he finds out that is the younger brother is in jail.

In the narrative, the lawyer's office is divided into two rooms by a glass folding door, one where Bartleby works and the other where the lawyer's station is.

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.

The narrative "Girl" is a piece written by Jamaica Kincaid concerning a mother's attempt to teach her daughter about a woman's role in society.

A possible thesis for an essay on this topic could be: "In 'The Wars,' Timothy Findley suggests that adversity plays a crucial role in shaping an individual's identity, as it forces the person to confront [...]

Being the representatives of different literary genres, the chosen stories contributes to the promotion of home as the only place for hope, safety, and empowerment.

Judging by the way the short story handles the themes, plot, and literary tools, The Last Leaf is a literary masterpiece.

The events show that in the conditions of racism, the psychological deformation of a person occurs due to the formation of a feeling of inferiority in him or her and the cultivation of fear.

As for the statement that the power of nature is the symbol of renewal, it is connected to the concept of equality and justice.

The play shows the contrast between the representatives of American folk and Yankee on the basis of Jonathan's behavior and manners.

In the memoir "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid" Bryson advances and proves the thesis about the necessity of childhood reminiscences in everyone's life.

The novel presents the incompatibility of the "divine law" and human law, and the protagonist's, Joseph K, inability to understand the discrepancy.

In the literal sense, since Alaska's death reinforces the storyline, the first part of the book traces the events of her life, and the second, the aftermath of her death.

Through the symbolism they pertain to, both pieces of work are an undeniably true reflection of the socio-economic and political struggles in the turn of the 19th century, as well as within the New Deal [...]

The main characters in Karen Russel's story The Bog Girl are situated on a mythical island somewhere in Northern Europe, where peat cut out of the bogs is the main source of fuel.

Another major difference between the book and the film is the pace of the narrative account. The reason why Tris Prior turns out to be a sympathetic and relatable champion in the Divergent is because [...]

The main idea of the book lies in upholding the Marxist belief of the inevitable collapse of capitalism and the accession of the proletariat, or industrial working class.

Such characteristic features of American Realism as the focus on the middle class and upper class characters, the author's intention to make a positive social or moral influence on his readers, the author's concentration on [...]

Happiness becomes accessible through product attainment, and even the opening of the story deals with the fact that the protagonist and his wife, Tom and Betsy Rath, want to live in a better house.

The fact that it specifies whose cry it is, "of a woman", draws specific attention to the incomparable nature of a human being and the sound that is made. There is the loss of all [...]

The beginning of the novel is quite inspiring and stimulates for reading in order to recognize the details of a true love story...

By showing how the stringent moral and religious standards of Puritanism can result in hypocrisy and the restriction of human freedom, The Scarlet Letter emblem relates to the concept of Puritanism.

West Coast Mafia is a group of youths; Frankie included who are paid to commit the crime and other heinous acts in society.

In the book, "The Song of Solomon" such an obsessive love is found in the passionate desire of Hagar and the friendly love of Guitar.

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.

However, no matter how important the physical map of the city and the wanderings of the heroes is. Nobility, loyalty to the word, decency, and dignity are the distinctive qualities of the heroes of The [...]

Ana brings out the pains of living in exile in America for most of the Cubans, some of whom had a life in their former homes. A new beginning in Miami is the fate of [...]

To begin with, the hunting practices of this native group, as well as the invasion of the European into their land, led to a great decline in the herds of the white-tailed deer in the [...]

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 [...]

The surrounding atmosphere and cultural specificities influence the characters' personalities throughout the story and change their attitude towards the particular minorities and races.

What is even more because of the story's allegorical clues, concerned with the author's portrayal of "Bacote nigger's" burning by the crowd of White Southerners, readers are hinted at what may be the ultimate consequence [...]

The narrator had ups and downs with Sonny, and through the story, there is a significant aspect of racism which is the main focus of this proposal.

Main idea 2: Social and historical difficulties of migration and slavery. Main idea 3: The search for the main character of identity and place in society.

A suitable passage to illustrate the author's use of the curtain as a device symbolizing and bringing forward the separation between the main characters is the excerpt when it is first introduced.

It is necessary to underline the fact that in the modern world the concept of racial profiling is considered to be common rather than unheard or unknown; the essay under analysis allows evaluating the author's [...]

The story begins when the narrator, Amir, is supposedly 38 years old, and the tale he tells is essentially a flashback over the events of his life that have brought him to this point.

The main point of the novel is that there is a certain, indescribable element that draws us out into the wild and out of the confines of society.

Pudd'nhead Wilson is the ironic tale of a man who is born a slave but brought up as the heir to wealthy estate, thanks to a switch made while the babies were still in the [...]

Based on an examination of the book, it is the opinion of the reader that the portrayal of the brilliance and personality of John Forbes Nash, Jr.is to a certain extent fiction mixed with a [...]

In the case of Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings", the social-cultural factors that impede the main character's development are also the elements that contribute to her coming of age.

The play is made by the author in the way representing the memories of the main characters through the flashbacks along with the real scenes of the play.

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros is a novel telling the story of Esperanza, a young Latina who moves to Chicago and grows up in a community of Puerto Ricans and Chicanos.

The book, The Maid's Daughter: Living inside and outside the American Dream, is a historical study and it covers the history of a woman, Olivia Salazar - the daughter of Carmen - an immigrant working [...]

It can also be stated that the novel itself has distinct religious overtones as evidenced by Santiago's reference to the crucifixion in the scene where the sharks came to eat the body of the marlin.

She is beginning to personify the wallpaper in her musings. To nearly the end, she is lucid about people's roles in her life.

The present essay is dedicated to the analysis of the second book of the series, Thunderhead. It thinks about it in the following manner: "when the brutality of the dance overwhelms the beauty.the future is [...]

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 [...]

The Gift of the Magi tells the story of two lovers who sacrifice valuable things for themselves for the sake of their beloved. Love requires sacrifice and compromise, and the willingness to do this is [...]

In the beginning, the readers are exposed to the horrifying experience of Melinda being raped by Andy Evans. The little girl feels alone and has no idea how to deal with her anguish or let [...]

Initially, in both stories, the authors emphasize the success linked to education and the necessity of school attendance. Back in time, education might create a delusion about one's intelligence, overstating the significance of existing knowledge [...]

The insensitivity in this mistreatment and dehumanization of Black people is pervasive to the extent that Jim considers himself "property" and was proud to be worth a fortune if anyone was to sell him. To [...]

In this essay, the analysis of "Bartleby the Scrivener" helps develop a strong understanding of the culture of the modern workplace compared to the one preferred in the previous centuries and the factors that influence [...]

Without their knowledge, the meeting between Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey marks the beginning of a relationship that is the center of attraction in the book by EL James.

When examining the novel, it becomes clear that the writing style and the way in which the author delves into the Puritan way of life seemingly shows the double standards that existed at the time.

"The Fat Girl" written by Andre Dubus illustrates the main problem of modern civilization that is the problem of the overweight. Andre Dubus used a number of cognitive metaphors to show the liveliness and the [...]

Through exploring the characters' lives, the author reflects on the notions of drug use, hopelessness, and escape in the context of the black community.

The eventual fate of the rabbits serves as a metaphor for Robert's character, as their deaths reflect the loss of Robert's own moral values and the abandonment of his faith in humanity.

In "The Veldt," George and Lydia suffer terrible repercussions from the delegating of parenting duties to the house, which offers all the living luxuries at the expense of the organic relationship between parent and kid.

For children and adolescents in the South Bronx, there are them and people living outside: in Riverdale, Connecticut, and elsewhere. It is evident that there is a division between people from the South Bronx and [...]

Another one is more of a humorous idea that there are spores in the sunlight that are essentially converting people into self-centered zombies.

I think that the protagonist of this short story became mad because of loneliness and the inability to live an independent life.

The source of the conflict and the main cause of the woman's unfortunate fate is not so much the mental illness itself but, rather, the refusal to recognize it as such.

Despite the fact that, throughout story's entirety, Cal is being presented to us as "progressive" educator, who seriously believed that endowing Donny with strongly defined sense of self-respect could have helped Daisy's son to straighten [...]

The Handmaid's Tale is characterized as a feminist dystopia written in direct reaction to the growing political power of the American religious right in the 1980s.

By incorporating a range of symbols such as the main characters' clothes, their personal belongings, and attributes of their culture, the author conveys the conflict of belonging, sense of being lost, and the problem of [...]

Therefore, the evolution of the society gave rise to the reconsideration of the approach to racism and promoted the increase of the level of consciousness of the discriminated people.

D az presents love and violence in a manner that suggests to the reader that the two go hand in hand.

He is so annoyed that he would like to go out and show her that he is not the hairy ape that she called him.

Though the themes in the stories are different, both convey a message which is strong enough and thought-provoking to the readers.

Hosseini's natures, Mariam and Laila, are memorable; their sympathy for each other and love for their children is overwhelming."A Thousand Splendid Suns" narrates the story of two women against the backdrop of the previous forty [...]

As a result, people use local gossip networks as the source of authority, eventually arriving at a decision that the man is an angel whose mission is to take away the soul of Pelayo and [...]

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri is a coming-of-age novel that explores the issue of identity. A significant setting from the book is the beginning of the book.

The author emphasizes the theme of gender roles and their perception in the story of Emily and the rest of the town.

Wishing to shed the fetters limited her freedom; at the beginning of the novel, Dellarobia fears not meeting the gender norms of the culture.

This paper aims to briefly summarize the plot and the themes of this short story and relate it to the current problem of homelessness in the United States.

By exploring the notion and censorship and how it affects people, the author draws parallels with the modern world of his time and the increasing impact of government-led propaganda. Censorship is a recurring theme that [...]

The setting is the poverty-ridden streets of Chicago and a realistic peep into the lives of the two brothers Lafeyette and Pharaoh.

Another problem tackles through the utilization of expressive means is the issue of gender in general and its social construction in particular.

To transmit the message, Faulkner uses three binary oppositions: death life, the old the new, and the North the South. In this passage, Emily is compared to the soldiers who fell in the Civil War [...]

The purpose of the present paper is to analyze the novel from several points of view. The character is a picture of savagery and primitivism.

Regardless of the trauma and neglect caused by addiction problems in the families depicted in "The Distance Between Us" and "The Glass Castle," the only obstacles to accomplishment and happiness are inside the individual.

In the first story, the necklace is a symbol of giving; it represents the importance of being able "to give up the cheap things in our lives so that God can give us beautiful treasures".

Outwardly the journal features the history of Ezol's life, Ada's citizens, and the Twin Territories; however, in truth, it goes beyond that and has a much deeper symbolic meaning. Ezol's journal serves as a portrayal [...]

The aviation theme is used to show the discrimination and oppression of black people, which has a profound impact on the main character.

In Ernest Hemingway's novel The Sun Also Rises, women are a ubiquitous part of the story, and even central to the plot.

This harsh assessment is a testament to growing up in the America during the first half of the nineteenth century; Angelou might be predisposed at a young age to resent her and to admire the [...]

There are a lot of products which cause foodborne illnesses in that time when innovative technologies allow to define the level of intoxication and the way how to destroy it, in that time when many [...]

As a consequence, the constant social pressure added to the stress of strict parental control and further exacerbated the sisters' depression. It resulted in Cecilia's suicide and the tightening of parental restrictions.