Themes in American Novels Essay Examples and Topics

“The Bear” by Galway Kinnell is a poem that talks about a process of the hunt on a bear. The author makes it obvious that a hunter is an experienced man who has done this many times before. He knows the specifics of the bear and the way it behaves. The first lines of the […]

Cultural assimilation, acceptance and the search for identity are dominant themes in many of Julia Alvarez’s poems. Being an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, Julia faced several assimilation problems when her family moved to the United States. As a result of this, Alvarez had trouble adapting to a new culture, climate and people, and faced […]

At the threshold of the nineteenth century, the Art sand Craft movement has developed a new framework for dealing with the new spiritual and physical experiences that help artisans and workers discover cultural self-sufficiency. Their recoil of the new circumstance was a sign of recurring and enduring frictions in American culture. In the book No […]

In this passage, close to the end of the short story A Rose for Emily, and at the end of Miss Emily’s life as an eccentric figure in the life of the town, Faulkner literally lays out the dead woman for the reader. In a mere two sentences, one very short, and the other very […]

‘The Road’ is a book by Cormac McCarthy that focuses on a post-apocalyptic event involving a nuclear war. Evil is prevalent and man seems to have lost any sense of morality. Theft, murder, cannibalism and all forms of brutality seem to be the order of the day. This quote from the book is a clear […]

The relationship between parents and children is one of the themes that are often explored in various literary works. This paper is aimed at discussing two novels, namely This Boy’s Life by Tobias Wolff and Into the Forest by Jean Hegland. In particular, it is necessary to discuss the way in which parents influence the […]

The author presents the theme through the character of Jerry. Jerry has three siblings, Armand his eldest brother and Yvette and Yolande who are his sisters. Their parents take care of them, although Armand and Jerry work part time to supplement their father’s income (p 1). As the story begins, Jerry does not understand the […]

Woolf’s Socioeconomic Theories Over the years, women have always had a little place in the traditional linear history, and like Woolf says, it is time they claim their dominance in the roles they play. Being a feminist, Woolf challenges the representation of women in past literal works as their fictionalized characters misrepresent their contribution to […]

The story of “The Gangster We Are All Looking For” talks about several people who came to the new land as illegal immigrants for a search of a better life. The concept of family is predominant throughout and from the beginning of the story. It proves that the closest ties people have are with their […]

In Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises, women are a ubiquitous part of the story, and even central to the plot. They vary greatly in their character and role in life. They range from the prostitute Georgette to the anxious Frances to the cool and androgynous Brett. In all cases, they are depicted via […]

In their short stories, Edgar Poe and Nathaniel Hawthorne explore the psychological peculiarities of their characters and the transformation of their inner world. This paper is aimed at discussing such works as Young Goodman Brown written Hawthorn and Poe’s famous short story The Fall of the House of Usher. Overall, one can argue that both […]

Introduction Maya Angelou’s novel presents the events of her life as a young African-American woman. Although these events are factual, her description and interpretation of certain characters-even herself- may not be entirely accurate portrayals of people her characters represent. Therefore, Angelou often depicts herself and other people either more critically or more leniently than an […]

The story was written by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and reveals the unpleasant experiences the narrator undergoes after getting confined in her room by her physician. The story reveals the narrator’s experiences as she reveals how she was confined in her room by her physician and husband after giving birth ostensibly to allow her to recuperate. […]

Introduction The Hunger Games is a fictional book that describes the horrendous state of the current society. The author uses metaphors to describe the class distinctions in society as well as the opulence and extravagance of the rich. This paper discusses the class inequality and the role of the media and society in advancing class […]

Introduction The hunger games was a book written by Suzanne Collins and has been acknowledged and criticized. The play is based on the period when North America government was reduced to Panem country. The disintegration resulted to twelve districts which were controlled by Capitol. The hunger games were held in Capitol annually. Two tributes from […]

The Plunkitt of Tammany Hall was an insight of street politics in New York published in 1905.The book is a brave explanation on the differences between what was called honest graft and dishonest graft by George Washington Plunkitt. He was a member of the Tammany Hall that was in power in the City of New […]

Introduction Problems people face change. For example, the problematic situations people faced one hundred years ago do not seem problems for modern society, such as electricity, clean water, etc. Civilized world has changed and many issues of the past have been solved. However, there are still a lot of other problems which bothered people in […]

Introduction Written by the British author E L James in 2011, the book ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ is considered an adult material due to the erotic scenes that features a number of sexual practices. Such sexual practices in this book include masochism/sadism discipline/bondage and submission versus dominance (Flood, 2012). The story is predominantly set in […]

Abstract This paper examines the book “A Beautiful Mind” by Sylvia Nasar, it details the reader’s personal opinion of the character of John Nash, delves into the purpose of the book itself and helps to explain the reasoning behind its inception. Introduction This paper delves into the personal opinion of the reader regarding the book […]

Abstract This paper delves into themes related to sin and acceptance. Introduction The Scarlet Letter delves into numerous aspects related to guilt, society, the self as well as an assortment of varying themes related to sex and the Puritan way of life at the time (Hawthorne, 1850). However, despite all this I believe that the […]

Abstract This paper delves into the concept of the story “The Old Man and the Sea” being connected to man’s fight against old age and time. Introduction When examining the story “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway, readers would be hard pressed to find a single theme that can be considered as […]

Susan Minot, the person behind the masterpiece short story Lust, creates and brings out the main character of the story in a unique manner. The protagonist’s relationship with the other characters in the story brings it out her uniqueness as opposed to her physical appearance. Through her actions and feelings, the audience sees her real […]

The passage We are all susceptible to the pull of viral ideas. Like mass hysteria or a tune that gets into your head that you keep humming all day until you spread it to someone else. Theme-Technology and information The globe has noticed several crucial socioeconomic issues and writers consider it imperative to put these […]

Stories about the poor in the 1930s were seemingly mandatory. Faulkner’s Barn Burning was one of the stories that were written during that period. Barn Burning is one of several literary works by William Faulkner. The story revolves around the lives of the Snopes clan. The clan depicts the poor tenants that worked in the […]

People often choose the occupation which is familiar to them from their childhood because of their parents’ specialization or because of the extreme interest in some spheres. Michael Dorris presents his vision of the role of a profession in the person’s life in his short story “The Benchmark”. Frank, the protagonist of the story, feels […]

When people are deprived from the things which are significant for them they are inclined to use all the opportunities to return these things or the previous stability. The house can be such an object which symbolizes stability and security for a person. In the book House of Sand and Fog, Andre Dubus presents the […]

Introduction Human beings are the part of the natural world that is why human relations, qualities, and attitudes can be discussed with references to the relations between animals as the reflection of the humans’ world where social interactions are meaningful. From this point, it is possible to accentuate the definite features of the human relations […]

Objectives and synopsis The overall objective of the historian is to develop an intellectual discourse. The new deal provides a coherent and succinct description of a period that was regarded to be chaotic. Specifically, the book gives a clear account of different policies such as those emanating from the domestic level that were developed and […]

Irving explores the theme of imagination in his story Rip Van Winkle. The author’s interest in ancient times depicts his power of imagination and the consequent impact on the readers. The readers are forced to get into the protagonist’s shoes, explore the past with him in an entirely imaginative stance. In addition to exploration of […]

Silence as a foundation to freedom & psychological wellbeing Kathleen Norris (10) in her book ‘The Secret Ingredient’ concurs with Theologian Thomas Merton, that silence is foundational to human freedom and psychological well-being. This generally means that for a person to be psychologically healthy and in a good state as to make sound judgments, he […]

Introduction 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. The author’s intentions are evident through her feminist activities, familial relationship as well as the structure of the narrative. This short story is a feminist critique of the contradictions and […]

The excerpt from Sinclair Ross’ “The Lamp at Noon” (Ross 162) captures the theme of the entire story. The writer describes the mood of desperation and hopelessness through imagery. Objects and concepts that are usually thought to be lifeless and indifferent are made to come to life and make people suffer. The whole excerpt is […]

“A&P” is a narrative that was authored by John Updike and published in 1961. The narrator in this story is Sammy a teenage boy who is working as a cashier in a grocery store. Sammy is severely dissatisfied with his current job and the conduct of his boss. Updike’s story describes the events surrounding the […]

Sylvia Plath’s poetry, as many researchers have pointed out, is strewn with pictures of the holocaust. The influence of her personal life on her poems is self-evident as many of her works are semi-autobiographical in nature. The influence of her father, Otto Plath, in her poetry is unmistakably clear (Butscher 3). Otto’s life and especially […]

In the book, The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald pays attention to the relationships between both Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan and Daisy Buchanan. The expression of love for Daisy, as portrayed by Gatsby and Tom, are somewhat different. However, both of them are in dire need of owning the woman, which makes them quite similar. There […]

The point of view adopted by the author Charlotte Perkins Gilman in The Yellow Wallpaper is first person. The narrator is a new mother, living temporarily in a house of unaccustomed lavishness. She and her family come there to help her recuperate from a mysterious ailment, perhaps postpartum depression. This ailment seems to be both […]

The choice of a narrative mode shapes the way in which readers perceive the actions of the main characters. This paper will include an analysis of two short stories, namely Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway and A&P by John Updike. These literary works exemplify different story-telling techniques which enable the writers to achieve […]

Elie Wiesel wrote the book ‘Night’ to express what he experienced in prison. It gives a detailed account of a horrible holocaust. In addition, faith is prominently explored in the book. It therefore plays an important role in the development of the story. This essay focuses on how Elie’s perceptions of God change as the […]

John Steinbeck’s “The Chrysanthemums” is the short story associated with American Realism. The story setting is the Salina Valley, which is a nonfictional area in California. 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 […]

Introduction “Angels and Insects” depicts a character known as Matilda(Matty), who defies society’s expectations concerning a person of her nature. Likewise, the movie “Ugly Betty” also challenges stereotypes about femininity by curving out a new path for the protagonist – Betty Suarez. Description of the passage The passage chosen for analysis occurs before the protagonist […]

Before Georgina came along the most valuable thing in Aylmer’s life was science. He had dedicated his life to this field, and he felt that nothing was of greater value than its study. Georgina came along, and everything changed for him. He even abandoned his life long career for the sake of love. After marriage, […]

Introduction Richard White studied at the University of Washington, Santa Cruz and the University of California. White is the author of the book The Roots of Dependency: Subsistence, Environment, and Social Change among the Choctaws, Pawnees, and Navajos. Currently, he is a history professor at Stanford University. White has worn several awards, such as the […]

The novel explores the various aspects of totalitarian governments through the dismal life that Winston Smith, a character in the novel goes through. He is constantly frustrated through suppression. 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 […]

In the book, Land of Desire, William Leach discusses the changes between the 1890s and the 1920s that drastically revolutionized the American culture into a new capitalist culture that valued the commercial austere as the means to the ideal life. Leach is convincing in the justification of his main thesis: the businesspeople of the age […]

A Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O’Connor is a short story and many critics have various points of view about it. Some scholars pointed at the greatest problem of individualism, others referred to the religious themes in the story. Moreover, the story relation to the Eddie Green’s 1918 song with the same […]

In the hairy ape, the central character Yank plays the character that brings his downfall upon himself via his flaw. It is unfortunate that Mildred happens along when he is in the course of an outburst. He explains that he misinterpreted the whole situation and overreacted when she walked in on him yelling. Yank explains […]

Introduction “Sonny’s Blue” is a story about two brothers who see life in a different way but later find understanding in each other. Music brings this understanding. 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 (Baldwin 2). […]