Research Papers on Mixed & Comp. Literature

Click on any of the term papers to read a brief synopsis of the research paper. The essay synopsis includes the number of pages and sources cited in the paper.

• Focus Groups A Practical Guide for Applied Research by Richard Krueger

  A 5 page paper that examines the 1994 book by author and professor Richard Krueger entitled Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research. Discussed are the book's purpose, points and presentation, its contributions and shortcomings, and its recommended readership. Also included is a brief discussion on the differences between quantitative and qualitative research techniques. Bibliography lists 1 source.

• War's Realities and Poetry

  This 4 page paper considers the similarities between two different poems; Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen and Patterns by Amy Lowell. Both of these poems depict the horror and haut caused by war, but are written form different –perspectives. The paper examines the meaning of the poems and the ways in which they present the impact that war can have at a personal level. Quotes from the poems are used to illustrate points raised. The bibliography cites 2 sources.

• Poetic Portrayals of Icarus's Fall

  A 4 page review of the poems “Musee des Beaux” by W.H. Auden, “Landscape With the Fall of Icarus” by W. C. Williams, and “Waiting for Icarus” by Muriel Rukeyser. Interestingly the first two of these poems were inspired by the painting “Fall of Icarus” by Peter Breughel. The author of this paper describes the details of this painting and contrasts the styles of these three poets. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

• War's Realities and Poetry

  This 4 page paper considers the similarities between two different poems; Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen and Patterns by Amy Lowell. Both of these poems depict the horror and haut caused by war, but are written form different –perspectives. The paper examines the meaning of the poems and the ways in which they present the impact that war can have at a personal level. Quotes from the poems are used to illustrate points raised. The bibliography cites 2 sources.

• Poetic Portrayals of Icarus's Fall

  A 4 page review of the poems “Musee des Beaux” by W.H. Auden, “Landscape With the Fall of Icarus” by W. C. Williams, and “Waiting for Icarus” by Muriel Rukeyser. Interestingly the first two of these poems were inspired by the painting “Fall of Icarus” by Peter Breughel. The author of this paper describes the details of this painting and contrasts the styles of these three poets. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

• Money in 'The Lame Shall Enter First' by Flannery O'Connor and 'The Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence

  5 pages in length. Money's presence in D. H. Lawrence's "The Rocking-Horse Winner" and Flannery O'Connor's "The Lame Shall Enter First" illustrates how people become far too dependent upon its purported ability to ease life's problems. While both stories provide perfect examples of the way in which contemporary culture has turned into a money-dependent society, Lawrence's "The Rocking-Horse Winner" badgers the point home with such force that the reader suspects from the very start how significant a role money will play in the characters' ultimate conflict. Similarly, O'Connor's "The Lame Shall Enter First" captures the essence of depravation, as well, when Rufus refuses to accept the valuable telescope Sheppard gives him so that he might become "enlightened." No additional sources cited.

• Perspective Comparisons of Western Civilization A Brief History by Marvin Perry and Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

  5 pages in length. Humankind's history has been filled with advancements; indeed, one can readily argue that since the very first time man realized he had the ability to formulate specific answers to problematic questions, he has been furthering the human race without so much as a reprieve. This unwavering progress has been recorded and taught in every classroom of every school all over the world. It would never occur to anyone who has spent his or her entire life believing such teachings that there could be something incredibly wrong with the manner by which humanity has furthered its own species. This is precisely the point of Daniel Quinn's Ishmael, which effectively characterizes the origins of civilization as nothing short of disastrous for both the planet and other species alike. When compared with the likes of Marvin Perry's Western Civilization: A Brief History, it becomes quite clear how mankind demonstrated the damaging characteristics of individualism from the beginning. No additional sources cited.

• Relationship Between Truth and History

  This 5 page paper examines two works of fiction: Coetzee's Disgrace and Churchill's Cloud Nine, and determines how fictional narrative works in relation do describing history and writing about truth. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

• An Idealistic Literary Vision of America

  A 6 page paper which examines the idealistic vision presented in characters seen in Amy Tan’s “Joy Luck Club,” F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby,” Anzia Yezierska’s “The Lost Beautifulness,” and Jhumpa Lahiri’s “The Interpreter of Maladies.” No additional sources cited.

• Examples of Classicism And Romanticism in Literature

  3 pages in length. The writer briefly summarizes each period, as well as provides an author for each example. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

• Literary Analysis of Existentialism

  A 12 page overview of the literary classification of existentialism. Parallels the major components of this style with the existentialism approach in psychology, an approach which delves into our innermost characteristics to bring us to a comfortable relationship both internally and with those around us. Analyzes “The Innocents Abroad” by Mark Twain, “Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage” by Alfred Lansing, and “Cold Mountain” by Charles Frazier to identify existentialist components and provides a further comparison of the style to the Greek tragedy “The Odyssey” as a reiteration of the common elements which have been at play throughout history, not just in the nineteenth century. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

• Life as Seen Through the Classics

  5 pages in length. There exist a great many philosophies by which people live their lives, which ultimately help maintain order and a sense of direction that otherwise would merely drift in subconscious thought. Examining these varied philosophies as they relate to Benjamin Franklin's attitude toward achieving material wealth and rising in the world; Henry David Thoreau's argument for a more spiritual way of life; Ralph Waldo Emerson's insistence on the need for self reliance and thinking for one self even to the point of separation from others; and Nathaniel Hawthorne's sad portrait of Young Goodman Brown, one finds that the separation between and among these philosophies reflects the distinct separations that also divide society. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

• Literature Considerations of Global Issues

  The role of literature is to provide a mirror image of the world, its cultures and conflicts in a way that adds meaning and understanding to the processes of change and development. This 6 page paper examines Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih; Survival At Auschwitz by Primo Levi; Wild Thorns by Sahar Khalifeh and Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad to explore the uses and devices of global literature. No additional sources are listed.

• Literary Realism and Social Problems

  5 pages in length. The writer discusses William Dean Howells' "Editha," Kate Chopin's "The Awakening," William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury" and Toni Morrison's "Beloved" as they relate to Realism. No additional sources cited.

• Literature and Homosexuality

  A 21 page paper which examines E.M. Forster's "Maurice" and Radclyffe Hall's "The Well of Loneliness" as they involve conditions of homosexuality. Bibliography lists 5 additional sources.

• Literature and Freedom Themes

  This 5 page paper examines the theme of freedom, and looks at authenticity, in Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Narrative of Frederick Douglass and Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Different types of freedom are explored. The works are compared and contrasted. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

• Comparative Literary Analysis of William Faulkner's Modernism and Toni Morrison's Postmodernism

  This 4 page research paper explores twentieth-century modernist and post-modernist literature, as reflected in the works of William Faulkner and Toni Morrison. Specifically discussed are the style and content with their works with the social, culture and philosophical context of their writings through examination of excerpts from two of their short stories, A Rose for Emily and Recitatif. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

• Literature and the Influence of Sir Isaac Newton

  8 pages in length. Newton's influence upon the literary world maintains its foundation within the concepts of truth and reality. Instrumental in inspiring writers from all walks of life, Newtonian concepts have become an integral component for those writers who strive to incorporate a deeper, more meaningful existence to their literary experiences. The writer discusses that when one attempts to assess Newtonian influence upon literature, evidence can be found in virtually every genre. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

• Literature and Human Relationships

  This 5 page paper takes The Birds by Aristophanes, four Woody Allen films, and Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and finds common ground. Human relationships are the focus of this paper that highlights the use of comedy. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

• Literature and Analysis of Character, Theme, Symbols, and Setting

  This 11 page report discusses a number of well-known literary works that offer a broad range of styles and concepts relating to the 19th and 20th century literary experience. Authors considered are Nathaniel Hawthorne, James Joyce, William Faulkner, Henrik Ibsen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, poet Elizabeth Bishop and brief references to William Shakespeare’s “Othello” and Robert Burns’ “Red, Red Rose.” Bibliography lists 7 sources.

• Literature and Women's Social Status

  This 5 page paper examines Poe's 'The Fall of the House of Usher ' and Hawthorne's 'Rappaccini's Daughter' and discusses the portrayal of women as evil. General trends in society are duly noted. Common themes are explored. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

• Literary Naturalism

  This 5 page paper looks at the way naturalism is used as a literary style in the works of Sinclair Lewis, Jack London and Frank Norris. The paper starts by considering what we mean by naturalism and then goes on to look at these authors works and styles, noting similarities and differences. The bibliography cites 5 sources.

• Literature and Class Division

  This 5 page paper provides an overview of two stories--Maupassant's The Necklace and Dostoevsky's Notes from Underground--and looks at how class plays out in each. The problem of class in society is also discussed in general. No additional sources cited.

• Literature and Cultural Stereotypes

  A 6 page paper which examines how three different novels present the reader with different cultural stereotypes. The novels discussed are “Breadgivers” by Anzia Yezierska, “The Awakening” by Kate Chopin, and “Their Eyes were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston. Bibliography lists 4 additional sources.

• Postcolonial Literature and Displacement

  A six page paper which considers the concepts of sense of place and displacement in postcolonial literature, especally with reference to hybridisation and the reification of indigenous culture. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

• Cultural Literature Issues

  A 9 page paper which examines several different stories and novels that deal with cultural realities. The novels or stories examined are “The God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy, “Maru” by Bessie Head, “Jasmine” by Bharati Mukherjee, “Secrets” by Nuruddin Farah, “Moth Smoke” by Mohsin Hamid, “Grain of Wheat” by Ngugi wa Thiong'o, “The Guide” by R.K. Narayan, “Ambigious Adventures” by Cheikh Kane and “Death of a King’s Horseman” by Wole Soyinka.

• Literature, Poetry, and Self Reliance

  A 5 page paper which examines the theme of self reliance in the writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson, Robert Frost’s “Mending Wall,” Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” Chinua Achebe’s “Dead Man’s Path” and Sophocles’ “Antigone.” Bibliography lists 2 sources.

• DeLillo, Baldwin, and Kushner Literature Examination

  A 2 1/2 page paper which breifly examines some issues in “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin, “Homebody/Kabul” by Tony Kushner, and “White Noise” by Don DeLillo. No additional sources cited.

• Literature, Understanding, and the Lack Thereof

  A 4 page paper which discusses how some characters in literature understand and do not understand one another. The works discussed are “The Old Wives’ Tale” by Arnold Bennett, “The Secret Agent” by Joseph Conrad, and “The Wings of a Dove” by Henry James. No additional sources cited.

• Literature about the Blues and Jazz

  This 8 page paper looks at blues and jazz literature. The paper starts by examining what is meant by blues literature and then uses examples from the poetry of Sterling Plumpp, short stories by John Clellon Holmes, Langston Hughes and Josef Skvorecky before looking at Alice Walkers book and film The Color Purple. The thesis of the paper is that blues may originate and be a part of black culture, it reflects the experiences of the oppressed, whatever race they may be. The bibliography cites 4 sources

• Classic Literature and Its Social Functions

  7 pages in length. The social function of literature reflects the very essence of humanity, eloquently chronicling the subtlest nuances of man's benevolent existence, while at the same time displaying human nature in all its sordid glory. The words interwoven within the context of literature carry with them such a great deal of power that a handful of books have achieved classic status by virtue of their insightful glance into mankind's oftentimes depraved world. The writer discusses Milton's "Paradise Lost," "The Epic of Gilgamesh" and "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight." Bibliography lists 5 sources.

• Literature and Society's Veils or Illusions

  A 7 page paper which examines the veils, or illusions, of society in literature. The essay discusses characters as they make choices concerning compromises with society in exchange for happiness. The novels examined are “Robinson Crusoe” by Defoe, “Emma” by Jane Austen, “Joseph Andrews” by Fielding, and “The House of the Seven Gables” by Hawthorne. No additional sources cited.

• Literary Depiction of Cultures

  This 9 page paper contrasts and compares literature from the cultures of premodern Japan, Spain, and Africa. Things Fall Apart, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and premodern Japanese Fiction writers cited. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

• Literary Portrayals of Lost Innocence

  A 5 page contention that the theme of vanishing youthful innocence is treated by a number of writer. The author of this paper uses the specific works of Voltaire, Henry James, Lewis Carroll, and Alison Habens to support this contention. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

• Insanity in Comparative Literature

  This 4 page paper examines two works: The Awakening by Chopin and Poe's The Cask of Amontillado. Protagonists in each of these works are discussed in terms of their display of insanity. The characters Edna and Montresor are compared and contrasted Bibliography lists 4 sources.

• Common Themes in Literature

  This 5 page paper examines two works--Toa Te Ching and the Age of Iron--and looks for common elements. The values to come from the works are viewed to be similar. No additional sources cited.

• Literary Psychological Growth and Spiritual Transformation

  This 3 page paper examines many works of great literature and touches on their messages as it relates to certain characters. Whether or not they grow spiritually or psychologically is discussed. Some works included are Kafka's The Metamorphosis and Gilman's The Yellow Wallpaper. Several other works are noted. Bibliography lists 1 source.

• Postcolonial Literature and Symbols

  This 8 page paper examines two works--The Sand Child and The Multiple Child-- and examines them in the context of the time and place in which they were written. Gender themes are explored. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

• Literature and Issues of Gender and Race

  This 6 page paper analyzes and compares Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Achebe's Things Fall Apart, Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, and Hurston's Their Eyes Were Watching God, to the elements found in Marquez's work, One Hundred Years of Solitude for ways each author addresses race and gender. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

• Literary Genres Modernism and Postmodernism

  A 6 page paper which examines the journey of the hero in modern and postmodern works. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

• 2 Questions on Great Literature and Its Practical Applications

  This 8 page paper answers two questions posed by a student. Within the answers, six pieces of literature are used: Sappho's The Moon, The Holy Bible, Shakespeare's As You Like It, Homer's Odyssey, Mahabharata and Gilgamesh. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

• American Dream Represented in Literature by Homes and Houses

  A 3 page paper which examines how "Devil in a Blue Dress" by Walter Mosley and "The House on Mango Street" by Sandra Cisneros has a theme involving the house or home. This is examined against "The Tortilla Curtain" by T.C. Boyle and "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck wherein the focus is transferred from a house, or home, to something else as it relates to the American Dream. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

• Literary Religious Themes, Symbolism, and Imagery

  Religious imagery, symbols and thematic developments are common in the literature of a number of eras, including the literature of the early 20th century. This 5 page paper outlines these elements in E. M. Forster, in his novel Maurice, and Jeannette Winterson, in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

• Literature and Epiphany

  A 4 page paper which discusses epiphany in literature. The works examined are Emerson’s “Self Reliance,” Whitman’s “Song of Myself,” and Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues.” Bibliography lists 4 sources.

• Development of Literature: Medieval to Victorian

  A 3 page paper which examines the development of literature from Medieval times to the Victorian Age. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

• Pariarchy and the Repression of Women: Reflections in Literature

  A 6 page review of some of the writings of Kate Chopin, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and Carolyn Kizer. Included are Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and “The Awakening”, Gilman’s “Yellow Wallpaper” and "Women and Economics: A Study of the Economic Relation Between Men and Women as a Factor in Social Evolution", and Kizer’s “The Bitch”. Bibliography lists 9 sources.

• Everyday Life in Literature

  This 6 page paper discusses ordinary life as depicted in John Updike’s story “A&P,” and then expands on the example of Sammy to include other books, and why they are considered to be realistic literature. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

• Considerations of Stereotypical Cultural Representations in the Literature

  This 5 page paper considers whether or not non-Indigenous writers should be prevented from writing about indigenous peoples. Bibliography list 1 source.

• Meaning and Literature

  A 3 page paper which examines a common theme, concerning the need for deeper meaning, in literature as seen through Katherine Mansfield’s Bliss, Anton Chekhov’s Lady with Lapdog, and Virginia Woolf’s Modern Fiction. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

• Does Studying Literature Improve Individual Writing Skills?

  This 9 page paper assesses the connection between the study of literature and the development of writing skills. Looking at the ideas of Orwell and Graves and considering the different ways in which writing may take place with differing motivations, the potential value and impact of studying literature is explored. The bibliography cites 10 sources.

• Literary Influence of the Romantic Period

  This is a 5 page paper which discusses the introduction of the Romantic Period in history and the influences literature of the day had in regards to its influence on society, music, drama and future literature. The revolutionary change in literature from rationalism in the 18th century to truth, self-identity, and humanitarianism in the 19th century had an enduring affect which still continues today. Bibliography lists 10 sources.

• Times Reflected in the Writings of John Keats, Moliere, and Niccolo Machiavelli

  This 5 page report discusses three great writers whose works give modern readers insight to the times in which they lived and wrote. Some of the world’s greatest literature is that which has been created using the truths of historical fact in which the work is created. Such literature can also serve as a means by which social theorists and historians are able to gain some measure of understanding into a culture’s ideals and belief systems. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

• Good and Bad of Human Nature as Portrayed in Literature

  A 5 page paper which examines literature from various time periods and illustrates that the nature of humans is both good and bad, though times change and the focus of mankind changes. The literature used in this discussion is "Gulliver's Travels" by Jonathan Swift, "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley, and "Heart of Darkness" by William Conrad. No additional sources cited.

• Italian Poet Giuseppe Ungaretti

  A 7 page overview of the work of Italian poet Giuseppe Ungaretti. This paper emphasizes the varied cultural influences which undoubtedly shaped Ungaretti’s style. Noted for his use of few and very carefully chosen words, Ungaretti could accurately be described as a literary minimalist and exemplary of the hermetic movement. Like the French symbolists, he looked at poetry much as one looks at music. Even single words, had musical potential and tremendous power. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

• Six Stories and Lower and Upper Classes

  A 5 page essay that addresses six works by six authors: Orwell, Dostoevsky, Goldsmith, Goldstone, Huxley and Jackson. The writer argues that literature is, among other things, a reflection of an author's perception of society, its values and concepts of knowledge and truth. As this suggests, through the medium of literature, readers can gain insights about their society, and particularly its class structure, which they may not perceive in the course of their everyday lives. This examination of six works illustrates this principle, as each tale focuses on a different aspect of class structure, informing the reader, but, more importantly, causing the reader to reflect on the justice of taken for granted societal norms. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

• Purity, Childhood, and Sexuality in Colette's The Pure and The Impure and Andre Gide's The Counterfeiters

  5 pages in length. The writer discusses how childhood, purity and sexuality play integral roles in both books. No additional sources cited.

• Homosexuality in Le Fanu's Carmilla and Wilde's Dorian Gray

  This 7 page paper discusses the homosexual themes in Le Fanu's Carmilla and Wilde's Dorian Gray. Examples given. Quotes cited from texts. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

• Literary Self Determination in Women and Sexuality

  A 9 page paper showing the connection between these two issues, as demonstrated in the works of Aristophanes, Plato, Dante, and Shakespeare (Lysistrata, The Apology, The Inferno, and The Tempest, respectively). The paper asserts that Western literature first mocked or dismissed the sexual expression of female self-determination, later turned it into a sin, and finally transformed it into a social gaffe, but until recently still continued to maintain that its suppression was not wrong. Bibliography lists five sources.

• Musical Shakespeare

  A 5 page paper which examines the whether or not the musical works of Verdi's 'Macbeth' and 'Otello' ('Othello'), Mendelssohn's incidental music for 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' Tchaikovsky's fantasy overture and incidental music for 'Hamlet,' and Cole Porter's 1948 musical, 'Kiss Me, Kate' (based on 'The Taming of the Shrew') capture the quality and mood of the Shakespeare plays which inspired them, or merely echo their plots. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

• A Comparison of The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and The Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris

  5 pages in length. Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye and Michael Dorris' The Yellow Raft in Blue Water share a common denominator of inner struggle amidst seemingly insurmountable odds. The social demands placed upon each story's characters speaks to the constant turmoil they experience as they move through their lives in a self-loathing fashion, forever coveting what others are and what they have. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

• Mary Aswell Doll's Curriculum Philosophies in Like Letters in Running Water

  A 4 page review of the contentions presented by this author in “Like Letters in Running Water: A Mythopoetics of Curriculum” regarding the curriculum value of fiction. This paper contends that Doll is correct in identifying fiction as a conduit to student understanding of historical circumstances and relationships. Analyzes this contention using primarily the writings of feminist author Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Concludes that while a student might recoil if only given historical detail as it is presented in the common curriculum, when provided these same messages in a fictional format they are able to forge a connection between history and reality. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

• 'The Rains Came' and 'Memoirs of a Female Physician'

  A five page paper which compares these two works, in terms of the way in which they explore the role of women in a male-dominated culture, and the nature of sacrifice in relation to women's place in society. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

• Purity, Childhood, and Sexuality in Colette's The Pure and The Impure and Andre Gide's The Counterfeiters

  5 pages in length. The writer discusses how childhood, purity and sexuality play integral roles in both books. No additional sources cited.

• Protagonists: Twain, Austen, and Potok

  A 4 page paper which examines the role of the protagonist in Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, Emma by Jane Austen, and My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

• Mohsin Hamid's Moth Smoke, Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things and Class

  A 4 page paper which examines the issues of class in “The God of Small Things” by Arundhati Roy and “Moth Smoke” by Mohsin Hamid. No additional sources cited.

• Imagination, Emotion, Intuition, and Values of Romanticism

  (5 pp) "One of the problems of definition is that the Romantics were liberals and conservatives, revolutionaries and reactionaries. Some were preoccupied with God, others were atheistic, to the core. Some, began their lives as devout Catholics, lived as ardent revolutionaries, and died as staunch conservatives. " However, there are some generalities, that the author will discuss, which will give us a rough outline, of that historical period, usually thought of, from 1750 to 1850. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

• Literature and the Influence of Sir Isaac Newton

  8 pages in length. Newton's influence upon the literary world maintains its foundation within the concepts of truth and reality. Instrumental in inspiring writers from all walks of life, Newtonian concepts have become an integral component for those writers who strive to incorporate a deeper, more meaningful existence to their literary experiences. The writer discusses that when one attempts to assess Newtonian influence upon literature, evidence can be found in virtually every genre. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

• Dr. Faustus and Dr. Jekyll

  A 4 page paper which examines the descent of Dr. Faustus and Dr. Jekyll in Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Dr. Faust and Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. No additional sources cited.

• Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander Smith and Principles of Ethics

  A 5 page paper discussing this novel by Alexander Smith in terms of principles of ethics in general, but specifically those involving health care. The bottom-line message is that there are certain basic rights that individuals should be able to expect in their lives, but that are not always made available to them. When injustice occurs, the individual is to rise above it, condemning the unjust not with words or revenge, but with acts of kindness and understanding. The individual is to break the chain. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

• Past and Present Fairy Tales

  (10pp) Since the time that someone rubbed two sticks togetherto make fire, people have loved a good story. It may loosely be called a legend, a story, or a tale, Joseph Campbell links most of them together with a thematic approach called the "hero's adventure." We will test some current fairy tales ("The Princess Who Stood on Her Own Two Feet," Jeanne Desy; "Prince Amilec" Tanith Lee; and "Petronella" by Jay Williams) to see how they fit the traditional model. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

• Hell in Dante's 'Inferno' and Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus

  An 8 page paper discussing and comparing Christopher Marlowe’s “Dr. Faustus” with Dante’s “Inferno.” Dante predated Marlowe by three centuries, writing “The Divine Comedy” long before the Reformation and the rise of Protestantism that Marlowe followed. The religious teachings of the times in which these authors lived are reflected in the concept of each of the nature of hell. Dante’s character descends into it to discover its hierarchical spirals; Mephistophilis reveals to Faustus that he has not left hell at all in order to visit Faustus, that they are living in it. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

• Tan, Orwell and Baldwin: Language

  A 4 page paper which examines “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan, “Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell, and “If Black Language Isn’t a Language, The Tell Me, What Is?” by James Baldwin and then examines their discussions of language and identity, and language as political. No additional sources cited.

• Literature about the Blues and Jazz

  This 8 page paper looks at blues and jazz literature. The paper starts by examining what is meant by blues literature and then uses examples from the poetry of Sterling Plumpp, short stories by John Clellon Holmes, Langston Hughes and Josef Skvorecky before looking at Alice Walkers book and film The Color Purple. The thesis of the paper is that blues may originate and be a part of black culture, it reflects the experiences of the oppressed, whatever race they may be. The bibliography cites 4 sources

• Wisdom's Message in One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and in the Mahabharata

  This 8 page paper considers the way in which these two texts, although written millennia apart, both communicate a message regarding the meaning and application of wisdom and that gather of knowledge is not the same as wisdom. The bibliography cites 2 sources.

• My Mother by Kincaid

  A 3 page paper which analyzes mother and daughter relationships as they evolve through the dream logic of Jamaica Kincaid’s story My Mother. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

• The Uncommon Man's Tragedy and Aristotle

  A 5 page paper analyzing the concept of tragedy as defined by Aristotle (and illustrated in Sophocles' Oedipus the King) and Arthur Miller's definition of the form (as described in his essay 'The Tragedy of the Common Man' and illustrated in Death of a Salesman). Bibliography lists one source.

• Gatsby and Heathcliff

  A 3 page paper which examines the characters of Gatsby from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. No additional sources cited.

• Does Studying Literature Improve Individual Writing Skills?

  This 9 page paper assesses the connection between the study of literature and the development of writing skills. Looking at the ideas of Orwell and Graves and considering the different ways in which writing may take place with differing motivations, the potential value and impact of studying literature is explored. The bibliography cites 10 sources.

• Common Themes in Jane Eyre, Silas Marner, and Wuthering Heights

  This 5 page paper analyzes three classic novels for the themes of nature versus nurture: George Eliot's Silas Marner, E. Bronte's Wuthering Heights, and C. Bronte's Jane Eyre. Quotes cited from texts. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

• The Aristotelian Tragic Form

  A 6 page paper defining classic Aristotelian form of tragedy and how it is expressed in Macbeth, Death of a Salesman, The Metamorphosis, and The Stranger. 2 source bib

• Theme of Victimization in Uncle Tom's Cabin, Redburn, and Wieland

  A 6 page paper discussing these three novels by Charles Brockton Brown, Herman Melville, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. The paper concludes that in each of these novels, the characters had a choice about whether or not they intended to be a victim -- and for better or worse, the choice transformed their lives forever. Bibliography lists the three books as sources.

• Values and Women in The Westies by T.J. English

  A 12 page paper discussing T.J. English's nonfiction book about the famous twentieth-century Hell's Kitchen gang. It particularly looks at the women behind the scenes in the all-male gang, and analyzes the way these women reflect traditional values. No additional sources cited.

• Guterson, Wharton, Grisham, and Verisimilitude

  A 6 page paper discussing the reality of the settings and details in these three novels. The paper points out that verisimilitude is very important in fiction, because only when the reader is grounded in reality can he suspend disbelief sufficiently to be drawn into the story. Bibliography lists one source.

• Manuel Puig's Kiss of the Spider Woman and Other Works of Literature

  A 5 page paper looking at Manuel Puig's novel as a backdrop for four others: A Sincere Friendship by Clarice Lispector, The Lion by Eugeny Zamyatin, The Night Visitor by Elena Poniatowska, and China by Charles Johnson. The paper examines how in these works the human need for individual expression and moral courage influence and reinforce each other. No additional sources cited.

• Comparing 'Oroonoko' and 'Persian Letters'

  A 5 page analysis of the Persian Letters by Montesquieu, published in 1721, and Oroonoko: or The Royal Slave, a true history by Aphra Behn, published in 1688. These are two early examples of the art of writing a novel. They both take the stance that their subject material actually existed, and they both build a structure around the perspective of the imagined cultural 'other' as the basic context of each work. No additional sources cited.

• Characters and Plot from Miller, O'Connor and Plath

  A 6 page paper which compares and contrasts Arthur Miller's play, "Death of a Salesman," Frank O'Connor's short story, "First Communion," and Sylvia Plath's poem, "Metaphors" in terms of characters, tone, plot and style to reveal how each author appeals to the senses, emotions and intellect of the readers.

• Alienation in The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles

  5 pages in length. Alienation can accurately be described as an inclination of temperament or outlook. Another way to describe it would be to call it a highly personal and unreasoned distortion of judgment. More often than not, alienation is defined as a negative outlook. In the case of John Fowles' "The French Lieutenant's Woman," alienation is what the author's protagonist -- Sarah – comes to loathe. While she is an upstanding and compassionate woman, she is unfairly thrust into the lair of societal judgment when she is falsely accused of being a whore. The writer discuss how this erroneous conclusion not only causes her unmerited emotional distress but it also casts an even larger shadow of doubt as to whether or not her French sailor will ever return for her. No additional sources cited.

• Ideology and 'Englishness'

  5 pages in length. This paper focuses upon the obvious ideological conflict of England and Englishness in the context of the works of two authors, Graham Green's England Made Me and John Betjeman's Collected Poems. The seeming contradictions in the text and viewpoints are discussed. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

• 'Perspectives on the Individual' and Human Nature

  (3pp) Human nature is compared and contrasted in the works of Gilgamesh and Elie Wiesel. Comments are made concerning the readings of this class; personal remarks are made. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

• Portrayals of Satan and Adam in Paradise Lost by John Milton

  6 pages in length. The writer compares and contrasts Adam to Satan in relation to free will and temptation. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

• 'The Crowd' by Ray Bradbury

  A 5 page paper that presents a critical analysis and discussion of the major theme and primary idea presented in Ray Bradbury's 1943 short story The Crowd. This discussion includes a brief history of Bradbury's writing career and examines how the writer's life experiences and observations are reflected in The Crowd as well as in the majority of his works. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

• A Comparison of Devil In The Shape Of A Woman and Salem Possessed

  5 pages in length. There were a number of reasons why Salem became the historical foundation of witch hunts, but none were so powerful as the threat of female independence had at that time. Without out a doubt, the fear of women's emancipation was the foremost reason for the colonial New England witch hunts. When comparing Carol Karlsen's "Devil In The Shape Of A Woman" with Paul Boyer And Steven Nissenbaum's "Salem Possessed," one immediately notes the incongruity of the two works, primarily due to the fact that Karlsen's perspective as a woman herself is significantly different from either of her male counterparts. No additional sources cited.

 

Most Relevant Research Papers

Click on any of the term papers to read a brief synopsis of the research paper. The essay synopsis includes the number of pages and sources cited in the paper.

• 18th Century Literature and Reflections of Commerce and Trade
• Literature and the West's Medieval and Renaissance Cultures
• Character Development in 'The Inferno' by Dante and Book of the City by the Ladies by Christine de Pizan
• The Thematic Element in Art
• Considering What Makes a Classic with Virgil, Tolstoy, and Homer
• The Quest: Homer, Adams, and Tolkien
• Masculinity in Early Literary Structure and Narratives
• Death Confrontation in Tolstoy, Virgil, and Homer
• The Odyssey and The Alchemist: Free Will, Determinism, and the Journeys
• Adventures and Protagonists