Research Papers on Portugese 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.

  • Three Plays by Federico Garcia Lorca

    6 pages in length. The sexual instinct that represents the creativity in Federico Garcia Lorca's trilogy of three plays depicting Spain's cultural identity clearly establishes the manner by which the playwright aspires to portray the intensity of his characters' existence. Interwoven amidst this underlying sexual instinct is the relationship of Spain's socioeconomic concerns at that time and how Lorca reinforces this subject with the use of theatrical and artistic methods. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Sandra Cisneros: Women Hollering Creek

    Sexual Warfare : A 4 page paper which examines the politics of sexual warfare in three stories from Sandra Cisneros’ work Women Hollering Creek. No additional sources cited.

  • "Dr. Glass-Case" by De Cervantes

    A 3 page essay on Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra's "Doctor Glass-Case." The writer argues that this sixteenth century protagonist can be viewed as the quintessential Renaissance man. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Fictional Literature, Determinism, and Free Will

    A 10 page exploration of the short stories encompassed by Miguel de Unamuno and Eric Bentley in their books “Abel Sanchez and Other Stories” (Unamuno) and “Life is a Dream: (Bentley). Unamuno’s book contains the short stories “Abel Sanchez”, “The Madness of Doctor Montarco”, and “San Manuel Bueno, Matyr” while Bentley’s “Life is a Dream” encompasses translations of Calderon's “La Vida es un Sueño” (Life is a Dream), Lope de Vega's “Fuente Ovejuna” (Fountain of Youth), and Tirso de Molina's “Don Juan”. Each of these stories add insight to our understanding of the free will verses determinism debate. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • Federico Garcia Lorca/Play Trilogy

    A 3 page research paper/essay that discusses the Federico Garcia Lorca’s play trilogy. The editors of the New England Review add a biographical note to their publication of Federico Garcia Lorca’s poem “Siguiriya’s Way,” which identifies Lorca as one of the greatest poets and dramatists of modern Spain (Lorca, 2005, p. 96). This poem mixes sensuality with the ever-present threat of violence, which is as theme that is prominent in Lorca’s work. Three of Lorca’s best-known plays are his trilogy: “Blood Wedding,” “Yerma,” and “The House of Bernarda Alba.” Examination of these plays demonstrates how Lorca uses the elements of melodrama to represent the presence of overwhelming sexual desire within the context of the negotiated power. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Omeros by Derek Walcott and Character Identity

    A 9 page paper which examines the characters of Achille, Hector, Helen, Ma Kilman, and Plunkett as symbolic figures who represent Walcott’s search for identity in his novel/epic poem “Omeros.” No additional sources cited.

  • Women's Literature Contributions of Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street

    This 8 page paper explores the concepts of feminism, poverty, and social structure from the Mexican-American perspective. In it there are discussions of sexual power, double standards, discussions of the Mexican-American condition, and examples of feministic thought. Three sources listed in the bibliography.

  • Mexican Literature Comparison Victor Valle's Recipe of Memory Five Generations of Mexican Cuisine and Ruben Martinez's Crossing Over A Mexican Family on the Migrant Trail

    A 5 page overview of the content of these two books and the differences in presentational style elected by each author. The author of this paper emphasizes that Mexican literature offers a wide gamut of style and subject matter. Of particular interest is the way different writers chose to present their information. Some chose a discursive appropriation while others use formal appropriation. The approach elected by Valle falls into the latter category while that of Martinez falls into the former. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Music and Song in Latin American Literature

    In 5 pages the author discusses the trope of song/music in Latin American literature, addressing the work of various Latin American writers. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Sexuality and Young Women in Sleeping Beauty by Rosario Ferre and Wild Swans by Alice Munro

    A 3 page paper which discusses how young women and their sexuality are seen by society and by the girls in Alice Munro’s “Wild Swans” and Rosario Ferre’s “Sleeping Beauty.” Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

  • The Indo Caribbean Experience as Found in A House For Mr. Biswas

    10 pages in length. Identity is a critical theme all throughout the story that borrows directly from the Indo-Caribbean experience and cultural experience. To not only understand but also accept one's place within the larger concept of society is something Mr. Biswas struggles with for his entire life; that he is unable to rectify what he deems wrong in his day to day existence – the death of his father, a controlling and uncaring mother, a wife with no backbone and an extended family by marriage that has little respect for him – he ultimately develops an inferior sense of himself while at the same time working hard to find his own place in the world. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • History of Latin Literature

    A 5 page paper which examines the history of Latin literature. Bibliography lists 8 sources.

  • Protest Literature, Valdez And "Los Vendidos"

    3 pages in length. Playing the stereotype card is the most effective of all possible ways for Valdez to point out misconceptions people have about others; indeed, it is an appropriate tool for other ethnic groups to display their discontent as well. As minorities, Chicanos are not created equal in many numbers of ways based upon a protocol established by another race entirely, a distorted attribute of human existence that otherwise defines and limits their collective ability to seamlessly assimilate into white society. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Female Psychology in the Plays of Tirso de Molina

    A 14 page research paper that focuses on female characterization in the plays of Tirso de Molina (1572-1648), a playwright during the Golden Age of Spanish theatre. Examination of a variety of Tirso's plays demonstrates that--in regards to his portrayal of female characters--he was limited by the cultural standards in which he lived. In other words, women in Tirso's plays are largely relegated to subsidiary roles, which substantiate the prominence and importance of men as the pivotal focus around which everything in Spanish society revolved. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • Female Sexuality in House of Bernarda Alba

    A 3 page essay on Federico Garcia Lorca’s play “The House of Bernarda Alba,” which is part of a trilogy in which each play expresses the way that women were “crushed by Spanish customs and social life” during the early twentieth century (Jones and Jones 13). In Bernarda Alba, the cast is virtually all women, as there is only one brief appearance by a male. In this play, Garcia Lorca uses the theme of suppressed sexuality to underscore the corrosive nature of Spanish cultural expectations towards women. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Character Analysis of Nadine in the Short Story 'Water Child'

    A paper which looks critically at the character of Nadine in the short story Water Child, with specific reference to her isolation, her relationships with her parents and her ex-lover, and the impact which the loss of her baby has had on her life. Bibliography lists one source.

  • Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

    A 5 page analyzes that examines how Esquivel's novel resembles a fairy tale and the significance of this resemblance. The writer argues that the story is similar to a fairy tale in that it presents a story that carries the power of myth. This is evident in the manner in which it portrays women and their relationship to the domestic sphere, while also offering a template for female identification that departs from the restrictions inherent in that role. No additional sources cited.

  • The Rain God: A Desert Tale Viewed Critically

    A 5 page paper which examines the novel’s important issues, describes the major characters, their roles as intended by the author, analyzes what makes them important, what they symbolize, and concludes by discussing the purpose of the novel. No additional sources are used.

  • Passages Compared in Rain of Gold by Victor Villasenor

    A 3 page essay that compares two passages from Victor Villasenor's Rain of Gold, a real-life account of his Mexican-American family background. The writer discusses two passages that highlight the texture and nuance of the mother/son relationship and the importance of the matriarch in Mexican culture. No additional sources cited.

  • Rain of Scorpions by Trambley

    This 7 page paper examines this Latina author's 1975 work. The use of characterization is explored and a b it of the author's life is discussed. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

  • In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

    A 6 page paper discussing the changes the four Mirabal sisters moved through on their journey from the children of a middle-class landowner in the 1930s Dominican Republic to full-blown political activists. One sister never did participate, though she was sympathetic to the rebel cause, but the other three gave their lives and became more powerful as martyrs than they were in life. Bibliography lists 1 source.

  • In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

    A 6 page essay/research paper that, first of all, explains the real-life historical connection of this novel to the deaths of three sisters who were brutally murdered by the Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic. Then, the writer discusses the structure of the novel and how Alvarez creates characterization by letting each sister narrate the story in turn. A specific passage from the novel is then analyzed. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • Love in the Time of Cholera

    A 3 page paper which examines the reality of sickness, and its connection to love, in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ Love in the Time of Cholera. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Love in the Time of Cholera

    A 4 page paper provides a list of issues and then an annotated bibliography on Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ Love in the Time of Cholera. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

  • Love in the Time of Cholera

    A 3 page paper which analyzes elements of Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

  • 1995 Novel Blindness by Jose Saramago

    (5 pp) When the Swedish academy released the Award of Literature in 1998 to Jose Saramgo, they did so with the commendation, 'who with parables sustained by imagination, compassion and irony continually enables us once again to apprehend an elusory reality.' Blindness: a novel continues that tradition, and it is indeed a serious teaching tale that will take your breath away,and once you have returned to the real world will stay with your for a very long time.

  • Judith Ortiz Cofer's Story of First Love

    This 3 page paper explores the short story by Judith Ortiz Cofer. The contention is made that the young protagonist is enslaved by her hormones. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

  • Spirituality and Religion in Dona Perfecta by Benito Perez Galdos

    4 pages in length. The obvious implication of religious and spiritual intolerance sets the overall theme for Perez Galdos' (2004) Dona Perfecta, a novel about Spain's historic tendency to castigate those who did not fall in line with faith unity. Pepe represents the antiestablishment 'villain' who is not only proud of his personal – if not entirely outsider – beliefs, but he does not hesitate to express them, much to the chagrin of community outrage. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Carmen Laforet's Nada

    A 5 page essay that analyzes the book by Carmen Laforet. Nada is the first novel written by noted Spanish author Carmen Laforet. First published in 1944, some critics have regarded this work as autobiographical as it recounts the spiritual desolation of a country emerging from civil war. Many have regarded this work as a feminist reworking of the Bildungsroman or "novel of maturation." However, others have offered a contrasting point of view that the main character, Andrea, does not appear to adhere to this model of development due to her extreme passivity. The writer discusses alternate views and the essential symbolism of the novel. No additional sources cited.

  • Racial Identity Conflicts of Antoinette in Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

    5 pages in length. In Jean Rhys's compelling novel about racial tension amidst confusion and anxiety, the author addresses this subtext in such a way as to portray Antoinette as a product of an intolerant society. While more of an underlying theme, the character's racial inner struggles in Wide Sargasso Sea represent a significance to the story's overall flavor and intensity, being that Antoinette is torn the entire time between calling herself black or white. The writer discusses who she really is, and why she is having such a difficult time coming to terms with her true identity. No additional sources cited.

  • Wild Steps of Heaven by Victor Villasenor

    A 5 page evaluation of the book, “Wild Steps of Heaven,” by Victor Villasenor. In this incredible tale of one family we see the many sides to any given family or culture. It is an incredible look into the history of a culture as well as the people of Hispanic origin. The story is full of all the qualities that make a truly great mythical story, yet the intricate details are real and potent, not fantasy and vague. Villasenor has done a superb job in describing many of the details of his family’s heritage. No additional sources cited.

  • The Death of Artemio Cruz by Carlos Fuentes

    A 5 page analysis of Fuentes' historical novel that covers the history of Mexico from the time of the Mexican Revolution till roughly the mid-twentieth century. A powerful novel, the stream of consciousness writing that juxtaposes scenes from Artemio Cruz's younger days with those in the present as he lays dying are sometimes confusing, but‹nevertheless‹revealing as to how Mexico's past influenced the course of its twentieth century development. No additional sources cited.

  • Marianela by Benito Perez Galdos

    An 8 page research paper that examines one of Benito Perez Galdos' Spanish masterpieces from the nineteenth century, Marianela, Galdos is arguably the most prominent Spanish novelist of that era. Pre-eminent in his own country, Galdos is also considered to be one of the most vital and one of the most representative novelists of the nineteenth century in Europe. The writer demonstrates how this is true through an examination of his novel Marianela. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

  • Cultural Identity and How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent by Julia Alvarez

    An eight page paper looking at this multicultural novel in terms of its treatment of the issues of cultural identity and assimilation. The paper asserts that when immigrants try too hard to melt into one homogenous nation, they lose those distinctive characteristics which allow them to maintain their emotional and spiritual health. Bibliography lists two sources.

  • A 'Personal Narrative' of South America by Alexander Von Humboldt

    A 5 page analysis of Alexander Von Humboldt's personal accounts of South America in the early eighteenth century. A gifted naturalist, his accounts are interesting and informative of nineteenth century bias, as well as So. American reality. No additional sources cited.

  • El Indio by Gregorio Lopez Y Fuentes

    3 pages in length. Gregorio Lopez y Fuentes' 1937 novel El Indio strives to represent many things at once: political mistreatment, ethnic intolerance and cultural ignorance. While on the surface the story appears as yet another narration with regard to Western European overtaking of Indian land, it is significantly much more than that. Indeed, there exists plenty of references – both obvious and subliminal – that effectively address what truly did occur between the colonists and the indigenous population; however, the writer discusses that through the author's insight, the reader gains a considerable amount of knowledge about what occurred during this clash of culture. No additional sources cited.

  • El Llano en Llamas by Juan Rulfo

    3 pages in length. "El Llano En Llamas" by Juan Rulfo's is indicative of the prolific writer's inherent ability to pursue even the most complex of concepts. Not unlike myriad other works of this genre, Rulfo appeals to the innermost recesses of the reader's soul by reaching out and inviting his audience to experience with him the sometimes intense and often expansive sense of being during the Mexican Revolution. The writer discusses how the novelist demonstrates a distinctive talent when it comes to writing about the inherent difficulties associated with Western European settlement and the blatant disregard for humanity. No additional sources cited.

  • Mi Caballo, Mi Perro Y Mi Rifle by Jose Ruben Romero

    3 pages in length. Jose Ruben Romero's "Mi Caballo, Mi Perro Y Mi Rifle" delves into the lurid history of Western European conquest over the Mexican Indians. Clearly portrayed throughout the pages of Romero's historical account is the white man's opinion that if one was not a of European descent, one was not worthy of living. The writer discusses how this obvious cultural hatred harbored by the white race was focused toward the Indians for the unprovoked manner in which they attempted to preserve their indigenous land. No additional sources cited.

  • El Gesticulador Y Otras Obras De Teatro by Rodolfo Usigli

    3 pages in length. The obvious importance of Rodolfo Usigli's "El Gesticulador Y Otras Obras De Teatro" is the author's quest to reconstruct Mexican history as it has been documented throughout the past. In assessing the particular importance of Usigli's motivation behind re-writing the revolutionary past is its seemingly unrelated association to contemporary society. The writer discusses how post-colonialism was a reaction to and a critique of the colonial dichotomy, inasmuch as there existed a defiant urge to do away with the overwhelming oppression of involuntary change. No additional sources cited.

  • An Analysis of Conde's, I,Tituba, Black Witch of Salem.

    3 pages in length. Tituba, the only black woman to be accused of witchery, had many conflicting issues in her life, not the least of which were trying to distinguish a balance between suffering and happiness in order to construct a meaningful life. In her attempt to achieve this elusive balance, she must often make a choice between freedom and love. By having to make this choice, one might readily surmise that while freedom, love and happiness were of paramount importance to her, none of them could be achieved without suffering. The writer discusses this topic as it relates to Maryse Conde's "I, Tituba, Black Witch of Salem." 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.

 

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