American Literature Essays Examples For College & High School Students in PDF

85147 total results

The Important Role of Irony in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, a Short Story by Joyce Carol Oates (700 words, 2 pages)

My sweet little blue-eyed girl, he said, in a half-sung voice that had nothing to do with her brown eyes (Joyce Carol Oates 466) Irony has a funny way of expressing itself. It could be conveyed as comical or it could be elucidate as enraging. Either way, irony plays an ... Read More

The Mysterious Origins and Past Life of Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (723 words, 2 pages)

Throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jay Gatsby, formerly known as Jay Gatz, hides his origins in attempts to become a new man and forget his less than desirable past for a new life of fame, glory, riches, and the prize girl. Though, as the novel ... Read More

The Correlation Between Wealth and Power in The Great Gatsby, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1953 words, 6 pages)

Within The Great Gatsby wealth and power are interlinked in that often with one factor comes the other the wealthier the person, the higher their position within society and therefore the more power they hold. The rich could be protected by their wealth although by means of the Wall Street ... Read More

A Short Review of The End of Solitude, an Essay by William Deresiewicz (762 words, 3 pages)

Being lonely is an experience everyone strives to prevent from happening, and our generation is a socially connected world where the thought of being alone is devastating. William Deresiewiczs The End of Solitude discusses how technology is a method to escape loneliness. Todays society heavily depends on technology to establish ... Read More

A Brief History of the Life of John Steinbeck (508 words, 2 pages)

John Steinbeck is one of the many great writers out there in the world. He was born on February 27th of 1902. Steinbecks back ground, in 1919 Steinbeck graduated from Salinas high school. When he was younger Steinbeck grew up with three sisters, and when in his younger years he ... Read More

The Advantageous Sight-Seeing Hobby of Michael in The Girls in Their Summer Dresses, a Short Story by Irwin Shaw (2864 words, 9 pages)

Throughout the story of The Girls in Their Summer Dresses, written by Irwin Shaw, one of the main protagonist in the story, Frances, is annoyed and irritated throughout because of the way her husband, Michael, vividly and vehemently stares at the vast amount of beautiful women that happens to cross ... Read More

The Essence of Hope, Disparity and Neglect in Neighborhood Watch, a Play by Lally Katz (501 words, 1 pages)

My Response to Text C, Neighbourhood WatchText C, Lally Katzs play Neighbourhood Watch encapsulates the essence of hope, disparity and neglect all within a still and quiet street in suburban Australia. Following the successful election of Kevin Rudd in 2007, Australia as a nation was flooded with hopes and promises ... Read More

The Mental Stability of Sergeant X and Seymour in Nine Stories, a Book by J.D. Salinger (464 words, 2 pages)

The Psychological Downfall and ComebackAfter coming back from war, soldiers tend to be aloof and the flashback of the war daunts them. In Nine Stories by JD Salinger, Sergeant X and Seymour come back from war and experience post-traumatic stress disorder, which is common in most soldiers. As a result ... Read More

The Life of Louis Zamperini During World War II in Unbroken, a Book by Laura Hillenbrand (1143 words, 6 pages)

Story Behind UnbrokenThe plot of Unbroken, a biography by Laura Hillenbrand, happens to be very straightforward regarding the sequence from Louis birth until the post war time frame. In the introductory chapters, Laura Hillenbrand introduces Louis Zamperini, the character and the hero of this book. When everybody hated him as ... Read More

The Relationship of Rose with Bono, Cory, and Troy in Fences, a Play by August Wilson (574 words, 2 pages)

Roses BordersPeople create fences in everyday life that either would have a positive effect or a negative effect, meaning keeping away from his or her enemies or keeping her loved ones within close distance. In Fences, by August Wilson, Rose builds three fences that separate and keeps people close to ... Read More

The Life of a Poor Family in Haiti in A Wall of Fire Rising, a Short Story by Edwidge Danticat (1057 words, 4 pages)

In the story Wall of Fire Rising, Edwidge Danticat tells the story of the endeavors a poor family living in Haiti must go through to make ends meet. Due to the story being told in third person, the reader gets an outside view of each characters life. The father, Guy, ... Read More

The Real and Fake Stories in The Things They Carried, a Book by Tim O’Brien (576 words, 2 pages)

The Honest and Deceitfulness of StorytellingWhenever people tell stories, the narrator can tell it in various ways. In The Things They Carry by Tim OBrien, mentions that By telling stories, you objectify your own experience. You separate it from yourself. You pin down certain truths. You make up others. You ... Read More

The Consequences of the Emotion of Love in The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (731 words, 3 pages)

Loves Consequences In life, love is an interesting emotion. This love has two paths that are demonstrated in Winters Bone by Daniel Woodrell, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway, and The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Love is a prison that could provide hope or result in one ... Read More

The Discovery of Identity Through Violence in Bless Me, Ultima, a Novel by Rudolfo Anaya (724 words, 3 pages)

Finding Identity through ViolenceWith so much violence in todays world, it can have either a positive effect or a negative effect on children. In Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya, Antonio faces so much violence during his childhood years and it deeply affects him. Antonio sees violence as a major ... Read More

Anxiety and Paranoia in The Tell-Tale Heart, a Short Story by Edgar Allan Poe (352 words, 2 pages)

Writing Assignment 2Point of View The Tell-Tale HeartThe short story written by Edgar Allen Poe is a tale of mans tendency to fall victim to anxiety and paranoia. The narrator of Poes tale uses the first person, he has direct connection and involvement with the events of story, which allows ... Read More

The Decent People in An Angel in Disguise, a Short Story by T.S. Arthur (1098 words, 4 pages)

The world can be such a cruel place. 10 percent of any population is cruel, no matter what, and 10 percent is merciful, no matter what, and the remaining 80 percent can be moved in either direction (Susan Sontag). Are there any decent, caring, sympathetic people alive in this world? ... Read More

The Black Identity, Negro Consciousness, and Awareness of the Black American in The Souls of Black Folk, a Book by W.E.B. du Bois (967 words, 4 pages)

The Souls of Black Folk is a book authored by W.E.B. Du Bois, a leading black intellectual and one of the movers and shakers during the Harlem Renaissance. The title, Souls of Black Folk refers to the spirituality of African Americans, their struggles, hopes as well as their identities and ... Read More

The Thematic Elements of Apparent Defeat, Valiant Effort, and Solidarity in If We Must Die, a Poem by Claude McKay (799 words, 3 pages)

Being a fan of literature and an amateur poet myself, I have electedto analyze one of my favorite poems, "If We Must Die", authored by ClaudeMcKay. The poem arises from a turbulent period marked by crisis in Americaduring the Red Summer of 1919, yet gives birth to a legacy of ... Read More

The Struggle with Identity in Angels in America, a Play by Tony Kushner (1161 words, 4 pages)

The playAngels in America focuses on identity, on how characters self-identify and on how other people understand and judge different identities. Discuss ways in which theproduction amplified or detracted from that discussion. You should make an argument about identity in this production and then support that with at least three ... Read More

The Socio-Economic Positions of Inferiority of Bigger Thomas in Native Son, a Novel by Richard Wright (1437 words, 5 pages)

Jim Crow laws in 1930s Chicago created a segregation system which prohibited African-Americans from restaurants, water fountains and even bathrooms that belonged to whites. In this setting, Richard Wright places his novel, Native Son, with one of the most monstrous characters to ever derive from the oppressive system of Jim ... Read More

The Investigation of Ree and the Discovery of Her New Life Skills in Winter’s Bone, a Novel by Daniel Woodrell (607 words, 2 pages)

Investigation of Life DiscoveriesIn life, investigation can lead to many paths of discovery. In Winters Bone by Daniel Woodrell, Rees investigation of her fathers bones leads her to discover new life skills that she never realizes throughout the novel. Investigation of a specific topic can lead to the discovery of ... Read More

The Importance of Lenie in Of Mice and Men, a Play by John Steinbeck (792 words, 3 pages)

Of Mice and ChangeA commonality found in almost all aspects of stories revolves around the main protagonist and his or her confidante. The secondary character not only aids the main character, but to unravel deeper aspects in the story as well. Seen in the novel, Of Mice and Men, the ... Read More

The Childhood Experiences of Sexual, Physical, and Psychological Abuse of Claireece Precious Jones in Push, a Book by Sapphire (1129 words, 4 pages)

In the book Push by Sapphire, the author writes about a young child who experiences sexual, physical, and psychological abuse. Claireece Precious Jones experiences these types of maltreatment throughout her story from both of her parents. There are many reasons why parents choose to maltreat their children, including unemployment, lower ... Read More

The Excellent Use of Symbolism in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a Novel by Mark Twain (1064 words, 4 pages)

Many novels use symbolism to express certain feelings and emotions in discreet ways. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is an explorative novel about the journey of Huck from childhood into manhood. Mark Twain expresses this novel eloquently and excellently through the use of symbolism. The use of ... Read More

The Native American Struggles in Their Relationship with the United States in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie (1400 words, 4 pages)

Many events and details in The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, by Sherman Alexie, are representative of the struggles that Native Americans have faced in their relationship with the United States. When North America was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, the lives of Native Americans changed forever. ... Read More

The Story of the Blind Man in Cathedral, a Short Story by Raymond Carver (1776 words, 5 pages)

Cathedral, by Raymond Carver, begins as a story of a blind man with insight and a sighted man who is blind, but ends as a story of a blind man who can see and a sighted man who is beginning to see. The narrators wife had worked for a blind ... Read More

The Luck in The Old Man and the Sea, a Novel by Ernest Hemingway (873 words, 2 pages)

ApproachI chose to analyze this story by using the keys. The reason I have chosen this is because it makes it easier to follow along with the story, it can show the different elements clearer since there are a lot of space to write around and describe, and lastly it ... Read More

The Psychological, Sexual and Physical Abuse of Precious in Push, a Novel by Sapphire (2938 words, 10 pages)

PushThroughout the story of Push by Sapphire, the author writes about a teenage girl who is involved in psychological, sexual, and physical abuse. Clareece Precious Jones experiences these three forms of maltreatment throughout the book from her parents. Not only is she a victim of maltreatment but also suffers from ... Read More

Modernism and Greek Influence in the Literary Works of Arthur Miller (2306 words, 8 pages)

Arthur Miller Inspiration to IllustrationArthur Miller was one of many great writers during his time period. He thrived in his works during the modernist times. The age of new ideas and feelings really influenced his writing. Miller used the world around him and the rise of new modernist ideas to ... Read More

The Story of Peyton Farquhar in An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, a Short Story by Ambrose Bierce (439 words, 2 pages)

War. There are few words in the English language that evoke such deep-rooted feelings. Some people see the word war and immediately associate it with hate, destruction and fear to some, however, this word is so much more. It represents a means to a new beginning, a fresh frontier where ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples