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

85147 total results

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 Effects of Slavery on the Whites and Blacks in the Early 19th Century in The Confessions of Nat Turner, a Novel by William Styron (994 words, 3 pages)

In the novel, The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron, it discusses the relations between whites and blacks in the early 19th century. Also during the early 19th century, Christianity played a big role to slaves. The Confessions of Nat Turner examines that slavery effected whites and blacks in ... Read More

Character Analysis of Biff in Death of a Salesman, a Play by Arthur Miller (1298 words, 4 pages)

In this tough world everyone lives life in the pursuit of achieving one goal. This goal that everyone pursues is success. However, success is not just handed out amongst people. It is achieved through the process known as the American Dream. Meaning that all Americans should have an equal opportunity ... Read More

The Difference Between a House and a Home in Cathedral, a Short Story by Raymond Carver (856 words, 3 pages)

What is the difference between a house and a home? Both contain bricks and stones, wood and nails. Both are used for dwelling and eating, sleeping and sitting. However, even a child would be able to explain that these two terms are worlds apart. A home is built with love, ... Read More

The Evolution of Addie and His Relationship with Each Member of the Bundren Family in As I Lay Dying, a Book by William Faulkner (1411 words, 4 pages)

Imagine this picture in a typical world, a family exists in which members of the family live in the suburbs of a good neighborhood. Normally, a loving husband and wife exist. Together they have at least one child, and in-laws come to visit the family. Father makes the most income ... Read More

The Dystopian Family in As I Lay Dying, a Book by William Faulkner (1678 words, 6 pages)

Envision this photo in a regular world, a family exists in which individuals from the family live in suburbia. Ordinarily, an adoring couple exists. Together they have no less than one child, and in-laws come to visit the family. The father makes the most income in the house, while the ... Read More

An Analysis of Tragedy and Love in the Love Story of Orpheus and Eurydice in Eurydice, a Play by Sarah Ruhl (770 words, 3 pages)

Unlike the sadness of the original myth Orpheus and Eurydice, Sarah Ruhls modern adaptation Eurydice follows the story of two people a little too young and a little too in love with a sense of wonder and hope to explore tragedy and love. However, Ruhl modernizes the classic by switching ... Read More

The Madness of Darl in As I Lay Dying, a Novel by William Faulkner (1087 words, 3 pages)

In 1920s Mississippi, the dysfunctional Bundren family suffers the tragedy of the death of Addie Bundren, which leaves the characters emotionally troubled as they as all deal with the mental turmoil of her loss. She leaves behind her five children Cash, Darl, Jewel, Dewey Dell, Vardaman, and her husband Anse, ... Read More

An Analysis of War’s Effects in Slaughterhouse Five, a Novel by Kurt Vonnegut (1147 words, 5 pages)

The Horrifying Effects of War War is something that humankind has gone through since the Homo sapiens came around. Most of these wars have sacrificed a lot of people who go off and fight for the states involved. This is because of conflict between the two countries in which results ... Read More

The Tragedy of World War II in Slaughterhouse-Five, a Novel by Kurt Vonnegut (1287 words, 4 pages)

Every day, many people die in war. This is a fact that people shy away from talking about. Soldiers die too young, too soon. Someones child, brother, sister, mother, or father is dying in the wake of unnecessary violence. When people are approached with this problem, they feel powerless to ... Read More

The Idea of Transcendentalism in Bartleby, the Scrivener, a Short Story by Herman Melville (1255 words, 5 pages)

TranscendentalismTranscendentalism is the belief that society and its institutions ultimately corrupted the purity of the individual, and in order to get this back one has to keep in touch with nature as it is the direct link to god. Transcendentalists religious position was beyond sanity and reason. Their idea was ... Read More

John Proctor as the Sane Human in The Crucible, a Play by Arthur Miller (621 words, 1 pages)

The crucibleArthur Miller's The Crucible, based on the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, was written based off the Red Scare, or the fear of communism in the 1950's. Both the issues were a war on ideas. In this 'war' there was no way to prove innocence, and accusations were based ... Read More

A Review of Tattoos on the Heart, a Novel by Gregory Boyle (968 words, 4 pages)

Criticism Essay 2Why do readers find the narratives of gang intervention in Gregory Boyles 2010 novel, Tattoos on the Heart The Power of Boundless Compassion, credible? I decided to focus on this book since it has been a popular read amongst students, especially those here at Cal State Los Angeles. ... Read More

A Review of First They Killed My Father, a Book by Loung Ung (2010 words, 7 pages)

Personal Growth in a War-Torn CountryBeing a person in a war-torn country can disrupt one persons lifestyle, especially if it is a young child. In the case of Loung Ung, she had to face the realities of being in a war-conflicted nation of Cambodia her whole childhood. Throughout her memoir, ... Read More

The Morbid and Monstrous Nature of Society in Love Cures and Destroys by Wenxin Wu (1472 words, 5 pages)

Monstrous Reality-Analysis of the Society through Love Cures and DestroysIn Wenxin Wus Love Cures and Destroys, Wu sets the story in an asylum called Briarcliff in 1961, Massachusetts. She was inspired by the American Horror Story Asylum and even borrowed the name of the asylum. Although the name of the ... Read More

An Analysis of Poverty in A Raisin in the Sun, a Play by Lorraine Hansberry (814 words, 3 pages)

Wealth, Poverty, and the Lack of Spectrum BetweenThroughout the play A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry a very prominent theme is poverty. This theme is exhibited through the difficulties the Younger family have balancing all of their needs due to financial difficulty. These difficulties become apparent through each ... Read More

The Love and World Exploration in The Fantasticks, a Play by Tom jones (1300 words, 4 pages)

The play, The Fantasticks was an interesting take on love and exploring the world. Throughout the play we are shown allegories from characters or musical notes that were entertaining yet also insightful. This two hour play featured a cast of characters who werent restricted by racial boundaries (ex. Asian dad ... Read More

The African Culture, Place and Identity in The Poisonwood Bible, a Novel by Barbara Kingsolver (1687 words, 5 pages)

Discuss the representation of African culture, place and identity in The Poisonwood Bible considering how your context and cultural assumptions influence your reading.Identity has long been pronounced as that which defines a person, or gives them a point from which to position into society. This facet of existence can often ... Read More

The Theme of Death in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse (1729 words, 3 pages)

Treatment of Death in Any Two NovelBoth Fitzgerald and Woolf deal with death in their novels The Great Gatsby and To the Lighthouse. The novels present two main characters which die, this being Gatsby from The Great Gatsby and Mrs. Ramsay in To the Lighthouse. While both characters go out ... Read More

The Meaning of Love in Quartett by Heiner Muller, Marry Him by Lori Gottlieb and Times Square Blue by Samuel Delany (1512 words, 5 pages)

Defining LoveFor many, love can be defined as a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person. Nevertheless, it can also be defined as a sexual passion or desire. One of the various meanings of sex can be seen as feelings or behavior resulting from the urge to gratify the sexual ... Read More

A Perspective on the Practice of Philanthropy in Walden, a Book by Henry David Thoreau (2389 words, 9 pages)

Philanthropy in Thoreaus Walden When you first start reading Henry David Thoreaus book, Walden, there are so many things that demand to analyze. The multiple topics that exist within the book are numerous, yet there are several that stick out amongst the rest. One of these is Thoreaus views on ... Read More

The Influence of Relationships in The Help, a Novel by Kathryn Stockett (923 words, 3 pages)

The environment that surrounds a particular person can be either detrimental or beneficial. Specifically, the people who one grows up with can be a great influence. In Kathryn Stocketts The Help, one can easily see many relationships between the different characters. Besides the obvious family relationships, there seem to be ... Read More

The Theme of Love in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (1365 words, 4 pages)

Both the novels The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald and To the Lighthouse by Woolf explore the theme of love in great depth. This is most clearly seen through the various marriages within the books. While both authors presents marriages which are not perfect, they differ in their idea of love ... Read More

The Theme of Family in the Migration Story of a 17 Year Old Boy into the United States in Enrique’s Journey, a Novel by Sonia Nazario (778 words, 3 pages)

Enriques Journey Analytical EssayEnrique's Journey is a national best-seller by Sonia Nazario, about a 17-year-old boy from Honduras. Nazario tells the true tale of Enriques migration into the United States in search of his mother. Enriques Journey surrounds the theme of family, by basing her findings around Enrique's story, Nazario ... Read More

The Mockingbird as a Symbol for the Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird, a Novel by Harper Lee (2069 words, 6 pages)

A Small Racist Town Called MaycombThe Novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee stands as an enthralling piece of literature, highlighting the effect of racism in Alabama in this time period. Revolving around the world and the experiences of Scout Finch, a young Alabama Tomboy, and her brother Jem, ... Read More

The Persona of Greg Lippermann in The Big Short, a Novel by Michael Lewis (1336 words, 4 pages)

The Charming Whack Job of Wall Street When a person reads a good book, sees a great movie, or watches a spectacular performance, what do they take away from it? Some aspect will remain with them, forever associated with that experience for the rest of their lives. It can be ... Read More

The Dignity of Louis Silvie Zamperini in Unbroken, a Book by Laura Hillenbrand (1069 words, 4 pages)

Humans are actually rubber bands when it is deeply thought about. Both are extremely resilient under stress, and can obtain their highest peaks after being stretched to their maximal limits. However, there is one thing that sets mankind apart from rubber bands, and from everything else dignity. Laura Hillenbrands Unbroken ... Read More

The Use of Irony in Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find and The Life You Save May Be Your Own (1355 words, 4 pages)

Authors often use irony in order to place their characters into tricky situations in which they must make a decision, which often reveals more about their true self. Flannery OConnor was a southern gothic, and grotesque writer who is known for her strong use of irony and distortion. In her ... Read More

The Use of Literary Devices to Illustrate the Oppression of Women in The Story of an Hour, a Short Story by Kate Chopin (1000 words, 3 pages)

Kate Chopin is best known for her short stories about the lives of daring women. In the story The Story of an Hour, one of the characters Ms. Mallards husband supposedly dies in a train accident she feels as if she has been set free from the limitations of her ... Read More

Mob Mentality and Its Effects on People in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (461 words, 2 pages)

Everyone today has either seen or experienced mob mentality. It comes in many forms and affects people in many different ways.To begin with, mob mentality is when a person loses their individuality in a group. In other words, When people are part of a group, they often experience deindividuation, or ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples