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

85147 total results

The Experience of Gender Inequality in The Awakening, a Novel by Kate Chopin (618 words, 2 pages)

Experience is everything when talking about a subject. If you have actual experience with the topic that you are talking about, it will be immensely helpful, as you will have had priceless insight on how and why things are happening. It is just not the same reading about something as ... Read More

The Idea of Trapped Women in The Yellow Wallpaper, The Story of an Hour, and The Awakening (417 words, 1 pages)

As technological advances continue, gaming becomes a favorite hobby to more and more people, especially to the youth of our generation. So what would happen if ideas were put in these games that instilled false, masculine ideas into the minds of small boys. Well this is exactly what is happening ... Read More

The Use of Structure, Syntax, and Diction to Illustrate Gender Roles in Girl, a Short Story by Jamaica Kincaid (481 words, 1 pages)

Jamaica Kincaid illustrates a demanding mother setting rules for her daughter in the story Girl. A myriad of requests and commands are made within this short story. Though the story lacks elaboration, the structure, syntax, and diction of the passage helps to efficiently deliver overall impression that Kincaid aims at.The ... Read More

The Four Character Archetypes in The Last Runaway, a Book by Tracy Chevalier (1350 words, 4 pages)

Have you ever read The Last Runaway? The story has four different archetypes that fit four of the characters in the story. One of the characters is a hero or the protagonist of this story. The story revolves around her while she has to deal with the shadow or the ... Read More

The Morality of Jay in The Great Gatsby, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1045 words, 3 pages)

Gatsby PaperWhen looking at someone and seeing their morals, it can be difficult because of how much they are changing constantly. These changes can be attributed to many things, from a move to a different place to the person hanging around different people. This is no exception when drawn to ... Read More

The Violation of Human Rights by Cultural Practices in The Lottery, a Short Story by Shirley Jackson (713 words, 2 pages)

The first time the reader sets eyes on the lottery, a short story by Shirley Jackson, the reader thinks of winning money because Jackson starts by showing how the morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day the flowers were blossoming profusely ... Read More

The History of Haiti in A Wall of Fire Rising, a Short Story by Edwidge Danticat (2291 words, 8 pages)

Dye mon, gen mon means beyond the mountain is another mountain. This phrase is a popular Haitian Creole proverb which Haitian people use to describe life in Haiti (Wilentz 7). It might be hard to believe but Haiti was once known for its immense wealth of natural resources. Haiti was ... Read More

AIDS and Homosexuality in the Midst of the Reagan Administration in the Play Angels in America by Tony Kushner (1762 words, 6 pages)

Reaganomics in Angels in AmericaThe Reagan era had a huge impact on American politics in the 1980s (during the AIDs epidemic.) President Reagan shaped the political scene in his own image, adopting a conservative stance on many issues, especially homosexuality. To this day, many believe Reagans policies persist, with the ... Read More

The Lifestyle of the Teens in the 1960’s in Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been, a Short Story by Joyce Carol Oates (361 words, 2 pages)

The story where are you going where have you been is showing us the teenagers life style in 1960s movie theaters, shopping malls, drive-in restaurants, ranch-style homes. The author is talking specifically about a girl named Connie. But there is many weird stuff in the story like the creepy guy ... Read More

The Crucial Role of Nick Carraway in the Novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1094 words, 2 pages)

Nick Carraway is the first character we meet, and his role in The Great Gatsby is crucial. Without him the novel would lack balance and insight. He strives at all times to be objective and to make objective comments. He states at the start of the novel Im reclined to ... Read More

The Special Connections of the Fish and the Sea to Santiago in The Old Man and the Sea, a Novel by Ernest Hemingway (800 words, 3 pages)

The Importance of FishIn The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, there are not many characters besides the old man, Santiago, and the boy, plus a few others that only make small appearances. But as I was reading, I noticed there are more characters than one might think. ... Read More

The Theme of Justice Versus Retribution and Revenge in The Crucible, a Play by Arthur Miller (1065 words, 3 pages)

Justice vs. Revenge in The CrucibleIn Arthur Millers The Crucible, the theme of justice vs. retribution and revenge is widely shown and used to increase the conflict in the play. This conflict proves to be allegorical by having not only a surface level, but also an abstract level underlying the ... Read More

A Combination of Tone, Syntax, and Point of View in Angela’s Ashes, a Book by Frank McCourt (393 words, 2 pages)

Angelas Ashes AnalysisIn Frank McCourts memoir Angelas Ashes, the connection between tone, syntax, and point of view combine to create an effective balance of humor and pathos. This is shown through the perspective of little Frank McCourt. Sometimes it is human nature to try to make a tragedy seem better ... Read More

The Importance of Symbiotic Relationships in A Gracious Plenty, a Novel by Sheri Reynolds (582 words, 2 pages)

Throughout the novel, A Gracious Plenty, by Sheri Reynolds, relationships between characters play an important role in their development as people. The basis of the story relies deeply on a diverse group of people learning how to let go of their burdens and opening up to others in order to ... Read More

The Importance of Writing in The Help, a Novel by Kathryn Stockett (1032 words, 4 pages)

Importance of WritingDuring this time period of extreme prejudice and the segregation of colors, it was hard to voice an opinion that would go against the social normality of treating blacks as inferior. Writing was a way that people were able to tell the world how they felt on important ... Read More

The Complex Elements of Disability in Moby Dick, a Novel by Herman Melville (552 words, 2 pages)

Response to Anika Krauses On Life and Death the Old Man Walks Dual Narratives and Multilayered Representations of Disability in Moby DickAnika Krauses essay focuses on the complex elements of disability in Herman Melvilles Moby Dick. While her thesis initially comes across as quite ambitious, Krause effectively presents and supports ... Read More

The Prejudice of Race, Gender and Social Class During the Great Depression in To Kill a Mockingbird, a Novel by Harper Lee (769 words, 3 pages)

To Kill a MockingbirdAs a story based on The Great Depression, the time period shapes many aspects of life that contrast widely to that of todays society. The 1930s in the south was an era of inequality in many ways. Although many years after the abolition of slavery and rights ... Read More

The Rising Culture of Feminism in Desiree’s Baby and The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin (495 words, 2 pages)

Feminist Qualities of the Late 1800sThe two stories, Desirees Baby, and The Story of an Hour, by Kate Choplin, both depict the rising culture of feminism that took place during the time period that they were written. The two very opposing stories show different perspectives on the topic of feminism ... Read More

The Description of Springtime and Themes in Spring and All, a Poem by William Carlos Williams (1116 words, 4 pages)

Spring and All, by William Carlos Williams, is a poem written in free verse, hence the meter is controlled by the poet. In order to read the poem closely, it is important to follow every sentence by the line breaks and not necessarily in the correct grammar, although Williams uses ... Read More

The Concept of Prejudice in The Help, a Novel by Kathryn Stockett (757 words, 3 pages)

PrejudicePrejudice being a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience was the cause of many hate crimes during this time period where blacks were considered to be lesser of a human than whites.The 1960s were a time of racism and prejudice as the segregation of colors ... Read More

The Use of Seven Deadly Sins to Show Wrath in The Crucible, a Play by Arthur Miller (812 words, 3 pages)

The Crucible is a play written by Arthur Miller. The plot is set in Salem, Massachusetts 169s in a time of confusion and violence. Accusations of witchery are being spread, causing the town to erupt in shock and quick actions. Instead of looking into each accusation in detail and believing ... Read More

Comparing the Theme of Change in Society in A Rose for Emily and Barn Burning by William Faulkner (341 words, 2 pages)

William Faulkner is the author of two remarkable stories, A Rose for Emily and Barn Burning. This essay is going to analyze the two novels and give a comparison on the theme of change in the two novels. The two stories Barn Burning and A Rose for Emily are symbolic ... Read More

The Setting of the House and Its Role in The Turn of the Screw, a Book by Henry James (506 words, 2 pages)

The House"The story had held us, round the fire, sufficiently breathless, but except the obvious remark that it was gruesome, as on Christmas Eve in an old house, a strange tale should essentially be, I remember no comment uttered till somebody happened to say that it was the only case ... Read More

The Life of Eleanor Vance in The Haunting of Hill House, a Novel by Shirley Jackson (1454 words, 5 pages)

Who Is Eleanor Vance?In Shirley Jackson's tragic novel, The Haunting of Hill House, one of the main characters, Eleanor Vance, reveals herself to the reader by subtly hinting at her polite, quiet insanity. Eleanor ventures to Hill House to explore the house's confines and try to understand the terrifying stories ... Read More

American Commerce and Materialism in The Piano Lesson, a Play by August Wilson (1297 words, 5 pages)

American ConsumerismIn August Wilson's play, The Piano Lesson, his characters dance with the memories of a ghost, and flirt with thoughts of murder and theft, as Wilson dramatizes the nature of the cultural depiction of a family in 1936's Pittsburg. Through Wilson's common, yet revealing dialogue between characters, readers are ... Read More

Immigration and the Current Situation of America in To Reunite a Nation, an Essay by Pat Buchanan (1074 words, 4 pages)

In Pat Buchanans essay To Reunite a Nation he goes into great detail about immigration and the current state of America. At first glance it might seem this essay makes logical and true points, but after further analysis, there are major holes in his plans and ideas. Although he has ... Read More

Slavery in Invention of Wings, a Book by Sue Monk Kidd (1155 words, 5 pages)

A Critique of Sue Monk Kidds Invention of WingsInvention of Wings is about slavery, focusing on a slave named Handful. Sarah is her owner starting at age 11, even though she does not believe in slavery. It follows their lives and spans over 35 years, ending with Sarah helping Handful ... Read More

A Father and Son Gathering in The Reunion, a Short Story by John Cheever (1401 words, 4 pages)

The Reunion by John Cheever is an emotionally effective story. The story was short, but fit Poes expectations for a short story well. The narrator, Charlie, begins the story by explaining that he is meeting his father, who he has not seen in three years, in New York City for ... Read More

The Value of Human Relationship and the Effects of a Loss on a Person’s Outlook in Life in A Rose for Emily, a Short Story by William Faulkner (483 words, 2 pages)

Memories for Emily"Then we noticed that in the second pillow was the indentation of a head. One of us lifted something from it, and leaning forward, that faint and invisible dust dry and acrid in the nostrils, we saw a long strand of iron-grey hair."In William Faulkner's secretly gruesome short ... Read More

The Use of Rhetorical Devices to Reveal Negative Correlation Between Power Truth, Justice, and Emotions in The Crucible, a Play by Arthur Miller (1937 words, 7 pages)

In Act Three of The Crucible (1953), Arthur Miller reveals a negative correlation between the power truth, justice, and emotions have on the balance of the court. Miller uses rhetorical devices, such as dramatic dialogue, mild suspense, and detailed characterization in order to explain the disparate situations between Abigail Williams, ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples