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

85147 total results

Janie’s Life History Represented Through a Tree With Leaves (299 words, 1 pages)

Janie saw her life like a great tree in leaf with things suffered, things enjoyed, things done and things undone. Dawn and doom was the branches (Hurston, 42). A tree with leaves represents the fact that Janies life had potential to bring forth good, to be enjoyed yet at the ... Read More

Discrimination in Of Mice and Men, a Novel by John Steinbeck (1053 words, 3 pages)

Infectious Discrimination Given a book set in the 1930s, a reader has to wonder if any of the conflicts and situations that the characters face are still relevant in todays modern world. Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, touches on many examples of discrimination that today would seem ... Read More

A Study of Censorship in Fahrenheit 451, a Novel by Ray Bradbury (1194 words, 7 pages)

In Ray Bradbury's novel Fahrenheit 451, a disturbed society has risen up out of an absence of the lack of literature caused by the governments control over censorship. There are many reasons why I chose my thesis to be on censorship, I believe that the novel was written in connection ... Read More

What I Have Learned From the Book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (627 words, 3 pages)

Into the Wild Essay Into the Wild is a bestselling non-fiction book written by JonKrakauer about the adventures of Christopher McCandless. This book is anextended version of a 9000 word article written by Jon Krakauer in theJanuary 1993 issue of Outside. The book is mainly about the adventures ofMcCandless, but ... Read More

Atticus’ Defending of Tim Robinson in To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1668 words, 5 pages)

To Kill A Mockingbird Atticus was one of the first characters that came to mind when Ideciphered who could and couldn't be considered a mockingbird. He was Jemand Scout's key role model while growing up and he tried his hardest toseparate the good from the bad for them. For example, ... Read More

People’s Relationship With Nature in Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1178 words, 4 pages)

Five of One Hundred Great Essays Waldo Emerson, Ralph "Nature" Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote "Nature" in 1836 to try to convince thereader that they should appreciate nature more. He tells how he feelspeople overlook nature but they need to reach it in solitude and explainsdifferent people's relationship with nature. Emerson ... Read More

The Downfall of the American Dream in The Great Gatsby, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1347 words, 4 pages)

Explore how Fitzgerald presents the condition of the American dream in the 1920s.On the surface the story of the Great Gatsby seems to be centred on his quest for the love of his life, Daisy but in actuality the story of The Great Gatsby accurately reflects the demise of the ... Read More

The Legendary Battle of Gettysburg in The Killer Angels, a Novel by Michael Shaara (1628 words, 5 pages)

The Killer Angels is a historical novel that gives insight of what it was like to be at the battle of Gettysburg, one of the most influential battles ever fought in the history of the United States. The battle was fought between the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army ... Read More

The Dynamic Character of Harry Bittering in The Naming of Names, a Short Story by Ray Bradbury (584 words, 2 pages)

Why Harry Bittering is a Dynamic CharacterMoving is often a scary process, especially when one moves to a faraway or unfamiliar place. Therefore, its no surprise that in the story The Naming of Names by Ray Bradbury, the main character, Harry Bittering, has difficulties accepting the fact that he and ... Read More

A Review of the Problem of the Grudge Informer, a Fictional Case by Lon Fuller (1351 words, 4 pages)

The Problem of the Grudge Informer talks about the regime of the Purple Shirts and the violent reign of terror they held over the country. Although this is a completely fictional work by Lon Fuller it casts many similarities over the Nazi regime in Germany and their party the Brown ... Read More

The Causes of the Progression of the Author’s Depression to Madness in The Yellow Wallpaper, a Short Story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (313 words, 1 pages)

Causes of the authors madness The yellow wallpaper by GilmanThere are many reasons for the progression of the author from depression to madness. Here are some of the causes.A misunderstanding husband Gilman had a misunderstanding husband who saw things in a different way. For example, he told Gilman, that she ... Read More

Symbolism in The Lottery, a Short Story by Shirley Jackson (1201 words, 5 pages)

"The Lottery" Symbolism Analysis "The Lottery", written by Shirley Jackson, is filled with symbols. Thesymbols in the story make the readers aware of impending events and tocommunicate deeper messages. The Lottery is a story about a small townusing an annual ritual of human sacrifice. The townspeople do not rememberwhy the ... Read More

The Negative Effects of Consuming Too Much of Salt, Sugar and Fat in Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, a Book by Michael Moss (2672 words, 8 pages)

In Michael Mosss, Salt Sugar Fat, the truth about what goes into processed foods Americans eat is finally revealed. This book takes the reader on a journey of discovering why we eat the food we do and the consequences many of those foods cause. Consuming too much of salt, sugar ... Read More

The Views on Sin in the Book The Crucible and the Short Stories The Minister’s Black Veil and Young Goodman Brown (784 words, 2 pages)

In the current times that humans live in today, if they were to commit a minor sin, nothing would happen. No one would shun them or whip them in front of a crowd of devout Christians. This was not the case during the 16th and 17th centuries. An example of ... Read More

The Six Different Concepts and Theories Relating to the Personality of Emily in The Devil Wears Prada, a Novel by Lauren Weisberger (2240 words, 9 pages)

Everyone has different ways of behaving and acting during certain situations. In The Devil Wears Prada, the employees are always having to watch out for how they act, what they say and, most importantly, how they look. They are employed by one of the most demanding and arduous bosses out ... Read More

The Theme of Motivation in the excerpt The North Pole from a Journal Entry by Robert E. Peary (748 words, 3 pages)

Explorers with significant influences require grit necessary for succession. The word exploration can suggest several different things. Exploration can be as simple as going out and discovering a new plant, an exploration could possibly be an expedition to the North Pole. Motivation is ones tenacity to do or continue to ... Read More

The Ideas on Equality and Race Relations in The Fire Next Time, a Novel by James Baldwin (1080 words, 4 pages)

During the mid-twentieth in century America, racial tensions had risen to a level rarely encountered in recent history. White prejudice and hatred came face to face with blacks fighting for true equality. Although all are supposed to be created equal, many, including James Baldwin, experienced the sad truth nobody is ... Read More

The Appreciation of Life in A Good Man is Hard to Find, a Short Story by Flannery O’Connor (383 words, 2 pages)

An Appreciation of LifeIn the beginning of the quote it states that, The Misfits eyes were red-rimmed and pale and defenseless-looking. This can suggest that the grandmothers words beforehand may have triggered a small change towards the Misfit. He had previously stated that he enjoyed being mean because that was ... Read More

The Friendship Between Slaves in Forge, a Novel by Laurie Halse Anderson (551 words, 2 pages)

Forge EssayIn the novel Forge, by Laurie Halse Anderson, Curzon and Isabel are slaves who have run away from their masters. As they separate, Curzon joins the army where friendships with soldiers (especially a boy named Eben) help get him through rough times. Curzon continuously thinks about Isabel and is ... Read More

The Struggles of the Joads During the Great Depression in The Grapes of Wrath, a Movie by John Ford (506 words, 2 pages)

Grapes of Wrath Movie ReviewThe Grapes of Wrath is a movie filmed in 1940, and based on the book of the same title written by John Steinbeck in 1939. The movie follows the struggles of the Joad family as they deal with the realities of the Great depression and the ... Read More

The Issues Faced by Women Throughout History in The Eternal Wonder, a Novel by Pearl S. Buck (1178 words, 5 pages)

Womens History ComparisonIn The Eternal Wonder by Pearl S. Buck, there are several themes related to womens issues displayed throughout the book. The main protagonist, Rann, has a mind that is overflowed with questions and curiosity form the moment he was around the age of three (which was around the ... Read More

The Negative Portrayal of Sexuality and Mental Illness in A Streetcar Named Desire, a Play by Tennessee Williams (846 words, 3 pages)

A Streetcar Named Desire explores many topics such as homosexuality, domestic abuse, racial hatred etc. But the two main issues are sexuality and mental illness which are both portrayed negatively. Post-war America had just come out of a war so therefore they had to deal with lots of problems and ... Read More

The Concept of Symbolism in The Scarlet Letter, a Novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne (769 words, 2 pages)

Symbolism in The Scarlet LetterSymbols signify ideas and qualities by giving them a meaning that is different from their literal sense. They help the author portray overall ideas and morals for the story. In Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, a few examples of this include the rose bush outside the ... Read More

The Lengthy Climax Ending in A Good Man is Hard to Find, a Short Story by Flannery O’Connor (1413 words, 4 pages)

Flannery OConnors most esteemed short story A Good Man is Hard to Find, ends conveniently coincidentally as well as gruesomely graphic. The book ends with a painfully lengthy climax, leaving readers with no definite resolution The illusive and infamous Misfit (whose criminal presence has been known since the first page ... Read More

The Victim of Infidelity in The Great Gatsby, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (999 words, 3 pages)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald is a 1920s novel about the romantic and tragic society of Long Islands elite, in an era where the morals are loosening as fast as the womens skirts are tightening. Tom and Daisy Buchanan are a couple plagued by desire for people they ... Read More

A Short Review of Temporary Matter, a Short Story by Jhumpa Lahiri (383 words, 2 pages)

In the same fashion, Shoba and Shukumar share a similar lack of honesty in A Temporary Matter, therefore causing their marriage to crumble. Their bond degrades to the point where Shoba prepares for a life without her other half. As the beginning of where things go awry, a stillborn baby ... Read More

Guilt, Innocence, and Sin in The Scarlet Letter, a Novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne (665 words, 2 pages)

Themes of Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet LetterIn Nathaniel Hawthornes novel The Scarlet Letter, many themes are offered to thereader. The Scarlet Letter is a novel written in the 19th century by the first American author. A woman by the name of Hester Prynne commits adultery and is punished by being ... Read More

The Life, Literature, and Legacy of Edgar Allan Poe (302 words, 1 pages)

Edgar Allan PoeEdgar Allan Poe was an author and a poet born in 1809. When Poe was an infant, his father left the family and his mother was left to take care of him. She was an actress and at the time acting was only a step away from prostitution. ... Read More

The Struggles with Honesty and Communication in Interpreter of Maladies, a Book by Jhumpa Lahiri (432 words, 2 pages)

Mixed Messages Make for Miscommunication Everyone struggles with honesty and communication throughout Interpreter of Maladies, although such is life. The most intense of human emotions hit you when you are connected with another person on such a non-superficial level. Anger, confusion, pain, and guilt, affect and interfere with every aspect ... Read More

The Life and Legacy of Mark Twain (580 words, 2 pages)

Mark TwainMark Twain was born two months premature as Halley's comet passed. His real name was Samuel Clemens. As a child he listened to the slaves tell stories and was inspired by the Mississippi River. At a young age, he lost his father and two of his siblings. He learned ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples