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

85147 total results

A Review of Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist (956 words, 2 pages)

The Alchemist Paulo Coelho's 'The Alchemist' is a tale about an Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago who goes on a journey to find treasure. On his journey, Santiago encounters several people including a king, a gypsy woman, an Englishman, and an alchemist. Each person affects his journey in some way ... Read More

Product of Nature: A Paer on the Character of Pearl in the Novel The Scarlet Letter (1026 words, 2 pages)

Pearl A product of Nature Pearl is one of the most interesting and mysterious characters of the novel The Scarlet Letter. One tends to wonder why Pearl is the way she is. Why does she act so strangely and so differently than all the other characters? She acts this way ... Read More

A Review of Arthur Miller’s 1949 Novel Death of a Salesman (1397 words, 2 pages)

Death of a Salesman, written in 1949 by American playwright Arthur Miller, illustrates the destructive compulsion of a man to attain a success far beyond his reach. This is accomplished through the portrayal of Willy Loman, the play's central character. Willy Loman is a pathetic character because he does not ... Read More

An Outline of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (734 words, 3 pages)

Outline over Farenheit 451 I. Characters A) Guy Montag 1.A third-generation fireman. 2.Tries to find the meaning of books instead of burning them. B) Mildred Montag 1.Montag's brittle, sickly looking wife. 2.Obsessed with television and hates getting in frank conversation with her husband over her feelings or marriage. C) Captain ... Read More

A Personal Narrative of Sevak (1305 words, 2 pages)

Sevak born in revolutionary Iran, now spends most of his time working to make a comfortable life for his loving family. At the age of 45, signs of his past misery are beginning to surface upon his gradually aging body. I was born on June first 1968 in the city ... Read More

Common Themes in the Novel On the Road and the Film The Wall by Pink Floyd (743 words, 3 pages)

At first glance, the novel On The Road and the film The Wall by Pink Floyd seem to have very little in common. The novel is a story about two young men, Sal and Dean, who travel the country in search of good times. The film is about a man, ... Read More

Observations on Randal Patrick Macmurphy’s Rebellion in the Film “One Flew over the Cuckoos Nest” (1114 words, 2 pages)

Randall Patrick MacMurphys struggle against institutional authority in the 1975 Academy Award winning film One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest illustrates one mans rebellion against the repressive and controlling powers of a total institution. MacMurphy is committed to a mental institution after his ejection from a prison work farm due ... Read More

The Tragic Hero in Ken Kensey’s One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1035 words, 2 pages)

One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Literary Analysis Paper Randle McMurphy fits the profile of a tragic hero based on the analysis of certain literary elements. McMurphy's major flaw was hubris which leads to his downfall in life as well as the lives of others in the novel. After closely ... Read More

The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin (949 words, 2 pages)

One Hour of Freedom "The Story of An Hour," by Kate Chopin, is a story about a woman experiencing true freedom, through the death of her husband. The story deals with the limitations that were forced on women by society in the eighteen hundreds. When Louise found out her husband ... Read More

A Short Essay on the Theme of Friendship in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (418 words, 1 pages)

Of Mice and Men The book that I have read that has really stayed with me is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. I really enjoyed reading it which is unusual because I usually dont enjoy reading to much. There was something about George and Lennies friendship that really ... Read More

Discrimination and Alienation in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (409 words, 1 pages)

ALIENATION AND DISCRIMINATION Crooks Crooks is the main person who is discriminated against. This is due to the fact that he's black. Nobody listens to anything he says, "If I say anythin', it's just a nigger sayin' it." Another reason he's not as accepted is because he's got a crooked ... Read More

An Brief Outline On “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck (536 words, 2 pages)

Of Mice and Men John Steinbeck Setting South of San Francisco in the Salinas Valley of California probably during the depression of the 1930s three locations-along the banks of the Salinas River near the ranch, in the ranch bank house, and in the barn. Background info George Milton has cared ... Read More

Hardship and Loneliness during the Depression in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (625 words, 1 pages)

In his Novel Of Mice and Men Steinbeck describes vividly the hardship and especially the loneliness of people during the depression. In order to overcome these feelings, Candy, one of the main characters in the novel, takes care of on old, blind, and lame dog. At the same time, George ... Read More

An Analysis of George in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (460 words, 1 pages)

George is one of the main characters in John Steinbeck's novel, Of Mice and Men. In the climactic moments of the story, his retarded friend, Lennie, has gotten himself into a huge bind. As he had done before with mere mice and a puppy, Lennie accidentally killed Curley's wife when ... Read More

The Theme of Loneliness in John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men (2134 words, 4 pages)

Loneliness is a basic part of human life. Every one becomes lonely once in a while but in Steinbeck's novella "Of Mice and Men", he illustrates the loneliness of ranch life in the early 1930's and shows how people are driven to try and find friendship in order to escape ... Read More

John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men as a Social Commentary (286 words, 1 pages)

OF MICE AND MEN - SOCIAL COMMENTARY In Of Mice And Men, the author John Steinbeck, adds many characters and events which make the novella a social commentary. How the author describes Crooks, Curleys wife, and the relationship between Lennie and George, display the views, and social concerns of that ... Read More

Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens (1150 words, 2 pages)

Born into a poor English family in 1812, Charles Dickens worked his way up from a life of poverty and debtor's prison, to become a writer of national acclaim. In his Victorian era, he was an exception to the rule because it was very difficult to break through the barriers ... Read More

A Comparison of Antigone and Ismene (711 words, 1 pages)

Just as oil and water do not mix, neither do Antigone and her sister Ismene. Antigone, a powerful and headstrong woman, refuses to let the ideal gender-roles of the Greek society hold her down. She rebels against the ideals of society in belief that her brother Polyneices should be delivered ... Read More

Mental and Physical Strength in Robert Parker’s Essay On the Bench (262 words, 1 pages)

In his essay, On The Bench, Robert Parker shows the trials and tribulations of trying to be both mentally and physically strong. He writes about how horrible it is being thin and weak, and having to hold on to his wifes arm when it is windy out. I hope that ... Read More

A Review of a Novel Only the Heart (429 words, 1 pages)

Only The Heart is a very successful novel presented by many "narrators" in both in the past and present. This novel portrays the hardships and "suffering" that a Vietnamese family endures through the years of approaching communism. Their desperate flee from the only home they have ever known and the ... Read More

A Paper on Flannery O’Connor’s Short Story Revelation (1225 words, 2 pages)

The short story can be one of the trickiest forms of literature around. Because the author is faced with the challenge of concluding the story quickly, he or she must be selective in their choice of words in order to convey the point that they are trying to make. In ... Read More

An Analysis on the Scorned Sentiment Felt by the Prioress In “The Canterbury Tales” by Geoffrey Chaucer (662 words, 1 pages)

In Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales, the Prioress is describe in the General Prologue as being a foolishly sentimental woman who would weep over the death of a small dog. She speaks French, has good table manners, and sings the divine services well. She wears fine clothing, and jewelry including, a ... Read More

An Essay on Wordsworth’s Poems and Their Modern Relevance (3089 words, 7 pages)

Wordsworth's Poems Modern relevance A view of oneness with nature fits in with concepts in Zen Buddhism (fastest growing religion in Australia) and the views of the Green movement. Similarities 8226Mostly interior monologue (record of narrator's thoughts and feelings), and not to persuade others 8226Teaching role of the speakers to ... Read More

A Comparison of Homer’s Odyssey and Goethe’s Sorrows of Young Werther (2463 words, 3 pages)

In Goethe's Sorrows of Young Werther, Werther compares himself with the suitors from Homer's Odyssey. At first his comparison seems only to be an ironic parallel. Like other instances where Werther is over-dramatic and silly in his grand metaphors, it is natural to laugh at the comparison, take little notice, ... Read More

A Scary Short Story (1946 words, 3 pages)

Scary stories always have a start and a finish. Yes, it can be boring. Wouldn't you like to read one with a punch line? Anyway, scary stories can be misleading and overrated, but being mislead can be like a scary story. Therefore, I bring you to the wonderful city called ... Read More

A Review of Leon F. Litwack’s Book North of Slavery (1163 words, 2 pages)

North of Slavery, by Leon F. Litwack. University of Chicago Press, 1961 Slavery, a word that can be defined no better than a menacing and brutal act that brought terror to African American lives. In the early to middle 1800s the race began to discover hope to rid themselves the ... Read More

A Debate on If Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche Was Critical of Nazi Germany within His Literature (3568 words, 5 pages)

Regardless of the ways humanity has evolved towards intellectual perfection, the conflicts of history will continue to be analyzed and examined for the everlasting cause of conflict. Most of these historical events tend to resemble a progressive movement in philosophical thinking. Perhaps the most controversial conflict of history came with ... Read More

A Comparison between Nick Carraway In “The Great Gatsby” and I (479 words, 1 pages)

Nick Carraway and I are alike because alike because both of us are basically honest, neither of us needs nor have a lot of money, and both of us are pretty much nice to everyone. These are good morals to have, and they help you all through life. That is ... Read More

An Analysis of the Narrator, Nick Carraway In “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1070 words, 2 pages)

Nick Carraway tells the story of The Great Gatsby, and also plays an honorable and trustful character in the novel. Throughout the story, developes and adjusts to life on the East Coast to better fit in the intellectual, rich and snobby East and West Eggs of Long Island. As a ... Read More

Comparison on the Effects of Literature by Nietzsche and Elizabeth Bishop (874 words, 2 pages)

In a world that is full of chaos, there has to be some way preserve or create order. If art imitates life, then an artist has the ability to create order or disorder. This means that artists have responsibilities. As a philosopher, Nietzsche tried to change to world with his ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples