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

85147 total results

Examples of Blindness in The Great Gatsby, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (683 words, 3 pages)

Blindness The fall of humanityIn life, blindness to certain things affects us all. In The Great Gatsby, Gatsby is blinded by his love for Daisy. Another example of blindness in The Great Gatsby is when Tom is blinded by his anger towards Gatsby. My last example of blindness in The ... Read More

The Different Meaning of the Metaphor in Fences, a Play by August Wilson (334 words, 1 pages)

Fences The significance of the metaphorIn the play Fences by August Wilson, depending on who you are talking to the metaphor may have a different meaning. Fences are a symbol for control and protection. Depending on the story they can symbolize a feeling of being restrained or a desire to ... Read More

Pap’s Drunkeness in Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (437 words, 2 pages)

The theme of alcoholism has long gripped the hearts and minds of Americas society. In Twains, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Hucks father is ridiculed for his ignorance and racism. He is therefore depicted as the uncivilized, drunken father. In fact, Paps drunkenness characterizes the ills of behavior and society. For ... Read More

A Personal Analysis of in Another Country, a Short Story by Ernest Hemingway (774 words, 3 pages)

How have these young mens lives been changed by the war?Before the times war, many cannot imagine what might be inflicted upon themselves. In the case of the young men in Ernest Hemingways In Another Country, they have cope with the loss of body parts or with the infliction of ... Read More

The Light of Hope in The Open Boat, a Book by Stephen Crane (481 words, 2 pages)

There are two extremes through which one may choose to view the human condition with. In 1727, John Gay wrote, While there is life, there is hope claiming that humanity will always have a sanguine look towards life. On the other hand, William Shakespeare wrote, Lifes but a walking shadow, ... Read More

Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Jim as a Hero (620 words, 2 pages)

Mark Twains novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, depicts the twisting tale of a young boy, Huck, and an escaped slave, Jim, who struggle to escape captivity. Huck escapes from an abusive father who harassed him, and Jim escapes his owner when he overhears her talk about selling him to another ... Read More

Authorial Voice in Kate Chopin’s The Story of an Hour and William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily (1945 words, 6 pages)

The word personality can be defined as the sum of total organizedphysical, mental, emotional, and social behavioral characteristics of anindividual. The human is described to have a personality that representhimself which it is reflected in its being. But there's characteristicsthat shapes each personality those attributes are separate in two maindimensions ... Read More

Human Desperation and Violence in The Brass Teapot by Tim Macy (654 words, 2 pages)

Many hard-working citizens would agree that the struggle for financial stability is lifelong. But the dollar amount on comfort and satisfaction is unclear. The fantasy of winning the lottery or holding a winning poker hand is dreamed about by many, but only few are so lucky as to achieve it. ... Read More

A Review of Open Boat, a Book by Stephen Crane (544 words, 2 pages)

If a short story writers quest, according to E. A. Poe, is to achieve singleness of effect on the reader, what might be the effect Stephen Crane seems to be striving for through much of the story?Stephen Crane achieves E. A. Poes singleness of effect as he successfully strives for ... Read More

A Review of Bravery and Valor in Ernest Hemingway’s War Medals for Sale and In Another Country (648 words, 2 pages)

5. What ideas and themes in this story can you find in the article War Medals for Sale that Hemingway wrote for the Toronto Star? How do both pieces express Hemingways attitudes towards bravery and valor in war and life?In Hemingways War Medals for Sale as well as In Another ... Read More

Absolute Truths Based on the Perspective of the Narrator in On the Road, a Book by Jack Kerouac (2538 words, 7 pages)

A book is a literary composition handwritten or printed usually onsheets of paper bound together, it can be separated in different sectionslike fiction or nonfiction. The word book, comes from "Old English b?c ofGermanic origin related to Dutch boek and German Buch" (Dictionary). Bookswere invented with the purpose of record ... Read More

In Defense of Donald in The Rich Brother by Tobias Wolff (402 words, 2 pages)

In Defense of Donald in The Rich BrotherThe most notable feature of Tobias Wolff's The Rich Brother is the presence of two brothers who differ drastically Pete, the rich and materialistic brother, and Donald, the spiritual and kindhearted brother. The better brother of these two is Donald this can be ... Read More

A Synopsis of The Lottery, a Short Story by Shirley Jackson (538 words, 2 pages)

A Synopsis of The LotteryIn the short story The Lottery, there is a small town in America with only 300 people living there. The date is June 27, and everyone gathers for the lottery. The town's children, who have no school in the summer, walk around and gather stones that ... Read More

A Synopsis of To Build a Fire, a Short Story by Jack London (309 words, 1 pages)

A Synopsis of To Build a FireThe short story To Build a Fire begins at 900 a.m. about 100 years in the past. A man is attempting to cross the Yukon in order to reach his boys at a claim on the left fork of Henderson Creek. Along the way, ... Read More

A Synopsis of Flowers for Algernon, a Short Story and Novel by Daniel Keyes (567 words, 2 pages)

A Synopsis of Flowers for AlgernonA mentally challenged man named Charlie Gordon, who has an IQ of 68, lives in New York City. He has a teacher named Alice Kinnian at a school that teaches mentally challenged adults. Kinnian recommends Charlie to a group of scientists who are testing out ... Read More

In Defense of Pete in The Rich Brother by Tobias Wolff (429 words, 2 pages)

In Defense of Pete in The Rich BrotherThroughout the short story The Rich Brother, by Tobias Wolff, there are two brothers, Pete, the one who "prospered," and Donald, the brother who did "not prosper." The better brother in this situation is Pete, mainly because of his success, loving attitude, and ... Read More

A Synopsis of The Lady, or the Tiger?, a Short Story by Frank Stockton (526 words, 2 pages)

Synopsis of The Lady, or the Tiger?In the short story The Lady, or the Tiger?, a semi-barbaric king prospers in an ancient civilization. He has great wealth and power, and he has a huge court for justice. The court is also very unique because the accused party must perform a ... Read More

Hope and Strength Found in W.E.B. Dubois’ Epigraph from The Sorrow Songs (1028 words, 3 pages)

W.E.B. Dubois was a black scholar of the 18th century that would leave his mark on society with not only his scholarly achievements but the words that he would write for the African American community that would give them the power to continue on in the fight for their rights. ... Read More

Fear as the Most Powerful Emotions Used to Control People or Situations in Blacklist, a Novel by Sara Paretsky (299 words, 1 pages)

It is evident that Sarah Paretsky had something to say about the times she was living in and definitely showed her true feelings throughout Blacklist. Paretsky published this novel in 2003, just years after the attack on 911 and obviously commented on the parallels she saw between this new scare ... Read More

The Life and Contributions to Women’s Rights by Clara Zetkin (596 words, 3 pages)

Clara Zetkin and Womens RightsThroughout her life, Clara Zetkin had a lot of involvement in womens rights and should therefore be considered a Woman for Others. A Woman for Others is a woman who sets an example for other women by accomplishing something major in her lifetime. This includes, but ... Read More

Oppressed Womanhood in The Story of an Hour, a Short Story by Kate Chopin (646 words, 2 pages)

Louise Mallard, a victim of not only a controlling husband but serious heart trouble, must be carefully informed about some serious news her husband has died in a railroad disaster. After receiving this news, Louise grieves about her loss. Though, she eventually comes to a realization she is free! Unfortunately, ... Read More

The Conversation between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter (614 words, 2 pages)

Chillingworth has the idea that Dimmesdale might be Pearls father. They talk about keeping secrets, and Dimmesdale thinks that people who keep their secrets as opposed to revealing them, despite the consequences, are more miserable. Dimmesdale and Chillingworth talk about the justification of keeping ones sinful secret from the world. ... Read More

Driven by Money in The Great Gatsby, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1129 words, 3 pages)

Often people attempt to live their lives backwards they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier (Margaret Young). In the book, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, many of the characters were driven by ... Read More

A Synopsis of The Most Dangerous Game, a Short Story by Richard Connell (318 words, 1 pages)

A Synopsis of The Most Dangerous GameAt the beginning of the story, the hero and protagonist Sanger Rainsford is with someone named Whitney. They are both hunters. They discuss big game and hunting jaguars, and then they head off to sleep. During the night, Rainsford heads off into the sea ... Read More

Teen Topics in Chasing AllieCat, a Novel by Rebecca Fjelland Davis (619 words, 2 pages)

The novel is a great piece of young adult literature. The writing seemed rushed at times and the dialogue was unnatural at times but it has a good story and characters. Chasing Alliecat talks about tough topics that, unfortunately and too often, teens have to deal with. The characters are ... Read More

The Different Struggles of Precious in Push, a Novel by Sapphire (1567 words, 4 pages)

As the old saying goes, When it rains, it pours, and Precious Jones was definitely experiencing a downpour of unfortunate event in her life that she would learn to overcome. Clareece Precious Jones of Push by Sapphire, is a teenager living in the impoverished ghetto of New York trying to ... Read More

Personification to Develop Foreshadowing in The Street, a Novel by Ann Petry (3094 words, 9 pages)

In literature, personification is used to attribute human traits or personalities to non-human items. In the beginning of her novel, The Street, Ann Petry utilizes personification as a tool to develop foreshadowing and set the stage for future events. In the first chapter of The Street, Petry describes the wind ... Read More

The Use of Foreshadowing in Property, a Novel by Valerie Martin (3644 words, 13 pages)

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary website, the definition of foreshadowing is to represent, indicate, or typify beforehand. In literature, foreshadowing is used to allude to a future event and allows a reader to gain a deeper, thematic understanding of the piece. It is often used as a device to manipulate ... Read More

The Symbol of the Gifts and the Young Couple in The Gift of the Magi, a Short Story by O. Henry (618 words, 2 pages)

The gift of the magi by the great American writer O. Henry successfully tells a touching story about an impoverished couple giving their most precious possession for each other in the Christmas day. This beautiful Christmas tale by O Henry draws allusions to the biblical magi, also known as the ... Read More

The Death of Chris McCandless in Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (1043 words, 3 pages)

Its easy to argue that Chris McCandless is to blame for his own death. On another note, how could death be easy to explain at all? Many Alaskans refuse to talk about Chriss death because it was his own damn fault, and they also refuse to read the book about ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples