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

85147 total results

A Comparison of the Types of Freedom in Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (673 words, 2 pages)

The Two Types of FreedomWhen comparing Zora Neale Hurstons Novel Their Eyes Were Watching God to Nathaniel Hawthornes Novel The Scarlet Letter, one common motif comes to mind instantly, freedom. Both books consistently use symbols such as clothing and hair confinement to get the theme of female oppression across to ... Read More

Public Humiliation in The Scarlet Letter, a Novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne (766 words, 3 pages)

Social Themes Present in The Scarlet Letter Then and NowThe Scarlet Letter, a harsh story of a womans struggle in a Puritan society of 17th century Boston, can represent todays society in a variety of ways. Though set in two different eras, both then and now continue to have similar ... Read More

Captain Beatty’s Support of Censorship in Fahrenheit 451, a Novel by Ray Bradbury (557 words, 2 pages)

Captain Beatty is a character with a lot of contradictions. He is a book burner with knowledge of some of the best literature of our time. He is committed to burning the very things that shaped who he is today and has little to no shame. Many who have read ... Read More

The Unhappy and Dangerous Marriage of Winnie in The Kitchen God’s Wife, a Novel by Amy Tan (700 words, 2 pages)

In The Kitchen Gods Wife by Amy Tan, Winnie tells her daughter Pearl about growing up in China and the story of how she escaped a horrific marriage. Throughout her story, she is always trying to get away from her abusive husband, Wen Fu. He plays the most significant role ... Read More

The Quest for Adolescence in Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?, a Short Story by Joyce Carol Oates (593 words, 3 pages)

Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates tells the story of 15-year-old Connie who spends much of her time looking at herself, going out with friends, and meeting up with boys in an attempt to act older. One night a strange boy named Arnold Friend ... Read More

The Unity of Christianity and Sociology in the Work of Charles A. Ellwood (916 words, 4 pages)

Charles A. Ellwood, had books and several articles published on the discipline of society. His act of trying to unite Christianity and sociology together has been ignored in a large portion of his work. His doctorate in Sociology in the United States, and the father of Sociological Social Psychology were ... Read More

The Changes in the Character of George in Of Mice and Men, a Book by John Steinbeck (427 words, 3 pages)

Of Mice and MenIn John Steinbecks story Of Mice and Men, one of the main characters, George, has feelings and thoughts that change throughout the book. The changes that George makes internally allow him to do things he never thought himself capable.Even though George had very little money, he had ... Read More

The Correlation Between Race and Class Through the Setting, Main Characters, and Themes in Desiree’s Baby, a Short Story by Kate Chopin (276 words, 1 pages)

In Kate Chopins short story Desirees Baby, the setting, main characters, and themes are crucial to understanding the correlation between race and class that Chopin presents. The main characters, Madame Valmonde, Desiree, and Armand Aubigny, are central to the buildup of this story. Madame Valmonde discovers Desiree, who is a ... Read More

The Use of Dialect in the Novels The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (494 words, 2 pages)

Use of Dialect in WritingAuthors often use foreign or colloquial dialect in their writing to demonstrate the culture and personality traits of their characters. By doing so, the reader is able to truly grasp the thoughts and actions of that particular character, or in some cases, an group of people. ... Read More

A Personal Connection with the Quotes of the Character Colonel Lanser in The Moon is Down, a Novel by John Steinbeck (684 words, 2 pages)

The Moon Is DownThe Moon is Down by John Steinbeck was a novel with many quotes I connected with. I was especially able to relate with one quote spoken by the character Colonel Lanser "I, an individual man with certain memories, might agree with you, might even add that one ... Read More

Societal Strains in The Awakening by Kate Chopin and The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway (1112 words, 4 pages)

Throughout history, gender has consistently played a role in society and the choices people make in their lives. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, gender roles were stretched and often defied entirely because of changes constantly occurring in daily life. The modernization of society has, over time, caused people to ... Read More

The Traditional American Ideals in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and The grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (1384 words, 4 pages)

American Ideals in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Grapes of WrathThe United States of America can be commonly known as "The Land of Opportunity". Traditional American ideals emphasize people to strive for a better life and embrace the American dream life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. The Grapes ... Read More

The American Pursuit of Happiness in The Great Gatsby, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (679 words, 2 pages)

How Great Gatsby reflects America in Style, Topic and Character In a country that promises the pursuit of happiness, is it possible that one can just buy their happiness? Gatsby, a lavishly wealthy man known for his gargantuas and extravagant parties held every Saturday night, had dreamed of the day ... Read More

The Women and Society in America in Age of Innocence, a Book by Edith Wharton (760 words, 3 pages)

How the Age of Innocence reflects America in Style, Topic, and CharacterImagine your life but stressed under strict rules, traditions, and morals that change your lifestyle and even how you think. This is how May and Archer live in the book Age of Innocence. They live in an old-fashioned society ... Read More

The Idea of Feminism in the Character of Ma Joad in The Grapes of Wrath, a Novel by John Steinbeck (2715 words, 8 pages)

John Steinbeck's, The Grapes of Wrath, is about the Joad family, whois forced to leave their home during the Dust Bowl. Thousands of otherfamilies in Oklahoma are also forced out of their homes by the "monster", afaceless corporation that also includes the banks. The Joad family begintheir journey to California ... Read More

The Influences from the 1950’s and 1930’s in To Kill a Mockingbird, a Novel by Harper Lee (720 words, 3 pages)

Historical Influences on Popular Culture To Kill a MockingbirdAuthors often use the events occurring during a specific time period in history to develop a story. Published in 1960, Nelle Harper Lees classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird pulls influences from both the 1950s and 30s. Lee uses experiences from her ... Read More

An Analysis of the Multiracial Families in Children’s Literature in the United States (1241 words, 3 pages)

Are Multiracial Families in Children's Literature a Problem in the United States?Multiracial families are starting to become more and more common in the United States. With this being said, children are growing up not knowing a difference therefore, it is becoming more common to make childrens literature with multiracial families ... Read More

Daisy’s Fault in the Death of Jay in The Great Gatsby, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (585 words, 2 pages)

Who Really Killed Gatsby? You know I love you, she murmured. If Daisy was ever asked what her true feelings were towards Gatsby, I would say she doesnt love him. You dont hurt someone you love, whether it was intentional or not. When asked if Daisy is responsible for Gatsbys ... Read More

The Jewish Identity in Goodbye Columbus, a Book by Philip Roth (368 words, 1 pages)

Throughout Goodbye Columbus, Philip Roth developed a particular theme pertaining to those who are Jewish and those who are not. Upon meeting Brenda Patimkin, Neil becomes extremely insecure about his religion because he is unsure on his Jewish identity. He questions whether or not he can meet up to the ... Read More

Tales Based on Actual Characters and Stories in The Maltese Falcon, a Novel by Samuel Dashiell Hammett (540 words, 2 pages)

Samuel Dashiell Hammett was born on May twenty-seventh, 1894, inMaryland. At age thirteen, Hammett dropped out of school and picked upvarious odd jobs in order to help his family. By the time he was twenty,Hammett was an agent of the Pinkerton Detective Agency, acquiring countlessstories over the course of his ... Read More

The Interest Groups’ Control Over the Government in American Amnesia, a Book by Hacker and Pierson (1267 words, 5 pages)

According to the authors of the book, American Amnesia by Hacker and Pierson, Public policy in the past has massively been shaved by the variety of forces from institutions, elections, and polls to the interest groups. The range of political parties and their influence on various political forces have transformed ... Read More

Emotional Satisfaction in The Wake of Jamey Foster, a Play by Beth Henley (1072 words, 3 pages)

The Wake Of Jamey Foster By Beth HenleyBased on Act 1 Scene 1, the themes Im coming to see that are recurring are death and abandonment issues. The death of course coming to light right at the beginning with the main character being already dead. And abandonment issues coming to ... Read More

The Emotional and Communication Style Differences Between Men and Women in Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus, a Book by John Gray (1947 words, 6 pages)

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus A ReviewThe book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, written in 1992 by author John Gray, is essentially about understanding the emotional and communication style differences between men and women. In this text, Gray illustrates these distinctions by creating a ... Read More

Comparing the Theme of Isolation in A Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner, and the Poem The Street by Octavio Paz (1100 words, 5 pages)

The process of interpreting and evaluating of literature is basically to understand the type of philosophy which has been used in comparison and presentation of values in the text. Since the wok of the literature is entertainment and enlighten of values in the society, the text used in literature draw ... Read More

Historical Landscape of the Era in The Known World by Edward P. Jones (1760 words, 7 pages)

The Known WorldThe Known World by Edward P. Jones is a fictional account of the history of Manchester County, Virginia. It is set in the Antebellum South, and focuses on a black slave owner, Henry Townsend, and the effects of his death on the Townsend plantation. It sheds light on ... Read More

An Essay on My Vision and Hope for America (700 words, 3 pages)

My Vision for AmericaEver since I could read even the most basic sentences, Ive been learning about the history of my country. In Kindergarten I remember flipping through a small, stapled book about then current President George W. Bush. In the Second Grade I listened to my teacher explain to ... Read More

Moral Fights with Conscience in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a Novel by Mark Twain (991 words, 4 pages)

The world is full of choices and decisions. It is hard to tell who is wrong or right in any given situation most of the time. Sometimes, there is even more than one answer to a single question, much like many opinions to a single fact. People fight with their ... Read More

A Debate on the Value of Life In The Idea of Unwinding by Neal Shusterman (1767 words, 6 pages)

The Idea of Unwinding The idea of Unwinding expressed by Neal Shusterman undeniably triggers the debate for the value of life. Based on CyFis story, the idea of unwinding is expressed through CyFis problems which he encountered after his brain surgery. The central purpose of Shustermans character Cyrus is to ... Read More

The Pursuit of Dreams in the Plays Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams (597 words, 2 pages)

DreamsWe all have dreams Dreams of freedom, dreams of love, dreams of any magnitude and possibility. The plays Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams both explore the pursuit of dreams. Both brilliantly written plays from the 1930s bring the true essence of ... Read More

Naturalism: The Pessimist of American Literature (1017 words, 4 pages)

Naturalism The Pessimist of LiteratureThe late nineteenth century brought many struggles for Americans. The rise of immigration and industrialization made cities overcrowded and dirty. The government was corrupt and the rich constantly exploited the poor. The notorious Gilded Age of American history influenced many writers who wanted to capture the ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples