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

85147 total results

The Physical and Supernatural in Mama Day, a Novel by Gloria Naylor (1115 words, 2 pages)

Gloria Naylors 1988 novel Mama Day rests in the tension between the physicality of objects and the wonder of the supernatural. In many ways, it is this tension that makes the novel such an engaging exercise for students. In many ways, the novel verges at time on the terror of ... Read More

An Analysis of Gender Constructs in The Gleaner by Judith Sargent Murray (533 words, 3 pages)

After reading a small excerpt from The Gleaner by Judith Sargent Murray, I believe that I gained a better understanding of the importance of this text. The Gleaner made use of female interactions and letters to tell the tragic story of a young woman who had been seduced and left ... Read More

The Different Famous Works of Sylvia Plath (1581 words, 6 pages)

Sylvia Plath was an American writer of poems, and one novel. The events and characters in Plaths writing are in harmony with the factors in her life, such as her emotions, and the personal matters that took place in her life. Because of how raw and truthfully morbid her writing ... Read More

Love and Revenge in the Novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1633 words, 5 pages)

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel about love and revenge. When Hester Prynne has an affair with Reverand Arthur Dimmesdale while her husband is out of America, she does not realize it is going blow up into what it did. This book shows the reader that ones ... Read More

The Tragic Life of Edgar Allan Poe and Its Influence on His Works (1015 words, 3 pages)

Edgar Allan Poe was born in 1809. From the moment of his birth to his mysterious death, Poes life was filled with tragedy. When Poe was two his mother died. With his father not around, Poe and his two siblings got split up. Poe was taken in by Mrs. and ... Read More

A Review of Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult (1766 words, 5 pages)

I enjoyed reading Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. Every time I put it down and stopped reading, it left me seeking answers and I could not wait to pick it back up and start reading again. The whole theme of the book is bullying and the results of bullying in ... Read More

Romantic Relationships in a Post-Modern World in George Saunders’ The Barber’s Unhappiness (1444 words, 5 pages)

George Saunders' "The Barber's Unhappiness" is a story that exploresthe confusion about romantic relationships in a post-modern world as itsprotagonist, Mickey, both recalls failed relationships and fitfully beginsa new one. There are many symbols in the narrative that serve toencapsulate satirical themes and gently chide the cheap and tawdry natureof ... Read More

The Theme of Escapism in Sonny’s Blues, a Novel by James Baldwin (1202 words, 4 pages)

The Great EscapeJames Baldwin was an essayist, poet, playwright and novelist. He is regarded as a highly intellectual insightful writer, and iconic novelist in the post war 20th century. Baldwin spent his early years in a prominently black, ghetto neighborhood called Harlem in new york. This neighborhood is equally well ... Read More

The Dishonesty of Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby, a Novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald (512 words, 2 pages)

Nicks DishonestyIn F. Scott Fitzgeralds novel The Great Gatsby the main character, Nick Carraway, believes that he is an honest person. Though he is very honest compared to the majority of characters in this novel, he fails to reserve all judgement when faced with the unpropitious East coast and finds ... Read More

The Narrative and Meaning of Good People by David Foster Wallace (2634 words, 8 pages)

Good PeopleGood people by David Foster Wallace is an informative and insightful story about an unwed Christian couple faced with a difficult decision that requires them to make both moral and religious considerations. The story begins with Lane A. Dean, Jr., and Sheri sitting at a park. They are dealing ... Read More

The Author’s Use of Multiple Locations and Forms of Concrete Imagery in The Cask of Amontillado, a Short Story by Edgar Allan Poe (1240 words, 7 pages)

The Cask of Amontillado In Edgar Allen Poes The Cask of Amontillado, their are multiple locations and forms of concrete imagery. Imagery and location aid in helping the author distinguish a theme in the story, and contribute to the horror genre. The horror genre is defined as seeking to elicit ... Read More

The Ethical Transformation of John Proctor in The Crucible, a Play by Arthur Miller (799 words, 3 pages)

GoodnessDuring the era of the Salem Witch Trials America turned into a bloodbath fueled by fear and greed. In Arthur Millers play, The Crucible the puritan town of Salem and its people go through dramatic changes, especially the main character of the play John Proctor. Multiple innocent people are accused ... Read More

Developments in Life in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (1179 words, 4 pages)

Developments in LifeIn life there are many obstacles and situations that are to be discovered and conquered no matter how much time and effort it takes it is part of life. Growing up is a form of development that everybody has to go through. Adolescent development and sexuality exposure are ... Read More

The Loss of Faith in Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne (494 words, 2 pages)

The short story Young Goodman Brown, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, follows one mans journey of deception and uncertainty. Through the use of symbolism, Hawthorne illustrates the loss of faith, which leads to Goodman Browns ultimate downfall. Hawthorne also reveals the ignorance of humanity, and how easy it is for man ... Read More

Racial Injustice in the Legal Justice System of the South in To Kill a Mocking Bird, a Novel by Harper Lee (311 words, 1 pages)

Review of To Kill A Mocking BirdHarper Lees novel To Kill A MockingBird was a best-seller and still is. The setting is a small town in Alabama during the depression in the 1930s. Atticus Finch is a small town white lawyer with two children named Jem and Scout. He has ... Read More

Defining the Character of Chris McCandless From Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (1092 words, 4 pages)

Defining Chris McCandlessAlthough some people may think that Chris McCandless was a transcendentalist, the definition of transcendentalist does not fit McCandless persona. A transcendentalist is an individual who is not only a nonconformist, but also attempts to initiate change around them, based on his or her ideas. Transcendentalists always want ... Read More

Living the Good Life in The Happy Life by Bertrand Russell, The Singer Solution to World Poverty by Peter Singer and Lifeboat Ethics by Garrett Hardin (1252 words, 4 pages)

Grasping the Key to the Good LifeThe Happy Life by Bertrand Russell, The Singer Solution to World Poverty by Peter Singer and Lifeboat Ethics by Garrett Hardin are all different works that dictate how one can live the good life well. To an extent, these three essays are fairly similar ... Read More

An Analysis of John Proctor’s Character and Intolerance Theme in The Crucible by Arthur Miller (438 words, 2 pages)

Some people would rather die with their pride, than live in their humiliation. In the play The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, the work follows the life of John Proctor, a farmer living in Salem during the 1690s. Accused of witchcraft, Proctor is given the option of admitting to consorting with ... Read More

An Analysis of the HUGO Project Led by Susan Johnson (3618 words, 13 pages)

IntroductionThe case in question is regarding a project referred to as HUGO (Healthcare Undergoing Optimization) and is being led by Susan Johnson, the director of pharmacy services at London Health Science Centre. Her project is considered to be the most complex, expansive, and challenging issue that is currently ongoing in ... Read More

The Community of Medallion, Ohio as The Bottom in Sula, a Novel by Toni Morrison (1154 words, 4 pages)

Community in the World of SulaThe novel Sula by Toni Morrison centers its focus on the community of Medallion, Ohio. Within this town located in the hills is a less wealthy and typically black population, this area is referred to as The Bottom. Even within The Bottom there is scrutiny ... Read More

Gatsby’s Love for Daisy in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (432 words, 2 pages)

Love Gatsby EditionIn The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald is telling the story of one mans goal. That goal is to have his one and only true love back. Throughout the novel, the reader learns a lot about Gatsby, including who he loves. Gatsby is and always will be in love with ... Read More

Comparing the Similarity in the Themes and Characters of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and Robert Burns’ To a Mouse (744 words, 3 pages)

While John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men and Scottish poet Robert Burns To a Mouse both offer rodents in their titles, these works share much more than that specifically, both the novel and poem contain similar themes. The characters of both the book and the poem are similar in certain ... Read More

An Analysis of the Lost Hero of Jay Gatsby in the Novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (368 words, 1 pages)

There are millions of books in this world, which means there are even more characters. Some characters are considered heroes while others are villains, or are even a mix of both. But at the same time, it is all up to your perspective. If you think one character is a ... Read More

A Comparison between the Characters in The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates, a Book by Wes Moore (1273 words, 4 pages)

Wes Moores The Other Wes Moore depicts the lives of two men. The incarcerated Wes Moore and Wes Moore have very similar upbringings but go on to live two very different lives. Their fates are interweaved with the injunctions of public space and the many authorities and anticipations of the ... Read More

The Theme of Differentiating between Fantasy and Reality in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye (2471 words, 7 pages)

The works we have read throughout the semester show how characters have difficulty differentiating fantasy from reality. The individual takes on the struggles of life, which leads them to develop a routine, or their idea of a reality. They live in an illusory world were everything is safe and they ... Read More

Delicate Decision Facing Dark and Delicate in Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway (996 words, 3 pages)

The characters in the story of Hills Like White Elephants both have faced a dark and delicate decision. The interesting aspect was the setting, which showed the constant changes in the characters decisions, even before the readers knew about the topic of abortion. From the settings alone, the readers were ... Read More

The Impact of Fear in The Things They Carried, a Collection of Linked Short Stories by Tim O’Brien (1100 words, 4 pages)

Fear overpowers allCourage is actually one of the least powerful motives in the Vietnam War. It is much easier to be fearful than to be brave in war. The novel The Things They Carried, by Tim OBrien, shows this universal truth and expresses these true feelings with his writing through ... Read More

The Use of Contrasting Settings and Generalized Characters in Ernest Hemingway’s Short Story A Clean, Well-Lighted Place (1347 words, 4 pages)

NadaWhen life leads to thoughts of depression and emptiness, some consider that the only option to barricade these feelings is to end life itself. An example of a situation that can provoke thoughts of depression is having no meaning in life. Nothingness describes the lack of direction or purpose in ... Read More

Having a Judging Personality in the Story Cathedral by Raymond Carver (1182 words, 4 pages)

We often think of different things whenever we see someones disability. Some people could think of it as just a disability and how one could manage things around them with that but some could think of it as an odd thing and wonder all the negative things about them. How ... Read More

The Themes of Sex and Gender in A&P by John Updike (1302 words, 5 pages)

A major theme in John Updikes A P is sex and gender. John Updike uses AP to illustrate the different roles men and women play in society and how sex and gender typify them. Its obvious from the beginning that the narrator, a lusty 19-year-old boy name Sammy, views women ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples