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

85147 total results

A Comprehensive Analysis of Catch-22, a Novel by Joseph Heller (1283 words, 4 pages)

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller takes place in the island of Pianosa near Italy during the Second World War, in the early 1940s. The group is stationed in an Air Force base, and some of the scenes in battle are above Italian cities. I really enjoyed this novel. Catch 22 ... Read More

The Narrator’s Story in The Tell Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe (301 words, 2 pages)

The Tell Tale HeartEdgar Allen Poes The Tell Tale Heart takes place after a series of unsettling events perpetrated by the narrator. The narrator very clearly seeks to prove to his unspecified audience that he is not insane. After reading the entire story one can safely make the assumption that ... Read More

Character Analysis of Mrs. Flood in Wise Blood, a Novel by Flannery O’Connor (632 words, 2 pages)

In a world of materialism and consumerism, people are often blinded, believing that those are the only things in life worth caring about. This is exactly what Mrs. Flood believes in Flannery OConnors novel, Wise Blood. Mrs. Flood, the landlord of the post-war veteran, Hazel Motes, seems to be only ... Read More

An Analysis of Illusions in a Streetcar Named Desire,a Play by Tennessee Williams (1260 words, 4 pages)

Throughout A Streetcar Named Desire illusions are a prominent theme and significant catalyst in the turmoil between the characters, showing us that there is no such thing as a harmless illusion. Predominantly, this idea of illusions revolves mostly around Blanche, but focuses on all characters in different ways.Stella says that ... Read More

A Literary Analysis of the Point-of-View of The Lottery by Shirley Jackson (475 words, 2 pages)

Literary Analysis of the Point-of-View of The LotteryShirley Jacksons The Lottery tells the story of an annual lottery held in a small unnamed village. Throughout the story, the reader anticipates what the prize for the winner might be, and foreshadowing hints that the lottery may be more than what is ... Read More

Esther’s Decent into Schizophrenia in the Bell Jar, a Novel by Sylvia Plath (1868 words, 6 pages)

The Post-WWII era saw a rise of reported mental illness that, in turn, led to the increased study of the mental illness. Illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia were being diagnosed more freely. Patients who suffered from such illnesses became subject to early treatments such as insulin injection, lobotomy, and ... Read More

A Comprehensive Theme Analysis of the Crying of Lot 49, a Novel by Thomas Pynchon (1572 words, 6 pages)

One of the most intriguing aspects of Thomas Pynchons complex novel, The Crying of Lot 49, is the way Pynchon names his characters. Not only is the novels main character interestingly named Oedipa Maas, but the supporting characters also have names such as Dr. Hilarius, Mucho Maas, John Nefastis, and ... Read More

The Themes of Questioning Society and Contemplating Nature in Walden by Henry David Thoreau (889 words, 3 pages)

Walden is a longer story by Henry David Thoreau, and in the excerpts of this story that are being represented we see many different ideas. Thoreau urges those in society to question advancements in technology, the needs for those advancements, loneliness, warfare, and intelligence in the modern age. The most ... Read More

The Elements of Naturalism in the Short Story To Build a Fire by Jack London (568 words, 2 pages)

To Build a Fire is a short story by author Jack London, and it relates to some admittedly dark subject matter. In said short story, a man and his dog become lost in the Alaskan wilderness, while they are trying to get back to a gold operation the man does ... Read More

Light as a Representation of Reality in the Play A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (1536 words, 5 pages)

A Streetcar Named Desire is a widely celebrated play that was written by Tennessee Williams. Throughout this play, Williams uses a significant amount of references to light in order to make an assertion about reality. In A Streetcar Named Desire,lightrepresents the harsh reality that exists in the world, particularly with ... Read More

A Character Analysis of Perry Smith and Dick Hickock From In Cold Blood by Truman Capote (1198 words, 5 pages)

Character Analysis for In Cold BloodIn Cold Blood is a novel based on true accounts of a murder written by Truman Capote. This novel involves two men who murdered an innocent family in cold blood. Instead of the novel being purely focused on the story, Capote is more focused on ... Read More

An Analysis of the Writing Style of Flannery O’Connor (1434 words, 8 pages)

Flannery OConnor Writing StyleUpon reading the short stories of Flannery OConnor, it becomes obvious that these pieces of work are anything but ordinary. Her writing is commonly prominent for its Gothic portrayal of an old-fashioned society, which is bizarre to current readers because it contradicts the archetype that exists for ... Read More

The Relation Between Rocks and Humans in Nancy Bustani’s Story on Her Trip to the Foothills of Elephant Butte Dam (565 words, 2 pages)

The Relation Between Rocks and HumansEvery story has a moral or underlying concept that the author is trying to reveal or disclose. In this story, the author Nancy Bustani writes about her and her fathers trip exploring the foothills of Elephant Butte Dam near central New Mexico. Nancy discovers what ... Read More

The Development of the Meaning of the Title of the Novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin (411 words, 1 pages)

In some works of literature like The Awakening, the complete meaning of the title is revealed gradually. For the novel The Awakening, write a well-focused essay, explaining how the meaning of the title develops or is revealed and how the title develops the works meaning.In The Awakening, written by Kate ... Read More

The Disturbed Character of Tayo in the Novel Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (1008 words, 3 pages)

As far as conflicts go, few can truly compare to the complex nature of the Second World War. The fight against the Third Reich and its allies stretched far past the battlefield beyond the shadow of atrocities cast by a massive genocide lay unjust internments, horrific war crimes, terrifying technological ... Read More

The Scientific, Religious, and Physical Aspects of the Features Bear Butte and Devils Tower From The Land and Early Peoples by Charles Rambo (312 words, 1 pages)

THE LAND AND EARLY PEOPLES by Charles Rambo covers the many aspects behind the geological features called Bear Butte and Devils Tower, notably the scientific, religious, and physical aspects. These stories are very interesting to me, and for the most part I enjoyed the structure of the chapter, it definitely ... Read More

Does Holden Caulfield From The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger Suffer From Bipolar Disorder? (1436 words, 5 pages)

Holden Caulfield Does He Suffer from Bipolar Disorder? Psychiatric disorders are serious illnesses that can often be misunderstood. It is difficult to diagnose something that is happening within a persons own brain. One must analyze the thoughts, experiences, and actions of a person to give a correct diagnosis. In J.D. ... Read More

The Woman’s Flaws in the Poem Mirror by Sylvia Plath (802 words, 3 pages)

During a time of depression and personal turmoil in Sylvia Plaths life, she wrote Mirror as a way to communicate her personal strife to her audience. This poem Mirror is about a women who is slowly aging with time and is extremely discontent with this change, arguably to the point ... Read More

Plot Development in The Awakening by Kate Chopin and Absalom, Absalom by William Faulkner (1234 words, 4 pages)

Development of Plot in Absalom, Absalom and The AwakeningThroughout The Awakening and Absalom, Absalom, the authors developed intricate plots that have a plethora of implications. Each of the implications is a critique on the societies of the times in which the books were written. Whether intended or not intended, the ... Read More

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair as an Example of Journalistic Prose rather Than Fiction (1104 words, 4 pages)

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair is a work of fiction addressing the living and working conditions of American immigrants at the time. The book, published in 1906, is widely regarded as the direct reason for the passing of the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906, the Federal Meat Inspection ... Read More

An Analysis of the Story A View From the Bridge by Arthur Miller (1456 words, 4 pages)

A View from the Bridge Drama PaperIn every story there exists a main character in which the central narrative revolves around. Often, protagonists come into conflict with opposing forces or characters contrary to their own set of beliefs. They are usually written in a way so that readers can sympathize ... Read More

The Perception of Slavery in Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1341 words, 5 pages)

Uncle Toms Cabin has made its way into history as one of the most controversially realistic depictions of pre-civil war America in writing. Harriet Beecher Stowe gives readers the perspective of slavery from the view of the ones who suffered, which, in this time period, is an incredibly riskful task ... Read More

The Experience of Vietnam War in Tim O’Brien’s If I Die in a Combat Zone (1062 words, 3 pages)

In Tim OBriens book If I Die in a Combat Zone, he puts his experiences in the Vietnam War into written perspective. OBrien goes into detail about the conflicts and demons that he had to face both internally and externally during the war. In If I Die in a Combat ... Read More

Morality in the Works of Mark Twain (846 words, 3 pages)

When you combine morality with immorality (on a person to personbasis) there can be negative consequences. The complexity and duality ofhuman nature can, and usually does in most cases, bring about complicatedresolutions for people who wish to act in a "moral sense" ("The DamnedHuman Race" 3). Putting yourself out there ... Read More

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? and Smooth Talk: Teenagers Getting in Trouble (1300 words, 4 pages)

Both Where are you going, where have you been? And Smooth Talk are both based off of the idea of the naive teenager getting themselves in more trouble than they can handle. Smooth Talk, while clearly being based off of Where are you going, where have you been, sets itself ... Read More

Abandonment in the Short Story Good Country People by Flannery O’Connor (2465 words, 8 pages)

Flannery O'Connor, one of the most masterful American storytellersproduced in the 20th Century, is widely known for the grotesque characters,the disturbing plots, and the deep Catholic motifs her prose contains. Manymodern readers are put off by these aspects of O'Connor's fiction (indeed,some might view it as gratuitous or downright demented). ... Read More

The Immigration and Assimilation Process in The Brotherhood of the Grape by John Fante (720 words, 3 pages)

Immigration and the SelfBefore taking this class I was completely ignorant of the trials and tribulations the Italian-American community experienced. The hardships of specific ethnic groups get so much attention that we forget that everyone has a unique story about traveling to and being assimilated into the American lifestyle. The ... Read More

The Will of Maria in a Raisin in the Sun, a Play by Lorraine Hansberry (1885 words, 7 pages)

Lorraine Hansberry, author of A Raisin in the Sun, was an influential American playwright and writer of the Civil Rights Era. She grew up in South Side, Chicago, where she was greatly exposed to Human Rights activism by her activist parents. She was also connected to many famous Civil Rights ... Read More

How Americans Act in Anxious Settings in The Crucible by Arthur Miller (507 words, 2 pages)

Problems are EasyThere are many ways to solve a problem, but two easy solutions. The first is to wait for someone else to solve the problem, and accept their solution. The second is to find the easiest possible solution, regardless of plausibility, disregarding all potential problems. In The Crucible, a ... Read More

The Unattainable American Dream in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (579 words, 3 pages)

The Streets are Paved with GoldThink of the American Dream, a quintessential tale of where people hope to live their lives. They hope for improvements, a family, good financial status, all made possible in a land where the streets are paved with gold. However, the American Dream often stays just ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples