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

85147 total results

The Hatred of Holden Caulfield for Phonies in the Catcher in the Rye, a Novel by J. D. Salinger (792 words, 3 pages)

The world is always changing - we are always changing everyday is adifferent experience for each of us. It is a natural cause that most of usmust accept. While most people accept change, a boy named Holden does not. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger tells a story ... Read More

An Analysis of Three Important Events in the Novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin (906 words, 3 pages)

In the novel The Awakening, by Kate Chopin, the author explores the process of the main character Edna Pontelliers awakening with three momentous events. As the novel progresses, the combination of these three events allow Edna to more fully explore her inner self, question her understanding of the world around ... Read More

The Adaptation of Morals and Beliefs in the Novel The Circle by Dave Eggers (1235 words, 4 pages)

In a way, we are all bound by something in our lives a certain beliefor mindset-something that shapes the way we feel, act, think for better, orworse. Some things like religion can do just that, or even a cult. Oneday, while browsing the inter-webs, I found a black-and-white photo of ... Read More

The Creation of Identity in the American Revolution, During World War I, and in the Novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (460 words, 2 pages)

Identity is something that people create for themselves. This was demonstrated in the American Revolution when the colonists changed their identities by severing their previous ties with Great Britain. Also, during World War I women changed their identities from being housewives to being productiveindustrious workers in the workforce. Nathaniel Hawthorne's ... Read More

The Love Story in the Novel, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1072 words, 3 pages)

In the story, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the commentary Fitzgerald is trying to make about love is that do not involve the past, especially if others have moved on. Sometimes a person needs to forget about what happened in the past and move on or else if ... Read More

Self-Reflection, Responsibility for Own Mistakes, and the Power of Integrity in the The Crucible by Arthur Miller (693 words, 2 pages)

In Author Millers book The Crucible, there are many passages of literature that can teach us valuable life lessons. The characters portrayed in this novel all seem to have their own interpersonal issues, but one character seems to stand out. John Proctor is a troubled character and continues to contribute ... Read More

The Use of Vivid Imagery in the Novel, Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (1640 words, 5 pages)

Many of John Steinbecks works are set against the backdrop of Depression-era America examining the human condition during these trying times. In Cannery Row, the author calls back to his childhood home in California revisiting its diverse characters and their way of life. Steinbecks nostalgia for times long gone is ... Read More

The Issue of Racism in Self-Hate and Reflections on my Dauhgter by David Mira (1254 words, 6 pages)

Self-hate and reflections IntroductionSelf-hate and reflections on my daughter is one of the literary pieces of work that have been done by most scholars including Latimer heather among many more. It cultivates on element of Hybridity between two different races that entail long serving reflections on the product of the ... Read More

A Discussion on the Pros and Cons of the Affordable Care Act (1207 words, 4 pages)

The Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) is sometimes championed as Barack Obamas greatest achievement as President, and yet by others its vilified as a government takeover of the healthcare market. A recent poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation showing that 42 of women support the ACA and ... Read More

Nature Versus Nurture in the Characters of Tom Driscoll and Chambers in the Novel, Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain (908 words, 3 pages)

Nature vs. nurture has long been a topic of discussion in the scientific community and philosophical circles alike. What is the most influential factor in the human development is it genes that we are born with or the environmental factors such as experiences and social factors that determine ones personality? ... Read More

The Author’s Use of Life Experiences and Observations in the Novel, Cannery Row by John Steinbeck (1448 words, 5 pages)

Cannery RowMany authors use their own life experiences and observations as inspiration for their writing. John Steinbeck is no exception. His upbringing is reflected in his writing style. He was born in the early twentieth century in California, near Cannery Row. After Steinbecks father lost his job, his family struggled ... Read More

Religious Symbolism in the Halo Game Franchise (5529 words, 20 pages)

AbstractIn this essay, we aim to explore the presence of religious symbolism in the Halo game franchise, using it as a footstool to examine how religion in video games contributes to western societys individuals as well as culture. We will investigate specifically how Halo players respond to the games heavy ... Read More

The Significance and Role of Abigail Williams and Tituba in the Crucible, a Play by Arthur Miller (498 words, 2 pages)

What would you do if your town was in complete chaos and people didnt believe each other and they were killing each other cause of it? That is what occurs in Arthur Millers The Crucible. The people in the town of Salem believe that witchcraft has been committed and they ... Read More

Quiet Torrential Sound by Joan Ackermann: Dominating the Conversation (580 words, 2 pages)

Dominating the ConversationQuiet Torrential Sound is a dialogue among two sisters that share entirely different personalities. In the beginning we are introduced to two sisters, Monica and Claire who act in near polar opposite ways. This is shown through how they treat others in the restaurant how they speak to ... Read More

An Analysis of the Use of Imagery in the Lynching, a Poem by Claude McKay (997 words, 2 pages)

In Claude McKays poem The Lynching, written in 1922, McKay uses imagery, metaphors, and irony to depict the lynching of a black male, presumably in the south of the United States. The great significance of this depiction and its artistic elements is that the imagery is set to reveal societys ... Read More

A Critique on the Use of Ego in Chasing Chaos, a Book by Jessica Alexander (1235 words, 4 pages)

Im not a famous actress, Im no hero and Im certainly not a saint, says Jessica Alexander in the second chapter of Chasing Chaos. By the books conclusion, it seems almost evident that when Jessica Alexander pieced that fruitful statement together, she was falsely trying to give the reader an ... Read More

The Value of a Friend in Hello out There and Seventy Thousand Assyrians, Two Works by William Saroyan (538 words, 1 pages)

The Price of a FriendAn author, philosopher, and Nobel Prize recipient, Albert Camus famously remarked, Dont walk behind me I may not lead. Dont walk in front of me I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend. William Saroyan expressed a similar desireand appreciationfor companionship, an ... Read More

A Critique of Bleachers, a Book by John Grisham (747 words, 3 pages)

Bleachers by John Grisham is not a work of literary merit. But what, in fact, is a work of literary merit? A work of literary merit is one that has value on the world scale. It is written with a unique craftsmanship and has some sort of impact on an ... Read More

A Critique of Victorian England’s Social Norm in the Turn of the Screw, a Book by Henry James (1971 words, 6 pages)

In Victorian England, it was considered improper for the respectablecitizenry to openly express sexuality in any way. Under the guise of aghost story, The Turn of the Screw by Henry James criticizes this socialnorm by stereotyping groups of people in society as major characters and byemploying a high level of ... Read More

An nalysis of the Philosophical Notions in the Novel Light in August by William Faulkner (2106 words, 8 pages)

Light of AugustCritics of William Faulkner have often identified elements of well-known philosophical notions in his acclaimed novel Light in August. These ideas include Jeffersonian agrarianism and pragmatism, but no views are more clearly represented and more often overlooked in Faulkners piece than those of transcendentalist philosophers, particularly Ralph Waldo ... Read More

De-Glorification of War in Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five (1135 words, 4 pages)

De-Glorification of WarWar is defined as a conflict carried on by forceof arms, as between nations or between parties within a nation. In the novel Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, the entire book is focused on a sole concept that war is wrong and how this book is, at its core, ... Read More

A Critique of One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, a Film Adaptation by Milos Forman (3248 words, 10 pages)

Milos Forman's 1975 film adaption of Ken Kesey's novel One Flew Overthe Cuckoo's Nest provides a visceral portrayal of twentieth centuryAmerican psychiatry in film. The film was both an artistic and a commercialsuccess, earning five Academy Awards and gaining a prominent place in theAmerican film cannon. As celebrated film critic ... Read More

An Analysis of Holden’s Frustration and Dissatisfaction in The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger (755 words, 3 pages)

Holdens Angst Adolescence marks the period when ones veil of blissful ignorance lifts, and the world reveals its cruel unforgiving face. Yearning for acceptance, a person begins to lose his doe-eyed optimism and trades individuality for conformity. The protagonist of the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, ... Read More

An Analysis of the Flaws of Communism in the Novel Anthem by Ayn Rand (746 words, 3 pages)

Ayn Rands AnthemWith its emphasis on utilitarian ideals and fierce persecution of individuality, society compels its members to view humanitarianism as the highest virtue. Religious institutions venerate the martyrs. Governments endorse the sacrifices of the few for the wellbeing of the many. Zealot altruists embark on devastating missions to promote ... Read More

An Analysis of the Dychotomy Between Apathy and Sympathy in the Short Story A Small, Good Thing by Raymond Carver (1041 words, 4 pages)

A Small, Good ThingWhen pondering the daunting uncertainties of life, a man can only be sure that it will be filled with suffering. The tranquil and pleasant periods of life may give it the semblance of congeniality, but a person will always be forced to face the onerous trials of ... Read More

An Analysis of the Notion of Fulfillment of Dreams in the Novel the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (562 words, 2 pages)

The Great GatsbyFitzgerald weaves the notion of the fulfillment of dreams throughout his famous novel The Great Gatsby. Through the development of this idea over the course of the piece captures the idea of the American Dream, and Fitzgerald reveals his belief that most dreams will never be realized and ... Read More

The Fire of Jubilee by Stephen B. Oates: A Story of Nathaniel Turned an African American Slave (894 words, 4 pages)

The Fire of JubileeIntroductionThe Fire of Jubilee is a story of Nathaniel Turner a complex, gifted and self driven African American slave who led the bloody rebellion and free of slaves in the county of Southampton, Virginia in the year 1831. This literary piece of work explains of the events ... Read More

An Interpretation of the Character of Chris in into the Wild, a Book by Jon Krakauer (600 words, 2 pages)

Chris escapade into the wilderness has sparked much public debate and controversy. The excessive amount of attention it has received gives me anxiety. Chris may or may not have discovered himself and happiness on his poorly planned expedition and those that hear his stories may or may not find a ... Read More

The Concept of Familial Power in the Book The Road by Cormac McCarthy (899 words, 3 pages)

The concept of familial power is examined in the book The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The Road explores the power of familial relationship to offer hope and redemption for humanity in a dystopian world devoid of societal power. While the poem Father and Child by Gwen Harwood describes the potential ... Read More

An Analysis of the Novel The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck (528 words, 1 pages)

The Grapes of WrathLauded as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century, John Steinbeck centered his work on the plight of Depression Era migrant workers. The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbecks most famous piece, follows the physical and spiritual struggle of the Joad family as they leave their home ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples