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

85147 total results

Epiphany in John Updike’s A&P, Don DeLilo’s Videotape, and Alberto Alvaro Rios’ The Secret Lion (487 words, 1 pages)

Epiphany can be described as a sudden realization or a moment of clarity. Epiphany pertains greatly to John Updikes AP, Don DeLillos Videotape, and Alberto Alvaro Rios The Secret Lion.In AP by John Updike, there are many examples which support the idea of epiphany. For example, Sammy realizes that it ... Read More

A Literary Analysis of Tian in Hunger by Lan Samantha Chang (1654 words, 6 pages)

HungerThe novella Hunger, written by Lan Samantha Chang, is a story of a man named Tian who left his country to come to New York to become a famous musician. In the dream of becoming a famous violinist Tian meets Min, a woman he met at a restaurant she worked ... Read More

A Literary Analysis of Speaking Tongues in Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer (872 words, 4 pages)

Analysis on Speaking TonguesIn the book Drinking Coffee Elsewhere there is a short story, Speaking Tongues, written by ZZ Packer about a preteen African American girl named Tia Townsend. She is very nave, but shows growth in maturity as the story progresses. Tia was left to live with her very ... Read More

An Analysis of I-Man and Bone in Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks (1060 words, 4 pages)

Rule of The Role Model Rasta StyleEvery kid growing up needs a role model. Someone who can positively influence a kid to make good choices, have good morals and values, and have character. In Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks, the young man that we first meet named Chappie ... Read More

A Complex Dynamic Between Mark and Mary in The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong (757 words, 2 pages)

Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong A RevelationOver the course of The Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong, a complex dynamic between Mark and Mary is presented. On the surface, they believe that they completely understand each other, the reality is they dont. Although their relationship does not mature in ... Read More

An Analysis of Conflict in A&P by John Updike and A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner (887 words, 2 pages)

As observed in Robert Penn Warrens essay Why Do We Read Fiction? he observes that conflict is necessary for a narrative to be successful, and that no conflict equals no story. Based on the passages that I have read both in, and outside of class and after reviewing them in ... Read More

A Literary Analysis of a Memoir A Rumor of War by Philip Caputo (403 words, 2 pages)

A Rumor of WarA Rumor of War is a memoir written by Philip Caputo. The premise of the story follows Caputo on his journey from the very beginning when he was just a boy, all the way up to when he becomes a man.I think Caputos purpose for writing this ... Read More

A Literary Analysis of Psychological Inner Conflict in The Turn of the Screw by Henry James (904 words, 4 pages)

Henry James's novella The Turn of the Screw introduced a interestingpsychological inner conflict that occurs as the reader continues to becomeaccustomed to the story. As the novella precedes the argument ofhallucinations versus realities is presented to the reader. Jame'stechnique of introducing the phenomenon of ghost into the story was subtleand ... Read More

An Analysis of McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey (871 words, 1 pages)

Why is McMurphy a hero?Finding a hero these days, isnt so common. What people see as heroic qualities now, have diminished so much over time, where having the title of a hero isnt so meaningful anymore. Being a hero, is the ability to sense when another person is in need ... Read More

The Isolated and Bizare Woman of Emily Grierson in A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner (922 words, 4 pages)

Many great stories have been created about eccentric characters. Great writers, such as Southern Gothic author William Faulkner, know how to use precise language to appeal to their readers and create a very memorable story. One of Faulkners most famous tales was one of an isolated and bizarre woman named ... Read More

An Analysis of Two Couples in What We Talk About We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver (354 words, 1 pages)

What We Talk About When We Talk About Love by Raymond Carver is a short story with a simple setting of two couples having a deep conversation about love and wherever their talking takes them. It could be considered more so of an argument, but it seems as if Mel ... Read More

Figurative Language in Cherry Bomb by Maxine Clair (466 words, 2 pages)

In Maxine Clairs Cherry Bomb, a woman recounts the memories of her life back in fifth grade, specifically how she came to possess a cherry bomb that would be very special to her in the following years. The author makes use of flavorful diction, descriptive figurative language, and shifting point ... Read More

An Analysis of Sylvia in A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett (644 words, 2 pages)

A White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett tells a story of a young girl named Sylvia who came to live with her grandmother in the country. She meets a young ornithologist hunter seeking to find a rare bird called white heron he has heard has been spotted in the area. ... Read More

An Analysis of Heart and Conscience in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (646 words, 2 pages)

Huck Finn Heart vs Conscience From the start of Mark Twains novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the main character Huck allows his heart to dictate his actions regarding a runaway slave Jim. However, as the novel progresses, Hucks heart-felt decisions eventually align with his conscience and together determine his ... Read More

An Analysis of Antonio Marez y Luna in Bless me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya (1680 words, 5 pages)

Bless me, Ultima by Rudolfo A. Anaya is the coming-of-age story of a young boy who is led by the guidance of his curandera Ultima. The novel is easily labeled as magical realism as the protagonist, Antonio Mrez y Luna (Tony), lives in a world where magic is as commonly ... Read More

Breaking the Rules to Make a Difference in Society in The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (1043 words, 5 pages)

People break rules because they try to make a difference in society. They also want to change the government or the system to have a better life. Many famous people have broken rules to change the society like Martin Luther King Jr. He stood up against the Government of the ... Read More

Chappie’s Transformation in Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks (1183 words, 4 pages)

Chappies TransformationIn the story Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks, young Chappie is forced to grow up at a young age. Early in the story, Chappie is forced to leave home and live on his own to escape his abusive, drunk stepfather. Chappie believes that living on his own ... Read More

An Analysis of the Main Character in A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner (404 words, 2 pages)

A Rose for EmilyThrough William Faulkners various contextual elements, including the characterization of his main character in his short story, A Rose for Emily, he identifies this story as one that distinctly identifies with many modernist themes. Specifically within the poem, faulkner cultivates the modernist themes of decay, creating myths, ... Read More

An Analysis of Victor and Thomas in This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona by Sherman Alexie (359 words, 2 pages)

This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona by Sherman Alexie is a story of two ex-friends rekindling their friendship and discovering how easy it is to treat people with dignity through a major tragedy in the main character, Victors, life. Alexie does a fantastic job of making small ... Read More

An Analysis of Mankind in The Damned Human Race by Mark Twain (865 words, 4 pages)

Why does Mark Twain Hate Mankind?The Damned Human Race written by Mark Twain in 1905, is an essay in which Twain argues that mankind did not ascend from lower beings (negating the works of the Darwinism Theory), but in contrast actually descended from a higher set of beings additionally, Twain ... Read More

An Analysis of Colorful Personalities in A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams (413 words, 2 pages)

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams is a story of colorful personalities. Whether it be Stanleys red hot temper, or Blanches at times pathological lies, there is enough meet on the psychological bone of this story to keep anyone interested. This story seems to use almost every detail to ... Read More

An Analysis of Vietnam Veteran in If I Die in a Combat Zone Box Me Up and Ship Me Home by Tim O’Brien (885 words, 4 pages)

Book SummaryO'Brien, Tim. If I Die in a Combat Zone Box Me Up and Ship Me Home. New York City Broadway Books Reprint Edition, (August 24, 2011).Vietnam Veteran Tim OBrien gave us this very interesting and personal experience of what he had to face during his one year deployment in ... Read More

An Literary Analysis of Music, Connie and Arnold Friend (527 words, 2 pages)

Connie, is the young protagonist. A 15-year-old girl who navigates through her life by adopting two personalities one for her home life and the other, more sexualized and polished, for her public life. Her life is defined by her relationship to boys or men romance fills her thoughts and her ... Read More

An Analysis of Motherhood in Morning Song by Sylvia Plath (909 words, 3 pages)

Morning Song In the poem by Sylvia Plath, Morning song, she speaks about the process of becoming a new mother and the fears that come with it. Throughout the entire poem Plath, uses three key literary devices that help the reader understand in depth the challenge of knowledge of parenting ... Read More

The Major Themes of Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton and Billy Budd by Herman Melville (1762 words, 6 pages)

Identifying the major themes of both Ethan Fromme and Billy Budd, requires that a reader understands how writers express themes of literary work. They can be presented through the state of mind of the main characters about the issue at hand such as in Ethan Fromme.. By the same token, ... Read More

A Comparison of a Book and the Movie Flowers in the Attic by V. C. Andrews (1023 words, 2 pages)

Flowers In The Attic, a tale of four children that are locked in the solitude of their grandparents attic after a tragic accident that took their fathers life, written by V.C. Andrews in 1979 has come to be a well-known novel among people worldwide for its sadistic nature and abnormal ... Read More

An Analysis of America in Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (981 words, 5 pages)

How does Fahrenheit 451 link with America? There are many books that are written during impacting events inAmerica with an American spirit, but one of the most important of thosebooks is Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. Fahrenheit 451 is considered anAmerican classic not only because of the anti-intellectualism of the GermanNazi ... Read More

King Leopold II of Belgium’s Conquest of the Congo in Africa Between 1885 and 1908 in King Leopold’s Ghost; A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild (1608 words, 6 pages)

DEATH AND DECEPTION LEOPOLDS CONGOIn King Leopolds Ghost A Story of Greed, Terror and Heroism in Colonial Africa, author Adam Hochschild explores King Leopold II of Belgiums conquest of the Congo in Africa between 1885 and 1908. In doing so, Hochschild speculates the potential reasons for Leopolds reign of terror. ... Read More

An Analysis of Emotional Healing in the Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat (1002 words, 4 pages)

Emotional HealingThroughout life, there are certain events that leave individuals forever scarred and searching for emotional healing, whether they are the victim or perpetrator. The novel, the Dew Breaker written by Edwidge Danticat, greatly demonstrates this idea through the characters who share hardships from the horrifying events taken into action ... Read More

An Analysis of the Literary Elements in IT by Stephen King (870 words, 3 pages)

Analysis of Stephen Kings ITStephen Kings novel IT is a rather enthralling tale of two parallel stories. The first story tells of a group of seven children, The Loser Club, who had fought a monster living beneath the sewer of their home town. The monster was capable of morphing to ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples