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

85147 total results

An Analysis of the Literature by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Joyce Carol Oates (985 words, 4 pages)

The Forbidden Fruit More often than not, if a parent tells a child that that he or shecannot have a cookie, the child will insist on getting the aforementionedsweet. As young and unbridled beings, children provide an insightful lookinto basic human nature at its core. Similar to a toddler demanding ... Read More

Christmas Cheer and White Christmas by Irving Berlin (534 words, 2 pages)

T'is the Season It is the winter season, Christmas is right around the corner, andthe DeCortin household is full to the brim of good ol' fashioned Christmascheer. The warm and cozy kitchen boasts an impressive line of cookie traysstacked on the counter. Decorating ingredients litter the kitchen table,which is looking ... Read More

A Comparison of Modern Society and The Crucible Society (689 words, 2 pages)

Debate examples for Modern Society and The Crucible(Against the actions taken place in The Crucible) Today our society has bended and evolved into a fairly free and open minded set up. But even in modern society, as something built up by humans, it is very delicate. Take the post 911 ... Read More

The Symbolism of the Green Light in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (649 words, 2 pages)

In The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals the life of Jay Gatsby, a man who followed his goals until the bitter end, revealed to have built his entire fortune for Daisy Buchanan. Fitzgerald uses the green lighta lighthouse at the Buchanan residence blurred by distancerepresenting goals, and glassesrepresenting the ... Read More

True Love in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1055 words, 4 pages)

True Love A Blessing or a Boon? The renowned Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the UnitedStates, once said, "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow byevading it today." As Lincoln makes evident, neglecting one's obligationsdoes not benefit anyone and only results in aggravation and tension.Consequentially, avoiding specific responsibilities in ... Read More

An Analysis of Feminism in The Awakening by Chopin (637 words, 3 pages)

Among the prominent issues raised in the alluring feminist novel TheAwakening lies Chopin's unorthodox depiction of gender and sexuality in aworld still clouded with prejudice and traditionalist ideals. Erin E.MacDonald asserts that Mrs. Pontellier, the novel's protagonist, struggleswith finding a new identity for women that is separate from the soleoccupation ... Read More

An Analysis of Judgement in Beloved by Toni Morrison (761 words, 3 pages)

In Toni Morrison's Beloved, allusions to the Bible take prominence,illuminating key messages in the novel. The Book of Revelations speaks ofthe coming of the Apocalypse in terms of the Four Horsemen, as signified bythe four white men who set out on horseback to claim Sethe's young childrenas their own "the ... Read More

The Theme in Good Country People by O’Connor (517 words, 3 pages)

NameTutorCourseDate "Good Country People" - O'Connor Censures Pointer and Mrs. Hopewell's Hypocrisy""You're a Christian!" ... "You're a fine Christian! You're just like themall - say one thing and do another" (O'Connor 9). Joy-Hulga utters these words after discovering that Manley Pointer isa bogus Christian. Joy-Hulga's statement is significant as it ... Read More

Imagery in To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee (591 words, 2 pages)

Harper Lees Craft of To Kill A MockingbirdThis passage from To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee presents a few of the authors craft. The diction, imagery, and details in this passage invite the reader into the story of the main character and her experiences of society back then. The ... Read More

A Literary Analysis of Jay Gatsby in the Great Gatsby (669 words, 2 pages)

Although Nick Carraway narrates most of The Great Gatsby, the central character is Jay Gatsby, and the readers opinion of Gatsby changes throughout the book because of new information about him. F. Scott Fitzgerald uses breaks in the regular, chronological story to revealing segments about Gatsby and his past in ... Read More

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (657 words, 3 pages)

Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is widely considered to bethe emblem of sin, shame, and ignominy. However, this conjecture ishabitually directed towards the book's namesake - the scarlet letter. Asthe novel's early chapters reveal, public humiliation transcends theadornment of an embroidered letter. Rather, a more acute method ofpunishment takes the ... Read More

Growing Up in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne (1106 words, 4 pages)

It is an inevitable fact of life that one will experience a dramatic,if not life-changing, transformation over the course of his or herlifetime. Growing up is an endless cycle in the circle of life, and aperson's looks, personalities, or outlook on life shift and changethroughout each stage of life. In ... Read More

The Sound and The Fury by Faulkner (421 words, 2 pages)

Q3 The Sound and The FuryIn Faulkners novel The Sound and The Fury a southern family has to deal with the effect their past has had on their lives. In the family is Mother, who shows no compassion for her children in contrast with the help, Dilsey, who cares for ... Read More

A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (961 words, 4 pages)

Studies show that the human race cannot survive without the waterproduced by rain. This precipitation provides the earth with not only aplentiful supply of drinking water but also a means for trees to flourishand emit oxygen. Moreover, rain essentially plays a crucial role inliterary classics however, its significance drastically differs ... Read More

An Analysis of Rebirth in Beloved by Toni Morrison (747 words, 3 pages)

Violence and Bloodshed A Form of Salvation? In today's society, violence abounds wherever one turns, assaultedwith shocking headlines slashed across newspapers and television screens.As the media glorifies violence as a whole, one grows numb to suchreprehensible actions as rape, murder, or assault. Unlike these senselesscrimes, however, scenes of violence in ... Read More

An Analysis of Schizophrenia in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (537 words, 2 pages)

Chief "Broom" Bromden, the narrator of One Flew Over the Cuckoo'sNest, suffers from schizophrenia, a debilitating psychological disorderthat drastically skews his perceptions of reality. This distorted unrealitythat he lives highlights the all too potent realism of the totalitarian"government" of the psychiatric ward, which controls the patients entirely,sapping the life force ... Read More

Beloved by Toni Morrison (417 words, 2 pages)

In Toni Morrison's Beloved, the "jungle" instilled in the hearts ofthe slaves by the whites signifies the enduring effects of slavery and theconstant struggle for dominance amongst segregated groups that continues tothrive today. The key passage concerning the jungle implanted within the heart ofeach mistreated colored person not only depicts ... Read More

An Analysis of the American Dream in The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (1505 words, 6 pages)

Searching for Diamonds Capitalism Claims A Civilian CasualtyIn The Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, Willy Loman is a mentally disintegrating businessman with a distorted view of the American Dream. Being well liked and personally attractive will only get you so far in life, but to Willy Loman they ... Read More

Music in A Secret Lost in the Water by Roch Carrier, and High Noon and The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin (781 words, 4 pages)

Musics Influence on My DevelopmentMy first violin class during a preschool summer camp marked a very important day to me the beginning of my musical education. For the following twelve years, music strongly influenced my direction in life, and its significance to my growth can be compared with aspects from ... Read More

The Differences Between the Blind and the Sighted in Cathedral by Raymond Carver (819 words, 2 pages)

Raymond Carvers Cathedral explores the differences between the blind and the sighted. The blind may not be able to physically see, but they still have the potential to make good relationships. Similarly, having the ability to see often hinders the ability to be insightful towards another person. This lack of ... Read More

The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald (1183 words, 4 pages)

Jay Gatsby in Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby is a farm boy turned millionaire with ambition and a plan. Not only does Gatsby successfully climb the social ladder, but he falls in love with Daisy, a wealthy young woman who becomes the object of his unwavering infatuation. Although he had ... Read More

An Analysis of George and Lennie’s Friendship in Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (419 words, 2 pages)

If one hundred people were asked what is friendship, there would be one hundred different answers. At its essence,a friend is a person that is nice to you, sticks up for you,and helps you. In Of Mice and Men, John Steinbeck presents the theme of friendship through George and Lennie. ... Read More

Jane in Yellow Wallpaper (384 words, 1 pages)

Yellow Wallpaper Paragraph Jane finds herself trapped in isolation due to her wealth andconsequent access to high-class physicians, who caused her currentpredicament in the first place more impoverished individuals would nothave had the access to these "doctors", and therefore would not have hadthe same problem. One example of this is ... Read More

An Analysis of the Challenging Theories in Woman, Native, Other by Trinh T. Minh-ha (639 words, 2 pages)

Reading Woman, Native, Other by Trinh T. Minh-ha was a challenge not merely in the sense of understanding the ideas and theory presented in the book, but also, and perhaps even more so, in seeing the institutions she critiques play out so forcefully in my reading process, and working to ... Read More

An Analysis of Willy’s Conflict in Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller (724 words, 2 pages)

Death of PersonalityHumans are by nature social creatures. They strive to be part of a community. However, the business world often runs counter to social interests, i.e. the profit-maximizing goals of businesses often call for impersonal behavior. As this side of the business world increased with the rapid industrialization of ... Read More

A Character Analysis of Pap in Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (520 words, 2 pages)

Pap's Speech In-Class Essay Twain satirizes the ignorance and idiocy of poor Southern whitesthrough the character of Pap by utilizing tone, diction, and irony. Twaincreated Pap as an example of a poor Southern white and uses Pap's actionsand words to draw attention to the appalling problem of poor stupidity.Even only ... Read More

Yossarian in Catch-22 by Heller (303 words, 1 pages)

In Heller's Catch-22, Yossarian witnesses the death of a young radio-gunner named Snowden. Throughout the book, hints of this particularincident were scattered before the climactic death finally unveiled itself.The scene itself serves to combine Heller's other pieces into a morecohesive message about the flaws in the bureaucracy and businesses. As ... Read More

Craziness in Moby Dick by Melville (722 words, 2 pages)

Starbuck's Warning to Ahab Throughout Moby Dick, Melville draws our attention to Captain Ahaband his peculiar craziness. In "Ahab and Starbuck in the Cabin", Starbuckwarns Ahab to be careful of his craziness lest it kills him, perhaps evendragging the rest of the crew along with him. Melville reinforces this byrevealing ... Read More

Metaphors in a Poem Daddy by Sylvia Plath (1142 words, 3 pages)

Metaphors are often what give poems their reputation for being perplexing and can be interpreted in many ways. When you think of poetry you would think of all different types of metaphors, analogies and similes that hide the meaning of the text so that the reader would have to peel ... Read More

The Religious Beliefs of Baby Suggs, a Character in Toni Morrison’s Novel Beloved (533 words, 2 pages)

Baby Suggs is an elderly woman who is broken in every way but her heart. With her heart, she works through preaching to others such that they can have some love. This is also the basis of her religion, which opposed to others is not based around living a life ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples