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

85147 total results

The Life and Works of Tony Kushner a Playwright and Screenwriter (520 words, 1 pages)

Tony KushnerTony Kushner was born on July 16, 1956 in Manhattan, NY. His father was a clarinetist and his mother a bassoonist. He moved to Lake Charles, Louisiana at a young age, but came back to NYC to go to school at Columbia University, where he got a degree in ... Read More

An Argument Against The Dark Romantics’ View of Humans Being Innately Evil (835 words, 3 pages)

The Dark Romantics had a very pessimistic view on life and focused onthings such as death and decay. I do not agree with their view on life thatit is meaningless and melancholy. I believe that humans are innately goodand there are many pieces on evidence that can support my perspective ... Read More

A Book Report on Mark Twain’s Novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1285 words, 2 pages)

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark TwainAs a story goes along and we become invested in it, we want to see how the conflicts are resolved. We want to see if the characters learn any lessons that we could reflect on and maybe apply to our own lives. Perhaps ... Read More

An Analysis of Assimilation through Association in The Bean Trees, a Novel by Barbara Kingsolver (683 words, 3 pages)

Assimilation Through AssociationIn The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver there are many female roles that are drastically different. And throughout the book, these characters gain traits from each other and become more alike. Taylor and Lou Ann are an excellent example of such.In the beginning of The Bean Trees, Taylor ... Read More

A Review of Invisible Man, a Novel by Ralph Ellison (632 words, 2 pages)

Invisible Man by Ralph EllisonPeople often say that those are refuse to accept and acknowledge the truth are blind. Not in a medical sense, but in a metaphorical sense. They can see the world just fine but their eyes dont acknowledge the troubles that go on around them. Throughout the ... Read More

An Analysis of the Differences between the New and Old Wealth in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Novel The Great Gatsby (714 words, 2 pages)

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldWhen you ask someone what the American Dream means to them, there will likely be different answers. To some, it means owning a home, having a moderate amount of wealth, and having a successful career. To others, it means that you are free to ... Read More

An Analysis of Jim’s Reflection in My Antonia, a Novel by Willa Cather (878 words, 2 pages)

My Antonia by Willa CatherAs a person moves through life and experiences the trials, tribulations, and joys that come from a standard human existence, they may reflect on how they got to that point and credit it to their current position. Willa Cather creates a novel that is nostalgic in ... Read More

An Analysis of the Theme of Innocence in Henry James’s Novella Daisy Miller (656 words, 2 pages)

Daisy Miller by Henry JamesMidway through part one, Miss Daisy Miller reveals that her mother always makes a fuss when Miss Miller introduces a male acquaintance. It is revealed that she has several gentleman friends but her mother is apprehensive about all of them. Yet she introduces them regardless of ... Read More

Authenticity of the Region and Setting in the Novel North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell (663 words, 2 pages)

Gaskells Authentic North and South ViewsOn the surface, North and South appears to be the tried-and-true two characters from different social backgrounds meet and decide they more in common than they initially think narrative. However once I look beyond the love narrative that takes center stage in Elizabeth Gaskells novel, ... Read More

A Narrative of Becoming My Grandfather’s Legacy (641 words, 3 pages)

IdolizeIn a quaint cottage, that was our familys camp, tucked into the woods of the western Pennsylvania countryside is where my grandfather groomed me from a naive boy into a well-rounded young man. As a young child, this heavily wooded area with tall rolling hills and vast yards with a ... Read More

The Portrayal of Loneliness in the Characters of the Novel, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (750 words, 2 pages)

Of Mice and MenReading a piece of literature it is not uncommon to relate to the character's emotions and understand how they feel. There is no exception for the characters in this story. In John Steinbecks suspenseful novella Of Mice and Men, loneliness is illustrated through most of the characters ... Read More

The Conflicts and Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird, a Novel by Harper Lee (438 words, 2 pages)

To Kill a Mockingbird Conflicts and Themes in the NovelThe most important theme in this novel is good versus evil. It is whether a person is essentially good, or if they're bad. Throughout the novel, Jem and Scout transition from their innocent younger selves, to the more mature and older ... Read More

The Death of Allie as a Cause of Major Depressive Disorder in Holden Caulfield in the Novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (781 words, 4 pages)

Catcher in the Rye Synthesis EssayIn J.D Salingers novel The Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caulfield struggles to fit in a complicated world that he lives in as he begins to enter the adult life. Holdens struggles could be blamed because of his suffering from major depressive ... Read More

Technology Going Out of Control in By the Waters of Babylon by Stephen Vincent Benet (581 words, 2 pages)

Technology, where would we be without it? Now in days, you can do just about anything within seconds because of a small but powerful device called a smartphone. Not to mention the new technology like tablets that have Snap-On keyboards, 60 inch paper-thin TVs and how about the new Next-Gen ... Read More

An Examination of Adolescent Subconscious in Where are you Going, Where Have you Been by Joyce Carol Oates (1950 words, 7 pages)

Loss of Innocence Examining theAdolescentSubconsciousinWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been?In Joyce Carol Oates' short storyWhere Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,Connie, theprotagonist, endures an encounter with Arnold Friend, a predatory older man that shows up at her home unannounced to proposition her. If analyzed as a dream ... Read More

An Initial Analysis of John Steinbeck’s Novella Of Mice and Men (420 words, 1 pages)

Of Mice and Men Initial AnalysisAs the novel opens, the setting is tranquil. The scene is silent, apart from the Salinas Rivers warm waves and the few living creatures that depend on the river. It is peaceful and undisturbed, a paradise almost. Upon George and Lennies arrival, the mood becomes ... Read More

An Analysis of the Poem The Ugly and Beauty in Real Life by Jose Cruz (693 words, 2 pages)

Poem AnalysisThe name of the poem is The Ugly and Beauty in Real Life by Jose Cruz. The poem is a free verse poem since it does not have any rhyme or regular meter, it also has 5 stanzas. The significance of the title has a concept of things that ... Read More

An Analysis of Chapter Two of the Novel Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (542 words, 1 pages)

Of Mice and Men Chapter Two AnalysisThe bunkhouse gives off a gloomy mood. It is a sharp, rectangular building with walls that were whitewashed (Steinbeck 10). The shape is discomforting, its sharp corners are reminiscent of nothing similar to a home. Its small square windows allow little vision of the ... Read More

The Bereavement of Holden Caulfield Due to the Death of His Brother in the Novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1136 words, 4 pages)

Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger features Holden Caulfield, a boyin his teens. Throughout the story, Holden constantly seeks someone toconverse with, from a pair of nuns to his former English teacher. Holdengenerally remains unsuccessful and unhappy until the end of the story. Itis easy to assume that ... Read More

Understanding Issei and Nisei Immigrants in North America (634 words, 2 pages)

From Issei to Nisei Issei was a nickname given to Japanese immigrants arriving in North America while Nisei was given to their second generation children. In fact, Issei literally means First Generation and Nisei meaning Second Generation in Japanese. Throughout the story, a young girl named Jeanne is sent to ... Read More

The Political Themes in The Grapes of Wrath, a Novel by John Steinbeck (566 words, 3 pages)

Political Writing There exists a distinct delineation between the two different types of political writing. There is that political writing that provides lasting and meaningful commentary about the human condition and how that relates to societal order, and there is glorified propaganda. In Chapter 12 of How to Read Literature ... Read More

Self-Awareness in the Novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1555 words, 3 pages)

Catcher in the Rye AnalysisIt is a beautiful thing to be blissfully ignorant rather than painfully aware. The truth is often unpleasant over-analyzing truth, and meaning, of life, or other simple, trivial things, does little more than create a miserable sense of self-awareness. And when people reach that heightened state ... Read More

An Analysis of the Transformation of Guy Montag in Ray Bradbury’s Novel Fahrenheit 451 (1108 words, 4 pages)

Fahrenheit 451 EssayRay Bradbury wrote the book Fahrenheit 451 in 1953 to show readers the dangers of technology and how it will affect us in the future. In the book, a man named Guy Montag is a firefighter who burns books for a living. Later on in the story, Montag ... Read More

Small Town Life in the Novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (808 words, 3 pages)

To Kill a Mockingbird Demonstrates Love and Hate towards Small Town Lifestyle Small town life is fairly different in comparison to living in a big city Harper Lee uses the point of view from a small child to demonstrate the basics as to what it is like living within a ... Read More

Character Analysis of Rose Cook in a Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (854 words, 3 pages)

The Rape of Rose and Its Effect on Her CharacterIn her fictional novel, A Thousand Acres, Jane Smiley develops a group of dynamic and realistic characters. Smiley makes Rose Cook especially realistic and dynamic by creating a central incident in Roses life that changes the very way she thinks and ... Read More

An Overview of the Reverend Dimmesdale’s Eulogy (348 words, 1 pages)

Reverend Dimmesdale's Eulogy Mr. Dimmesdale was a wonderful reverend but a less than honorable man. It has recentlybeen revealed to us that he had committed the sin of adultery. But he should not be remember in such a bad light, instead let us learn from his mistakes. He will be ... Read More

The Court Trial Perspective in The Crucible, a Play by Arthur MIller (611 words, 2 pages)

The Crucible Court Trial PerspectiveHi! I am John Proctor, farmer and wife of Elizabeth Proctor. I am an honest man and I despise hypocrisy however, I am the reason my wife and the accused are convicted, I put these victims into Abigails crosshair. Although I am a reputable man for ... Read More

An Analysis of the Theme of Survival in Cormac McCarthy’s Novel “The Road” (1149 words, 4 pages)

The Pulitzer Prize EssayThe Pulitzer Prize is a prestigious award that goes to journalists, authors and musicians. It was started in 1917 by Joseph Pulitzer and continues to be an important award today. Cormac McCarthy was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 for his book The Road which tells the ... Read More

A Comparison of American Beauty by Lester Burnham and the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (910 words, 3 pages)

Upholding the American Dream means standing by the belief that if one is determined and pushes beyond the limits then they will achieve success and happiness. However, this so-called American Dream is a delusion that is tainted with self-seeking, narcissistic values and lies that can lead toward melancholy. The reason ... Read More

A Critical Analysis of Ernest Hemingway’s the Old Man and the Sea (2016 words, 3 pages)

Beauty in Simplicity Literary Devices in The Old Man and the Sea Ernest Hemingway would ace the SAT essay test. That's what I once read, in a criticism of SAT and the methods with which it is scored while the grandiose, flowery prose of many writers would fail the high ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples