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

85147 total results

A Description of the Ironic Beginning For a Memoir (1119 words, 2 pages)

"'You must not tell anyone... what I am going to tell you.'" (3) Is this not an ironic beginning for a memoir? When in fact, Maxine Hong Kingston, the author and narrator of The Woman Warrior, is doing the exact opposite, and telling everyone. The use of voice in her ... Read More

An Analysis of the Winter of Our Discontent (880 words, 1 pages)

In The Winter of Our Discontent, Steinbeck shows many conflicts in the society in which the protagonist, Ethan Allen Hawley lives. Ethan is often forced to survive in a world where the will of his own often goes against and deals with the will of the majority. Ethan himself who ... Read More

The Rise of Feminism and the Symbols of the House, the Window, and the Wallpaper in The Yellow Wallpaper, a Short Story by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (807 words, 3 pages)

Ghost stories often contain mystery and confusion however, the mystery of the ghost story is, is the narrator a ghost or a character in the story. In "The Yellow Wallpaper," Charlotte Perkins Gilman decides to write this short story in narrative form however, some reader may not depict "The Yellow ... Read More

An Analysis of the Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte perkins (1133 words, 2 pages)

Is it possible for someone, of a good mental state, to go insane through isolation? In the short story "The Yellow Wallpaper," Charlotte Perkins Gilman begins with the introduction of the narrator and her husband, John, who also happens to be her doctor. John has just diagnosed his wife with ... Read More

An Analysis of the Journey of Heaven and Hell in Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri (1428 words, 2 pages)

Today is May 7th, 2003. Today I'm on earth. Tomorrow I may be in heaven. Tomorrow I may be in hell. But today I don't know for sure, nor do I really care. Many share my opinion. What we do know though, that if today is our last day on ... Read More

The Dillema between Philosophical Idealism and Worldly Pragmatism in Thomas More’s Novel Utopia (1002 words, 2 pages)

Thomas More's context was 16th century England, which entailed the Humanist movement. Thomas More constantly shifted between the ideals of Humanist philosophy and service to his king and country. The period leading up to the writing of Utopia swelled a massive personal dilemma within More between philosophical idealism and worldly ... Read More

The Anonymity and the Government Style of Writing in The Unknown Citizen, a Poem by W. H. Auden (628 words, 2 pages)

Starting with the title one gets the feeling of anonymity that is he was just one in many. It is a play on "The unknown soldier". It is obvious that this is in fact a report and the dedication "To JS07M378" further proves the idea of no individuality. W.H. Auden ... Read More

The Description of the Soldiers’ Things in Tim O’Brien’s Collection of Linked Short Stories The Things They Carried (652 words, 1 pages)

THE THINGS THEY CARRIED In his book "The Things They Carried," Tim O'Brien describes a group of soldiers marching through Vietnam. He does this by describing the items that each of them carries with him during the march. The things that the soldiers carry with them are both tangible and ... Read More

The (In)Sanity and Desperation of William Cornish Radson in The Sound of Hollyhocks, a Short Story by Hugh Garners (649 words, 1 pages)

William Cornish Radson Insane or just Desperate? Insanity in society is generally described as a person's inability to reason logically. In an acclaimed story, "The Sound of Hollyhocks" by a Canadian writer, Hugh Garners, the protagonist William Cornish Ranson (nicknamed Rock) displays qualities of a psychotic person in a desperate ... Read More

The Title, Importance of Time, and the Cyclical Motif of The Sun Also Rises, a Novel by Ernest Hemingway (789 words, 1 pages)

A good title is one of the most important elements of a book. A good title can hint at the theme and is something to keep in mind while reading a book itself. A very effective title is one that teases the reader, makes him ponder over its meaning and ... Read More

The Transformation of Envy into Hatred in The Stones Cry Out, a Book by Molyda Szymusiak (1354 words, 2 pages)

When Envy Turns to Hatred Envy is one of the worst human emotions and when turned to hatred can do unimaginable things to other human beings. Molyda Szymusiak in her book The Stones Cry Out shows us one of the worst examples the world ever saw of what happens when ... Read More

The Characteristics of Octavia as a Good Parent in Ernest J. Gaines’s The Sky Is Gray: Sternness, Lovingness, and Independence (445 words, 1 pages)

Do you know what it takes to raise a family as a single parent? In Ernest J. Gaines "The Sky Is Gray", Octavia finds out the hard way. Set in Louisiana, Octavia is forced to raise her family by herself when her husband is sent off to war. Octavia overcomes ... Read More

The Plot, Characters, and Theme of The Scarlet Letter, a Novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne (3045 words, 5 pages)

The story opens with Hester Prynne standing silently on the scaffold in the middle of a town square in 18th century Boston. Hester, holding her small child in her arms, is publicly on trial for adultery. The town people, especially the women, are not happy that Hester has been sentenced ... Read More

An Analysis of Chillingworth (443 words, 1 pages)

Summary 9-13 Chillingworth is in town and he tells everyone that he is a doctor so that nobody knows about his past. Everyone in town really needs a good doctor so they welcome him with arms wide open. He does know some medicines and cures for sicknesses by learning from ... Read More

The Significance of the Preface in The Scarlet Letter, a Novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne (802 words, 1 pages)

If a man is so dedicated to his writings, then it is surly proven when he writes a forty-eight introduction just to begin his novel. Set in the seventeenth century, Hawthorne effectively illustrates Puritanism in the introductory pages of The Scarlet Letter, thus making the preface of the novel significant ... Read More

An Analysis of the River Flows On by Clydebank Blitz (715 words, 1 pages)

Set in the days when the majestic liners were launched on the Clyde, moving from the years of depression to the devastation of the Clydebank Blitz, 'The River Flows On' shows how the main character Kate Cameron links with life's troubles and careers were like for young people in the ... Read More

An Analysis of the Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishinguro (1761 words, 2 pages)

In numerous works of literature, one may encounter a protagonist who undertakes actions that eventually prove to be completely wrong thus wasting his or her life, yet does not lose reader's sympathy. Such is the case with Mr Stevens - the main character of The Remains of the Day, the ... Read More

An Analysis of the Search for Pearls in The Pearl, a Novella by John Steinbeck (819 words, 2 pages)

On the shores of the estuary, a set of blue and white canoes sits in the sand. Crabs and lobsters poke out from their holes, and algae and sea horses drift aimlessly in the nearby currents. Dogs and pigs scavenge the shoreline for sea drift in the hazy morning. Amid ... Read More

An Analysis of the themes of Book “The Passion” (2142 words, 3 pages)

The book "The Passion" is a wonderful book that brings with it many themes. Female identity, gender roles, passion, love, gambling, religion and war. Passion is the main topic in this book it is repeated over and over. The book seemed to be an investigation of the passion that arises ... Read More

A Contrast between Dupin and the Prefect, and the Parallels between Dupin and the Minister in The Purloined Letter, a Short Story by Edgar Allan Poe (2611 words, 3 pages)

Throughout "The Purloined Letter," Edgar Allan Poe contrasts the intuitive, poetic deduction of Dupin with the orderly, mathematical logic of the Prefect. When Dupin's poetic logic outwits the Prefect's, Poe appears to convey a triumph of literature over mathematics. However, this apparent triumph of literary logic is underscored by parallels ... Read More

An Analysis of the Short Story “The Open Window” by Saki (1000 words, 2 pages)

The short story "The Open Window" by Saki gives us a marvelous example of how appearance, semblance and our naivety can distract our attention from reality and even make harm to our health. This story also shows how a writer can make perfect use of irony. "The Open Window" is ... Read More

An Analysis of the Short Story to be Effective (1104 words, 2 pages)

For a short story to be effective, it must be able to produce high levels of intensity, emotion and drama. To do this, it must convey a great deal of information in a short space of time. As a result, the short story usually leaves a great deal of its ... Read More

An Analysis of Fear, Jolting, Trapping in the Metamorphosis by Kafka (856 words, 1 pages)

Fear, jolting, trapping in a sense, and awakening in a more literal one, a nightmare is a dream forged from the inner reality of yourself. In "The Metamorphosis" by Kafka a traveling salesman named Gregor is mysteriously turned into a dung beetle, which not even his family can learn to ... Read More

An Analysis of the Events of the Trial For Stanilas Urek, a Character in Sol Stein’s Novel “The Magician” (1206 words, 2 pages)

"No one enters suit justly, no one goes to court honestly they rely on empty pleas, they speak lies, they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity" (The Bible, Isaiah 59 4). The events of the trial for Stanilas Urek, a character in Sol Stein's novel The Magician, are parallel in ... Read More

An Analysis of the Senseless Killing in the Lottery (642 words, 1 pages)

"The Lottery"- A story of senseless killing Human life is the most precious value on earth and for this reason, with nowadays laws you get big punishments if you harm somebody's life or in the worst case take it away. The story " The Lottery", written by Shirley Jackson, after ... Read More

A Fictional Story About Drift Racing in the Okinawa Mountains (1011 words, 2 pages)

The five cars zoomed across the mountains, their headlights blinking left and right across the moonlit night with the occasional screech of tyres. They took tight turns, skidding with skill and zeal. At the last hairpin turn, one of the cars skidded to far out hit the metal barriers and ... Read More

The Portrayal of the Chinese Culture, Relationships, and Adversity in The Kitchen God’s Wife, a Novel by Amy Tan (2867 words, 4 pages)

"The Kitchen God's Wife" Chinese Culture, Relationships, Adversity Amy Tan's novel "The Kitchen God's Wife" is the story of a relationship between a mother and daughter that is much more than it seems. This touchingly beautiful narrative not only tells a story, but deals with many of the women writers' ... Read More

An Analysis of Your’s will be Mine Soon (789 words, 2 pages)

'Your's will be mine soon' Al Bundy faced the problem of finding out who's land was who's when his neighbor and him got into an argument over an apple tree. He called in a surveyor and they found out the tree belonged to Marcy, his neighbor, and Al became jealous. ... Read More

An Analysis of Jilt in the Jilting of Granny Weatheralll (487 words, 1 pages)

Webster's dictionary described the word 'jilt' as the act of breaking with a lover who does not want to end the relation ship in a callously light-headed way. Jilting took ona double meaning in 'The Jilting of Granny Weatherall' by Katherine Anne Porter with Granny's strength and weaknesses revealed by ... Read More

The Perceptions of the Villagers on the Drowned Man in The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World, a Short Story by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (276 words, 1 pages)

It seems that in Gabriel Garcia Marquez' "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World", the villagers are out there - really out there - on the edge of realism and surrealism. Starting with the kids who first saw the drowned man, initially they believed he was a ship and then ... Read More

American Literature Essay Examples