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

27201 total results

The Origin of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass (419 words, 2 pages)

Origin of Lewis Carrolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking GlassIt was on the day of July 4, 1862. Alice, who is ten years old at this time, is with Lewis Carroll in a rowing boat. They are travelling together on the Isis from Folly Bridge, Oxford to ... Read More

William Shakespeare’s Play Othello Does Not Follow the Aristotelian Unities of Time, Place and Action (1397 words, 5 pages)

Shakespeares Othello vs. the Aristotelian UnitiesOthello is a Shakespearean tragedy that is seen on college syllabi and read regularly in college classes. There have been countless arguments on why Aristotle and Shakespeare ever come up in the same room. Well, Shakespeare doesnt follow the Aristotelian unities. Therefore, this essay situates ... Read More

The Dark Continent of Africa and the Heart of Evil in Heart of Darkness, a Novel by Joseph Conrad (2446 words, 9 pages)

Is it a Dark Continent?Joseph Conrads novella,Heart of Darkness,is considered one of the great works of English literature published in February 1902. TheHeart of Darknessis one of the two most celebrated novels about European colonialism in Africa along with Chinua AchebesThings Fall Apart. Over the course of the novella Conrad ... Read More

A Character Perspective of Rosencrantz and Guidenstern in William Shakespeare’s Hamlet by Ian Johnston (704 words, 2 pages)

Ian Johnstons View of Rosencrantz and GuildensternWelcome to the next edition of 'thoughts on Ian Johnston's thoughts' and this time the focus is not on "Hamlet" but the Hamlet spin off created by Tom Stoppard known as "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead." From the remarks Ian Johnston made on the ... Read More

The Use of Irony in Great Expectations, a Novel by Charles Dickens (841 words, 4 pages)

The Shackles of InjusticeIn the third part of Great Expectations, Charles Dickens uses irony to communicate the following about injustice it constrains the people that are experiencing it, whether it be physically, mentally, or emotionally. There are many examples throughout the third part, most of which I found to be ... Read More

An Analysis of Frankenstein Using Cohen’s Monster Thesis (1404 words, 4 pages)

Frankenstein was published in 1818. We are introduced to a young scientist named Victor Frankenstein. A scientist who, for several years, teetered on the edge of madness. In almost complete isolation, intentionally shut off from his closest peers, Victor slaves to create a human being. What transpired was a creature ... Read More

The Sociopolitical Commentary of King Charles II’s Court in Rocherster’s Sodom and Gomorrah, The Imperfect Enjoyment and Aphra Behn’s The Disappointment (3046 words, 9 pages)

John Wilmot, the Earl of Rochester, enjoyed a plethora of liberties as a member of Charles IIs court in Restoration England. Although his relationship with the King was a volatile one, his frequent banishments and subsequent returns to the court ultimately evidence the height of regard the King held him ... Read More

The Relationships and Societal Positions in Emma, a Novel by Jane Austen (2349 words, 8 pages)

Jane Austens Emma functions through a series of constantly evolving relationships. In class, weve discussed the necessity of everyone playing their assigned role in society, that the structure of Emmas world only works if everyone sticks to their script and performs their role. Its interesting to dissect these elements imbued ... Read More

The Life and Early Work of Charles Dickens (2329 words, 8 pages)

That it was possible even for justice itself to confound the innocent with the guilty when they were in accidental companionship, Oliver knew already (Dickens 176).After having spent several months with Mr. Brownlow and his family, Oliver has just been kidnapped by Nancy. When she returns Oliver to Fagin, the ... Read More

The Development of Edward’s Maturity in Waverly, a Novel by Walter Scott (1915 words, 6 pages)

Besides, Rose Bradwardine, beautiful and amiable as we have described her, had not precisely the sort of beauty or merit which captivates a romantic imagination in early youth. She was too frank, too confiding, too kind amiable qualities undoubtedly, but destructive of the marvelous with which a youth of imagination ... Read More

A Study of Happiness and Desire in Pride and Prejudice, a Novel by Jane Austen (1124 words, 5 pages)

Elizabeths Happiness and Mr. Darcys Desire in Jane Austens Pride and PrejudiceIn Jane Austens Pride and Prejudice, romantic desire swirls like a dancing ladys petticoats, contained within socially-appropriate actions meant to simulate neutrality of expression to onlookers while simultaneously conveying intimate desire between two parties. Claudia Johnson contends that Austen ... Read More

A Critique of An Essay on Criticism by Alexander Pope (1498 words, 5 pages)

In An Essay on Criticism, Alexander Pope discusses criticism as a multifaceted craft, stressing the importance of understanding criticism as a skill set that requires diligence and practice. The inherent paradox in Popes essay is, of course, that he writes as a self-acknowledged authority on what constitutes quality criticism. Although ... Read More

Aphra Behn’s Oroonoko as a Critical Commentary on the Dehumanizing Nature of Slavery (1604 words, 5 pages)

Oroonoko is an anti-slavery text, but it is not a text arguing for the liberation of slaves. Rather, the character Oroonoko is the vehicle with which Aphra Behn exposes the Englishmans failings to uphold the very values he uses to exemplify and rationalize his superiority over other raceschiefly Christianity, morality, ... Read More

An Analysis of Heathcliff’s Exile in Wuthering Heights, a Novel by Emily Bronte (557 words, 2 pages)

Heathcliff's Exile of Wuthering Heights In Emily Bronte's novel, Wuthering Heights, Mr. Earnshaw brings aboy, Heathcliff, home from a business trip into town. Mr. Earnshaw lovesthe boy like his own, but his son, Hindley, hates him because of this.Catherine, his daughter, becomes best friends with Heathcliff and theyspend their childhood ... Read More

A Comprehensive Analysis of Atonement, a Novel by Ian McEwan (4934 words, 13 pages)

The novel Atonement was published in 2001 and is the work of bestselling English author Ian McEwan. For McEwan this novel marks a change in his writing even more than had already occurred after several years of writing because he wrote this book during a time in which drama was ... Read More

The Twisted Irony in Othello, a Play by William Shakespeare (844 words, 3 pages)

The Irony in Othello Act III, scene iii of Shakespeare's play, Othello, is about the deceitof one revengeful man, Iago, and how it plays into the downfall of theother main characters, Othello, Desdemona and Emilia. They are led astrayby the lies Iago tells them, leading to their untimely death, yet ... Read More

The Effect of the Choice in The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus, a Play by Christopher Marlowe (357 words, 1 pages)

Idea Paper Dr. FaustusIn college, we face many choices. Do we do our homework? Do we sleep? Do we join this club or that club? In The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus by Christopher Marlowe, Faustus is faced with some choices on a much larger scale that will have a ... Read More

An Analysis of the Language Used in 1984, a Novel by George Orwell (666 words, 2 pages)

Language Analysis1984 is written in the 1940s with the perspective of what could happen if a country like Britain were taken over by a totalitarianism government. In the novel they use a new type of language called Newspeak. Newspeak creates a way to speak in shortened words and condense the ... Read More

An Analysis of Microcosm in Lord of the Flies, a Novel by William Golding (925 words, 3 pages)

Microcosm in Lord of the Flies In William Golding's novel The Lord of the Flies, several young boysare in a plane crash resulting in them being stranded on a deserted islandwith no adult to look after them. They were all on their way from Englandto safe, unknown destination because of ... Read More

The Inner Battles of Hamlet in Hamlet, a Play by William Shakespeare (649 words, 2 pages)

Hamlet's Inner Torment "To be or not to be, that is the question," is one of Shakespeare'smost well known quotes from his tragic play, Hamlet. In the playHamlet looses his father at the hands of his evil uncle, who then marrieshis mother and takes over his rightful throne. Over the ... Read More

Bureaucratic System in Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie (820 words, 3 pages)

Bureaucracy is a system of government in which a totalitarian leader has relatively all control over society. In respect to Salman Rushdies novel, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, the bureaucratic society goes through many difficulties in regards to working together effectively and dealing with a corrupt ruler. With bureaucracy ... Read More

The Distinction Between Classes in Canterbury Tales, a Novel by Geoffrey Chaucer (516 words, 2 pages)

The most distinct characteristic of Chaucers Canterbury Tales is the distinction between classes. Chaucer plays the role of the observer, simply noticing each characters individual vices and virtues. However, the writing is not without bias because the characters belonging to the upper class, such as the Franklin, Prioress, Monk, Guildsmen ... Read More

Comparing the Similarities in the Character of Puck in William Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and Michael Hoffman’s Movie of the Same Title (280 words, 1 pages)

Puck Played RightDirector, Michael Hoffman, created a beautiful interpretation of Shakespeares Midsummer Nights Dream. Although not every detail is portrayed the same as in the novel, the movie had many similarities. One specific similarity was the character Puck, a mischievous sprite. Based on my interpretation from the novel, I was ... Read More

The Use of the Newspeak Language to Control and Manipulate in 1984, a Novel by George Orwell (2134 words, 6 pages)

According to S.I. Hayakawa in his book, Language in Thought and Action, when a nations traditions permit a political party to feel that it is so good for the country that no other party has any right to exist the party declares its philosophy to be the official philosophy of ... Read More

The Reality of Colonization in The Heart of Darkness, a Novel by Joseph Conrad (737 words, 3 pages)

Joseph Conrads novella The Heart of Darkness is a vehicle that drives the question is colonization a force for good or evil? Through the rivers of the African Congo, the narrator, Marlow, is immersed in the reality of colonization and the business of ivory. The story he recounts is unsavory, ... Read More

A Study of Existentialism in 1984, a Novel by George Orwell (858 words, 2 pages)

In a society governed by a totalitarian regime, freedom of expression is very limited and individualism is avoided at all costs the novel 1984 is a perfect archetype for a civilization in which existentialism is a rare concession due to the dire abuse of power and demented manipulation. The ability ... Read More

A Synopsis of Beware of the Dog, a Short Story by Roald Dahl (625 words, 2 pages)

A Synopsis of Beware of the DogIn the short story Beware of the Dog, a man named Squadron Leader Peter Williamson is out of a dogfight with injuries during World War II. While in this dogfight, he is gravely injured and immediately heads on his way home on his plane, ... Read More

A Synopsis of Shooting an Elephant, a Short Story by George Orwell (554 words, 2 pages)

A Synopsis of Shooting an ElephantIn the short story Shooting an Elephant, which takes place in the 1920s in British-controlled Burma (or Myanmar), a man (also the narrator) named George Orwell is the Assistant Superintendent of the British Indian Imperial Police in the city of Moulmein. Orwell holds this position ... Read More

An Analysis of the Narrator in Written in the Blood, a Novel by Stephen Lloyd Jones (410 words, 2 pages)

The beginning of the narrators journey is the death of his older brother. This tragedy caused the narrator to be separate from himself, thwarting his ability to connect with people in life to come, known as bad distance. This leads to the narrator having inane affairs with different women and ... Read More

A Synopsis of The Mews from The Once and Future King by T. H. White (811 words, 2 pages)

The Once and Future King A Synopsis of The MewsIn this adventure, everyone in the castle is mistreating the Wart. Sir Ector tells the Wart to go study, but the Wart gets bored around the castle. He heads into the tower room, where Merlyn is located. The Wart tells Merlyn ... Read More

English Literature Essay Examples