Literature Term Papers

We have 7920 term papers relating to 'Literature'. Displaying page 1 of 330. Unlike other term paper and essay websites, all our term papers on Literature have been written by professional writers, not submitted by other students!

Technological Adventure in Verne's '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'

An eight page paper looking at the effect of Jules Verne's futuristic technology on his society and our own. The paper concludes that Verne's work, like his other fantastic voyage novels, encouraged people to incorporate the challenge of technology into their lives and move outside boundaries formerly considered 'safe.' Bibliography lists 5 sources.

Self-Absorption and Lack of Communication in Southern Literature

An eight page paper surveying seven works of fiction by six different authors. The paper argues that because Southern heritage is so concerned with maintaining traditions and external forms of behavior (such as claustrophobic family ties), the Southern way of life invites its citizenry to live inauthentic lives. Specific authors and works discussed include William Faulkner's 'The Sound and the Fury,' Robert Penn Warren's 'All the King's Men,' Eudora Welty's 'The Wide Net' and 'Why I Live at the P.O.', Carson McCullers' 'Member of the Wedding,' Walker Percy's 'The Moviegoer,' and Flannery O'Connor's 'The River.' Bibliography lists 8 sources.

Intellectualism in Hesse's 'The Glass Bead Game'

A five page paper looking at Hermann Hesse's last and most provocative novel in terms of its treatment of intellectualism in the modern world. The paper centers on the motif of the Glass Bead Game, and argues that it is impossible to play the Game as an intellectual discipline because its truths can only be glimpsed as brief snatches in the midst of real life. No additional sources.

Darwinism in Hardy's 'Tess of the D'Urbervilles'

A twelve page paper looking at the influence of Charles Darwin's 'Origin of Species' on Thomas Hardy's novel. The paper argues that Hardy was a devout disciple of Darwin's theory and used it to explain the forces operating against the novel's protagonist. No additional sources.

Catch-22 and All Quiet on the Western Front/A Comparison

A 10 page research paper that compares and contrasts Joseph Heller's Catch-22 and Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front. The writer argues that the common theme of both of these books is that war is essentially an immoral, basically insane, activity—not a glorious endeavor, as it has often been portrayed by wartime propaganda. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

Slavery as an Economic Institution in Morrison's 'Beloved'

A five page paper looking at Toni Morrison's novel in terms of its depiction of slavery from an economic standpoint. The paper points out that slaves suffered not only physical maltreatment but dehumanization because the emphasis was on their economic productivity, not their development as people.

Mothering in Dickens' 'Great Expectations' and Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights'

A five page paper comparing Charles Dickens' and Emily Bronte's absence of mothers in these two novels, and the effects this absence has on children in both novels. The paper concludes that Dickens feels some kind of mothering is necessary, even if it is the nurturing provided by a man; and Bronte feels girls do just as well mothering themselves. Bibliography lists three sources.

Culture & Illness/'Garcia Girls'

A 7 page research paper that addresses the problems that can be encountered for a health care practitioner in dealing with Hispanic clients. The writer draws on Julia Alvarez's novel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent in applying social psychology concepts pertaining to culture. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

Bram Stoker's Dracula and F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu

This 5 page paper compares and contrasts the film Nosferatu, with Stoker's novel Dracula, on which it is based. Mood, themes, plot and characterization are discussed as well as each work's contribution to the proliferation of the vampire myth. No additional sources cited.

The Metaphor of Ice in Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues'

A five page paper looking at James Baldwin's short story in terms of the way it uses the metaphor of ice -- and the contrasting metaphors of light, liquid, and heat -- as symbols of self-expression and emotional openness, or the lack thereof. Numerous quotes from the story are included. No additional sources.

Love and Lightness in Kundera's 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being'

A nine page paper on this 1984 novel by Czechoslovakian author Milan Kundera. The paper looks at the meaning behind the title, assesses the complex relationship between love and politics, and finally asserts that a life without responsibility is actually no life at all. Bibliography lists seven sources.

Comparing the Hearts of Two Good Men

This five-page-paper compares and contrasts the lives and values of two men in literary works of art. The protagonist in Young Goodman Brown and in Legends of the Moor are held next to each other and compared before, during and after the crisis they face in their respective stories. Bibliography lists two sources.

Reaction to 'Young Goodman Brown'

This five-page-paper explores the underlying theme of good Vs evil in the Young Goodman Brown essay by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The choices Goodman Brown makes are analysis and discussed. Bibliography lists one source.

Hamlet's Indecisiveness

A five-page paper analyzing the many instances in which the title character of Shakespeare's classic play postpones decisive action. The paper asserts that in the long run, this procrastination causes more injustice and hurts more people than an early decisive action would have done. No additional sources.

Nick Carraway's Role in Fitzgerald's 'The Great Gatsby'

A five page paper looking at F. Scott Fitzgerald's unusual choice of a narrator in this novel. Nick Carraway is not a protagonist in the novel, yet his very distance from the heart of the story enables us to learn a moralistic lesson from the tale in a way that wouldn't have been possible if the tale had been told from either of the protagonists' points of view. No additional sources.

Reapers by Jean Toomer (An Explication)

This 5 page paper presents the thesis that in Reapers, Jean Toomer uses diction, tone and imagery to produce emotional effects and meanings. Support is provided for the thesis and alternate interpretations are explored. No additional sources cited.

Melville's 'Billy Budd' As Understood Through Legal Theory

6 pages in length. What constitutional message was Herman Melville attempting to get across within his story of 'Billy Budd'? Melville, himself, was considerably preoccupied with the problems of God and God's design of the world as they related to good and evil, right and wrong. The writer discusses that to the author, human nature represented a dichotomy of description in that it was his interpretation that humanity was at the crux of many world problems, not the least of which pertained to the legal system. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

Hesiod's Fable and Other Ancient Political Portrayals

A 5 page paper which discusses four separate political portrayals of ancient times. The portrayals are Hesiod's fable of the Hawk and the Nightingale, particular dealings in the Iliad, Athens in the 6th century B.C., and Prometheus and democracy. No additional sources cited.

The Outsider by Albert Camus: A Psychological Analysis

This 8 page paper provides an overview of the basic elements of Albert Camus' work The Outsider (L'Etranger) and provides a psychological assessments of the main character, Mersault. This paper outlines the major factors in the life of the protagonist that define his psychological development and shape his view of life, and applies a behavioral assessment.. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis: A Philosophical View

This 7 page paper considers the era in which Kafka's novel was written and how the work reflects this period in time. This paper also considers why Kafka chose the particular structure and language of the work relative to the progression of existential thinking. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

Heart of Darkness & Apocalypse Now / Comparison and Contrast

In 7 pages, the author discusses compares and contrasts 'Heart of Darkness' by Joseph Conrad, and 'Apocalypse Now,' a movie loosely based on the novel. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own” -- Only Available to Those Who Can Afford It

This 6 page report discusses “A Room of One’s Own” written by Virginia Woolf in 1929. The report presents the view that even though Woolf points out the marginality of women in most of her works, her position as a well-educated and upper-class member of society, is seen in her perspectives regarding the proper place of working-class women. No secondary sources.

Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

John Reiss, in his assessment of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, has argued that the main characters allegorically represent philosophical and religious concepts. This 4 page paper argues that Pearl, the daughter of Hester and Dimmsdale, represents the hope and salvation that comes after sin. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

Roy's 'The God of Small Things'

A twenty-five page paper looking intensively at the themes of this contemporary Indian novel by Arundhati Roy. Using many quotes from the novel itself, the paper looks specifically at Roy's treatment of love, death, and the Indian caste system, as well as suggesting a meaning for the enigmatic title. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

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