What Is Drama ? : A 6 page paper that describes drama in terms of the literary genre and its application. Drama is based on the conflict that develops between characters and the presenation of the literature surrounding this action in a format that can be performed on stage. Drama is unique among literary genres because of its premise in performance and the major structural considerations that result from this premise. Bibliography lists several sources. Drama.wps

Understanding the Theme of Family : In 5 pages the author describes and discusses how several reading contribute to the understanding of the theme of the family. The theme of family is one of great importance. In the family section of "Literature and Ourselves", there are major sources of contribution to one's understanding of the actual theme of family. Family is many things to many people,
yet the recurring theme in family is coping with other people who are in close proximity. This is done in many ways. No additional sources cited. Famtheme.wps

Japanese & American Literature of the Early 20th Century : A 5 page paper that considers a comparison between Japanese and American literature around the turn of the century, and reflects on the political, social and religious determinants that influenced writers of this era. Bibliography lists 6 sources. Japalit.wps

Aristotle & The Tragedy of the Uncommon Man : A 5 page paper analyzing the concept of tragedy as defined by Aristotle (and illustrated in Sophocles’ Oedipus the King) and Arthur Miller’s definition of the form (as described in his essay "The Tragedy of the Common Man" and illustrated in Death of a Salesman). Bibliography lists one source. Tragedy.wps

Tragedy & Tragic Heroes In Macbeth, Death Of A Salesman, & More : A 6 page paper defining classic Aristotelian form of tragedy and how it is expressed in Macbeth, Death of a Salesman, The Metamorphosis, and The Stranger. 2 source bib Traghero.wps

Questioning Authority In Renaissance Drama : A 6 page paper looking at Shakespeare’s King Lear, The Tempest, and Spanish playwright Lope de Vega’s Fuente Ovejuna in terms of the degree to which they permit characters to question and flout authority. The paper argues that this has a great deal to do with the medieval view of government as a God-given hierarchy, and only as humanism began to take hold could authority be questioned. Bibliography lists 5 sources. Devega.wps

Male Characters Depicted in Classic Literature / Do They Portray a Realistic View of Men, Then & Now? : A 5 page paper discussing the works of Milton, Donne, Shakespeare, and Spenser and the male characters that reside within the pages. Are they kind, generous, honest, evil? Are they accurate depictions of the male gender, or are they dreamt up characters that merely portray particular characteristics to the extreme? It is believed that it is a bit of both with the truth leaning more in the favor of the depictions of the male character being quite accurate, both then and now.
A bibliography lists 5 sources. Menclas.wps

Sexuality and Women’s Self-Determination in Four Classic Literary Works :
A 9 page paper showing the connection between these two issues, as demonstrated in the works of Aristophanes, Plato, Dante, and Shakespeare (Lysistrata, The Apology, The Inferno, and The Tempest, respectively). The paper asserts that Western literature first mocked or dismissed the sexual expression of female self-determination, later turned it into a sin, and finally transformed it into a social gaffe, but until recently still continued to maintain that its suppression was not wrong. Bibliography lists five sources. 4litwor.wps

The Evolution And Realities Of Three Literary Characters : A 5 page paper discussing the characters of Nora from "A Doll’s House," Gregor from "Metamorphosis" and the Underground Man from "Notes From the Underground." Each character is unique and each one displays different qualities inherent in mankind. The paper examines their individual evolution to some extent, as well as their commonalties. No additional sources cited. Evolreal.wps

Art For Life’s Sake : A 7 page essay discussing the difference between art written for art’s sake and art written for life’s sake. It particularly discusses Flaubert, Ibsen, Dostoevsky and Yeats, and examines how each of these authors fit into the Romantic tradition of the artist as both spokesperson and iconoclast, and how each of these works discussed represent art created for life’s sake. Bibliography lists seven sources. Artlife.wps

Moliere’s "Tartuffe" & Ibsen’s "A Doll’s House" : A 4 page paper discussing the role of women in Moliere’s "Tartuffe" and Ibsen’s "A Doll’s House." In examining the personalities of the female characters we examine Nora, from "A Doll’s House," and Pernelle, from "Tartuffe." Where Nora is a weak individual who feels a need to blame others for her misfortune, Pernelle is a woman who is not necessarily liked, but is a woman who plays no games and understands herself and what she wants, or needs, out of life. No additional sources cited. Tardll.wps

Women’s Self-Image in Ibsen and Chopin : A 6 page paper comparing and contrasting hthe characterization of Edna Pontellier in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening with that of Nora Helmer in Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. The paper concludes that the heroines’ differing fates are defined by the nature of each woman’s self-image at the time of the story’s climax. Bibliography lists 6 sources. Womnself.wps

Society And The Individual In Ibsen And Hurston : A 5 page look at the way the female protagonists of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House and Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God respond to society’s traditional roles for women, and to what extent these characters are able to overcome these social constrictions to achieve a self-actualized life. No additional sources cited. Hursoci.wps

An Enlightening Symposium / Philosophy In World Literature : An 8 page transcript of an imaginary symposium set in an eternal "now" in which Jean-Baptiste Moliere, Mme. de Lafayette, Jonathan Swift, François Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Charlotte Bronte, and a Moderator discuss their philosophies. Special attention is given to the dichotomy of reason versus passion, and of the individual versus society. No sources. Panel.wps

Conrad, Blake, Swift, & the Dialectics of Literary Inheritance : A 20 page paper showing how Joseph Conrad, as an early Modernist, used many techniques inherited from earlier literary periods -- some of which he would have cheerfully acknowledged, others of which he would have found less congenial. Specifically, the paper looks at ways in which the ideologies and techniques of Jonathan Swift and William Blake found their way into Conrad’s works. Bibliography lists 20 sources. Conswift.wps

Building Rounded Characters In The Short Story : A 6 page look at the way Susan Glaspell, John Updike, William Faulkner, and Guy de Maupassant build realistic and believable characters in their short fiction. Particular stories discussed are Glaspell’s "A Jury of Her Peers," Updike’s "A & P", Faulkner’s "Barn Burning," and de Maupassant’s "The Necklace." Bibliography lists 8 sources. Runded.wps

Innocence, Knowledge, Good, & Evil / No One Escapes the Challenges of Humanity: No matter what the status of each individual, king, brother, daughter or villain, no one escapes the challenges of humanity. Royal status can not distinguish a person from the pain of experience, and each person is challenged by temptation, vanity, and their transformation from an innocent child to conscious, salient adult with as much inner conflict as inner knowledge. Shakespeare, Milton and Behn all considered the transformation of the human perspective, the progression from innocence to experience, and the struggles between good and evil, and demonstrated that no matter what the status of an individual or their seeming preference in the eyes of God, each man and woman is endowed with the same inherent flaws. This 5 page paper reflects the nature of this argument as it is represented in the characterizations of Lear and Gloucester in "King Lear," Adam and Eve in Milton’s "Paradise Lost," and the narrator and Oroonoko in Behn’s "Oroonoko." No additional sources cited. Humanit2.wps

Sexism in Anderson, James, Updike and Welty : An 8 page paper that concludes: In these five stories, women are portrayed in various ways. Only Anderson’s "The Egg" continues to stress the inadequacy and calamity of women. James, Updike and Welty each present a twist on society’s sexist view of women in the situations presented. Each writer provides redeeming qualities in their female characters, although the message is sometimes muddled in traditional constructs. In "Daisy Miller," James goes so far as to point out the error in those constructs, which is why the male character is named Winterbourne. The name itself infers that the man contributed to Daisy’s death by not responding to his own perceptions incongruous with society’s claims. His perceptions later proved to be accurate. Six sources cited. Sexinlit.wps

Victimization in Wieland, Redburn, and Uncle Tom’s Cabin : A 6 page paper discussing these three novels by Charles Brockton Brown, Herman Melville, and Harriet Beecher Stowe. The paper concludes that in each of these novels, the characters had a choice about whether or not they intended to be a victim -- and for better or worse, the choice transformed their lives forever. Bibliography lists the three books as sources. Wieland.wps

Willa Cather’s "Paul’s Case" vs. Graham Greene’s "The Destructors" : A 6 page paper on these two stories by Willa Cather and Graham Greene. The paper concludes that Paul’s rebellion pits the exquisite against the drab, while Trevor’s rebellion ultimately pits meaninglessness against meaning. No sources. Destruc.wps

Romantic Era Literature / Past & Present. A 9 page research paper and comparison of Romantic literature authors, with focus on Mary Shelley, Edith Wharton, Anne Rice and Fannie Flagg. The paper posits that not only did the earlier writers influence the later writers, but that all reject the cannonical view of women’s roles of their times and politicize the role of female authorship. Bibliography lists 8 sources. Romnera.wps

Parent/Child Conflict in Three Short Stories : A 7 page paper analyzing the conflict between parental figures and youth in three stories: Frank O’Connor’s "First Confession," "Joy Williams’ "Taking Care," and Ernest Gaines’ "The Sky is Gray". The paper concludes that the job of a "parent" is to instill qualities in a younger person that will help the young person contribute productively to society; and it is the job of the young person to break with tradition just enough to be able to achieve his own potential. No sources except books. Gained.wps

Community In The Writings of Winthrop, Williams, & Mather : A 5 page paper examining the way these Founding Fathers of our country looked at the idea of community. It asserts that they regarded it not only as a benchmark of their own values, but as in many ways a sacred trust. Bibliography lists five sources. Cwww.wps

Good Guys & Rotten Apples in Twentieth Century Detective Fiction : A 9 page paper analyzing the detectives used in six detective novels of the twentieth century: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie, The Emperor’s Snuffbox by John Dickson Carr, The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crispin, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, Guardian Angel by Sara Paretsky, and Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. The paper separates the novels into those in which the detectives themselves are moral and trustworthy, and those in which they are not, and explains how the author’s social and moral views are reflected in his detectives. Bibliography lists 7 sources. Goodet.wps

Book of Job vs. The Odyssey : A five page essay comparing Job to Oedipus from Sophocoles "Oedipus The King." Issues such as free will are discussed throughout. No Bibliography. Bookofjo.wps

Class Struggle In Four Multicultural Authors : A 5 page paper looking at the works of James Joyce, Lu Xun, Mahasweta Devi, and Pramoedya Ananta Toer, in terms of how these authors reflect class stratifications within their respective cultures. Stories mentioned are Joyce’s "Araby," Lu Xun’s "My Old Home," Devi’s "Breast-Giver," and Toer’s "Inem." Bibliography lists two additional sources. Strugcl.wps

Partners in Modernism / Lu Xun & James Joyce : A 5 page paper comparing the famous Irish author with a Chinese writer less well-known in the United States, but just as influential in his own country as Joyce is in the English-speaking world. The paper illustrates the many uncanny parallels between these two authors. Bibliography lists 9 sources. Luxun.wps

Love in Wilde, Joyce & Blake : An 8 page paper looking at Oscar Wilde’s urbane The Picture of Dorian Gray, James Joyce’s modernist Dubliners, and William Blake’s Romantic Songs of Innocence and Experience, in terms of the way each author depicted humanity’s problem with love. The paper shows that all three authors felt society has impeded our ability to freely express love and establish intimacy with one another. Bibliography lists 3 sources. Lovewjb.wps

The "Feminine Principle" In Four Multicultural Authors : A 6 page paper looking at the strength of the woman’s perspective in four works from all over the world: James Joyce’s "Araby," Chinua Achebe’s "Things Fall Apart," Ding Ling’s "When I Was in Xia Village," and Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s "Inem". The paper concludes that of those stories discussed, the female principle is strongest in Achebe’s African story because his women seem to have the strongest support system and strongest sense of self. Bibliography lists two sources. Whood.wps

Ed Albee’s "The American Dream" v. Pohl & Kornblum’s "Space Merchants" :
A 5 page paper on the themes central to these two books. One set in the 1950's and the other in the future, they each deal with social issues and relationships concerning American life... what is was and what it may become. Four sources are cited. Space.wps

Altered States of Reality in Literature : A 5 page paper discussing the book City of Glass, by Paul Auster and how it has many connections to the main character in, and the story of, Don Quixote, by Miguel de Cervantes. While there are apparently some very obvious references to Quixote in Auster’s work, these are not the connections that are generally discussed. The two main characters are quite similar in many ways as they struggle to be free of their inherent constraints. No additional sources cited. Quixalt.wps

Nightmare States In "The Yellow Wallpaper" & "Young Goodman Brown" :
A 5 page paper showing how hallucinogenic imagery in these two stories, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and Nathaniel Hawthorne respectively, gives the reader access to a deeper well of insight than could be provided through the protagonist’s rational narration. The paper analyzes the nightmare quality of both stories, and shows how the imagery cuts through the thin wall between illusion and reality. Three sources including stories. Yellbrow.wps

Anachronism Of Marriage In The Works Of Lord Byron & Samuel Butler :
A 6 page essay that looks at two works from each author, Don Juan and The Way of All Flesh respectively, in regards to their opinions on marriage with references from each book. Byrbut.wps

Mary Reilly vs. Meeting the Shadow : A 5 page paper that considers the similarities between elements of Zweig & Abrams' Meeting the Shadow and Martin's Mary Reilly. Bibliography lists no additional sources. MReilly.wps

Lucie, Harriet, & Daisy / Literature's Treatment of Women in Their Society :
In this 11 page essay, the writer focuses on these three specific characters from Dickens'"A Tale of Two Cities," Eliot's "Middlemarch," and James' "Daisy Miller"-- discussing how they each illustrated the societal hardships, stereotypes, and prejudices that women faced during their respective eras. Bibliography lists 7 sources used to support the writer's thesis. Middlemn.wps

Abuse of Power / Literature : A 6 page comparison of Dickens’s "Hard Times," Hersey’s "Hiroshima," Orwell’s "Burmese Days," Remarque’s "All Quiet on the Western Front," and Voltaire’s "Candide." The writer focuses on how the authors applied realism to their tales to express their personal opinion on imperialism. The paper compares and contrasts styles in this pursuit. Bibliography lists 6 sources. Powrabus.wps

Women In Power : 6 pages in length. Powerful women are a rare breed. Such rarity is clearly depicted in three particularly outstanding stories: Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin, Everyday Use by Alice Walker and The Widow of Ephesus. While each woman's strength is varied among these tales, they share a common thread of power felt from down within one's very being. It is about this strength and power that the writer describes these women as they are able to cope with extreme situations and make their lives more worthwhile. Bibliography lists 3 sources. Powerwmn.wps

Interpersonal Communication In The Scarlet Letter And Native Son : A 5 page paper comparing the ability of Hester Prynne and Bigger Thomas in these novels by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Richard Wright, respectively, to effectively communicate difficult concepts to those who could help them. The paper concludes that Hester can communicate more effectively than Bigger because she is trying to speak to a helper within her own social and cultural milieu, while Bigger is trying to communicate toward people outside his. Bibliography lists 6 sources.. Hester2.wps

The Timelessness of Medea and Blood Wedding : A 5 page, analytical discussion of how the themes into literary landmarks -- from two different cultures -- (Spanish and Ancient Greek) have withstood the "tests of time" and still maintain an appeal for contemporary audiences. The two works discussed are Euripides' "Medea" and Garcia Lorca's "Blood Wedding" -- two thematically similar tales. No Bibliography. Mdeablod.wps

The Suffering of Women in Medea and The Irish Saga : A 6 page comparison of women, fate, and suffering in Medea and the Irish Saga ("Exile of the Sons of Uisliu") -- two classic works from completely different cultures and periods. Primary focus is upon the central characters : Medea and Dredriu. No Bibliography. Medeaish.wps

Perkins' "The Yellow Wallpaper" & Ibsen's "Doll House" : In this 6 page essay, the writer compares social oppressions as they relate to the wives in each of these two stories. In each story, the wife was expected to look up to her husband as an 'Ideal-maker'--yet each author uses different techniques and secondary characters to illustrate this point. No Bibliography. Isbengil.wps

The Sins Of The Fathers / Family Heritage In Williams & Ibsen : A 5 page paper discussing the importance of paternal influence on the central characters of Henrik Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler, and Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. The paper traces these relationships in both plays and concludes that the sins of the father are definitely visited upon the children, long after they have become adults. Bibliography lists two sources besides the plays. Cat2.wps

The Undead Dead in "Usher" and "Gracchus" : A 6 page paper analyzing the way Edgar allan poe and Franz Kafka deal with the subject of the dead who will not die. The stories compared are Poe’s "The Fall of the House of Usher" and Kafka’s "The Hunter Gracchus." No additional sources are listed. Usher2.wps

The Theme Of Violence On "The Lottery" & "Doe Season" : A 5 page paper examining the theme of ritualistic violence in these two stories. Compares and contrasts the two different approaches taken by Jackson and Kaplan that arrive at the same conclusion - that violence is wrong. Lottdoe.wps

Social Evolution In America Through The Works Of Faulkner & Hurston :
This 8 page paper examines how William Faulkner charted social evolution in America in the person of Ike McCaslin in his 1942 short story, "The Bear," and how Zora Neale Hurston similarly described the African-American struggles in white society through the eyes of Janie Woods in her 1937 novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God. Bibliography lists 4 sources. Beareyes.wps

Comparison & Contrast of Literary Strategy / Hawthorne, Hemingway, and Faulkner : In 5 pages, the writer compares and contrasts the literary strategy of style in three readings, one each by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Ernest Hemingway, and William Faulkner. The House of The Seven Gables, A Farewell to Arms and The Sound and The Fury are compared and contrasted in terms of the literary strategy of style. Bibliography lists 8 sources. Complsty.wps

Hemingway and Fitzgerald’s Heroes & Heroines : A 5 page paper looking at Jake Barnes and Brett Ashley in Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises, as compared to Jay Gatsby and Daisy Fay Buchanan in Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The paper specifically analyzes their characterizations in comparison with one another, and in terms of how they each reflect their author’s respective views of life. Bibliography lists 2 sources. Hemfitz.wps

Caddy ("The Sound And The Fury") And Daisy ("The Great Gatsby") -- The "Lost" Girls Of American Fiction In The 1920s : This 5 page report discusses two female characters that have become quite nearly archetypal in American fiction – women who must be "saved," if not from another man than certainly from themselves. No additional sources cited. Daisy4.wps

The Great Gatsby Vs. The Sun Also Rises : 5 pages in length. A common thread between F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby and Ernest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises is the strong sexual orientation theme. Nearly all of the main characters are caught up in one carnal crises or another, without the least bit of concern for those who ultimately become the victims of their passions. The writer compares and contrasts the attitudes and actions of the characters with regard to how their sexual orientation affects the outcome of the story. Bibliography lists 2 sources. Gatsun.wps

Hurston and Toomer / Vernacular & Self-Image : An 11 page paper examining how Zora Neale Hurston’s and Jean Toomer’s use of the vernacular in their works reflects their own self-concept as black people. Novels discussed are Cane and Their Eyes Were Watching God. Bibliography lists 9 sources. Hursttoo.wps

Oppression In The Settings Of "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" vs. "Desire Under The Elms" : A 5 page paper comparing the power and effect of the spirit of place in both Tennessee Williams and Eugene O’Neill’s plays. The paper concludes that both these works rely so heavily on their respective settings that the oppressive locales predetermines the outcome of the events. No additional sources cited. Cat.wps

World Literature / Various Essays : 15 pages in total length. A collection of brief, comparative essays in various genres of literature. Works explored include "Red Thread Maiden," "Lysistrata," speeches of Sojourner Truth and more. Please send e-mail for more information. No Bibliography. Eslessa.wps

Defying Authority / In Literature & In Life : A 6 page creative essay describing an episode in the life of a college student who stood up for their beliefs. The writer relates this experience to the stories of Sophocles’ Antigone (from Antigone), Plato’s Socrates (as described in the Apology), and Arthur Miller’s John Proctor (from The Crucible). The essay concludes that even though following one’s conscience does not always produce a happy ending, it is still worth it. No additional sources cited. Exp.wps

The Theme of Exile in Ten Multi-cultural Writers : A 7 page paper discussing how ten international poets and writers interpret the theme of exile. Writers and works featured are: "Insecurity" by Neil Bissoondath, "Unnamed Island in the Unknown City" by Keri Hulme, "My Faithful Mother Tongue" by Czelaw Milowsz, "The Orange" by Diane Wakoski, "The Dance and the Railroad" by David Henry Hwang, Nahasweta Devi’s "Giribala", "Lennart Sjogren "The Roses", Wing Teklum’s "Minority Poem", Julio Cortazar’s "Letter to a Young Lady in Paris", and Pablo Neruda’s "Goodbyes". Bibliography lists 3 sources. Multi.wps

The Bonds of Home in Conroy, Hawthorne and Miller : An 8 page paper on the significance of "home" -- in both its beneficent and constraining aspects -- in Arthur Miller’s Death of A Salesman; Pat Conroy’s Prince of Tides; and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The paper notes that although home may have been where the hurt occurred, it is where healing must begin as well. No sources except books themselves. Hawth5.wps

Hemingway vs. Joyce / "Just Representations of Nature" : A 5 page paper examining Samuel Johnson’s opinion that no literature will endure the test of time except that which reveals and explores situations and characteristics that are recognizable, that most of us share, and that are common to people across the boundaries of time and space. The paper compares Ernest Hemingway’s "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" and James Joyce’s "Araby" in view of Johnson’s dictum, arguing that Hemingway’s story fulfills the requirement better than Joyce’s because its theme is more easily accessible to the general reader. Bibliography lists 3 sources. Hemjoyce.wps

Utilization Of the Journey Motif In Contemporary Literature : This 5 page paper analyzes how the journey motif was used in The Grapes of Wrath (1939) by John Steinbeck, The Old Man and The Sea (1952) by Ernest Hemingway, and Deliverance (1970) by James Dickey. No additional sources cited. Journey.wps

Characterization Through Conflict In James, Joyce, & Faulkner : A 5 page paper using Henry James’ short story "A Mirror of Consciousness" as a springing-off point to show how a character’s participation in an event which creates a conflict for him, and his response to that event, teaches us not only about the character but about ourselves. The writer primarily discusses "Araby" by James Joyce and "Barn Burning" by William Faulkner as examples of this. No additional sources cited. Hjames.wps

Self-Realization in Three War Novels : A 6 page paper which discusses the quest for a deeper sense of self as depicted in three novels: Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell To Arms, Timothy Findley’s The Wars, and Joy Kogawa’s Obasan . The paper observes that while a major life-crisis is not necessary in order to spur on this important personal journey, it is nonetheless true that most of us go through life without doing any particular self-analysis until a crisis strikes -- and then self-analysis becomes necessary for psychic survival. Bibliography lists three sources. Warnovel.wps

Locke, Voltaire, & Huxley / On Society : A 5 page paper that discusses how these three authors’ intent was to prepare society for the world in which it lives. The paper discusses the three viewpoints, but brings them together in a thesis that they wrote their stories and philosophies in order to provide information to humans about how the world is/should be constructed. Bibliography lists 3 sources. Lockeh.wps

Duality In Several Works Of Literature : A 3 page essay that discusses Wright's "Black Boy," Lamming's "Castle of My Skin," and Soyinka's "Ake." The writer assesses these works with regard to the duality of identifying with native land, and love-hate relationship with colonial entity controlling their characters’ lives. Bibliography lists 3 sources. Struggle.wps

Racism and Self-Oppression In Two Works Of Literature : An 8 page paper analyzing whether a racist caste system can rest on force alone, given the fact that the people oppressed by it should in theory be numerous enough to resist and overthrow it. It argues that part of the dynamics of oppression is both economic and psychological, and this is what is the most difficult to fight. The paper makes extensive use of Richard Wright’s Black Boy and Anne Moody’s Coming of Age in Mississippi. Bibliography lists one source. Racism5.wps

Mother / Daughter Relationships & American Subcultures - Chavez and Kingston : A 5 page paper that provides an overview of the theme of mother/daughter relationships and the correspondence between this and gender identification in Chavez's Face of an Angel and Kingston's Woman Warrior. Chavez.wps

T.J. English’s "The Westies" / Women & Values : A 12 page paper discussing T.J. English’s nonfiction book about the famous twentieth-century Hell’s Kitchen gang. It particularly looks at the women behind the scenes in the all-male gang, and analyzes the way these women reflect traditional values. No additional sources cited. Westies.wps

Mobsters As Everyday People In "The Westies" & The Murder Machine :
A 7 page paper comparing and contrasting the presentation of mobsters in these two books, by T.J. English, and Gene Mustain and Jerry Capeci, respectively. The paper concludes that the main difference lies in The Westies’ presentation of even the most heinous criminals as human beings, as compared to the presentation of them in The Murder Machine as subhuman monsters. One source cited (Westies). Mobster.wps

Easier to Move: Confrontations in "Bartleby" and "Soldier’s Home" :
A 5 page paper comparing Harold Krebs in Hemingway’s "Soldier’s Home" with the narrator of "Bartleby the Scrivener" by Herman Melville. The paper concludes that both these characters have a difficult time risking confrontation, and, despite the fact that one character is a soldier returned from the front and the other a successful lawyer, neither is secure enough to risk a confrontation that could be uncomfortable, painful, or guilt-inducing. Bibliography lists the two primary sources. Barthome.wps

Hierarchical Thinking In Dracula & "The Most Dangerous Game" :
A 5 page paper on Bram Stoker’s Dracula and Richard Connell’s "The Most Dangerous Game." The writer notes that both stories involve a man who, whether out of hunger or for sport, hunts down human beings to destroy them, and analyzes the presence of such hierarchical behavior throughout both works. Bibliography lists three sources including the works themselves. Dracgame.wps

Treatment Of Familial-Community Themes In Several Works : A 3 page essay on how rape, incest, education, and language are presented at the familial level in Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye," Sapphire's "Push," Kincaid's "Annie John," and D'aguair's "Dear Future." The writer subsequently analyzes how these items are analogous to the works’ societal themes. Rapeinc.wps

A Literary View of the Business World : A 5 page essay that examines three books that deal with the American business world-- Upton Sinclair's The Jungle; Lewis Sinclair's Babbitt; and William Heffernan's The Dinosaur Club. These books offer three views of the American business world, and also the way in which Americans would like to see themselves and the American Dream. These novels paint a picture that shows the American Dream gone wrong. Instead of the American dictum of fair play and equality, workers are faced with business managers who are unscrupulous, unprincipled, or simply morally lost. No additional sources cited. 90buslit.wps

Restoration Literature / Marriage : A 6 page paper on four seventeenth-century Restoration authors and their works: Wycherley’s The Country Wife, Behn’s The Rover, Congreve’s The Way of the World, and Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera. The paper shows how, through scenes of love and marriage as well as infidelity and prostitution, these authors juxtapose idealized views of the roles women and men were supposed to occupy in society against a caustic view of the way things really were. No additional sources cited. Marrest.wps

Wycherley’s "The Country Wife" & Sheridan’s "School for Scandal / I Do? Marital Values : William Wycherley’s The Country Wife and Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s School for Scandal both consider the structure and standards for marriage and the marital values that shape family life through the actions of their main characters. This 8 page paper considers the issues of marriage and marital values presented in these two works and relates the specific components of character development to the larger moral position of the society. No additional sources cited. Maritval.wps

William Faulkner & Toni Morrison’s / Modernist & Post-Modernist Literature : This 4 page research paper explores twentieth-century modernist and post-modernist literature, as reflected in the works of William Faulkner and Toni Morrison. Specifically discussed are the style and content with their works with the social, culture and philosophical context of their writings through examination of excerpts from two of their short stories, A Rose for Emily and Recitatif. Bibliography lists 3 sources. Faulkmor.rtf

Verisimilitude In Grisham, Wharton, & Guterson : A 6 page paper discussing the reality of the settings and details in these three novels. The paper points out that verisimilitude is very important in fiction, because only when the reader is grounded in reality can he suspend disbelief sufficiently to be drawn into the story. Bibliography lists one source. Versim.wps

The Conflict Between The Notion Of Public Interest & Private Interest :
7 pages in length. The author uses "The Federalist Papers", John Stuart Mill's "On Liberty", Margaret Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale", and Derrick Bell's "Faces at the Bottom of the Well" to discuss the notion of conflict between public interest and private interest. Addresses question of whether public interest is more important than private interest, vice versa, or -- are both public and private interest equally important. No bibliography. Pubpriv.wps

Feminism in The Bread Givers & Life in the Iron Works : A 6 page essay on feminism as seen in these two books by authors, Anzia Yezierska and Rebecca Harding Davis (respectively). These two works eloquently show the plight of women in 1800s and early 20th century. Breadgiv.wps

Human Happiness & Passion / Montaigne To Mill : A 14 page paper that utilizes the literature of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries to represent common perspectives about the themes of human happiness, love, passion, and the human condition during varying times in European history. Descartes, Hegel, Hume, Keats, & Marx are among the many authors discussed. Bibliography lists 16 sources. Humanhap.wps

Realism & Naturalism In Nineteenth Century Thought : A 20 page paper discussing four works: A Modern Instance by William Dean Howells, The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett; Roughing It by Mark Twain; and The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton. The paper discusses whether these works are realistic or naturalistic, backing each contention up with solid evidence from the novels as well as critical sources. Bibliography lists 17 sources. Realnatu.wps

Sarah O. Jewett’s "The Country of the Pointed Firs" : A 5 page analysis of this nineteenth century novel reveals why modern scholars believe the original assessment of this work did not do it justice. Originally not accepted as a novel at all but merely deemed "local color," the role of the female narrator who tells the story has been reevaluated and modern scholars have developed a deeper appreciation for the subtle way in which this character is develops throughout this unusual work. Bibliography lists 6 sources. Pointfir.wps

The Anachronism Of Marriage As Seen In Works Of Lord Byron & Samuel Butler : A 5 page essay that looks at two works from each author, Don Juan and The Way of All Flesh respectively, in regards to their opinions on marriage with references from each book. Byron and Butler. Byronbut.wps

Sir Gawain, Morte D’arthur, & The Romantic Tradition : A 6 page paper on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, as well as Le Morte D’arthur by Thomas Malory. The paper argues that both works are romances, although they reflect the tradition in different ways; the medieval romance genre is defined, and then both stories are analyzed to show how they fit the tradition. Bibliography lists two sources. Gawainmd.wps

Anti-Feminism In Five Tales : A 5 page paper that reviews Sir Gawain, Wife of Bath (Chaucer), Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing in light of the anti-feminine treatment of its women characters. The writer argues that fear of the feminine in these tales leads to the necessity for control of the feminine. Bibliography lists four sources. Antifem3.wps

Gender Issues in Multicultural Literature Education : A 12 page paper examining the issue of whether issues of gender should be a part of a multicultural literature course. Looking at three twentieth-century novels -- Bless Me Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya; My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok; and Strange Fruit by Lillian Smith -- the paper argues that the challenges facing the female characters are fundamentally different than those of the men in the same novel, and thus gender is a valid multicultural issue. Bibliography lists 5 sources. Litiss.wps

Anaya & Garcia Marquez / Magic Realism In Their Works : A 6 page paper looking at this unusual literary genre as exemplified by Rudolfo’s Bless Me, Ultima, and Gabriel Garcia Marquez’ One Hundred Years of Solitude. The paper points out that magical realism criticizes the traditional views of reality, depicting them as deficient, and it is therefore a political and sociological tool. Bibliography lists 3 sources. Anyamarq.wps

Violence & Gender In Two Short Plays : A 7 page paper comparing Eugene O’Neill’s Before Breakfast and Susan Glaspell’s Trifles. The paper notes that in each play two violently different mindsets come crashing together, and the conflicts are based on gender-specific ways of seeing the world. No additional sources cited. Breakf.wps

A Comparison Of Antigone, Medea & Nora : This 6 page paper provides an overview of the similarities of three of the best-known female protagonists is theater -- Nora of Ibsen's "The Doll House," Medea in "Medea" by Euripides, and Antigone in Sophocles' play of the same name. Bibliography lists 3 additional sources. 3women.rtf

Snobbery & Class In Austen & Gaskell : A 6 page paper examining these issues in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South, dealing with the characters of Darcy and Thornton, respectively. The paper concludes that although class-consciousness became much more dependent on the possession of money after the Industrial Revolution, snobbery in both novels is a response to one’s position being threatened. Bibliography lists four sources. Gasaust.wps

Wuthering Heights / Pride & Prejudice : 6 pages in length. The differences between the love affairs of Catherine and Heathcliff in Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights, and Darcy and Elizabeth, the characters from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice are grand and far-reaching. To compare and contrast the way in which these two couples fell in love is to demonstrate the contrarieties between a spontaneous, smoldering romance and one that is born initially out of contempt and antagonism. The writer discusses these differences, as well as draws a conclusion on their ability to represent the passage of love. Bibliography lists 2 sources. Wutherh.wps

Contrasting Literature of the Romantic and Victorian Periods : A 5 page essay contrasting the differing styles of literature between the Romantic an Victorian period using examples from Lord Byron’s Don Juan and Coleridge’s Rime of the Ancient Mariner from the Romantic period and Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest from the Victorian. Romvict.wps

Portrayal Of Women In Eighteenth & Nineteenth Century Literature : This 5 page paper considers the portrayal of women in 17th century literature as opposed to the 19th century by examining Moliere's Tartuffe (1664), Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary (1857) and Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler (1890). Several.wps

Kiss of the Spider Woman & Other Stories : A 5 page paper looking at Manuel Puig’s novel as a backdrop for four others: A Sincere Friendship by Clarice Lispector, The Lion by Eugeny Zamyatin, The Night Visitor by Elena Poniatowska, and China by Charles Johnson. The paper examines how in these works the human need for individual expression and moral courage influence and reinforce each other. No additional sources cited. SpiderW.doc

The Rediscovery Of The Human / The New Physicality In Late Medieval Art & Literature : A comprehensive, 60 page thesis paper on the transition between what has come to be called in the art field the Romanesque & Gothic periods. The writer asserts, first, that a similar distinction is also present in the literature, and that the Gothic spirit is actually a rediscovery of the physical which had been lost due to the Christian Church’s obsession with the spiritual alone. It is ultimately concluded that the transformation of vision that occurred in late medieval ages was the movement from a culture obsessed with becoming divine to a culture more at home in its own humanity. Bibliography lists more than 25 sources. Artthes.rtf

Mill, Carlyle & Victorian Society : A 7 page paper showing how Thomas Carlyle and John Stuart Mill influenced the Victorian age as much as they were influenced by it. It shows how their philosophies informed the age they lived in, and how their influence stretched into the twentieth century as well. Bibliography contains two sources. Millcar.wps

The Art of Detection in Crispin, Christie, & Carr : A 5 page paper examining the way these three authors -- and their detectives -- purport to involve the reader in the solution of the crimes but in fact deflect his attention from the very clues he needs. Novels covered are Agatha Christie’s The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, John Dickson Carr’s The Emperor’s Snuff Box, and Edmund Crispin’s The Moving Toyshop. Bibliography lists 6 sources. Detect.wps

Cultural Attitudes : A 5 page paper discussing two short stories and the image they portray of cultures in general. The stories are Toys, by Roland Barthes, and Kill’em, Crush ‘em, Eat ‘em Raw, by John McMurtry. Both of these stories present a highly opinionated view of mankind and society as a whole. They present the reader with images of hard realities and convoluted ideals. Both of these stories can be interpreted in various ways with many hidden meanings. Cultural.wps

Fielding & Inchbald / Morality : A 5 page paper comparing Elizabeth Inchbald’s
A Simple Story with Henry Fielding’s Joseph Andrews. The paper concludes that the difference between A Simple Story and Joseph Andrews boils down to the difference between Inchbald’s and Fielding’s definitions of success as much as to changing social opinion regarding morality. No additional sources cited. Inch.wps

Neoclassical & Metaphysical Literature : A 2 page paper that provides an overview of the major points of each, and then provides examples of representative authors including George Herbert & Henry Vaughan. No bibliography. Neometa.wps

"Fiddler on the Roof" (a.k.a. "Tevye") & "Tevye the Dairyman" by Sholem Aleichem / Compare and Contrast : A 4 page paper which examines the collection of Yiddish short stories entitled Tevye the Dairyman and the Railroad Stories by Sholem Aleichem and the 1971 musical film, upon which it was based, Fiddler on the Roof (also referred to as Tevye). Bibliography lists 3 sources. Tevye.wps

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