Literature Essay Samples Around

Opening Conversation in Neighbor Rosicky by Cather

Introduction Anton Rosicky, the main character in Neighbor Rosicky, is a 65-year-old farmer who lives in Nebraska with his beloved family. The man is a highly kind, polite, and warm-hearted person who values his family and their relationship. The first scene in the story is fundamental: it influences the course...

Analysis of “The Song of Roland”

In his song, Roland depicts that man was no longer the measure of all things since God was now the Supreme Being. Therefore, this led to the values changing to a focus on God, soul, and church. For example, in the story, the scripture is quoted in the book of...

The Impact of Technique on Yeats’ Poems

The poetic technique has an important impact on an author’s ability to express their thoughts in a poem. W.B. Yeats is one of the poets who succeeded in properly exploiting different techniques in his pieces to add diversity and value to certain lines and parts of them. The poems The...

“The Death of Ivan Ilyich” by Leo Tolstoy: Analysis

It is important to note that the concept of death is one of the critical and philosophical ones. Leo Tolstoy’s The Death of Ivan Ilyich. Throughout the storyline, Ivan Ilyich’s opinions, thoughts, and understandings of the reality of life and its end evolves through realizations of his own limitations. One...

Shakespeare’s Hamlet Character Analysis

Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century dramaturgy was an integral and perhaps the essential part of the literature of the time. One of the most prominent dramatists of the period is William Shakespeare, whose character analysis of Hamlet will be presented in this paper. According to the plot, Hamlet sees his father’s spirit;...

Amir’s Risk-Taking in Hosseini’s Novel “The Kite Runner”

Hosseini’s novel depicts how much people’s perceptions of their duties depend on their relationships with those in need of help. Amir, the protagonist, risks his life to save Sohrab, who turns out to be his nephew, from the Taliban. Based on Amir’s little compassion for Sohrab before learning about their...

Heroism in the Chapter 7 of “Víctor Rojas: The Lifeguard of Arecibo”

Heroism can manifest itself not only in altruistic deeds for other people but in individual opposition to difficult social conditions. The seventh chapter shows how VĂ­ctor gets to the award ceremony of the colonial government, where he receives medals and a certificate (Rivera, 2020). However, the people of the town...

“Enrique’s Journey” by Nazario and “The Kite Runner” by Hosseini

Enrique’s Journey by Sonia Nazario and The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini follows the tales of the hardships of immigrants and minorities in a landscape that aims to diminish their ability to autonomy. As such, both works share thematic components of which family and dehumanization are the most prevalent and...

Literary Analysis of “A Good Man Is Hard to Find” by O’Connor

A Good Man is Hard to Find is one of the most outstanding works of Flannery O’Connor, a writer whose blood-chilling stories confront the usual stereotypes about religion, the good and the evil. Indeed, in A Good Man is Hard to Find O’Connor condemns the conventionalism of religion and proclaims...

“My Papa’s Waltz” by Roethke and “Daddy” by Plath

Introduction “My Papa’s Waltz” is one of the most famous poems by Theodor Roethke. Four stanzas conceal the complex content of the child’s impressions of his father. “Daddy” by Sylvia Plath is a much longer and more controversial poem representing grief and hatred for the deceased parent. Both poems are...

Titus Maccius Plautus vs. Marcus Terentius Varro Reatinus Comedies

The comedies “Casina” and the poem “On the Life of the Roman People” by the two playwriters, Titus Maccius Plautus and Marcus Terentius Varro Reatinus, respectively, use the same writing styles in many ways. One of the common characteristics of comedies is severe and rapid dialogues, which are characterized by...

Themes in the “Passing” Novel by Nella Larsen

Introduction The concepts of race and ethnicity are widely represented in literature as authors raise questions about society, culture, and their impact on identity and human relationships. Nella Larsen explores these notions in her novel Passing, where the two black characters adjust their personalities to varying degrees. In doing so,...

Analysis of “The Lesson of the Moth” by Marquis

The poem “The Lesson of the Moth” explains the point of view of why moths choose to fry themselves in an electric bulb. The moth expresses their willingness to die as long as they are exposed to the beauty of light. The speaker expresses ambivalence when they are startled by...

Alice Munro and Zadie Smith’s Literary Stories: Comparison and Contrast

Introduction This type of essay highlights the differences and similarities between two or more elements in dissimilar stories by either the same or different authors. It is used for demonstrating what divides and unites similar things or concepts, especially if the subjects are frequently misunderstood for one another or are...

An Analysis of Gulliver’s Practical Character

Gulliver’s Travels is one of the most influential books in English literature, written several centuries ago but still remains popular today. Swift’s Gulliver is a character known for his modesty and sensibility despite being placed in an unusual setting. Throughout the book, Gulliver highlights his practical nature and does it...

Tragedy of “Othello” by Shakespeare

Othello is a blend of brilliance and frailty; he is a commander in the Venetian armed services. Despite being an immigrant from Africa, he has earned this position through military skills. He possesses courage, intellect, command ability, and the confidence of his men. Othello is an exile who is bright...

Zeus and Cronus: General Characteristics, Similarities, and Differences

Introduction Greek myths are tales about ancient gods who personified various forces and phenomena of nature. The story is about powerful, supernatural gods, goddesses, and their children. Ancient Greek myths, as well as literary works of other peoples, used real historical events as a basis, which became a reflection of...

In a Prominent Bar in Secaucus One Day by Kennedy

In a Prominent Bar in Secaucus One Day by X.J. Kennedy is an interesting poem with intriguing details. After receiving teasing over his name’s resemblance to that of US Ambassador Joseph Kennedy, Joseph Kennedy acquired the surname, X.J. Kennedy. Kennedy’s work spans a wide range of genres, including works for...

The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy: A Review

Introduction Leo Tolstoy is an outstanding Russian writer, publicist, and thinker, one of the great novelists in world literature. Leo Tolstoy was born in 1828, in the Russian Empire, in Yasnaya Polyana and died at the age of 83. During his life, the author wrote many world-famous classical works. One...

The Power of the Literary Imagination

Literature has always been able to dazzle the human mind. Its magic is not in how beautifully the letters are written or how the sentences are arranged. Undoubtedly, it also plays an important role in the perception of a text, but what sets literature apart from other works of art...

Alice Munro, a Canadian Short-Story Writer

Introduction Every year, writers from all over the world receive different awards that acknowledge their talent. Regardless of the fact that there are multiple criteria that help evaluate the expediency of an author’s nomination and winning, every person has an opportunity to take his own position concerning these facts. However,...

Symbols in “The Moby Dick” by Herman Melville

“The Moby Dick,” or “The Whale” is at the center of Melville’s work. This outstanding novel is an excellent example of American romantic prose. It depicts the protest between romantic thought and bourgeois-capitalist progress through symbols, and Moby Dick, a snow-white whale, is one of them. As a novel’s central...

The Short Story “The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara

Introduction Social inequality remains a problematic issue in many communities across the globe. The use of literary works can guide readers to understand how economic injustices affect the lives. Experts in the fields of sociology and entrepreneurship have examined this challenge from diverse perspectives. Concepts of upward mobility and social...

Wives and Daughters in Shakespeare’s Play Othello

Othello by William Shakespeare was a fantastic play that reflected Shakespeare’s period’s social and political ideals. It was about Othello, a black army commander who married Desdemona, the white daughter of a powerful politician; their romance was challenging to maintain in a time of prejudice and misogyny. Through the three...

Disparity and Pride in A Raisin in the Sun by Hansberry

Introduction A Raisin in the Sun considers multiple topics closely linked to the general theme of disparity. The third act, which is a single-scene act, offers insights into the family’s final reaction to their supposed position in the racially stratified society. It makes the greater disparity theme progress into the...

Poems by Waller, Parker, and Blake

The poem Go, Lovely Rose by Edmund Waller uses the rose as a symbol for beauty. Specifically, it is the female beauty of the woman that the author loved. Through this symbolism, the rose and the woman are compared in terms of both aesthetical attractiveness and frailty, as both are...

“A Streetcar Named Desire” Analysis: Is Blanche an Antihero?

Introduction Literature in its any form often contains many contradictions and controversies, which is why the ways of interpreting a literary work can significantly differ. People may have different opinions on various events or characters in a novel or other writing. An exemplifying work is a play A Streetcar Named...

Critique of The Tempest by William Shakespeare

Introduction The Tempest, a novel written by William Shakespeare, focuses on the lives of a few characters on an isolated Island. The protagonist of the story, Prospero, claims to have been the Duke of Milan until his brother Antonio usurped his position. Now, having a chance to get revenge causes...

“To Live in the Borderlands” by Gloria Anzaldúa

Throughout the whole history of humanity, some people were trying to belong to more than one social entity. Generally, this choice was made unintentionally, and such individuals were named “marginals,” which describes them as the intermediary between two social organizations. Starting from the end, Gloria Anzaldúa represents such people in...

Analysis of the Novel Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

The novel Pachinko by Min Jin Lee offers numerous topics that can be discussed. Women’s suffering is one of the most important ones. It is expressed by using Sunja, one of the main characters of the whole story. Her life shows that females have to overcome numerous barriers to be...

Catharsis in Aristotle’s Poetics

Catharsis is one of the ways to rethink life, immerse oneself in emotions, and change important principles and habits. Aristotle noted the educational and purifying significance of music, thanks to which people receive relief and are cleansed of affects while experiencing harmless joy. This is one of the manifestations of...

“The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood”: The Sleeping Beauty Fairy Tale

The Sleeping Beauty in the Wood is a story written by Charles Perrault in 1697. The work presents a dark origin of the Sleeping Beauty fairy tale popularized by the Disney cartoon with the same title. While the story is similar to its Disney alternative, it is known for confusing...

The Theme of Acceptance in Literature

In the modern era of the fight against inequality, prejudice, and discriminatory standards, many people remain unaccepted by society, colleagues, or even family members. This problem is even more topical in the second half of the 20th century when Alice Munro, Flannery O’Connor, and John Updike created their prominent short...

“A Rose for Emily” by Faulkner vs. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Perkins

Introduction A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman are two stories that affected American literature in the late 1800s and early 1900s, respectively. Both stories have a lot in common, as well as some differences. Both are called feminist literature since they...

The Double-Standard of Societal Rules for Women

Introduction For centuries, women have struggled with oppression and evident discrimination based on gender in terms of the rights allotted to them. Even as the world became more ‘equal’ after the industrial revolution, many remnants of the previous era remain to this day. Society has always placed artificial barriers for...

Plays as a Genre and Their Unique Strengths

Introduction Literature as a cultural phenomenon and an art form has existed for over two millennia. Talented writers have developed many literary genres and styles during this time, creating new literary structures and models. Nowadays, each type of this art category has a defined set of both unique and shared...

“The Things They Carried”: The Notion of Carrying

“The Things They Carried” is a series of connected short tales by American author Tim O’Brien about a battalion of American troops ground fighting in Vietnam during the war. The weight we all bear is the central topic of the novel “The Things They Carried.” The fundamental theme of the...

The Necklace by Guy de Maupassant: Literary Analysis

Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace is a fantastic short tale on dissatisfaction. The plot revolves around a lady called Mathilde who desired items she could not have due to a lack of funds. She had been asked to a ball and needed to purchase a lovely gown. She also mentioned...

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner: A Literary Analysis

The events of the book A Rose for Emily by author William Faulkner unfold in the American South. Faulkner managed to convey in a few paragraphs the desperate situation in which Emily found herself. Left without a dominant father figure, she finds herself in complete mental isolation. The surrounding people...

Goodnight Desdemona and Othello Play by MacDonald

Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) is a three-act play written by Canadian playwright Ann-Marie MacDonald in 1988. Constance is an assistant professor to Claude Night at Queen’s University, and she uses her thesis writing to understand her life. She has a fountain pen with green ink that she uses to...

Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”

Chinua Achebe, in his short novel “Things Fall Apart,” managed to tell a very exciting story. The author plausibly described the arrival of missionaries who brought with them a new religion and their own orders. He excellently portrayed the savages: he drew for the reader a vivid and imaginative picture...

Cantos V-VII Renato Poggioli

In this work, Renato Poggiolio offers a comprehensive analysis of Dante’s work, highlighting numerous stylistic elements that aid in understanding whether the piece is a tragedy or romance. The approach used in the analysis of statements and quotations from the play and their consideration from diverse perspectives. Based on the...

Comparison of Hamlet vs. Oedipus

In life, destiny is the future shaped by one’s choices. It is not predetermined but rather influenced by the changes someone makes. In order for someone to successfully fulfill their destiny, they must be patient, reflect on their situations and feelings. This is demonstrated in the play Hamlet by William...

“Seven Fallen Feathers” by T. Talaga and “The Break” by K. Vermette

Centuries of oppression and dispossession have deprived Indigenous peoples of the ability to exercise their fundamental human rights. As a result, Native groups are among the most disadvantaged, destitute, and frequently mistreated elements of society in every continent globally. Indigenous populations in Canada, for example, bear a disproportionate burden of...

“Soul, Self, and Society” by Rynkiewich

Michael Rynkiewich is one of the leading experts in anthropology, the science of the study of man and his existence in natural and cultural environments, and missiology, the science of the mission and the church. Until this book, Rynkiewich’s writing was notably found in two exceptionally great articles appearing in...

Historical Review “John F. Kennedy” by Robert Dallek

Robert Dallek is one of the foremost American writers of our time, having written more than one historical work. The writer’s favorite genre is biography, in which he takes a certain historical figure and carefully studies it, trying to convey to the reader both the image of the hero and...

Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”: Ambition Examination

Introduction The topics of interest and ambition are highly prominent among various writers and philosophical thinkers. Numerous authors addressed the ideas of aspiration, its characteristics, and possible consequences for both the engaged individual and their surroundings. The novel The Great Gatsby, written by Francis Scott Fitzgerald, is a perfect example...

“Revolutionary Mothers” by Carol Berkin

The place of women in society has changed significantly in the last centuries. In many countries and communities throughout history, the central role of women was believed to be one of a wife and a mother. The 19th century saw an upsurge in the feminist movement that demanded equality for...

“Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” by Oates

In Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates, the characters’ symbolism and behavior are illustrated as something natural. A clear illustration of the meaning of the story’s finale is a quote from the character Friend. He tells the protagonist that “the place where you came...

Good Country People by Flannery O’Connor

Introduction The literature of the 20th century is characterized by the diversity of themes and issues touched upon by the authors. The radical shifts in people’s mentalities promoted by the two World Wars, civil rights movements and increased importance of humanistic values resulted in the emergence of new values and...

How Jataka Tales’ Authors Changed Fables to Serve Their Didactic Roles

Jataka tales are a vast body of literature based in India concerning Buddhas’ birth and early life. In these tales, Buddha appears as an animal, king, an outcast, or even as a god. In all these forms, the story teaches good moral and religious values through the life of the...

The Novel “Bastard Out of Carolina” by Dorothy Alison

Bastard Out of Carolina is a novel by Dorothy Alison written in 1992. It describes the events that were happening to Bone and her mother Anney in the 1950s. The author tells the story of a little girl, who lived through poverty, and the physical and sexual abuse of her...

Magic as an Instrument of Imperfection in the Poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Medieval poetry is filled with literary meanings, the interpretation of which is an essential step of artistic analysis. Often the characters in the author’s works are endowed with incredible powers, magic, or superpowers, which, at first glance, can be used to attract more reader attention. However, a deeper analysis of...

Analysis of Short Poems Topics

“The Red Convertible” Louis Erdrich The Red Convertible is a story about two brothers in which a red car plays an important role. This is a story about the trauma and difficulties that war can bring to people’s relationships and how it affects the personality of those who have visited...

“The Lesson” by Toni Cade Bambara Analysis

Introduction The theme of poverty is one of the most common topics of short stories written by African American authors, and Toni Cade Bambara, with her piece “The Lesson,” is no exception to the rule. In this work, she reflects on the perception of a less privileged position in society...

Monsters and the Monstrous in Literature

The evolution of literature is accompanied by the changing attitudes towards specific themes, which are commonly discussed by various authors, and the monstrous is no exception to the rule. The idea of portraying characters, which negatively affect the development of protagonists, adds to the readers’ interest. Therefore, the selection of...

“Good Country People” and “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” by Flannery O’Connor

Introduction The incorporation of universal ideas into writings is often used by prospective authors in order to demonstrate their opinions on various subjects. Addressing the problematic nature of distinct positive and negative concepts becomes possible through the creation of a comprehensive narrative that covers the desired topics, simultaneously presenting specific...

Figurative Language of “The Cask of Amontillado” by Poe

Known in the realm of American literature as the unparalleled creator of macabre and horror, Edgar Allan Poe kept his stories both gripped and captivating by introducing a unique flair of fear into them. Building his stories on the premise of primal terror that is coded into the instincts of...

“To Kill a Mockingbird”: Poetic Approcahes

“To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee depicts the story of Scout Finch during The Great Depression. The novel portrays dramatic episodes, unleashing the roots of racism and the consequences of prejudice regarding minorities. The book is a coming-of-age story demonstrating Scout’s maturing and the life lessons she learned during...

Doing Right Thing Wrong in “Outlaws of the Marsh” by Shi Nai’an

In the introductory chapters of Outlaws of the Marsh, the main characters try to do what they consider right. Marshal Hong was trying to do the right thing when he arrived at the mountain to ask the Divine Teacher to conduct a prayer service to stop the plague. Although Marshal...

Gender Characteristics in The Song of Roland and Lancelot

The concept of depicting knights as complicated characters who are destined to live in a constant inner battle between honor and feelings has always been central to the Middle Ages’ literary heritage. However, while inspired by similar values and ideas, the knight stories differ greatly in terms of emotions to...

Hans Hubermann in “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak

Establishing the Topic I have chosen Hans Hubermann as the primary focus of the current research assignment. In my opinion, he symbolizes the light and hope in the grim protagonist’s life. Hans is a peaceful man who opposes the principles of the Nazi political regime and merely wants safety for...

The Short Story “Exhalation” by Ted Chiang

In the short story “Exhalation,” Ted Chiang writes about the successes of a mechanical creature to understand the thinking process by tracing its origin and linking it to air supply. These musings are triggered by a curious event when a problem with the clock is detected. According to one of...

Behn’s “The Disappointment” vs. Rochester’s “The Imperfect Enjoyment” Poems

The era of Restoration introduced significant changes to the realm of poetry, rom structural alterations to new topics and ideas for discussion. Aphra Behn’s “The Disappointment” and John Wilmot Earl of Rochester’s “The Imperfect Enjoyment” reflect these changes, addressing a rather delicate subject and introducing new sociocultural issues under the...

“Fences” by August Wilson: The Fence as a Significant Symbol

August Wilson was born on April 27th, 1945, and passed on at the age of sixty years. The author and writer of this play was the sixth child of a German and African American parent (Britannica, 2020). His parent separated at an early age, and he had to grow up...

The Theme of Love/Sex as It Relates to Power in the Story “Uncle Rock”

Erick’s mother came from a poor and criminal environment of Mexico’s streets and migrated to the United States to seek a better opportunity and life for herself and her son, Erick. Attaining power and sustainability in life was her primary goal, and she used love and sex to try and...

“The House Slave” by Rita Dove Poem Analysis

Rita Dove presents a clear picture of cultural constructions of sexuality, gender, and racism in her poems. Her The House Slave, Daystar, and Thomas and Beulah demonstrate the political complication of both gender and ethnicity. Dove uses many stylistic devices, including classical allusions, symbolism, diction, visceral metaphors, and puissant imagery...

Cheryl Strayed’s Transformation

Introduction Cheryl Strayed’s Wild: A Journey from Lost to Found describes the author’s three months hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. At first glance, the book may seem a monotonous and straightforward description of the walk, but upon closer examination, it appears to illustrate the mental transformation of Strayed. The author...

Romantic Writing as Presented by Bryant and Irving

Analyzing the components comprising famous writings is of tremendous interest for scholars worldwide. Many American writers referred to the literary elements of romanticism when producing their works, engaging the concepts of individualism, imagination, and nature. William Cullen Bryant and Washington Irving are two exemplary authors who often implemented such notions...

Review: The Saga of the Volsungs, 2013

The Saga of the Volsungs is a work that uses a combination of legends and mythology, as well as epic adventures, to tell the legendary history of Scandinavia. The plot is based on the story of a dragon slayer named Sigurd, who has some magic that helped him fight evil....

Faulkner and Gilb’s “Uncle Rock”

Introduction As a writing technique, fiction has the power to teach and open the audience’s mind to new perspectives of life. Avid readers of fiction stories do not visit book stores because they believe novels and stories are a source of entertainment and a form of escapism but because they...

“The New Jim Crow” and the U.S. Criminal Justice System

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness written by Michele Alexander reveals the U.S. criminal justice system oppressing Black people. Interestingly, Jim Crow is the name of the fictional character, which is typically associated with negative stereotypes imposed on Black people. Later “Jim Crow” became a...

Humanism and Naturalism in Archaic Greek Culture: Sappho’s Poetry

The philosophy of humanism is aimed to be based on the human earthly experiences, the daily tasks and emphasis on the emotions and feelings experienced by humans. It goes along with naturalism, with a focus on the natural elements of all being and things, such as the natural curves and...

Tragedy Theme In Storytelling

Tragedy is a common theme in storytelling, often marked by misfortune or loss. Tragic events often occur in the plot to change major characters’ perspectives or deliver the story’s morals. Tragedy has been entangled with other themes, such as loss, love, pride, and abuse of power, among others. The Greek...