Essays and Research Papers on African-American Literature

A 5 page paper examining the theme of prolonged adolescence in Lorraine Hansberry's play. The paper asserts that Walter Younger bought into the white world's common view of the black male as inferior, and this was replicated in his family situation through the way he acts toward his female family members. No additional sources cited.

A 7 page analysis of the award-winning play by Lorraine Hansberry. The writer demonstrates how this story of an African-American family's struggle for survival during the 1950s reflects how all humans can persevere against all odds with the aid and support of families and family values. Bibliography lists 5 sources.

This 5 page report discusses the attitude of the play's main character, Walter Lee Younger, and his belief that only enough money and possessions can make him and his family happy and successful leads only to disaster. He learns that much greater values are at stake than simply having the most 'stuff.' No secondary sources.

A 5 page look at how society's hardships inherently upset the dreams --and even moralities of characters in the novels of Twain and Hansberry. No additional sources cited.

This 5 page research paper examines the life and work of African-American author and poet Maya Angelou. Specifically discussed are how the hardships of her life are reflected in her books, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Singin' and Swingin' , Makin' Merry Like Christmas, and Heart of a Woman. Bibliography ...

The concept is demonstrated as it applies to Maya Angelou's 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' in this 6 page analysis. Social class is looked at as it existed in 1930's America, which is the focus of the book,-- and compared with the vanishing social class differentiations of today. Book is the only source ...

A 5 page paper making four distinct points of comparison between Maya Angelou's autobiography I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, and Russell Baker's Growing Up. Contrasting Baker's poor but conventional youth with the horrific experiences suffered by Angelou, the paper concludes that it is possible to begin at very different places in the continuum ...

5 pages in length. The duality of Willa Cather's portrayal in My Antonia represents the inherent dichotomy that exists between beauty and fear. Eloquently depicted and especially appealing to the senses, My Antonia is far more than a book that one reads, experiences, sets down and then forgets; rather, it is one that ...

This 6 page paper discusses one of Willa Cather's best known and best-loved novels. The report covers the plot, characters, setting, and tone of the narrative voice. No additional sources cited.

In 5 pages the author discusses how the 'Women of Brewster Place' reflects the variation of the Black Women's experience.

A 6 page paper looking at the way women are portrayed in these two novels, by Willa Cather and Frank Norris respectively. The paper argues that in each case, the author has chosen to distance himself so much from the sensibility of the central female character that she is less a real woman than an ...

A 6 page paper on the character of Jim Burden in Willa Cather's My Antonia. It analyzes the ways in which knowing Antonia contributes to Jim's own development as a person, bringing him from orphaned outcast to successful lawyer, and also shows how both Antonia and Jim serve as symbols for the strength of America's ...

A 5 page paper on Willa Cather's psychological portrait of a troubled teen. The paper concludes that Paul's rebellion pits far more than father against son, or the exquisite against the drab, or illusion against reality. It calls the very nature of reality into question, and strongly suggests that reality is relative to each individual.

A 5 page paper discussion about the book, 'Quicksand,' by Nella Larsen. The discussion addresses the issues surrounding Helga Crane. These issues include race, gender, and social class. The characther most heavily discussed is the character of Helga Crane, who illustrates very well how the issues involved are heavily interrelated for they are nothing more ...

An essay discussing the role of the creative outsider in American society using several works of relevant literature. Analyzed in this essay are Henry David Thoreaus' 'On Duty of Civil Disobedience,' John Neihard's 'Black Elk Speaks,' and Willia Cather's 'My Antonia.' It is thematically concluded that The U.S. is a country not only built by ...

A 10 page paper analyzing the way individualism is perceived in these two books by Willa Cather and Stephen Crane, respectively. The paper asserts that while Cather's protagonist ends by believing that his salvation lies in his individuality, Crane's protagonist feels he is most himself when he is part of the mass-mind of the group. ...

A 4 page analysis of how faith was necessary in the lives of the main characters in Beloved, The Handmaid's Tale, and The Last of Cheri. No outside sources. Written in present tense. Concludes that without faith it is impossible to get through some desperate situations; breaks down faith into a process, ...

This 5 page report discusses the differences and similarities between the stories told by these three eloquent, early Americans. Each story is completely unique and yet each offers any reader ideas about the true meanings of faith, inspiration, and freedom. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

An 11 page paper on these two works by Margaret Atwood and Arthur Miller. In both works, a façade of strict moral and religious ideals covers a corrupt and divided society. This paper examines these works and the issues they raise, and discusses how these issues are reflected in both the world created by the ...

A 5 page paper examining the societies depicted in Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and John Brunner's The Sheep Look Up. The paper notes that the interests of the individual must always be balanced against the well-being of the group, and arguably weighed more heavily on the side of the individual. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

In this 10 page paper, the writer discusses how fictional works such as Uncle Tom's Cabin demonstrate how fiction can be successfully used to explain a situation on a personal basis to influence others. Issues concerning gender and racial stereotyping are examined as elements of Stowe's theme in an attempt to determine their level of ...

A 10 page essay analyzing the characterization of this little girl in Harriet Beecher Stowe's classic work. The paper concludes that Harriet Beecher Stowe intended to show through her portrayal of Topsy that blacks are not inherently morally bankrupt, but simply unsaved souls who have never been shown the true path to salvation. Thus it ...

An 8 page paper arguing that Southern whites were not being overly sensitive in viewing Uncle Tom's Cabin as a personal attack upon not only their way of life but their moral natures, because that was how Stowe intended it. As such, it represented a real spark in the conflagration of the Civil War. Bibliography ...

A 7 page paper that describes the fact that Stowe's novel is influential and derived from an abolitionist perspective, but at the same time is clearly racist. The author attempts to support this belief by demonstrating the racist off shoots of the abolitionist movement, including colonization, that Stowe supports in her work. Bibliography lists 10 ...

A 6 page essay analyzing the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe's work. It points out that Uncle Tom was never intended to be realistic, because he is a symbol for Christ and therefore for the holiness of the black man. Numerous correspondences between the life of Christ and the Uncle Tom narrative are provided. ...