Essays and Research Papers on Asian Literature

A 5 page essay that examines Bao Ninh's novel of North Vietnamese wartime experience and answers the question as to how the Vietnamese perspective of the war differed from the North American. T he writer argues that the basic answer is "not at all," as this novel is written in the tradition of All Quiet ...

A 5 page review of the circumstances surrounding the six and one-half year imprisonment of the author by the Mao regime during the Chinese cultural revolution. The author of this paper places the personal experiences related in the book into the historical context of the time. No additional sources are listed.

A 5 page paper which considers how the theme of change is developed in the brief love affair between a prosperous businessman Shimamura and a geisha named Komako, specifically considering the role of the geisha in a Japanese historical context. No additional sources are used.

This 5 page paper considers this book Ross E Dunn, and looks at how the main character managed to make a living during his 29 years of travelling. The bibliography cites 1 source.

A 5 page paper that provides a review of this autobiographical book about the Chinese Cultural Revolution. The theme of this essay is how the Revolution left the author with limited options in terms of her behavior and thoughts. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A seven page paper which looks at 'Family' by Pa Chin and 'Beauty and Sadness' by Kawabata, in terms of the way in which they deal with the themes of loyalty and responsibility, especially in relation to women.

A 5 page paper which discusses the masculinity of the male character in Lady Murasaki Shikibu's "The Tale of Genji." The paper also discusses the role and the influence of the women in the story. No additional sources cited.

A 5 page discussion of the impacts of war on the small rural village of the Ling Tan family. This paper introduces Jade, one of the primary characters of the book, and details how war impacted her differently than it did the male members of the village. No additional sources are listed.

This 7 page paper is divided into 2 sections. The first section is journal-style and discusses the themes of desire and betrayal and the second section is essay style and discusses secret desires and revolutionary passion. Bibliogrpahy lists 4 sources.

A 10 page paper which examines Timothy Mo’s novel “Sour Sweet” and illustrates how the story can be seen as a personal as well as universal journey. Bibliography lists 5 additional sources.

A 5 page paper which examines how humans often inflict pain and suffering on others as seen in Joy Kogawa’s novel “Obasan.” No additional sources cited.

6 pages in length. The extent to which the stories in Ha Jin's "The Bridegroom" illustrate how much a century of revolution changed China and the Chinese speaks to the vastly revised perspectives upon such issues as love, sexual pleasure, food, family, fairness, wealth, success, education, friendship and simple survival. Ha Jin clearly ...

This is a 5 page paper reviewing the novel and the film “Black Rain” and discussing its success or failure in artistic merit. “Black Rain” has a unique place in the post-war Japanese and world literature in that it does not focus on the politics surrounding or the immediate events after the atomic bomb on ...

A 5 page paper which considers the significance of the contrast between society and the wilderness. No additional sources are used.

This is a 5 page paper discussing three tales found in Susan Whitfield’s “Life Along the Silk Road”. Susan Whitfield’s 1999 text “Life Along the Silk Road” tells ten tales each based on a character between the years AD 750 and AD 1,000 an unstable period of Chinese history. Three of these tales “The Princess’s ...

A five page paper which looks at character and theme, especially with reference to the Japanese concept of honour, in Death in Midsummer and Patriotism by Mishima. Bibliography lists 5 sources

This is a 6 page summary and annotated bibliography on Genny Lim. Genny Lim is a successful poet, writer, playwright and performance artist who is currently a professor at New College of California in San Francisco. The research related to her work reveals her significance and impact in the Asian American arts especially in regards ...

This is an 18 page paper discussing the mother-daughter relationships in Tan’s “The Joy Luck Club” and the importance of the acceptance of the daughters’ Chinese heritage in order to gain their full identity. Cultural identity and familial relationships are very much a part of the growing conflicts, misunderstandings and collective memory in Amy Tan’s ...

A review of the literary advantages offered by the character Sinai in this interesting tale of fictional psychic intrigue coupled with factual historic detail. The author of this paper contends that Rushdie did not choose his character Sinai but instead created him. The plurality and plasticity of this character allows Rushdie great literary ...

This 4 page paper gives an indepth synopsis of Huong's book, Novel without a Name. Scenes depicted from the novel as well as quotes. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page paper which examines a quote from “No-No Boy” by John Okada and “Hunger of Memory” by Robert Rodriguez as they relate to fitting in. This concept addresses anger and resentment towards family as well as identity issues possessed by the primary character in the stories. No additional sources cited.

This 4 page paper provides an overview of the story and an analysis of thematic elements. Ideas about love, lust and betrayal are discussed as is class stratification. No additional sources cited.

A 3 page paper which compares and contrasts Agatha Christie’s novel “The A B C Murders” and Kazuo Ishiguro’s “The Remains of the Day.” No additional sources cited.

A 3 page summary of Mo Yan’s novel “Red Sorghum.” No additional sources cited.

A paper which looks at two autobiographical novels set in the Chinese Cultural Revolution, with particular reference to the protagonists' experiences in reconciling their personal and political views. Bibliography lists 4 sources