Essays and Research Papers on French Literature

A 5 page paper which discusses how ex-President Bush could easily be seen as a modern day Tartuffe. 'Tartuffe' by Moliere, is a play about a powerful man who essentially maintained little integrity in terms of his character as a hypocrite. Bibliography lists 1 additional source.

This five-page-paper presents an in-depth discussion on the outcome of the development of Fadette, a main character of George Sand's , "La Petite Fadette." Bibliography lists five sources.

A 3 page paper which compares the notions of ambition in these two contemporary literary works. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page essay that takes the unusual form of a hypothetical magazine article that might have been written to describe the scenario of Albert Camus' The Stranger. Mimicking a journalistic-type style of "people" reporting, the essay speculates on the personality and motivation of Patrice Meursault in relation to his crime. No additional sources ...

A 3 page essay that discusses what the French literary critic Roland Barthes means by "writerly" and "readerly" texts in his book-length essay S/Z. No additional sources cited.

This is a 60 page research study of the literary salon of Madeleine de Scudery and the Influence that it had on the French authorship, including the writing of Marie-Jeanne L'Heritier. Bibliography lists 20 sources.

A 5 page paper which discusses "God's Bits of Wood" by Ousmane Sembene and "The Dark Child" by Camara Laye, and examines how their portrayal of women is the result of confinement within specific gender roles concerning African women. Bibliography list 5 sources.

This 25 page paper provides an overview of a research study of the literary salon of Madeleine de Scudery and the Influence that it had on the French authorship, including the writing of Marie-Jeanne L'Heritier. Bibliography lists 20 sources.

This is a 3 page paper summarizing Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. Victor Marie Hugo (1802-1885) was considered one of France’s greatest writers of the 19th century. His work “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” or “Notre Dame de Paris, Volume XII” was written in 1831 and in Hugo’s preface to that volume he ...

Time and place, in literature, often determines the style and content. In the case of satire, the comedic references can be extremely specific. This 5 page paper argues that for both Voltaire and Moliere, the satire was specific to the time and circumstances, making it necessary for the modern audience or reader to either be fully aware of ...

In 6 pages the author discusses the concepts of illusion and reality in 'Madame Bovary.' Emma Bovary, convent-educated and given to flights of fancy and a very bourgeois love of romantic novels, seeks the fulfillment of her fantasies, believing that such fulfillment is not only possible but right around the corner. Flaubert uses his entire ...

This 5 page paper examines the writings of J. Hector St. John de Crèvecoeur to see what they tell us about his thoughts with regard to the American experience and values such as equality and religious freedom. Bibliography lists 4 sources.

A 5 page research paper/essay that reports on Jean-Jacques Rousseau's 1762 text Emile or On Education. This examination of Emile specifically looks at four themes that Rousseau develops in the first three sections of this work. No additional sources cited.

This paper answers the concept of reality in Gustave Flaubert's novels Madame Bovary and The Sentimental Education. The paper states the belief that the two novels weren't actually specific examples of realism, but rather, symbolic of realism, yet set against realistic backdrops.

This 5 page paper provides a detailed analysis of the protagonist and his friendships. The theme is addressed and various elements are discussed as it relates to the character's relationships. Bibliography lists 2 sources.

A 3 page paper which examines society, government and the military in Europe as presented in Voltaire’s “Candide.” No additional sources cited.

A 9 page paper which discusses that while there are similarities between these two works by female authors there are also significant differences. Specifically considered are how much of these differences can be attributed to the cultural differences between eleventh century Japan and fifteenth century western Europe and how much they can be attributed ...

An 8 page research paper on Albert Camus's novel The Stranger. The writer details the existential themes of the novel, and relates them to the story and the text. The primary source is cited.

A 9 page paper which discusses that while there are similarities between these two works by female authors there are also significant differences. Specifically considered are how much of these differences can be attributed to the cultural differences between eleventh century Japan and fifteenth century western Europe and how much they can be attributed ...

A 3 page essay that contrasts and compares works by Rousseau and Wordsworth and argues that they are representative of their respective eras. In his Discourse on Inequality, the French neoclassical philosophy Jean-Jacques Rousseau examines the factors that create societal inequities in order to determine if there is any foundation for inequality between human beings ...

A 5 page paper discussing the fact that it is the lens of society that distorts reality, thus making the perception of truth more difficult. The paper concludes that the individual is most himself when he is apart from the roles into which society has bound him. Bibliography lists three sources used to argue these ...

A 9 page paper discussing The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare and The Fable of the Bees by Bernard de Mandeville. The paper shows how the development of capitalism has had roots in distinctly non-capitalist values. No sources except books.

This 3 page paper explores the dilemma of Daru in the Albert Camus short story, 'The Guest,' and questions Daru's decision to allow the Arab prisoner to choose his own destiny. No additional sources cited.

This 3 page paper explores the dilemma of Daru in the Albert Camus short story, 'The Guest,' and concludes that the only resolution is to allow the Arab prisoner to choose his own destiny. No additional sources cited.

A 6 page paper on the short story by Albert Camus. The paper examines the story's plot, point of view, theme, protagonist, irony, and major symbols, as well as the influence of existentialism in this work. Bibliography lists 8 sources.