Essays and Research Papers on French Literature

A 5 page paper which considers how the Existentialist philosophy is depicted in Daru's decision to allow Balducci's Arab prisoner choose his own destiny. Bibliography lists 3 sources.

A 5 page essay that analyzes French playwright Jean Anouilh's Antigone, which is a modern retelling of Sophocles' famous Greek tragedy. The writer particularly focuses on the debate between Creon and Antigone, as the focal point of the play. No additional sources cited.

A 7 page paper which examines how honor and dishonor was determined in Medieval women, as considered in de Pizan's "The Book of the City of Ladies," "The Writings of Christine de Pizan," and Chaucer's "The Franklin's Tale" and "The Nun's Priest's Tale." Specifically considered are marriage; widowhood; effects of education, offspring, politics and ...

A 5 page paper which analyzes the many twists and turns of this complex 1947 French Existentialist play. Bibliography lists 1 source.

A 5 page essay that, first of all, summarizes the action of Beckett's award winning play. Then, the writer attempts to unravel some of the complex symbolism that gives this play its unique character. No additional sources cited.

A 7 page research paper that examines French playwright Jean Giraudoux's "The Madwoman of Chaillot. The writer also relates the play to how Giraudoux's work fits into the genre of modern drama. Bibliography lists 7 sources.

A 5 page research paper that examines Flaubert's perspective on romanticism as demonstrated in Madame Bovary. The writer argues that Flaubert explored the weaknesses and contradictions that constituted the inherent dangers of an overly romantic perspective. The view of heroine, Emma, is contrasted against the romanticism of Wordsworth and Shelley. Bibliography lists 6 sources.

A 5 page research paper that examines poetry by French poet Charles Baudelaire. The writer argues that while the romanticism of Wordsworth, Keats and Shelley concentrated, for the most part, on the inspiring beauty of the natural world, Baudelaire's vision of romanticism was much darker. He emphasized the "winter" aspect of nature – that death, ...

A 5 page paper which examines how each character questions what happiness is about, but while Jane ultimately finds it in marriage to Edward Rochester, Emma is ultimately dissatisfied because she is never able to realize her concept of what happiness should be. No additional sources are used.

(10pp). One would think that images of love would transcend whatever language - at least in that romantic part of our brain we hope they will. But is that possible, do we love differently when we are young, than when we are in the middle years, or perhaps is the greatest love of ...

A 5 page essay that analyzes the similarities and differences between two plays by Moliere: Don Juan and Tartuffe. The writer argues that both deal with the social ramifications of hypocrisy, lechery, and self-righteousness. No additional sources cited.

(5 pp.) At the corner of rue des Francsourgeois and rue de Sévigné is the admirable Hotel Carnavalet. As in many old records there is dispute whether it was built 1544 or 1548. Records list the house as being built from the designs of Pierre Lescot and Jean de ...

A 5 page paper which analyzes how point-of-view shapes the exposition, prose, style, tone, plot, theme, and character of these works. No additional sources are used.

( 8 pp.) The philosophy of The Outsider (1942) is a philosophy of the absurd. The narrator of the piece is a middle-class bachelor, Monsieur Meursault; we are told that he is viewed as someone of little if any consequence. And the amazing bit of news is that he doesn't care ...

A five page paper which looks at Jean-Dominique Baudry’s The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, an account of the author’s experiences while suffering from Locked-in Syndrome as the result of a paralysing stroke which left him unable to communicate except by a flicker of the eyelid. Bibliography list 2 sources

A 6 page paper comparing and contrasting these two short stories. Emphasizes that Kate Chopin was one of the greatest female writers of the late 1800s. Concentrating on short stories, Chopin used her extraordinary talent to illuminate the societal plight of women during the Victorian era. While Chopin is distinctive in her own ...

The age of Enlightenment had as its heir the era of Romanticism. Voltaire was known as an author of the Enlightenment, however, he also utilized the basic premises of Romanticism. This 7 page paper argues that there are two major elements of Candide that define it as romantic adventure rather than classical hero: the use of satire for ...

A 5 page essay that discusses the positions taken by the seventeenth century French playwright Moliere concerning feminism in two of his plays, School for Wives and Learned Ladies. The writer argues that Moliere favored a middle path between extreme feminism and a strictly conservative upbringing, which makes him a feminist by seventeenth century standards. ...

This 5 page paper considers the book by Marie-Henri Beyle who had the pseudonym of Stendhal and the book 'De l'Amour' or 'love'. In looking at this text the paper discuses how the society and culture of the time was seen by Stendhal, and argues he though that it was based in interaction between individual ...

A 5 page paper which examines why lying awake at night is important to the story. No additional sources are used.

6 pages in length. The injustice experienced by Celie in Alice Walker's The Color Purple and Jean Valjean in Victor Hugo's Les Miserables may appear divergent on the surface, however, there exists an underlying theme that transcends any obvious differences. Clearly, racial intolerance and social condemnation represent Celie's injustice, while Valjean fights a ...

Swift, Pope, Racine and Moliere emphasized the political and religious organization of society in a manner that was understandable to the audiences of the time. This 5 page paper explores the use of satire in Swift, Pope and Moliere as well as the classical heroism of Racine's play, Phaedra, as a means of presenting their attitudes toward reason. ...

A 5 page essay that examines three plays by Moliere. The writer argues that Moliere's genius took the form of comedic plays that present serious social commentary. While Moliere was commenting on his own era, human nature has not changed over the interceding centuries. Therefore, his work still has a great deal to say about ...

A 5 page paper which examines the texts as a way of illustrating and defining literary modernism. Bibliography lists 12 sources.

This 5 page report discusses two chronicles relating to the life of Charlemagne -- “Two Lives of Charlemagne” by Einhard and Notker the Stammerer. Einhard was advisor and personal friend to Charlemagne who clearly loved the and admired the king. Notker Balbulus also known as the “Monk of St. Gall” and “Notker the Stammerer” wrote a highly anecdotal “life” was ...