Topic #1: The Definition of a Disability

Before his surgery, Charlie is classified as mentally retarded. His inability to read or write well holds him back. The fact that he never gets the jokes made at his expense causes others to make fun of him even more. He rarely remembers a wrongdoing or even classifies incidents as wrongdoings. His brain simply does not operate that way. And society views this as a disability. However, there is something to be learned from Charlie. Would the world as a whole be a better place if people took offense a little less often? What if we could learn to laugh with those laughing at us and forget when we are slighted? Examine the possibility and explain why Charlie’s mental disability is not one after all.

Topic #2 The Influence of the Author’s Life

Authors often create their works based off of experiences from their own lives. In his career, Keyes has taught special needs students. He has a history of problems with his own parents. Research Keyes’s life. Based on the information that you find, hypothesize about which aspects of Flowers for Algernon were inspired by Keyes’s own life. Evaluate the characters, their thought processes, and their actions to support your argument.

Topic #3 Education Makes a Difference…But Is It Good?

Though Charlie’s grammar was not the best, he had a circle of friends before his surgery. For a short time after, his coworkers and his teacher were still nice to him. Then the operation begins to take effect and Charlie develops into a different person. His understanding of how things work is changed, and he realizes how he has been mistreated. The people in his life no longer know how to respond to him. He has become a different person. He excels at work, and then loses what was essentially a pity job because his coworkers are no longer comfortable with him. The changes wrought by his education and subsequent loss are simply too great to allow him to return to his former life. Discuss the effect that Charlie’s education has on his life during his higher IQ phase and after. Is it better that he had that education or would he have been better off without it?

Topic #4 Bringing Flowers for Algernon

The last line of the book reads “P.S. please if you get a chanse put some flowrs on Algernon’s grave in the back yard.” This line coincides with the title of the book. All of the events of the book end with this. Algernon, the lab mouse that was central to the experiment and to Charlie’s life, is buried in Charlie’s former backyard. As he takes his leave, Charlie requests that someone remember to leave flowers on Algernon’s grave. It is a simple act to follow such a profound experience. Analyze the significance of this last line and how it matches the title of the book. Why do you think the author chose to use the title Flowers for Algernon rather than something to do with Charlie’s name?

Flowers for Algernon Quotes

This list of important quotations from Flowers for Algernon  will help you work with the essay topics and thesis statements on our paper topics on age by allowing you to support your claims. All of the important quotes from FLowers for Algernon listed here correspond, at least in some way, to possible paper topics on Flowers for Algernon and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes about other themes, symbols, imagery, and motifs than those already mentioned.

 “Anyone who has common sense will remember that the bewilderments of the eyes are of two kinds, and arise from two causes, either from coming out of the light or from going into the light, which is true of the mind’s eye, quite as much as of the bodily eye; and he who remembers this when he sees any one whose vision is perplexed and weak, will not be too ready to laugh; he will first ask whether that soul of man has come out of the brighter life, and is unable to see because unaccustomed to the dark, or having turned from darkness to the day is dazzled by excess of light.”—Plato (Epigraph)

 The interesting thing about the above quotation is that it leads one to ponder which parts of Charlie’s life are the dark parts and which are the light. After his operation, Charlie is enlightened, but the question remains as to whether or not it is a positive thing. Plato calls for human understanding with his words, something which comes and goes in Charlie’s experiences.

“I didn’t know what he was gonna do and I was holding on tite to the chair like sometimes when I go to a dentist onley Burt aint no dentist neither but he kept telling me to relax and that gets me skared because it always means its gonna hert.” (progris riport 2)

 Spelling and grammar mistakes aside, Charlie displays a profound understanding in his diary entry. His experiences have taught him that being told to relax is for the benefit of someone else. It is easier for the dentist or the doctor to do his job if the patient relaxes. However, it does not negate the pain that the patient suffers during a procedure. In this situation, Charlie’s trauma is emotional rather than physical.

“He said Charlie I dont know how you done it but it looks like you finally learned something. I want you to be carefull and do the best you can do. You got yourself a new job with a 5 doller raise.” (Progress Report 9, April 1)

 Charlie has learned that being smarter is not necessarily a virtue. He gets a raise and gets to move up from janitor to mixer, but the men that he thought were his friends are angry with him. His IQ has improved but he does not yet understand all that is happening in his workplace. He feels that he does not particularly want this advancement or his friends to be angry with him.

“The same words, almost the same tone of voice he had used minutes ago in the lab. And then I heard my answers—childish, impossible things. And I dropped limply into the chair beside Professor Nemur’s desk. ‘Was that really me?’” (Progress Report 9, April 18)

Charlie is in shock over the person he hears on the recorder. He has trouble relating to the voice that he hears. His new self was insulted by the manner in which he was treated by Burt. The recording was pulled to prove that Burt’s tone and phrasing had not changed from the first time Charlie saw the inkblot cards. Charlie’s main response this time is anger, where before he was afraid.

“How many times had he used me as a go-between to deliver packages to her, undercharging her so that later they could split the difference? Had he used me all these years to help him steal?” (Progress Report 11, May

 When Charlie realizes that there is a strong possibility that he has been unknowingly helping Gimpy to steal from Mr. Donner, he is infuriated. He also has no idea what he should do. He consults several people. Ms. Kinnian surprises him by telling him to look to himself in deciding what to do. In his simpler mindset, he was accustomed to being told what to do by others. Now he is awed to learn that he can decide on his own.

“‘But I’m not an inanimate object,’ I argued. ‘I’m a person.’ He looked confused for a moment and then laughed. ‘Of course, Charlie. But I wasn’t referring to now. I meant before the operation.’ Smug, pompous—I felt like hitting him too. ‘I was a person before the operation. In case you forgot—’” (Progress Report 11, May 10)

 Professor Nemur establishes the same detachment with Charlie that he uses with the lab animals. Charlie is not a being with thoughts and feelings, he is an experiment. Charlie’s realization of the professor’s opinion only serves to feed the anger that he has over the many injustices directed at him. His anger extends to the treatment of those who are like him, people whom society sees as less.

“Nemur’s conclusions had been premature. For both Algernon and myself, it would take more time to see if this change would stick. The professors had made a mistake, and no one else had caught it. I wanted to jump up and tell them, but I couldn’t move. Like Algernon, I found myself behind the mesh of the cage they had built around me.” (Progress Report 13, June 13)

 Once Charlie’s intelligence is tripled, he is able to recognize that the triumph of his operation cannot yet be counted. He realizes that neither the professor nor the doctor accounted for the fact that they were changing from an animal subject to a human one. Therefore, the necessary time period has not elapsed. The success of the study is not confirmed. Charlie wants to inform Strauss and Nemur, as well as everyone else in the room, but he finds himself constrained by social niceties of which he is now more aware.

“This day was good for me. I’ve got to stop this childish worrying about myself—my past and my future. Let me give something of myself to others. I’ve got to use my knowledge and skills to work in the field of increasing human intelligence. Who is better equipped? Who else has lived in both worlds?” (Progress Report 14, June 24)

 It can be argued that at this point Charlie’s two selves merge. The old Charlie was always willing to help others and to work hard. The new Charlie has the brains, but no longer the desire. Suddenly it occurs to him that he is in a unique position to help and his desire to be of service returns. The turning point comes after he has yelled at others in defense of a mentally retarded boy. He wallows in pity before he stops himself.

“There is no night or day. I’ve got to cram a lifetime of research into a few weeks. I know I should rest, but I can’t until I know the truth about what is happening.” (Progress Report 16, July 27)

 At this point in the book, Charlie knows that his higher IQ may very well have a shorter life than expected. He pushes himself to use his knowledge while he still has it to try to find a solution to the problem. Algernon returned to his pre-operation self and died. Charlie is not sure what will happen to him, but he is certain that he will regress. So he fights to keep that from happening.

“‘I’ve learned a lot in the past few months,’ I said. ‘Not only about Charlie Gordon, but about life and people, and I’ve discovered that nobody really cares about Charlie Gordon, whether he’s a moron or a genius. So what difference does it make?’” (Progress Report 16, August 11)

Before the surgery, Charlie thought himself to be surrounded by friends. His post-procedure perception completely alters the way in which he views himself and the people around him. His path to self-discovery makes him more miserable than he has ever been. His views of the world are severely altered and the man who never understood he was to be pitied becomes the man who refuses to leave the category. Sadly, the new Charlie no longer meets the requirements and he does not know how to reconcile the two men.

This list of important quotations from “The Crucible” by Arthur Miller will help you work with the essay topics and thesis statements above by allowing you to support your claims. All of the important quotes from “Crucible” listed here correspond, at least in some way, to the paper topics above and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes and explanations about other themes, symbols, imagery, and motifs than those already mentioned and explained. Aside from the thesis statements above, these important quotes from “The Crucible” alone can act as essay questions or study questions as they are all relevant to the text in an important way. All quotes contain page numbers as well. Look at the bottom of the page to identify which edition of Arthur Miller’s “Crucible” they are referring to.

Need a Refresher? Click Here for a Detailed Act-by-Act Plot Summary of The Crucible

“This predilection for minding other people’s business was time-honored among the people of Salem, and it undoubtedly created many of the suspicions which were to feed the coming madness.” (4)

“They believed, in short, that they held in their steady hands the candle that would light the world. We have inherited this belief, and it has helped and hurt us.” (5)

“The witch-hunt was a perverse manifestation of the panic which set in among all classes when the balance began to turn toward greater individual freedom.” (6)

“The witch-hunt was not, however, a mere repression. It was also, and as importantly, a long overdue opportunity for everyone so inclined to publicly express his guilt and sins, under the cover of accusations against the victims.” (7)

“These people had no ritual for the washing away of sins. It is another trait we inherited from them, and it has helped to discipline us as well as to breed hypocrisy among us.” (19)

“A wide opinion’s running in the parish that the Devil may be among us, and I would satisfy them that they are wrong.” (26)

“This will all set us to arguin’ again in the society, and we thought to have peace this year.” (26)

“There is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning!” (30)

“Do you take it upon yourself to determine what this court shall believe and what it shall set aside?” (79)

“Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up.” (132)

Looking for more help with Arthur Miller? Check out the PaperStarter entry for another one of his plays; “Death of a Salesman”

Reference: Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin, 1995.

This list of important quotations from “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley will help you work with the essay topics and thesis statements by allowing you to support your claims. All of the important quotes from Frankenstein listed here correspond, at least in some way, to the paper topics and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes and explanations about other themes, symbols, imagery, and motifs than those already mentioned and explained. Aside from the thesis statements for Frankenstein, these quotes alone can act as essay questions or study questions as they are all relevant to the text in an important way. All quotes contain page numbers as well. Look at the bottom of the page to identify which edition of Frankenstein they are referring to.

“I am by no means indifferent to the manner in which whatever moral tendencies exist in the sentiments or characters it contains shall affect the reader. ” (2)

“None but those who have experienced them can conceive of the enticements of science.” (47)

“No one can conceive the variety of feelings which bore me onwards, like a hurricane, in the first enthusiasm of success. Life and death appeared to me ideal bounds, which I should first break through, and pour a torrent of light into our dark world. A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me.” (51)

“How can I describe my emotions at this catastrophe, or how delineate the wretch whom with such infinite pains and care I had endeavored to form?” (55)

“The different accidents of life are not so changeable as the feelings of human nature. I had worked hard for nearly two years, for the sole purpose of infusing life into an inanimate body, but now that I had finished, the beauty of the dream vanished. (56)

“God in pity made man beautiful and alluring, after his own image; but my form is a filthy type of yours.” (154)

“I learned from your papers that you were my father, my creator, and to whom could I apply with more fitness than to him who had given me life? (165)

“I am alone, and miserable; man will not associate with me, but one as deformed and horrible as myself would not deny herself to me. (171)

“I am malicious because I am miserable.You, my creator, would tear me to pieces, and triumph; remember that, and tell me why I should pity man more than he pities me? (173)

The human senses are insurmountable barriers to our union. If I cannot inspire love, I will cause fear. (173)

Reference: Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. New York: Enriched Classics, 2004.

Click here for a full summary of “Their Eyes Were Watching God“ by Zora Neale Hurston

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #1: Nature Symbolism in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”

Their Eyes Were Watching God is a novel that is brimming with references to nature. Janie, in particular, has a particular affection for nature, and it holds special meaning for her. Select some of the key passages in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” where nature plays a central role. Identify the symbolic significance of the specific elements in the scene you have selected. You might, for example, want to choose one of the first passages about nature, that of Janie beneath the pear tree (pp. 10-11). What does the pear tree symbolize? Be sure to push beneath conventional interpretations of nature symbols and metaphors (i.e.: seasons as symbolic of cycles of life), and reach deeply for fresh, text-specific interpretations that you can substantiate with evidence.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #2: Answering Rhetorical Questions in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”

A rhetorical question is a query that is articulated but which does not necessarily expect an answer. There are numerous rhetorical questions that the characters in “Their Eyes Were Watching God”  ask of themselves and each other. (See the quotes section for just a few examples). Considering the novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God”  as a whole, which of these rhetorical questions might you be able to answer as the reader who has the entire story? Which of the rhetorical questions remain unanswerable? Why? What is the significance of asking questions, and is it always important to find answers?

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #3: The Symbol of the Mule in “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston

In addition to the frequent references to nature, certain animals have symbolic weight in Their Eyes Were Watching God. The animal with the greatest symbolic charge in this novel is the mule. Mentioned frequently throughout “Their Eyes Were Watching God”, the mule obviously represents the carrier of heavy loads and burdens, but it can also—and does—represent stubborn resistance. Study some of the passages in which mules are used as symbolic representations and make an argument about which reading you find more compelling and why. Do the characters in the novel find positive qualities in the mule and, by extension, in themselves?

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #4: Why Were Their Eyes Watching God?

Titles are the reader’s first introduction to a novel, hinting at its content and, possibly, its theme. In the case of Hurston’s novel, what is the significance of the title? Is there a specific moment in the book where the title’s meaning became clear to you? What is God’s role in the novel’s development?

Thesis Statement/Essay Topic #5: “Their Eyes Were Watching God” as a Feminist Novel

Their Eyes Were Watching God has been categorized as a feminist novel by many critics. Would you agree? Is Janie a feminist throughout the novel, or is there more evidence to claim that she develops what might be called a feminist consciousness through the intensity and insights of her experiences? What characteristics make a novel feminist, anyway? Persuade your reader of your position by providing thoughtful analysis and textual evidence.

Click here for a full summary of “Their Eyes Were Watching God“ by Zora Neale Hurston

** For another entry on Zora Neale Hurston and her works, check out the “Sweat” PaperStarter **

This list of important quotations from “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston will help you work with the essay topics and thesis statements above by allowing you to support your claims. All of the important quotes from “Their Eyes Were Watching God” listed here correspond, at least in some way, to the paper topics above and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes about other themes, symbols, imagery, and motifs than those already mentioned.  All quotes from “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston contain page numbers as well. Look at the bottom of the page to identify which edition of the text they are referring to.

“She was seeking confirmation of the voice and vision, and everywhere she found and acknowledged answers. A personal answer for all other creations except herself. She felt an answer seeking her, but where? When? How?” (11)

“So de white man throw down de load and tell de nigger man tuh pick it up. He pick it up because he have to, but he don’t tote it. He hand it to his womenfolks. De nigger woman is de mule un de world so fur as Ah can see.” (14)

“Ah wanted to preach a great sermon about colored women sittin’ on high, but they wasn’t no pulpit for me. Freedom found me wid a baby daughter in mah arms, so Ah said Ah’d take a broom and a cook pot and throw up a highway through de wilderness for her.” (15)

“So Janie waited a bloom time, and a green time and an orange time. But when the pollen again gilded the sun and sifted down on the world she began to stand around the gate and expect things. What things? She didn’t know exactly.” (23)

“From now on until death she was going to have flower dust and springtime sprinkled over everything. A bee for her bloom. Her old thoughts were going to come in handy now, but new words would have to be made and said to fit them.” (31)

“Sometimes God gits familiar wid us womenfolks too and talks His inside business.” (70)

“All dis bowin’ down, all dis obedience under yo’ voice—dat ain’t whut Ah rushed off down de road tuh find out about you.” (82)

“It was all according to the way you see things. Some people could look at a mud-puddle and see an ocean with ships. But Nanny belonged to that other kind that loved to deal in scraps. Here Nanny had taken the biggest thing God ever made, the horizon…and pinched it in to such a little bit of a thing that she could tie it about her granddaughter’s neck tight enough to choke her.” (85)

“Two things everybody’s got tuh do fuh theyselves. They got tuh go tuh God, and they got tuh find out about livin’ fuh theyselves.” (183)

“Here was peace. She pulled in her horizon like a great fish-net. Pulled it from around the waist of the world and draped it over her shoulder. So much of life in its meshes! She called in her soul to come and see.” (184)

Reference:  Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper & Row, 1990.

*   For background, here is a plot summary and analysis of Young Goodman Brown  *

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #1: The Theme of Duplicity in “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story, “Young Goodman Brown” the reader quickly realizes that nothing is as it seems. The old man who seems innocuous is a devil, his catechism teacher is taking part in secret evil rituals, and even his wife appears in on the action. Not only is almost everyone Goodman Brown meets very duplicitous, but even objects take on a dual nature. For instance, the staff that the man Goodman Brown meets carries (a man who, oddly enough, is a dual Goodman Brown in appearance—he just happens to be older) is both a staff and a snake that twists and seems to “wriggle itself like a living serpent.” For this essay on “Young Goodman Brown” look at the role duplicity plays and consider the ways in which these dual characteristics of people and objects serves as an extended set of metaphors. Even if this was all a dream that Young Goodman Brown had, it might be more helpful for this essay to assume not.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #2: The Meaning and Importance of Names in “Young Goodman Brown”

One of the major themes in “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is duplicity and the way that nothing is as it seems. Using elements from essay question 1, consider the role and importance of names in this text. For instance, the title character “Goodman Brown” has a name that at first suggests innocence and the will to do good (good-man) yet the last name—Brown suggests something that is darkened or otherwise soiled. This is especially interesting considering what the old man tells Young Goodman Brown of his father and his lineage. Equally worthy of note (and along similar lines) is the name “Goody” for the old woman or “Faith” for his wife. Assuming that Young Goodman Brown was not simply dreaming, the names are all ironic because they reflect characteristics that are not present.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #3: “Young Goodman Brown” and Complimentary Themes Found in Other Works By Nathaniel Hawthorne

 One of the best ways to consider many of the themes in “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is to look it in the context of his other works. In other short stories by Nathaniel Hawthorne such as “The Minister’s Black Veil” or novels like “The Scarlet Letter,” Hawthorne consistently explores similar ideas about the nature of good and evil, the influence of Puritan ideas and the Puritan community in general, as well as guilt, both in a public and private sense. For this essay on “Young Goodman Brown” examine one theme (for example, guilt, sin, or the Puritan community) and compare it to both “The Minister’s Black Veil” “The Birthmark” or “The Scarlet Letter.” A good structure for this essay would involve a thesis statement discussing the theme you’re examining, followed by one or two paragraphs devoted to each other text.  Conclude the essay with a statement on how, through these works, Nathaniel Hawthorne is making a statement about the theme or even set of symbols you’ve chosen or about Puritan society in general.

* Other possible essay topics for “Young Goodman Brown” include examining the role of the setting and considering why Nathaniel Hawthorne goes through such great lengths to establish such a rich sense of place. Also, there are a number of symbols and rich examples of imagery (especially when used as metaphors) throughout the text to consider and looking at the representation of women (as either completely evil and witch-like or completely good and wholesome). One more essay idea might be to examine the way the forest and the natural world in “Young Goodman Brown” function as an actual character with motivations, moods, and an independent will.

*   For background, here is a plot summary and analysis of Young Goodman Brown  * 

This list of important quotations from “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne will help you work with the essay topics and thesis statements above by allowing you to support your claims. All of the important quotes from “Young Goodman Brown” listed here correspond, at least in some way, to the paper topics above and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes and explanations about other themes, symbols, imagery, and motifs than those already mentioned and explained.  Aside from the thesis statements for “Young Goodman Brown” above, these quotes alone can act as essay questions or study questions as they are all relevant to the text in an important way. All quotes from “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorn contain page numbers as well. Look at the bottom of the page to identify which edition of the text they are referring to.

“The road grew wilder and drearier and more faintly traced, and vanished at length, leaving him [Goodman Brown] in the heart of the dark wilderness, still rushing onward, with the instinct that guides mortal man to evil” (273).

A particular rock bore a “resemblance to either an altar or a pulpit” (274).

“The red light arose and fell, a numerous congregation alternately shone forth, then disappeared in the shadow, and again grew, as it were, out of darkness, peopling the heart of the solitary woods at once” (274).

(Of Faith) “Well, she’s a blessed angel on earth; and after this one night, I’ll cling to her skirts and follow her to Heaven” (272).

“On he flew, among the black pines, brandishing his staff with frenzied gestures, now giving vent to an inspiration of horrid blasphemy, and now shouting such laughter as set all the echoes of the forest laughing like demons around him. The fiend in his own shape is less hideous, than when he rages in the breast of man” (276).

“Another verse of the hymn arose, a slow and mournful strain, such as the pious love, but joined to words which expressed all that our nature can conceive of sin, and darkly hinted at far more. Unfathomable to mere mortals is the lore of fiends” (277).

“Nature was laughing him to scorn” (275)

“how hoary bearded elders of the church have whispered wanton words to the young maids of their households.”(276)

“my mind is made up. Not another step will I budge on this errand. What if a wretched old woman do choose to go to the devil, when I thought she was going to Heaven! Is that any reason why I should quit my dear Faith, and go after her?”(274)

“But he was himself the chief horror of the scene, and not from its other horrors”(277)

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #1: The Significance of First-Person Narration in “The Yellow Wallpaper”

The central character in Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story “The Yellow Wallpaper” narrates her own life; however, the reader never learns her name. Gilman has cleverly taken the reader into the inner-most realms of a woman’s mind and experiences, yet the woman in “The Yellow Wallpaper” remains anonymous, a reflection of her status in society. Narration, of course, is an important element of any story or novel, and as readers, we are always evaluating whether the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper” is credible and reliable. The narrator of “The Yellow Wall-Paper” appears credible as the story opens, but as her mental state deteriorates, does her narrative follow suit? As you read this story, consider the role that narration plays in the development of the plot and the theme. How might the story of “The Yellow Wallpaper” have been different, for instance, if it had been told by the woman’s husband? Other important questions include: Why is it important that the woman narrator have the agency and the voice to tell her own story? What effects does this particular choice of narration have on establishing a connection with the reader and eliciting certain emotional responses.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #2: “The Yellow Wall-Paper” as a Feminist Story

“The Yellow Wall-Paper” was written in 1892, and is often referred to as a feminist short story. Given that the woman in the story goes mad because her role in society is limited and her ability to express herself creatively is constricted, can the reader assume that the author is making a feminist statement?  This topic could take at least two different approaches. You could either situate the story within a larger sociohistorical context (i.e.: What was happening in 1892 that made this particular story so relevant and resonant, and why does it remain so important today?), or you could take the story only on its own terms: What does Gilman seem to say about “the female condition” in general by writing about the life of this one woman and her descent into madness in “The Yellow Wall Paper”?

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #3: The Relationship Between Creativity and Madness in “The Yellow Wallpaper”

It is often said that artists and writers are touched by a bit of madness, but might this story make the argument that madness springs from the inability to be expressive and creative? For this essay on “The Yellow Wallpaper”, consider the development of the mental disorder that increasingly consumes the narrator of “The Yellow Wallpaper”, and identify her symptoms and their possible causes. Look for textual evidence in the narrator’s description of her own condition. What differences do you observe in her opening insights and those which can be gleaned from the conclusion? Can you make a case that the narrator decompensated in “The Yellow Wallpaper” because she could not find a creative outlet?

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #4 Victorian Gender Roles in “The Yellow Wallpaper”

While the female narrator in “The Yellow Wallpaper” gains the most critical attention in essays on “The Yellow Wall-Paper,” what is the reader to make of the narrator’s husband, John? He is a physician who recognizes his wife’s compromised state, but he does not seem to realize just how severe her condition is, nor does he have an adequate way of treating it. Instead, he insists that country air will restore her senses and that isolation from others will give her room to breathe and think. The textual evidence from “The Yellow Wallpaper” suggests that John is a caring husband and that he does have positive intentions for his wife; however, he is bound by traditional gender roles.  Look to the text for examples of John’s positive intentions, and find ways to support the argument that despite his best intentions, the fact that he was constricted to a particular gender role limited his ability to truly prevent his wife from slipping into insanity.

Thesis Statement/Essay Topic #5: The Symbol of the Yellow Wallpaper

The story is titled “The Yellow Wall-Paper,” and indeed, the dreadful wallpaper that the narrator comes to hate so much is a significant symbol in the story. The yellow wallpaper can represent many ideas and conditions, among them, the sense of entrapment, the notion of creativity gone astray, and a distraction that becomes an obsession. Examine the references to the yellow wallpaper and notice how they become more frequent and how they develop over the course of the story. Why is the wallpaper an adequate symbol to represent the woman’s confinement and her emotional condition?

Click Here for an excellent essay and analysis of oppression in “The Yellow Wallpaper” 

This list of important quotations from “The Yellow Wallpaper” will help you work with the essay topics and thesis statements above by allowing you to support your claims. All of the important quotes from “The Yellow Wall paper” listed here correspond, at least in some way, to the paper topics for “The Yellow Wallpaper” above and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes about other themes, symbols, imagery, and motifs than those already mentioned.  All quotes from “The Yellow Wallpaper” contain page numbers as well. Look at the bottom of the page to identify which edition of “The Yellow Wallpaper” they are referring to.

“John is a physician, and perhaps—(I would not say it to a living soul, of course, but this is dead paper and a great relief to my mind–) perhaps that is one reason I do not get well faster.” (74)

“So I take phosphates and phosphites—whichever it is, and tonics, and journeys, and air, and exercise, and am absolutely forbidden to ‘work’ until I am well again. Personally, I disagree with their ideas. Personally, I believe that congenial work, with excitement and change, would do me good.” (74-75)

“I never saw a worse [wall]paper in my life. One of those sprawling flamboyant patterns committing every artistic sin. It is dull enough to confuse the eye…, pronounced enough to constantly irritate and provoke study, and when you follow the lame uncertain curves…they suddenly commit suicide….” (76)

“It is so discouraging not to have any advice and companionship about my work.” (77)

“I never saw so much expression in an inanimate thing before, and we all know how much expression they have! I used to lie awake as a child and get more entertainment and terror out of blank walls and plain furniture than most children could find in a toy store.” (78)

“It is getting to be a great effort for me to think straight. Just this nervous weakness I suppose.” (80)

“There are things in that paper that nobody knows but me, or ever will.” (81)

“It is so hard to talk with John about my case, because he is so wise, and because he loves me so.” (81)

“I really have discovered something at last….Sometimes I think there are a great many women behind [the wallpaper], and sometimes only one, and she crawls around fast, and her crawling shakes it all over.” (85)

“I have found out another funny thing, but I shan’t tell it this time! It does not do to trust people too much.” (86)

Reference:       Gilman, Charlotte Perkins. “The Yellow Wall-Paper.” In Great Short Stories by American Women. pp. 73-88. Candace Ward, ed. New York: Dover, 1996.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #1: The Issue of Class in Wuthering Heights

Throughout Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, the issue of class is raised repeatedly, especially in relation to Heathcliff. Heathcliff is often shunned because of his lower class roots and his lack of knowledge regarding his parentage. Throughout the course of the novel Wuthering Heights, Heathcliff runs the social gamut by being an orphaned castaway to becoming a gentleman, then turning into a day laborer, and finally becoming a gentleman again. What is Bronte saying about class through her representation of this theme, especially in relation to Heathcliff’s unpredictable slides up and down the social ladder? What other characters in Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte are concerned with the effects that their life will have on their class status? For this essay on Wuthering Heights, pick two or three characters for this character analysis, besides Heathcliff, and dissect their concerns in regards to their class status, and how these concerns motivate their major decisions.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #2: The Role of Vengeance and Revenge in Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights

Revenge is a prominent theme in Bronte’s Wuthering Heights. As the novel gains momentum and the plot moves forward, it is easy to see how every action of Heathcliff’s is designed to bring down the Earnshaw and Linton family, and to take ownership over what he sees as his. However, during his vengeful acts against the two families, Heathcliff becomes even more dark and unhappy inside. While he truly believes that revenge will justify his existence, he is actually making himself more miserable than Hindley ever did. What is Bronte, then, saying about revenge and it’s manifestations in Wuthering Heights? Is it possible that Heathcliff’s search for revenge actually hastened along his death?

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #3: The Issue of Stagnancy in Wuthering Heights

One thing that is clear throughout Emily Bronte’s novel is that Heathcliff cherishes Catherine Earnshaw. At first, the union is logical: two innocent children running through the moors are bound to find one another attractive, even if only for a lack of other opportunities. However, as they age, the relationship between Heathcliff and Catherine becomes far murkier. Catherine begins to treat Heathcliff quite poorly, leaving him to marry Edgar Linton, yet constantly declaring her true love for Heathcliff. As Catherine’s treatment of Heathcliff degenerates, his love, conversely, expands. Explain how Heathcliff’s inability to see and cope with the changes in Catherine’s personality has a permanent effect on his life. Also, discuss the ways in which their relationship changes, and the separate catalysts for those changes.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #4: The Supernatural in Wuthering Heights

The supernatural is a key element in all of the canon of Romantic Literature and is apparent in Wuthering Heights, especially the manifestation of Catherine’s ghost. It is the presence of Catherine that leads Lockwood to discover the books that have been scrawled in as diaries, and in the end, it is her ghost that drives Heathcliff insane.  While reflecting on the usage of the supernatural in Wuthering Heights, discuss in which ways the inclusion of Catherine’s ghost helps to move the plot along. Besides the two examples already listed, in which ways does she influence the storyline? Also, discuss whether or not the ghost of Catherine was a real spirit, or merely a nightmare on the part of Lockwood and the manifestation of Heathcliff’s guilt.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #5: The Moor Motif in Wuthering Heights

During the telling of the story of Heathcliff and Catherine, the subject of Moors comes up fairly regularly, in two different contexts. To begin with, the Moor’s are the place where Catherine and Heathcliff first found love, and the Moor’s are what draw the young Catherine to Heathcliff’s new home across the grange. Also important is the fact that while Heathcliff is usually referred to as a gypsy, with his dark hair and skin, another common racial term during Bronte’s day was “Moor”. With this knowledge in hand, discuss how the moors surrounding the grange reflect Heathcliff, the Moor. In what ways do the natural moors personify Heathcliff’s own dark and brooding personality and unpredictable nature? How do events that occur out in the moor foreshadow later events that are caused by Heathcliff?

For help putting Wuthering Heights in historical, click here to check out the article “Overview of Romanticism in Literature” 

This list of important quotations from “Wuthering Heights” by Emily Bronte will help you work with the essay topics and thesis statements above by allowing you to support your claims. All of the important quotes from Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” listed here correspond, at least in some way, to the paper topics above and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes and explanations about other themes, symbols, imagery, and motifs than those already mentioned and explained.  Aside from the thesis statements for Bronte’s “Wuthering Heights” above, these quotes alone can act as essay questions or study questions as they are all relevant to the text in an important way. All quotes contain page numbers as well. Look at the bottom of the page to identify which edition of the text they are referring to.

“But Mr. Heathcliff forms a singular contrast to his abode and style of living. He is a dark-skinned gypsy in aspect, in dress and manners a gentleman, that is, as much a gentleman as many a country squire” (21)

“In vapid listlessness I leant my head against the window, and continued spelling over Catherine Earnshaw—Heathcliff—Linton, till my eyes closed; but they had not rested five minutes when a glare of white letters started from the dark, as vivid as spectres—the air swarmed with Catherines” (33)

“It would degrade me to marry Heathcliff now; so he shall never know how I love him; and that, not because he’s handsome, Nelly, but because he’s more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same, and his is as different as a moonbeam from lightning, or frost from fire.” (78)

“I got the sexton, who was digging Linton’s grave, to remove the earth off her coffin lid, and I opened it. I thought, once, I would have stayed there, when I saw her face again—it is hers yet—he had hard work to stir me; but he said it would change, if the air blew on it, and so I struck one side of the coffin loose, and covered it up—not Linton’s side, damn him! I wish he’d been soldered in lead—and I bribed the sexton to pull it away, when I’m laid there, and slide mine out too. I’ll have it made so, and then, by the time Linton gets to us, he’ll not know which is which!” (271)

“In every cloud, in every tree—filling the air at night, and caught by glimpses in every object by day, I am surrounded with her image! The most ordinary faces of men and women—my own features—mock me with a resemblance. The entire world is a dreadful collection of memoranda that she did exist, and that I have lost her!” (310)

“’I know why Hareton never speaks, when I am in the kitchen’ she exclaimed, on another occasion. ‘He is afraid I shall laugh at him. Ellen, what do you think? He began to teach himself to read once; and, because I laughed, he burned his books, and dropped it: was he not a fool?’” (301)

“Proud people breed sad sorrows for themselves. But, if you be ashamed of your touciness, you must ask pardon, mind, when she comes in. You must go up and offer to kiss her, and say-you know best what to say; only do it heartily and not as if you thought her converted into a stranger by her grand dress.” (57)

“My love for Linton is like the foliage in the woods. Time will change it, I’m well aware, as winter changes the trees – my love for Heathcliff resembles the eternal rocks beneath – a source of little visible delight, but necessary.” (67)

“I’m trying to settle how I shall pay Hindley back. I don’t care how long I wait, if I can only do it at last. I hope he will not die before I do!” (54)

“And I pray one prayer–I repeat it till my tongue stiffens–Catherine Earnshaw, may you not rest as long as I am living! You said I killed you–haunt me, then!…Be with me always–take any form–drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!” (153)

Source: Bronte, Emily. Wuthering Heights. Philadelphia: Courage Books, 1991.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #1: The Symbol of the Wall in “The Women of Brewster Place” by Gloria Naylor

A wall divides Brewster Place from the neighboring communities, and it, like Brewster Place itself, almost has a life of its own; it becomes central to the action of the novel and is ultimately torn apart by the women of Brewster Place. On a superficial level, the symbolism of the wall in “The Women of Brewster Place” is obvious. Dig deeper, though, and consider what other symbolic meaning the wall might have, both for individual women and men in the community, and for Brewster Place at large. Write an expository essay on “The Women of Brewster Place” in which you explain the symbolism and comment upon the significance of its destruction at the end of the novel.

Thesis Statement/Essay Topic #2: Relationships Among the Women of Brewster Place

The women of Brewster Place have complex relationships with one another, relationships that are by no means static. The appearance of the lesbian couple, Theresa and Lorraine, challenge the women’s notions of love and friendship, and lead to a brief but profound conversation about the quality and characteristics of female friendships. Using this conversation (see Selected Quotes, below), write an essay in which you identify and explain some of the most important female relationships in the novel and their functions for the women of Brewster Place.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #3: Unfulfilled Dreams as a Theme in “The Women of Brewster Place’

Almost all of the people who live in Brewster Place have dreams of moving somewhere better, yet few of them will ever have the means to do so. Consider what the effect of these persistent dreams is on the characters as individuals, but also as a community. If everyone is always dreaming of leaving, is it possible for anyone to invest in the betterment of Brewster Place? Be sure to address whether and how Brewster Place is affected by these dreams by the novel’s end; consider, especially, the last section of the novel and the narrator’s claim that “No one cries when a street dies” (see Selected Quotes).

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #4: Stereotyping in The Women of Brewster Place

Most, if not all, of the characters in The Women of Brewster Place are stereotyped. Almost all of the men are irresponsible, many of the women appear to be powerless, and the lesbians are considered deviant. Write an expository essay in which you identify the specific stereotypes that shape the main characters, and explain how these stereotypes function in the development of the theme.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #5: Brewster Place as a Character

Sometimes a place can take on the characteristics and functions of a living character, and such is the case in Brewster Place. Write an expository essay in which you identify and explain how Naylor develops Brewster Place as vividly as if it was a living, breathing person. Also, consider why the personification of Brewster Place is important and how it supports the thematic development of the novel.

This list of important quotations from “The Women of Brewster Place” by Gloria Naylor will help you work with the essay topics and thesis statements above by allowing you to support your claims. All of the important quotes from “The Women of Brewster Place” listed here correspond, at least in some way, to the paper topics above and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes about other themes, symbols, imagery, and motifs than those already mentioned. All quotes contain page numbers as well. Look at the bottom of the page to identify which edition of “The Women of Brewster Place” by Gloria Naylor are referring to.

“She breathed deeply of the freedom she found in Mattie’s presence. Here she had no choice but to be herself.” (58)

“Etta soon found out that America wasn’t ready for her yet—not in 1937. And so along with the countless other disillusioned, restless children of Ham with so much to give and nowhere to give it, she took her talents to the street. And she learned to get over….” (60)

“Moreland Woods knew Etta was the type of woman who not only knew which way to turn, but, more often than not, had built her own roads when nothing else was accessible.” (68)

“Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it’s all over.” (70)

“…practically every apartment contained a family, a Bible, and a dream that one day enough could be scraped from those meager Friday night paychecks to make Brewster Place a distant memory.” (77)

“You constantly live in a fantasy world—always going to extremes—turning butterflies into eagles, and life isn’t about that. It’s accepting what is and working from that.” (85)

“Confronted with the difference that had been thrust into their predictable world, they reached into their imagination and, using an ancient pattern, weaved themselves a reason for its existence. Out of necessity they stitched all of their secret fears and lingering childhood nightmares into this existence, because even though it was deceptive enough to try and look as they looked, talk as they talked, and do as they did, it had to have some hidden stain to invalidate it—it was impossible for them both to be right. So they leaned back, supported by the sheer weight of their numbers and comforted by the woven barrier that kept them protected from the yellow mist that enshrouded the two as they came and went on Brewster Place.” (132)

“‘They, they, they!’ Theresa exploded. ‘You know, I’m not starting up with this again…. Who in the hell are they? And where in the hell are we? Living in some dump of a building in this God-forsaken part of town around a bunch of ignorant niggers with the cotton still under their fingernails because of you and your theys.’” (134)

“But I’ve loved some women deeper than I ever loved any man….And there been some women who loved me more and did more for me than any man ever did…. Maybe it’s not so different….Maybe that’s why some women get so riled up about it, ‘cause they know deep down it’s not so different at all.” (141)

“No one cries when a street dies….It dies when the odors of hope, despair, lust, and caring are wiped out by the seasonal winds; when dust has settled into the cracks and scars, leveling their depths and discolorations—their reasons for being; when the spirit is trapped and fading in someone’s memory.” (191)

Reference: Naylor, Gloria. The Women of Brewster Place. New York: Penguin, 1980.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #1: Definitions of Beauty

Attention to detail is important in Women in Love—detail to people, place, and objects. Consider the different definitions of beauty that are offered by each character and write an essay in which you define beauty through them. You may choose to write only about one character, or compare and contrast their definitions. Be sure to address notions not only of physical beauty, but other forms of beauty that are not so visible. This topic could also form the basis for a good argumentative essay in which you argue about the ultimate message conveyed in the novel concerning beauty. A good question to consider might be how important beauty is throughout “Women in Love” and what this indicates about the society depicted.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #2: The Psychology of Industrialization

In contrast to beauty—indeed, a threat to it—is the backdrop of industrialization in Women in Love. The industrialized space is at times so oppressive that it becomes a character. Consider one or more passages in which the industrialized space is described vividly. Examine how the images in your selected passages contest the definitions of beauty, which are so important to the characters. As you are writing this, remember to take into account the historical conditions, both in literary and straight history terms, that helped shape the narrative.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #3: Issues of Gender in “Women in Love”

Many of the characters in Women in Love do not conform to traditional gender norms. Choose one or more characters and offer an essay in which you compare and contrast their negotiation of gender roles and the significance of their modes of resistance. You may wish to situate your observations within an historical framework, drawing from secondary academic texts. Explain why these forms of resistance are important to the development of the novel’s theme.

Thesis Statement / Essay Topic #4: Images of Nature

Just as industrialization is important to this novel, so too is nature, which represents an important counterbalance. Consider the many ways in which images of nature are used in this novel. Focus your essay by selecting one particular function of nature. One example may be to examine female characters and the ways in which they are described in comparison to nature. Develop an essay in which you offer the symbolic significance of these nature images.

Thesis Statement/Essay Topic #5: Love

As is the case with nature, beauty, and gender, each of the characters has his or her own definition of love. Again, select one or more characters and offer an essay in which you compare and contrast their definitions of love. Explain what experiences have shaped these definitions. Select the definition that makes the most sense to you, and explain why it is appealing to you. 

This list of important quotations from “Women in Love” by D.H. Lawrence will help you work with the essay topics and thesis statements above by allowing you to support your claims. All of the important quotes from “Women in Love” listed here correspond, at least in some way, to the paper topics above and by themselves can give you great ideas for an essay by offering quotes and explanations about other themes, symbols, imagery, and motifs than those already mentioned and explained.  Aside from the thesis statements above, these quotes alone can act as essay questions or study questions as they are all relevant to the text in an important way. All quotes contain page numbers as well. Look at the bottom of the page to identify which edition of the text by D.H. Lawrence they are referring to.

“I get no feeling whatever from the thought of bearing children.” (55)

“Not many people are anything at all…They jingle and giggle….” (73)

“They had not the faintest belief in deep relationship between men and men, and their disbelief prevented any development of their powerful but suppressed friendliness.” (83)

“When we have knowledge, don’t we lose everything but knowledge?” (91)

“Well, if mankind is destroyed, if our race is destroyed like Sodom, and there is this beautiful evening with the luminous land and ttrees, I am satisfied.” (111)

“She was rich, full of dangerous power. She was like a strange unconscious bud of powerful womanhood. He was unconsciously drawn to her.” (148)

“Now she realized that this was the world of powerful, underworld men who spent most of their time in the darkness….They sounded also like strange machines, heavy, oiled.” (174)

“He would never, never dare to break her will, and let loose the maelstrom of her subconsciousness….” (202)

“One is tired of the life that belongs to death….” (254)

“I suppose we do love each other, in some way.” (255)

Reference:  Lawrence, D.H. Women in Love. New York: Penguin, 1950.