Nathaniel Hawthorne's Rejection of Puritanical Values in 'The Scarlet Letter' and 'The House of the Seven Gables'
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A 7 page paper which critically analyzes how New England-born Nathaniel Hawthorne rejects the values held by his fellow Puritans in his first two novels, 'The Scarlet Letter' and 'The House of the Seven Gables.' Bibliography lists 12 sources.
Filename: TGpuritn.wps

The Family Life of Ralph Josselin, a Seventeenth-Century Clergyman
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A 5 page overview of the diaries of Ralph Josselin, a moderate Puritan clergyman who, over a forty year period spanning between 1641 and 1683, provides a detailed record of his political responsibilities. Emphasizes the historic significance of this work and its value to historians and practically anyone else interested in this period of time.
Filename: PPjossel.wps

Preston's'Hot Zone' vs. Cook's 'Outbreak' / Microbiological Comparison
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A 4 page comparison of the microbiological information presented in Richard Preston's book 'Hot Zone' and the movie 'Outbreak.' Concludes that while Preston's book presents valuable and factual information about such organisms as the Marburg Virus and the Ebola Virus, the movie presents only fictional information and is of little public educational value. Bibliography lists 7 sources.
Filename: Hotbreak.wps

Richard Preston's 'The Hot Zone'
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A 5 page paper on Richard Preston's terrifying book about the Ebola virus. The paper concludes that Preston's actual agenda in writing this book is summed up in the last chapter: that the earth has come to regard humans as a parasite, and is using viral disease to exterminate us. No sources.
Filename: Hotzone.wps

Jack Kerouac's 'On The Road' / Zen Madness
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Jack Kerouac wrote On the Road in the early 1950's, though it wasn't published until 1957. The relationship of his escapades in the book and the philosophies of the 'beat' generation are well known. One area that has not been explored to any extent is the relationship the journey taken in the book has with Kerouac's known interest in Buddhism. Although On the Road was not written with the Buddhist point of view in mind, the journey of Kerouac and Cassidy can be seen as an extension of the Mahayana principles that interested Kerouac later in his life. This 4 page paper argues that the journey in On the Road fulfills a basic definition of a Buddhist quest for knowledge and eventual nirvana. Bibliography lists 6 sources.
Filename: Roadzen.wps

Jack Kerouac's 'On The Road' / Socialization
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A 5 page paper discussing whether it can be said that Kerouac's classic book of the fifties Beat generation had a socializing influence. The paper concludes that because it anticipated the freedom of the sixties, its enormous popularity helped to usher in sociological change. Bibliography lists 5 sources.
Filename: Kerouac.wps

Speed and Transportation in Kerouac’s “On The Road”
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A five page paper looking at the symbolism of these motifs in Jack Kerouac’s 1955 novel. The paper asserts that this obsession with speed and escape actually symbolizes Kerouac’s rejection of the slow, steady society of the 1950s. No additional sources.
Filename: KBonroad.wps

The Beat Generation and Their Influence Today
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A ten page paper analyzing the characteristics and influence of the Beat generation of poets and writers in the 1950s. Although many poets and writers are mentioned, particular attention is paid to the work of Jack Kerouac; Allen Ginsberg; and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Bibliography lists 16 sources.
Filename: KBbeat.wps

Tony Hillerman's 'The First Eagle'
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This is a 5 page paper that gives a basic summary of Tony Hillerman's book, The First Eagle. In the book it is the Black plague that has returned, or rather, has survived, for centuries. In the long interim it has developed a resistance to modern antibiotics, making it more virulent and much more dangerous. It is attacking prairie dogs and an occasional human. One of the main points to the story involves the efforts of a scientist to determine why some animals have developed an immunity and others succumb quickly. On the other hand is the murder of a Navajo Tribal officer. Lieutenant Jim Chee believes he has the murderer in custody, Robert Jano, a young Hopi man with a history of poaching eagles. The intertwining of the two story lines and the two cultural perspectives forms the basis for this novel. No additional sources cited.
Filename: Firste.wps

Free Will in Literature
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This 5 page paper compares and contrasts Stephen Crane's 'The Open Boat' with Jack London's 'To Build a Fire.' The concept of free will is explored in respect to the characters in these works. The short stories are compared and contrasted. No additional sources cited.
Filename: SA012fre.rtf

Goodbye Columbus / Book Review
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3 pages of analytical discussion concerning Philip Roth's award-winning 1959 novella, 'Goodbye Columbus,' a bittersweet tale of a summer romance between a sensitive young man and a pampered, wealthy, sexually aware girl. Bibliography lists 4 supporting sources.
Filename: Goodcolo.wps

Philip Roth/Portnoy's Complaint
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A 7 page analysis of the Philip Roth's tale of growing up Jewish and male in the late twentieth century. Portnoy has a rather odd 'complaint' that results in consequences that are both intriguing and hilarious. He expresses all of his considerable Jewish angst at having a domineering mother through obsessive sexual conduct. No additional sources cited.
Filename: 99roth.wps