The Metaphor of Ice in Baldwin's 'Sonny's Blues'
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A five page paper looking at James Baldwin's short story in terms of the way it uses the metaphor of ice -- and the contrasting metaphors of light, liquid, and heat -- as symbols of self-expression and emotional openness, or the lack thereof. Numerous quotes from the story are included. No additional sources.
Filename: KBsonny2.rtf

The Quest for Identity in Angelou’s “Heart” and Baldwin’s “Mountain”
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A five page paper comparing Maya Angelou’s “The Heart of a Woman” with James Baldwin’s “Go Tell It on the Mountain” in terms of the protagonist’s quest for identity. The paper argues that both writers are driven by a strong sense of personal quest -- Baldwin to find himself through the context of his faith, his church, and his community; Angelou to discover herself as a woman, a writer, and an individual. No additional sources.
Filename: KBgotell.wps

Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man' / Analysis
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A 19 page paper on Ellison's 'Invisible Man' in which the writer argues in support of the idea that there is a direct link between Ellison's concept of invisibility and the narrator's search for self-identity. The writer also relates the narrator's struggle for identity with the same struggle recognized by black theologians. Nine sources cited.
Filename: Ellison.wps

Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man' / Analysis Of Scenes
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A 5 page paper that compares two major scenes in Ellison's Invisible Man--The Battle Royale and the Harlem Riots. This paper contends that not only do these scenes represent black violence inacted against other blacks but they also serve to underscore the narrator's invisibility, two major themes of the novel. No additional references are cited.
Filename: Maninv.wps

Ralph Ellison's 'Invisible Man' / The Meaning Of ‘Invisible'
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A 5 page essay, using the author's own statements, which analyzes the concept of ‘invisibleness' that appears throughout the book. The primary source is cited.
Filename: Invisiman.wps

Alice Walker's 'The Color Purple' / Hogan's 'Mean Spirit' / Selfhood
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A 7 page paper comparing Alice Walker's The Color Purple to Linda Hogan's Mean Spirit. The paper focuses on the two protagonists, Walker's Celie and Hogan's Belle, and observes that Celie is the more fully realized character because the book is centered on her quest for selfhood; Belle is just a symbol for the Indian race. Bibliography lists one source.
Filename: Walkerh.wps

Harriet Jacob's 'Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl' / The Attic
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A 5 page paper looking at the antebellum slave narrative Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs. The paper shows how, despite the fact that Jacobs hid in a crawl space for seven years to escape an abusive master, she preferred this to actually living with the constant threat of abuse. Bibliography lists one source.
Filename: Incsla.wps

Harriet Jacobs' Incidents In The Life Of A Slave Girl / Historic Value
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When Harriet Jacobs' 'Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl' was published, it was probably one of the few slave narratives that dared to speak of a woman in captivity not only as a mother but also as a fiercely individual self. In this 3 page essay, the writer analyzes the book's historic value as a realistic look at the conditions endured by slaves-- particularly the reality of mental enslavement. No other sources cited.
Filename: Slavegir.wps

Virtue in the Slave Narratives of Wilson and Jacobs
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A ten page paper looking intensively at Harriet Wilson’s “Our Nig” and Harriet Ann Jacobs’ “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl”. The paper shows that while both books emphasize some nineteenth-century female virtues -- particularly in regard to the protagonists’ maternal instincts -- and elicit considerable sympathy for their protagonists, they also express a greater longing for independence than was typical of women in that era. Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Filename: KBblkwom.wps

Gwendolyn Brooks and Black American Youth
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A 3 page paper examining the challenges of growing up black in America, as reflected in the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks. Three of her poems are discussed: “We Real Cool,” “The Ballad of Chocolate Mabbie,” and “Children of the Poor.” No additional sources.
Filename: KBbrooks.wps

Tennessee Williams vs. Eugene O'Neill / Realism In The American Theater
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A 9 page look at two American plays: Tennessee Williams Suddenly Last Summer and Eugene O'Neill's Desire Under Elms examples of Realism in Drama. Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: Realam.wps

Comparison of the Autobiographies of Mary Rowlandson, Benjamin Franklin & Olaudah Equinao
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This 5 page report discusses the differences and similarities between the stories told by these three eloquent, early Americans. Each story is completely unique and yet each offers any reader ideas about the true meanings of faith, inspiration, and freedom. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: Compauto.wps