Top 50 college essay topics in 2020!

  • Best Example Of Situational Irony In Macbeth
    3,020 words
    Such is the genius and so great is the scope of Shakespeare's writings that there can be little doubt that a common perception is one of an imaginative mind concocting stories. In fact Shakespeare had many sources and much of his work was based on historical fact. Holinshed chronicled in the sixteenth century, the histories of England, Scotland and Ireland, and it is from the "Historie of Scotland" that Shakespeare built significant parts of this drama. For example, the murder of King Duff and t...
  • Lies Of The Crucible
    944 words
    LIES OF THE CRUCIBLE Lying has always been considered to be one of the worst things man could do. Yet almost anyone who has ever spoken a word in their life has lied at one point or another. The truth is that lying comes naturally. Lying is an easy way out of situations that could get us in trouble. It truly is an act of pure selfishness. In Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible, Miller shows what the consequences of lying are and proves that 'honesty is the best policy'; . The first thing lying do...
  • Why The Driving Age Should Stay At 16
    757 words
    Your sixteenth birthday has arrived and you rush to the nearest D.P.S. (Department of Public Safety) to make your driver's license. This is exactly what every teenager looks forward to, but some government officials do not think so. To them the legal driving age should be changed to eighteen. Concerned youngsters try not to acknowledge the fact that all the newspaper, television, and radio rumors are factual. Why should you have to wait two more years to drive when you are already responsible en...
  • The Pie By Gary Soto Analysis
    1,176 words
    The Dirty Pie Almost every human being can recall some incident from their life that they wish had not happened. Many people can recall some grievous deed they committed where getting away with it was worse then being caught. In his autobiography, Gary Soto recalls a time when he was six years old and stole an apple pie. Soto's use of contrast, diction and imagery breathe life into his work and give a unique perspective into the mind and motive of a guilty six year old. In Soto's work, a reader ...
  • Where Have You Gone Charming Billy By Tim O'Brien
    327 words
    Fear can be a self-destructive emotion if people let it overwhelm them. First Class Private Paul Berlin is new to war. He does numerous things to keep his mind from being afraid. These things include pretending he is not in the war, pretending he is a little boy again camping with his father. He is imagining what he is going to tell his parents about the war, counting his steps, singing, and even laughing. But in the end, he is unable to cease his fear. In the story "Where Have You Gone, Charmin...
  • Yellow Wallpaper Vs Story Of An Hour
    1,101 words
    Comparison and Contrast Essay " The Yellow Wallpaper" vs. "The Story of an Hour" "The Yellow Wallpaper", by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and "The Story of an Hour", by Kate Chopin, are alike in that both of the women in the stories were controlled by their husbands which caused them to feel an intense desire for freedom. Both stories were also written from a feminist point of view. However, the women in the stories had different life changes and different responses to their own freedom as a result ...
  • Living Together Before Marriage
    629 words
    There are many advantages and disadvantages in living together before marriage. Today there are many couples living together before marriage. Sometimes these kinds of relationships "living together before marriage" end up with success and sometimes they are unsuccessful. Some of the advantages of living together before marriage are such as getting to know your partner, learning about one's abilities if he / she can satisfy your expectations and more. Also, there are some disadvantages in living ...
  • Analysis Of The Poem Dreamers
    616 words
    Dreamers Dreamers is a WWI poem that is about the soldiers rather than the war itself, the message of the poem is that soldiers although viewed as hated killers that kill innocent victims the poem expresses the fact that the soldiers are just like the "normal" person, the poem also consists of many thoughts and doesn't single out one side or another this shows that is was probably written by a observer of the war or someone that was directly involved in the war itself. The first two lines of the...
  • Revenge Vs Justice In Hamlet
    2,033 words
    Revenge causes one to act blinding through anger, rather than through reason. It is a part of human nature that forces us to seek revenge against the person who has granted us with pain. But following the principle of an 'eye for eye, tooth for tooth'; , is not intelligent way to pursue justice. This is the same case in the play Hamlet written by Shakespeare, in the 16th century. In the play the two of the character's fathers are brutishly murdered. The first murder character is the king Hamlet ...
  • Woman Work By Maya Angelou Analysis
    513 words
    'Woman Work' is a poem about a black working woman set in the southern states of the U.S.A. In the poem, the woman is very busy, as she lists all her chores in the first stanza. All this working makes her tired and she cries out to the elements to take her away from the frustration. The main theme in 'Woman Work' is work. We know this because of the long list of household jobs she's got to do in the first stanza. Another theme in the poem is loneliness. We can see this by the fact that she only ...
  • Whitman And Dickinson's Poetry Compare And Contrast
    688 words
    Walt Whitman and Emily are two of the best US writers in the last 2 centuries. All of their poetry has been well received and they had inspired many generations in the USA. In the following paragraph I am going compare these two great writers of the last two centuries. "Pictures" implies Whitman feels that all people have their own world inside of their brains, unique and incapable of being imitated. The brain to Whitman holds an expanding inventory of pictures, made up of both things remembered...
  • Holden Caulfield's Lies
    778 words
    J.D. Salinger represents Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye as a lazy seventeen-year-old boy who is trying to figure out the world and expresses himself by lying for entertainment. Once Holden starts out by saying one lie, he keeps on lying to defend his last lie and he doesn't know how to get out of it. Many people lie when they are young and even when you are an adult but Holden does it excessively. He doesn't care who he is lying to just as long as they believe him. One of the reasons...
  • Dorothy Parker Arrangement In Black And White
    676 words
    Dorothy Parker's "Arrangement in Black and White" is set during a dinner party for the host's friend, Walter Williams, an African American musician. Though the party is celebrated in his name, most of the conversation takes place between the host and the main character, the woman with pink velvet poppies. From the conversation, the audience can deduce that though this woman admires Walter Williams's musical talent, she is unable to let go of the racist sentiment against his African American heri...
  • Analyzing King Lear's Tragic Flaws
    961 words
    ANALYZING KING LEAR'S TRAGIC FLAWS King Lear is a play about a tragic hero, by the name of King Lear, whose flaws get the best of him. A tragic hero must poses's three qualities. The first is they must have power, in other words, a leader. King Lear has the highest rank of any leader. He is a king. The next quality is they must have a tragic flaw, and King Lear has several of those. Finally, they must experience a downfall. Lear's realization of his mistakes is more than a downfall. It is a trag...
  • Eveline Derevaun Seraun Meaning
    508 words
    Eveline James Joyce's Eveline describes a story of a confused girl that is stuck in a situation that could change her life forever. Eveline, suppressed by her mother's deathbed wishes, is mentally subdued by her abusive surroundings, making it impossible for her to make a better life for herself. Eveline, being the young indentured servant that she had been accustomed to, is surrounded by an abusive father and a society that treats her like she's still an infant. Her mother had passed away at an...
  • Sound Patterns Of Hughes The Weary Blues
    1,522 words
    Hughes' 'Blues' Jazz music is often associated with long, lazy melodies and ornate rhythmical patterns. The Blues, a type of jazz, also follows this similar style. Langston Hughes' poem, 'The Weary Blues,' is no exception. The sound qualities that make up Hughes' work are intricate, yet quite apparent. Hughes' use of consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, and rhyme in 'The Weary Blues' gives the poem a deep feeling of sorrow while, at the same time, allows the reader to feel as if he or she is act...
  • Macbeth Killing Banquo
    974 words
    Portrait of a Murderer In the world today, many businesses fight each other for more money and better deals. To achieve this, they will do anything that it takes to accomplish the job, even if it means putting someone else out of business. These businesses are ruthless and ambitious. Without these traits, businesses can not achieve a higher rank in commerce. These concepts are not new to society. They have been with man since time began. In William Shakespeare's play, Macbeth, Macbeth is a perfe...
  • Beowulf Physical Strength
    1,048 words
    The epic poem, Beowulf, depicts the most heroic man of the Anglo-Saxon times. The hero, Beowulf, was an outstanding warrior with all the extraordinary values required by a hero. He was able to use his super-human physical strength and courage to put his people before himself. He encountered terrifying monsters and the most ferocious of beasts, but he never feared the threat of death. His leadership skills were excellent and he was able to boast about all his achievements. Beowulf was the ultimat...
  • Macbeth Guilt And Conscience
    994 words
    Macbeth Essay ~ Guilt and Conscience "Macbeth", one of the great Shakespearean tragedies, is arguably Shakespeare's most profound and disturbing vision of the human conscience, guilt and their workings. This theme of the guilt and conscience is explored throughout the play as the result of the consequences of bad deeds which weigh heavily on the conscience as it was believed in the Elizabethan times that the repercussions of evil acts affected the whole universe. This theme of guilt, conscience ...
  • Beloved Theme Of Isolation
    609 words
    Beloved, like many of the other books we have read, has to deal with the theme of isolation. There was the separation of Sethe and Denver from the rest of the world. There was also, the loneliness of each main character throughout the book. There were also other areas of the book where the idea of detachment from something was obvious. People's opinions about the house made them stay away and there was also the inner detachment of Sethe from herself. The theme that Toni Morrison had in mind when...
  • Fish Cheeks By Amy Tan
    380 words
    Fish Cheeks Critique Amy Tan, a Chinese-American writer, was born in Oakland, California in 1952. In 1989 she wrote The Joy Luck Club, her first novel which tells of the relationships and struggles between full Chinese mothers and their Americanized Chinese daughters. Although the story was fiction, most of the experiences came from Tan's real life. Besides The Joy Luck Club, Tan has written three more successful novels. Amy Tan's "Fish Cheeks" is a short narrative about when she was a little gi...
  • Is Prison An Effective Form Of Punishment
    1,839 words
    Imprisonment is an increasingly common method of punishment in modern British society, its basis being to punish the offender by depriving them of their liberty. Costing the taxpayer "lb 36 million a week" (Frances Cook, director of the Howard League), an amount that makes an entire third world country's economy look like pocket money in comparison, it would be fair to assume that Her Majesty's Prison Service is one of great efficiency and effectiveness. In reality however, imprisonment is under...
  • European Exploration God Gold And Glory
    814 words
    European exploration and conquest of the new world can be summed up into three words Gold, Glory, and God. The point of the Exploration of the New World was simple firstly there was the prospect of gold. The gold that could be mined and the gold that could be found in the Far East, which was there initial intention before "bumping" into the Americas, and then eventually staying in the Americas. Then there was the glory. What is greater than having a continent (AMERI go Vespucci sound familiar), ...
  • Anglo Saxon Values Of Courage And Bravery In Beowulf
    566 words
    All people have values and morals they try to live up to in their lives. During the Anglo- Saxon period, people had to live up to certain values of strength, generosity, courage, bravery, and chivalry. The values are enduring ly present in the epic poem, "Beowulf", which is set during the Anglo-Saxon period. "Beowulf" is a prime example of an epic poem displaying Anglo-Saxon values. "Beowulf" is considered an epic for many reasons. An epic poem is an extended narrative poem pertaining to the rea...
  • Arguments For Genetic Testing
    827 words
    Although genetic testing can benefit society in numerous ways, such as the diagnosis of vulnerabilities to inherited diseases and ancestry verification, it also has the precarious capability to become a tool in selecting a more favorable genetic makeup of an individuals and ultimately cloning humans. Genetic testing will depreciate our quality of life and may result in discrimination, invasion of privacy, and harmful gene therapy. In 1993 a pamphlet by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute w...
  • King Hamlet Dramatic Spiritual Reassessment
    739 words
    Happy endings, according to Fay Weldon do not necessarily mean a marriage or rescue from death. Instead, a happy ending can come in the form of a spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation. In Hamlet, what would normally be considered a tragic ending, resulting in the death of nearly all the characters, can instead, as Weldon implies, be seen as both a spiritual reassessment and moral reconciliation. In Hamlet, the final scenes result in the death of Hamlet, the King, the Queen, Polonium, an...
  • Irony In The Pardoner's Tale
    666 words
    Irony in The Pardoner's tale Geoffrey Chaucer is indeed one of the greatest English poets. His masterpiece The Canterbury Tales is noted one of the finest works of literature in the world. Chaucer used the setting of a pilgrimage to Canterbury, where Archbishop Thomas a Becket was murdered, as a frame story to tell the tales of each of his memorable and vividly drawn characters. One noted tale is that of the Pardoner, in which Chaucer uses exemplum to provide full effect of this simple but brill...
  • Negative Effects Of Marijuana
    1,485 words
    A drug is described by Webster's New World Dictionary as, "any chemical agent that effects body processes". Is marijuana good or bad? Does it have more positive short-term effects than bad? What about the long-term effects? Is there really something that smokers have to be in fear of? By examining both sides of this controversy, we can decide if marijuana has more positive or negative effects. Marijuana is a green, brown, or gray mixture of dried shredded flowers and leaves of "cannabis sativa",...
  • External Conflict In Hamlet
    2,586 words
    How does Shakespeare use conflict in Hamlet as a way of exploring ideas? An individual's response to conditions of internal and external conflict is explored throughout literature. In his play, Hamlet, Shakespeare delves into the themes of appearance versus reality, lies versus deceit, rejection versus self doubt and tragedy, and in doing so attacks the frivolous state of humanity in contemporary society. In order to explore these themes, however, he uses several forms of conflict to project his...
  • Title Of The Great Gatsby
    448 words
    Gatsby's Greatness There is much controversy on why F. Scott Fitzgerald chose his masterpiece to be title The Great Gatsby. Fitzgerald chose The Great Gatsby as the title to show the duality of how the central character of Jay Gatsby is great in trying determinedly to achieve his goal of Daisy, but how his 'greatness'; brings about his own downfall. Gatsby is, at first glance, truly great, for he pursues his dream of Daisy relentlessly. Jordan Baker, in a conversation with Nick Carraway, lets hi...
  • Immense Impact On Montag And Mildred's Relationship
    538 words
    Fahrenheit 451 Fahrenheit 451 is a sign of warning to today's society to look upon the problems for a realistic solution. It was about a society that frowned on curiosity and outlawed books. The story was mainly about Guy Montag who burned books for a living. The mood of this story is set with Montag and his wife, Mildred's, mixed relationship. They don't agree on anything and never communicate. They are entirely different from one another because of the influence of society. Montag was having w...
  • Situational Irony In The Necklace
    780 words
    "The Necklace" by Guy De Maupassant tells of Mathilde Loisel who "by error of destiny" was born poor and winds up marrying a clerk. Mr. Loisel surprises Mathilde with an opportunity to taste the luxurious life for an evening and she unexpectedly bursts into tears because she has nothing to wear. Mr. Loisel agrees to buy her a gown and suggests that she borrow jewelry from her wealthy friend. The evening turns out to be a dream come true until the Loisels arrive home to find that the borrowed nec...
  • Macbeth And Lady Macbeth's Relationship
    530 words
    In a relationship, intimacies change over time. In The Tragedy of Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the relationship between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth changes. Lady Macbeth is a supportive wife to Macbeth and persuades Macbeth to do things for her. After the death of Duncan, lady Macbeth slowly fades into the shadow of Macbeth. The roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth switch as the play progresses. In the beginning of the play Lady Macbeth shows us that she is supportive to Macbeth. When deliberating ...
  • A Place To Call Home Is Hard Find
    701 words
    Many kids today feel like they do not have a place to call home or even a place where they feel safe. A place where they can let go and be them self's and enjoy all the perks of just being a kid. Where kids can meet friend or grow closer to family. Many places like churches, friend houses or even relative's houses can serve these needs. For me, my grandmother's house was the place where I grew up, met my friends, and became closer with my family. Firstly, it seemed a place to call home was hard ...
  • One Of My Fondest Memories
    637 words
    One of my fondest memories One of my fondest memories in life is the summer time cookouts my friends and family used to throw every summer. Every Sunday through out the summer my father used to wake us up a the crack of dawn to help load up the car with all the food it could carry, and then head out to Glen Island Park in New Rochelle New York. During the ride my brother and I used to tease each other about who would throw the farthest in football and who would be the first to light the grille w...
  • The Greed Of Shylock
    482 words
    The Greed of Shylock In the play The Merchant of Venice, by William Shakespeare, the character Shylock is mean, greedy, money-loving Jew. He shows these characteristics in the way that he acts through his daily life. His character traits are evident in the way he loans money to Antonio, the way he acts after his daughter runs away, and the way he craves revenge after Antonio's ships do not return. Shylock shows his hateful nature by the way he treats Antonio when he lends him money. When Antonio...
  • Dyadic Encounter Questions Information
    496 words
    My partner was Mohammed amine Kh aldi. Our encounter took place in a common room in school. We choose there because it was nice and quite, that way we could talk and better understand each other without distraction. During the conversation we had, we completed the entire exercise easily. We didnt skip any questions; even thought, sometimes we were very surprise by certain questions. at times we felt uncomfortable to describe each other how we were feeling every five minutes. But we did because w...
  • Several Characteristics Of The Garden Archetype
    1,271 words
    The Garden Archetype An archetype is an image, ideal, or pattern that has come to be considered a universal model. Archetypes are found in mythology, literature, and the arts, and are important factors in philosophy. There are several kinds of archetypes, however, there are six main archetypes that are prevalent in today's literature and usually easy to recognize. The first of these archetypes and the one I will be discussing in this paper is the Garden Archetype. The Garden Archetype is charact...
  • Freedom of Speech Argumentative
    1,110 words
    Offensive Speech: What limitations, if any, should be placed on it? "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" (The Constitution). The first amendment of the Constitution states that people have the freedom of speech. Plain and simple this means that people have the rig...
  • Tree Of Life A Descriptive Essay
    657 words
    Tree Of Life A sixty-five year-old apple tree is growing in my front yard. It stands perfectly centered in between my house, and my detached two-car garage. The base of its trunk leaves the ground at a slight angle, giving the impression that it's leaning forward. The surrounding ground is un-even and bumpy with roots weaving in and out of the earth, as if they are seeking a breath of fresh air. Unlike the rough and deeply grooved surface usually associated with trees; my tree's bark is smoother...
  • Love Conquers All Romeo And Juliet
    1,240 words
    Love Conquers All... Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet has been seen as the most tragic love story in history. But many people don't look past the text and read between the lines. This story is full of contrasts. Joy and sorrow, light and dark, youth and age, love and hate, life and death. Love is a dangerous emotion a lot like fire is to the elements. But even if fire burns everything down, the forest will always grow back stronger. To share the beauty of its trees with the world, no one losses, e...
  • Gender Roles In Twelfth Night
    2,106 words
    Born on approximately April 23, 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, William Shakespeare is considered by many to have been the greatest writer the English language has ever known. His literary legacy included 37 plays, 154 sonnets, and five major poems. Among his many plays is the notable, Twelfth Night, a romantic comedy, placed in a festive atmosphere in which three couples are brought together happily. The play opens with Orsino, the Duke of Illyria, expressing his deep love for the Countes...
  • The Waltz By Dorothy Parker
    772 words
    Themes in The Waltz The Waltz by Dorothy Parker was written during a time when women were just beginning to understand that they could assert their own personal identities. Dorothy Parker wanted to show the movement away from the Victorian ideals of the day towards a more liberal urban America. Women's emerging identity led to the realization that they didn t have to depend entirely on men. Women also developed more political awareness and used their political skills to more greatly influence so...
  • Positive And Negative Effects Of Marijuana
    705 words
    Marijuana has many positive and negative effects on the body. Marijuana Myths have been harmful to society by attracting people to the drug. Myths about the marijuana not being harmful have caused people to use the dug without the effects on the body. Myths are generated by popular culture to give people false ideas about the drug (National Drug Conference 8-9). Marijuana can be historically linked to many countries. Marijuana was used for both religious and medical purposes. The Chinese used it...
  • Imagery And Symbolism In The Fall Of The House Of Usher
    1,465 words
    Imagery in "The Fall of the House of Usher" The description of the landscape in any story is important as it creates a vivid imagery of the scene and helps to develop the mood. Edgar Allan Poe is a master at using imagery to improve the effects of his stories. He tends to use the landscapes to symbolize some important aspect of the story. Also, he makes use of the landscape to produce a supernatural effect and to induce horror. In particular, Poe makes great use of these tools in "The Fall of th...
  • Was Andrew Jackson A Good President
    1,003 words
    Andrew Jackson was born in a backwoods settlement in the Carolinas in 1776. His parents, Scotch-Irish folk, came to America two years before his birth. His mother was widowed while pregnant with him. At age 13, Andrew joined a regiment. He and his brother were both captured and imprisoned together by the British. Their mother got them released, but his brother died on the long trip home. During his independent days, he lived in a tavern with other students. He gained a reputation for charisma, a...
  • Rising Action In Oedipus Rex
    1,076 words
    Oedipus Rex represents one of the greatest tragedies ever written. A classical style tragedy contains six main elements within a plot. These sequences are the exposition, the rising action, the climax, the falling action and finally, the catastrophe. Oedipus Rex begins with the exposition. The exposition usually takes place in the beginning of the story and it sets up the rest of the plot. This is usually where the audience is introduced the dramatic conflict within the story. In Oedipus Rex, it...
  • Shawshank Redemption Andy And Red Friendship
    455 words
    HOPE As obvious as these effects of institutionalization are on Red and Brooks, Andy Dufresne seems somehow immune to them, as if "he wore an invisible coat that could shield him" from the prison. Unlike the other prisoners at Shawshank, Andy tries to maintain ties to his life outside the walls and simply refuses to resignedly accept his role as a prisoner. The "invisible coat" that Andy wears is hope. "It is hope that allows the self-proclaimed innocent man to survive what may or may not be an ...
  • The Course Of True Love Never Did Run Smooth
    290 words
    Essay for A Midsummer Night's Dream The character Lysander once said " the course of true love never did run smooth" and in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream it didn't. Take for example Hermia she wasn't allowed to marry her true love, Lysander because her father, Egeus forbade her to. Instead Egeus said she could either marry Demetrius or go to a nunnery. If Hermia decided against either of these things. Her father would dispose of her as he would " I beg the ancient privilege of Ath...
  • Depression And Suicide Solution
    632 words
    Suicide... a serious problem that has no blanket solution. The basis of this essay is to write about the solution to a problem. In my case, the problem is suicide... and in suicide there is no real solution. There are many ways to help one who is suicidal, anddifferent precautions, such as: hotlines, counseling, and programs. Medications that you can prescribe to them also can help. Other than that, its pretty much up to your love and support to keep them alive. Some hotlines, and web sites that...