Paper Topics
Siddhartha:
Relationship between Siddhartha, his father, and his son. –Psychoanalysis
Symbolism of the river/theme of ever changing permanence –New
Crit
The caste system-Marxism
The role of women/Kamala. Is she empowered or an object?-Feminism
Young Goodman Brown:
The id, ego, superego/the forest, Goodman Brown, the town of
Salem. –Psychoanalysis
Is Goodman Brown afraid of seeing Faith as a sexual being? –Feminism/psychoanalysis
The symbolism of the staff/the woods/ the ceremony. Tensions
between good/evil, impulse and control. –New Crit
Everything that
Rises:
Tension between new and old ways of thinking. –New Crit
The mother/son relationship. Is Julian fixated on his
mother? –Psychoanalysis
In what way is the race question really a class question? –Marxism
A Doll’s House:
How are Nora and Torvald defined by their social roles? –Feminsim
How does Torvald serve as a replacement for Nora’s father? –Psychoanalysis
How do things like the macaroons and the children’s dolls
serve as symbols in the story? –New Crit
How is the tension between fulfilling societal obligations
and seeking personal freedom explored and resolved? –New Crit
Brave New World:
Explore the tensions between society/nature, happiness/pain,
ease/suffering and how these tensions are resolved. –New Crit
Examine the role of family. Is society better off without
these units? –Psychoanalysis
What does Huxley seem to be saying about class? Consumerism?
Who controls resources and how does that affect people’s behaviors? –Marxism
