Updated Sept. 21, 2001. Please Note: this list is under construction. Fred may be adding topics.

Topic List

An analysis of an earlier American chronicle or history not assigned*
An analysis of a fugitive slave narrative not assigned*
An analysis of a spiritual autobiography not assigned*
An analysis of a work of earlier American oratory not assigned*
An analysis of a work by earlier American woman writer not assigned*
An analysis of an Irving story not assigned*
An analysis of a Hawthorne story not assigned*
An analysis of a Poe story not assigned*
An analysis of a Melville story not assigned*
An analysis of a Whitman poem not assigned*
An analysis of an Emerson essay not assigned*
An analysis of Dickens' account of his journey to America, American Notes
An analysis of Tocqueville's Democracy in America
An analysis of a work or works of American Indian literature not assigned*
An analysis of a work of abolitionist literature not assigned*
An analysis of an Old Southwestern humorous story not assigned*
An analysis of the Salem witch trials and accounts of it in Puritan literature*
An analysis of a Bryant poem not assigned*
An analysis of a Cooper novel not assigned*
An analysis of an Longfellow poem not assigned*
An analysis of a poem or poems of Melville*
An analysis of a poem or poems of Tuckerman*
An analysis of a Holmes poem not assigned*
An analysis of a Lowell poem not assigned*
An analysis of a Whittier poem not assigned*
An analysis of an earlier American play*
An analysis of Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin
An analysis of a Thoreau work not assigned*
An analysis of a Paine work not assigned*
An analysis of Alcott's Little Women
An analysis of Brackenridge's humorous novel Modern Chivalry
An analysis of the life and poetry of Frederick Tuckerman
An analysis of the life and poetry of Edward Taylor.
An analysis of the life and works of Jonathan Edwards.
An analysis of the life and writings of Thomas Paine.
An analysis of the life and works of an earlier American author not assigned


*Ask instructor for recommendations.

Note: If you wish to do a presentation on a topic other than one of those above, please ask my permission.

How to Begin Your Project

You must begin planning your oral presentation by taking the first step, recognizing your ultimate goal:

1. Aim to "own" the topic you choose. Aim to become enough of an authority about it to be able to teach it to others!

Then you can begin your research by consulting resources which will give you a general overview of your topic. Some good places to start:

2. Consult a standard history of American literature such as The Oxford Companion to American Literature.

3. Be sure to look to see if our textbook Anthology of American Literature contains information which might be helpful. Look for specific authors in the contents and read their introductory essays, note recommended sources in the bibliographies, and re-read essays on the literary periods.

4. General encyclopedias (Britannica, Americana, etc.) might be helpful.

5. Check the other relevant resources in the Kirtland Library, such as: the Online Catalog (circulating and reference books), OCLC FirstSearch and other online indexes (periodicals), Books in Print: Subjects, etc. Don't forget to look for bibliographies listing additional sources!

6. Certain selected Internet resources will be helpful and worth checking. Fred has compiled links to many of the more useful sites in his:

• Giacobazzi's American Literature Resources

Check both the general sites and those which focus on specific periods and writers.

General sources such as these will help to lead you to others and toward the specific primary texts and more detailed secondary sources you will need to thoroughly research your topic.

Due Dates