Top 20 Literature Based Research Paper Topics For College Students


When you take an English class in college you will have to evaluate some written material. The class topic, such as American Literature, may determine your essay subject, your professor may pick your essay topic, or if you are lucky, you will be able to pick the subject. If you get to select your own composition subject, use one of our 20 top picks.

20 Top Literature Based Topics


  1. Symbolism in any great work. If time is an issue, go with the Old Man and the Sea. It is easy to read and every object symbolizes something.
  2. The New Poets-pick one of the emerging poets such as Claudia Emerson and evaluate her work.
  3. Whitman- write about Whitman and the free verse poem.
  4. Compare and contrast-pick a work from Edgar Allen Poe and then one from Stephen King. Compare and contrast the two pieces.
  5. Foils-the use of opposites is every where, try a Shakespeare piece.
  6. Hamlet and his demons-this paper will be lengthy.
  7. The Ladies sin Literature-pick a contemporary female author and explore her or compare her to a classic writer.
  8. Did Fitzgerald or Zelda write the Great Gatsby-inquiring minds want to know.
  9. Females in Shakespeare-explore the characters and their stereotypes.
  10. Greek Mythology-look at the brothers, Hades, Zeus, and Poseidon, and compare and contrast them.
  11. Dante-why hell? Who would he place there from current times?
  12. Frankenstein-explore his issues from a psychological point of view.
  13. Dystopian novels-ths genre is the current favorite. Talk about one of the novels and why today’s teenager is attracted to this genre.
  14. Explore the K.Follet series-why he is loved so much.
  15. Game of Thrones-how can you kill the hero time after time.
  16. It is Greek or Roman-compare and contrast the mythology from each of the two cultures.
  17. Natasha Tretheway-look at her poems about race and the South.
  18. Creation myths-compare two of the Native American tribes and their creation myths.
  19. The Gullah-look at the folktales the Gullah people have created such as the Br’er Rabbit series.
  20. Science fiction-how has it changed, what did Orson Wells bring to the genre, how has Ender’s Game adhered to the rules of the genre.

As you get ready to write your literature-based composition, consider using one of our fresh and innovative topics.

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