JUNIOR TERM PAPER BOOK/ THESIS STATEMENT IDEAS
*Note that only one student per class may choose a particular book.
1. Amy Tan’s The Joy Luck Club
a.
The characterization of the four mother/daughter pairs
2. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter
a.
The conflict between individual and society.
b.
The symbolism of the scarlet letter
3. Robert Cormier’s The Chocolate War
a.
The characterization of Brother Leon
b.
The characterization of the Trinity High School student body
4. Daniel Keyes’ Flowers for Algernon
a.
The use and abuse of science and technology.
b.
The characterization of Charlie
5. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye
a.
The characterization of Holden Caulfield
b.
The corruption of adult society and the faulty morals that it sometimes represents
6. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451
a.
The characterization of Guy Montag and Clarisse McClellan
7. Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
a.
The fate of Frankenstein
b.
The characterization of Frankenstein
8. Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn
a.
The characterization of Huck Finn
b.
The characterization of Huck and Jim
9. Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye
a.
The characterization of Pecola and Pauline
b.
The love and protection of a supportive family
10. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby
a.
F. Scott Fitzgerald uses setting and dichotomy between the wealthy and the impoverished
b.
The characterization of Gatsby
11. Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street
a.
The characterization of Esperanza
12. Maya Angelou’s I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
a.
The characterization of Marguerite
13. William Golding’s The Lord of The Flies
a.
The characterization of a group of shipwrecked boys
b.
Symbolism of the conch shell, eye glasses, the signal fire, the beast, the lord of the flies
14. John Knowles’ A Separate Peace
a.
The characterization of Finny
b.
The characterization of Gene
15. George Orwell’s Animal Farm
a.
The author uses the animal’s increasingly segregated class system
b.
The author uses the oft amended commandments of Animalism
16. Kate Chopin’s The Awakening
a.
The characterization of Edna
17. Alan Paton’s Cry The Beloved Country
a.
The setting of the African countryside and the city of Johannesburg
b.
The author uses the characterization of Jarvis and Absalom
c.
The author uses Christian themes
18. Lois Lowry’s The Giver
a.
The characterization of Jonas
b.
Jonas’ society, a totalitarian state.
19. Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five
a.
black humor
b.
The characterization of Billy Pilgrim
20. Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God
a.
The characterization of Janie
21. Erich Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front
a.
The characterization of Paul Baumer and his comrades
b.
The characterization of Paul Baumer
22. Chaim Potok’s The Chosen
a.
The characterization of Reuben Malter and Danny Saunders
b.
The characterization of the Malter family and the Saunders family
23. Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations
a.
The characterization of Pip
b.
The characterization of Estella
24. Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale
a.
The classical stereotyped roles of men and women
b.
The dystopia in order to show the devastating effects of social control.
25. Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre
a.
The characterization of Jane
b.
Characterization to show the distinction between true Christians and those who pervert religion in order to serve their own
selfish agenda.
26. Bernard Malamud’s The Natural
a.
The author uses the characterization of Roy Hobbs
b.
The author utilizes mythical elements of the Holy Grail legend
27. Elie Wiesel’s Dawn
a.
The characterization of narrator
28. Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage
a.
The characterization of Henry Fleming
b.
The author uses animal imagery in order to show his deterministic and naturalistic view of humanity
29. Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game
a.
The characterization of Ender
b.
The characterization of Ender, Peter, and Valentine Wiggin
30. Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate
a.
The symbolism of gourmet food and gourmet cooking
b.
The characterization of Tita
31. John Steinbeck’s The Pearl
a.
The symbolism of the pearl
32. Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises
a.
The characterization of Lady Brett Ashley
b.
The characterization of Robert Cohn and Jake Barnes
33. Isabel Allende’s The House of the Spirits
a.
The characterization of Esteban Trueba
34. Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle
a.
b.
The philosophy of Naturalism
The depiction of late nineteenth century American slaughterhouses
35. J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit
a.
The characterization of the hobbits and the various nefarious creatures of Middle Earth
b.
The characterization of Bilbo Baggins
36. Jack Kerouac’s On The Road
a.
The characterization of Sal and his small band of friends and fellow travelers
37. Jack London’s Call of the Wild
a.
The author utilizes the various stages of Buck’s life
38. Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe
a.
The characterization of Crusoe
39. Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park
a. The theme of man versus technology
40. C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
a. Christian symbolism
b.
Theme of good vs. evil
41. H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine
a. The conflict between the Morlock and Eloi races
42. Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness
a. The author uses symbolism
43. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
a. The characterization of people in the wizarding world
44. Alice Walker’s The Color Purple
a. The characterization of Celie
45. Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland
a. The characterization of Alice
46. Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
a. The characterization of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
47. Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar
a. The characterization of Esther Greenwood
48. Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time
a. The characterization of Meg Murray
49. Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women
a. The theme of a woman’s duty to the family vs. personal growth
b.The characterization of the March family
50. Any Rand’s Anthem
a. The characterization of Equality 7-2521
51. Agatha Christie And Then There Were None
a. The characterization of the house guests
52. Agatha Christie Murder on the Orient Express
a. The Characterization of Poirot