11th Grade Research Paper Topics
The Crucible
1. Discuss the role that grudges and personal rivalries play in the witch trial hysteria.
2. How do the witch trials empower individuals who were previously powerless?
3. How does John Proctor's great dilemma change during the course of the play?
4. Compare/Contrast the roles that Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams play in The Crucible.
5. Discuss the changes that Reverend Hale undergoes in the course of the play.
6. Compare and contrast the Salem Witch Trials and McCarthyism.
7. Is John Proctor a tragic figure according to the definition?
8. Examine the historical facts regarding the Salem Witch Trials and Joseph McCarthy's hearings. In what ways does
Miller employ these facts in the service of his drama? How do the two historical events compare?
9. Discuss Miller's treatment of women in The Crucible.
10. Explain why the play is/is not a tragedy.
11. Analyze The Crucible according to Freud.
12. Discuss the archetypes that occur in The Crucible.
13. Explain the symbolic characters and how they develop the themes.
The Great Gatsby
1. Explain how the novel does or does not demonstrate the death of the American Dream. (Reference the characteristics
of the American Dream within the body of your paper.)
2. Explain how the novel demonstrates the characteristics of Modernism and Romanticism.
3. Discuss how the novel exemplifies the dehumanizing/corrupting nature of wealth (consider examining characters, plot,
symbols, etc.). Consider discussing the idea of the Platonic ladder.
4. Compare and contrast the major female characters in the novel: Daisy, Jordan, and Myrtle. How does each act towards
men? What are their motivations/goals/interests/values? How are they treated by men (including the narrator/author)?
5. Discuss Fitzgerald’s use of symbolism (this is a large topic that must be significantly narrowed – such as focusing on
one symbol and analyzing it in detail - with a specific thesis). How does it function in the novel (consider discussing how it
relates to theme, communicates information about characters, develops the plot, etc.)? Possible symbols to discuss
include: colors, eyes of T.J. Eckleburg, clothing, cars, the green light, biblical allusions (God, Jesus, grail), characters’
houses, weather, water, music
6. Is Nick a reliable narrator? Why or why not?
7. Is what Gatsby feels for Daisy love, obsession, affection, or accumulation/objectification? What is Fitzgerald’s message
here? Consider discussing whether or not Gatsby can really love, given his characteristics.
8. Who is the real person: Jay Gatsby or Jimmy Gatz? Does he become “the Platonic conception of himself”? What does
that mean?
9. Discuss the novel’s theme that outward appearances can be deceptive. What does the novel and its theme offer about
the American identity?