Mr. Courchesne - Potential Senior Paper Topics – Fall 2014
Remember: These are potential topics – NOT your thesis.
1. The historical reality of The Crucible.
Arthur Miller took some creative liberty when he wrote about the Salem witch trials. What changes did he make, and why
did he make them? Analyze The Crucible as a drama and how Miller’s changes to the real story enhanced the audience
appeal of his play.
2. Historical influences on the writing of The Crucible.
Arthur Miller had a very specific purpose when writing The Crucible. What was going on historically while he wrote the
play? How did McCarthyism and the hunt for communist spies in the United States affect his writing of the drama?
3. John Proctor: Hero or Fool?
Is John Proctor a hero or a fool? Analyze the character of John Proctor and research what other literary critics have said
about this polarizing character to back up your thesis.
4. Psychoanalytical Analysis of The Crucible
How do Freud’s theories on personality play out in The Crucible?
5. Gender Lens Analysis of The Crucible
How might you read The Crucible through a gender centered literary lens? How does the gender of the girls who began to
cry “witch” influence their actions in the play?
6. The treatment of Native Americans by European explorers/United States government
Using La Relacion, On Plymouth Plantation, and other primary sources of your choosing, analyze how Western
civilization has treated the Native American population since the discovery of the “New World.”
7. Unreliable Narrator in Poe
Discuss Poe’s use of the insane narrator in his works of fiction. How/why does he use this technique and to what effect?
8. Biographical Influences on Poe’s writing
Edgar Allan Poe’s troubled life is reflected in many of his works. Research Poe’s life and analyze how his personal
history influenced his writing.
9. Poe in Modern Culture
Poe’s influence on modern day artists (Tim Burton, Stephen King, etc) is well-documented. Research, analyze, and
explain the connection.
10. Technology’s role in/impact on society
Does the quickly advancing nature of technology have a negative impact on society, positive impact on society, or both?
Research what others have said and tie that research into the transcendental beliefs of living a “simple life.”
11. Transcendentalism in Dead Poet’s Society
How do the philosophical beliefs of the transcendental writers play out in the movie The Dead Poet’s Society?
12. Thoreau and Civil Rights
Thoreau’s ideas on non-violent protest have influenced civil rights leaders for decades. Research other individuals who
have stood up to oppression and how Thoreau’s essay Civil Disobedience have influenced them.
13. Emily Dickinson as a pioneer of American poetry
Emily Dickinson is called the “mother” of American poetry. Research this poet and analyze why she is so important to the
American literary canon.
14. Walt Whitman as a pioneer of American poetry
Walt Whitman is called the “father” of American poetry. Research this poet and analyze why he is so important to the
American literary canon.
15. Langston Hughes and The Harlem Renaissance
Langston Hughes was a poet that played a role in The Harlem Renaissance – a period of artistic expression that originated
in Harlem. Research this movement and Langston’s role in it.
16. Sylvia Plath and Mental Illness
Sylvia Plath was a brilliant poet with many deep psychological issues. Research these issues and her life and analyze how
they had an impact on her writing.
17. Maya Angelou and the Civil Rights movement
Research Maya Angelou’s role in the Civil Rights movement of African Americans in this country. Analyze how this had
an impact on her writing.
18. Themes in the poetry of Robert Frost
Robert Frost was one of the greatest poets in American history. Research his poems, their major themes, and why she is so
important to the literary canon.
19. Gender Focused Literary Analysis of The Color Purple
How does the gender of the main character of The Color Purple shape her thoughts and experiences? How does it shape
the personalities of other characters?
20. Psychoanalytical Focused Literary Analysis of The Color Purple
How does the psychological past of the characters of The Color Purple shape the events of the novel? How might Freud’s
theories on personality and repression come into play in the novel?
21. Social/Economic Focused Literary Analysis of The Color Purple
Analyze The Color Purple from a social/economic lens. How does the social status of the characters shape the novels plot,
themes, etc?
22. Theology in The Color Purple
Analyze the view of God of the characters in The Color Purple. How do their theological views change over the course of
the novel and how does this impact their character and the novel’s message?
23. Slave Narratives
Research the stories behind the authors of the two slave narratives – Fredrick Douglass and Harriet Anne Jacobs. How did
these two stories help change the course of American history?
24. Gender Focused Literary Analysis of The Great Gatsby
How might the female characters in The Great Gatsby be read differently? How do their gender roles play out in the
novel?
25. Psychoanalytical Focused Literary Analysis of The Great Gatsby
How does the psychological past of the characters of The Great Gatsby shape the events of the novel? How might Freud’s
theories on personality and repression come into play in the novel?
26. Social/Economic Focused Literary Analysis of The Great Gatsby
Analyze The Color Purple from a social/economic lens. How does the social status of the characters shape the novels plot,
themes, etc?
27. Artistic choices and how they relate to literary themes in 2012’s The Great Gatsby
How does Baz Luhrmann’s interpretation of The Great Gatsby reflect the literary themes from the novel? Research
analysis of the book’s major literary themes and analyze how they play out in the film.
28. Works of American literature from years past
To Kill A Mockingbird, Catcher in the Rye, Old Man and the Sea, The Miracle Worker, The Bluest Eye, I Know Why The
Caged Bird Sings, Summer of my German Solider, The Road, The Things They Carried, Of Mice and Men, etc.
29. A topic of your own choosing
Be cautious with his topic – you need to be able to create a thesis!