Sure, I had one or two excellent topic ideas, but after that, I had to dig a little deeper to think of more creative and interesting options.

Why am I telling you this? 

I want to remind you that even those of us who write about writing can struggle to get the creative juices flowing.

So if you’re frustrated because you can’t think of anything “good” to write about for your Death of a Salesman analysis essay, don’t let it get you down. It happens to the best of us.

The good news is that I’ve worked through my initial writer’s block and have included 10 Death of a Salesman essay topics to inspire your upcoming essay.

Don’t Pick a Topic Until You Know These Three Things

I know you’re eager to get rolling on your essay, but before you select a topic, make sure you know these three things:

Know your essay options

Review your assignment guidelines, and make sure you know what type of essay you’re allowed to write.

Should you write a compare and contrast essay, a persuasive essay, or another type of literary analysis?

Know your limits

You will, of course, need to know your own limits regarding personal time constraints, but knowing your limits also refers to word limits. 

If you’re writing a short essay, you’ll definitely need to make every word count because you have a limited space in which to create an effective analysis. A longer essay, on the other hand, will allow you space to develop a more complex analysis. 

In other words, don’t write a detailed 3,000-word essay when the assignment calls for no more than 750 words.

Know whether you need to complete research

An essay that requires research can be a lot more time-consuming than an essay that requires only evidence from the book or play. Knowing whether you’ll need research sources will help you budget your time accordingly.

Once you know these three key points, you’re ready to select a topic for your Death of a Salesman essay.

10 Death of a Salesman Essay Topics for an Interesting Analysis

Topic #1: The American Dream in Death of a Salesman

The American Dream is the most prominent of the Death of a Salesman themes. Willy Loman has hopes and dreams for his life, but he never seems to be able to make them come true. He fails to live his American Dream.

• Explain how the theme of the American Dream is carried throughout Death of a Salesman
• Compare the theme of the American Dream as it is portrayed in Death of a Salesman to how it is portrayed in another piece of literature, such as The Great Gatsby.

Check out this example essay in our database for inspiration: The Pursuit of the American Dream by Jay Gatsby and Willy Loman in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.

Topic #2: Willy Loman as a tragic hero

Willy Loman fits the bill for a tragic hero because he possesses the flaw of ambition. He wants more out of life than he has and believes he should live a better life.

• Argue that Willy Loman meets the definition of a classic tragic hero.

Topic #3: Character analysis of Death of a Salesman

Many essays include elements of character analysis as part of a larger essay, but consider a character analysis as the entire focus of your essay. 

Remember: It’s fine to analyze a major character like Willy Loman, but don’t overlook the importance of minor Death of a Salesman characters.

• Analyze Willy’s neighbor, Charley, and his role as a neighbor and friend to Willy. Consider Charley’s success and lifestyle. How do they compare to Willy’s?  

Topic #4: Symbolism in Death of a Salesman

Two key symbols in Death of a Salesman are seeds (representing both growth and failure) and diamonds (representing the material wealth Willy cannot seem to achieve).

• Explain how seeds symbolize Willy’s hopes for the future. (Take a look at this example essay to read one writer’s analysis of symbolism.)

Topic #5: Language and tone in Death of a Salesman

An author’s use of word choice and tone in a piece can speak volumes. This is particularly evident in the word choice and tone of individual characters. Consider how a character’s words shape his or her personality and contribute to the story.

• Analyze the language used by Arthur Miller in Death of a Salesman.

Topic #6: Setting in Death of a Salesman

Setting can affect a variety of elements in a story, including characters’ personalities, character interactions, mood, and plot. Here are a few ways you could approach analyzing a Death of a Salesman setting:

• Examine the contrasting locations in Death of a Salesman and the effect they have on the play.
• Death of a Salesman is set in Brooklyn. How might this play be different if Willy Loman and his family lived in the Midwest or Alaska?

Topic #7: Conflict in Death of a Salesman

A story isn’t a story without some type of conflict.

In literature, the most common types of conflict are those listed below:

• character vs. character 
• character vs. society
• character vs. nature
• character vs. technology 
• character vs. supernatural
• character vs. self
• character vs. fate

Death of a Salesman is filled with conflicts of self (Willy Loman’s internal struggles), conflicts between characters (Willy’s conflict with his son, Biff), and conflicts with society (Willy’s inability to achieve his dreams).

• Examine Willy Loman’s internal struggles and how they affect his attitude, his ambitions, and his ultimate destiny.

Topic #8: The role of women in Death of a Salesman

While some literature contains vibrant leading roles for women, Death of a Salesman is certainly not one of them. Willy Loman’s wife is nothing more than a stock character, seemingly included only to fulfill the role of dutiful wife.

• Analyze the role of women in Death of a Salesman and how their roles shape more prominent characters in the play.

Looking for essay examples that discuss what roles women play in Death of a Salesman? Check out these essays:

• Female Characters in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
• A Comparison of the Similarities and Differences in the Use and Representation of Women in Othello, Death of a Salesman, and The Taming of the Shrew

Topic #9: Family relationships in Death of a Salesman

Willy Loman has his share of internal conflicts, but the play also revolves around an ongoing conflict with his son, Biff.

• Analyze the relationship between Willy and Biff, arguing that Wily’s own failed expectations of himself (and thus unrealistic expectations of his son) are a key cause of the strife between father and son.

Topic #10: The definition of self in Death of a Salesman

Throughout the play, Willy Loman defines himself as a failure as a salesman, as a father, and as a husband. It is this attitude and definition of self that shapes his character and his decisions.

• Explain how Willy Loman’s definition of himself shapes his character and his fate.
• Consider how you might compare your definition of yourself to how Willy Loman defines his own character.

Shape Your Ideas Into an Essay

Once you’ve decided on a topic for your essay, whether it’s one of the 10 Death of a Salesman essay topics from above or something else, mold your ideas into a work of art.

Begin by shaping your ideas through prewriting and outlining. After you’ve put your ideas into place, create a rough draft.

Remember, revising and editing are important steps in the writing process too, so make sure to leave time to complete both.

Looking for a few extra bits of writing advice to make your essay amazing? Read 20 Ways to Improve Your Academic Writing.

If you have a first (or even fifth draft) of your paper but feel that it’s still a little rough around the edges, use our student editing service to help smooth out the rough spots. We’ve edited tens of thousands of essays and would love to help you polish your piece to perfection.

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This reply works fine if you’re talking about a movie with your friends, but if you have to write a comparison essay about a book and its film adaptation, your teacher is going to expect a little more (okay a lot more) than “it just was.”

If you need a push to help you move beyond that basic “I just like it more” as your standard of comparison, keep reading to learn how to write a killer book and movie comparison essay.

How to Write a Killer Book and Movie Comparison Essay

Sometimes, the mere thought of starting a new assignment can cause more stress than you’d like to admit. But by following a few important steps, you can alleviate at least a little of your stress and write a killer essay.

To work through the process of developing an effective book and movie comparison essay, I’m going to use an example that many of us have read and watched in high school: To Kill a Mockingbird.

Begin by understanding your assignment

The first step to writing a successful book and movie comparison is to understand your assignment.

In many cases, your professor will have already assigned a movie and book to compare. This means that now is not the time to take it upon yourself to draw an amazing comparison between a Harry Potter novel and its movie counterpart simply because you’re a superfan.

Knowing your assignment also means that, if you’re assigned to read and watch To Kill a Mockingbird, for instance, and your professor tells you to pay attention to characterization and symbolism, you should definitely follow her suggestion.

If you know that these elements will be required analysis in your paper, then you already have a head start and know what you should be looking for as you read and watch.

Take careful notes

I know annotation can seem like a royal pain, but trust me, you’ll thank me later. Taking notes not only helps you understand the information more completely but also saves you a lot of time because you can easily find information later when you write your paper.

Remember, you’re writing a compare and contrast essay, so you’ll want to take notes on both the book and the movie to help you draw comparisons.

Taking notes if you do know the required focus of your paper

If you already know what you should be looking for, jot down everything that seems important about the assigned topic.

If I were taking notes on one or more characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, for instance, here are a few points I’d look for:

• Physical descriptions
• Personality traits
• Characters’ thoughts on events or other characters
• What motivates characters to complete specific actions
• Interactions between characters
• Types of characters (protagonist, antagonist, round, flat, etc.)

I might also include any questions about characters or sections that leave me a little confused or wondering, “Why in the world would the character do that?”

Though you’ll look for the same elements in both the book and the movie, you might end up with notes about completely different characters or character traits after watching the movie, especially if the film takes a lot of creative liberties and vastly differs from the book.

Don’t worry! A drastically different set of notes will likely serve you well—it’ll help you establish true comparisons between the novel and the film.

If I were writing about the film version of To Kill a Mockingbird, here’s one of the key points I’d note about the characters:

• There’s a distinct change in the treatment of characters, particularly Jem and Scout’s mother. In the novel, their mother is only mentioned briefly, but in the movie, Jem and Scout have a detailed conversation about their deceased mother.

Because I’m only taking notes, I may not have a clear sense of why, how, or even if this is important to the story yet. That’s okay. Remember, the point is to start developing ideas.

In this case, I may wonder if the mention of their mother in this scene is meant to foreshadow another conversation, if the mother will somehow play a larger role in the movie, or if this scene is only a way for the producers to help develop the story on film.

Taking notes if you don’t know the focus of your paper before you read the book or watch the movie

If you’re assigned to read a book and watch the movie but you don’t yet know what the actual essay assignment will be, it’s time to search your memory for the literary terms you’ve been discussing in class.

Take notes on literary devices, such as theme, character, symbolism, imagery, simile, and metaphor. (Notice how this essay about To Live analyzes, among other devices, character, plot, and tone.)

One important thing to remember about the process of note-taking is that you don’t want to become so overwhelmed with writing notes that you don’t even remember what you just read or watched. In other words, don’t take notes on everything. Limit your notes to a handful of key devices.

As you take notes, look for elements that appear identical in both versions, but also look for anything that seems strikingly different.

Don’t worry if you don’t end up using everything in your notes or if a point seems really important at first but ends up being insignificant. The purpose of annotation is to get your ideas down on paper. You can sort through them later.

Think about what it all means

After you’ve finished reading, watching, and note-taking, set everything aside for at least a day or two to think about what it all means.

A list of notes and a whole bunch of random similarities and differences are great, but they don’t provide any information about the significance of these points (and they don’t yet provide you with a focus for your essay).

Remember, the goal of a comparison essay isn’t to simply identify points that might be the same or different.

The goal is to analyze the differences and explain how any additions, omissions, or changes in the film change the story or its interpretation.

In my example of To Kill a Mockingbird, I might have listed questions about Mrs. Dubose. In the book, she’s a crabby, old, racist neighbor of Jem and Scout, and it is later revealed that she is struggling with a morphine addiction. She plays a much smaller role in the movie version of To Kill A Mockingbird, though, and the issue of addiction isn’t brought up.

In my notes, I may ask the following questions:

• Did the producers feel that Mrs. Dubose’s addiction simply wasn’t important enough to include in the film?
• Does the omission actually have an impact on the story?
• Could the changes to Mrs. Dubose’s character affect elements such as plot, theme, or characterization (or the viewer’s interpretation of characters)?

Sifting through your notes and random thoughts and questions can get messy, so to stay organized (and to help you develop your ideas even further) try various prewriting techniques. (A Venn diagram can be particularly useful when examining similarities and differences.)

Determine what is important enough to be included in your comparison essay

After you’ve organized your notes and developed some initial analysis, it’s time to decide what’s important enough to include in your essay.

Not every similarity or difference is worth noting in your paper. Include only relevant and significant points that make the greatest impact between the book and movie.

Here’s what I mean.

In To Kill a Mockingbird, there is little physical description of Atticus Finch, other than the facts that he’s about 50 years old, is tall, and wears glasses. In the 1962 movie adaptation starring Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch, Peck more or less fits this description. But in the movie, it’s evident that he parts his hair on the right (his right, not yours when looking at the image below).

Though there is no description of how Atticus wears his hair in the novel, and his hairstyle is obviously visible in the movie, there’s no point in mentioning this in an essay that compares the book and movie. It’s an insignificant point. His hairstyle is not relevant and doesn’t influence or shape the story in any way.

Let’s say, though, that a character’s hairstyle in a book is described in detail because it’s part of the character’s personality or because it symbolizes freedom, rebellion, or strength.

If the movie changes the character’s hairstyle, in this case, the entire character could change. This would most certainly be a time to analyze the importance of a change in appearance from book to film.

To see how one writer analyzes significant differences between a book and its movie adaptation, read A Comparison of the Similarities and Differences Between The Princess Bride Film and Novel.

Find a focus and outline your ideas

At this point, you have a solid list of relevant points to analyze, but you still don’t have a focus for your paper.

To start, develop a solid thesis statement.

Don’t write a bland statement like, “There are many similarities, but only a few differences between the book and movie.”

This doesn’t tell your readers anything about the true focus of your essay.

Instead, craft a thesis statement that is specific in its comparison and lets readers know exactly what you’ll be discussing.

In my essay about To Kill a Mockingbird, I might write the following thesis statement:

• Though the 1962 film adaptation of Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird is true to the themes of the original novel, its omission of minor characters leaves the audience with an incomplete understanding of the people and culture of Maycomb.

This thesis statement presents a clear roadmap for the essay and lets readers know the focus will be on the omission of characters and how they affect the story. (Want to see an effective thesis statement in action? Check out this essay from our library. It clearly illustrates why the writer feels The Great Gatsby novel is superior to the film adaptation.)

Once you’ve written your thesis statement, use it to provide guidance as you move to the next step of the writing process: outlining.

You’ll need roughly three or four key ideas and examples from the book and movie to support your claims.

If you’re looking for more specific information about outlines, read This Compare and Contrast Essay Outline Will Help You Beat Writer’s Block. The post also includes a compare and contrast essay outline template to help you get started.

Finally … Draft (and Revise and Edit) Your Comparison Essay

I know. It’s been a long journey, and at this point, you feel like you’ve just completed a marathon. The good news: it’s finally time to draft your essay.

Follow your outline to help you craft a catchy introduction, at least three body paragraphs to support your thesis, and an awesome conclusion.

To help you with the finer details of your draft, here are a few must-read posts:

• How to Start a Compare and Contrast Essay on the Right Foot
• 13 Compare and Contrast Thesis Statements to Inspire You
• Compare and Contrast Essay Tips From a Kibin Editor
• How to Revise an Essay and Make It Better Than Ever

Have a completed essay but aren’t sure whether you’ve focused enough on analysis or whether you’ve included significant points in your comparison? Let a Kibin editor take a look at your essay. We’ve edited tens of thousands of essays and can help you with your book and movie comparison essay too.

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Do you think first responders rushing to the scene of a tragedy to help victims? Maybe you’re reading this before lunch, and the first thing you think of is a hero sandwich.

While both of these are legitimate types of heroes, they aren’t today’s focus. This article focuses on tragic heroes.

Specifically, we’re going to look at the difference between your average, run-of-the-mill hero and a tragic hero. And because you’re probably here because you need to write an essay about a tragic hero, we’re going to cover that too.

Without further ado, here’s (almost) everything you need to know about tragic heroes.

What Is a Tragic Hero?

Of course, in order to be a tragic hero, one must first be a hero.

A hero is generally a courageous warrior type who is admired by many and who is ready to rush into harm’s way to save individuals (or the entire planet).

So what makes a tragic hero tragic?

The one-sentence definition: Tragic heroes are literary characters (often the protagonist) who make a crucial judgment error that ultimately leads to their downfall.

Of course, there’s more to a tragic hero than a hero who makes a mistake.

Tragic heroes generally possess the following characteristics:

• Tragic heroes are imperfect. The audience sees the character as flawed, and they can relate to and empathize with the hero.
• Tragic heroes are prideful and often suffer more than necessary.
• Tragic heroes are generally someone of high status who experiences a drastic change in fortune (from good to bad).
• The downfall of a tragic hero is evident from the start, but the hero can do nothing to stop it.
• Tragic heroes discover their impending fate and accept it.
• Tragic heroes are harmed (emotionally and/or physically) throughout their lives.
• While tragic heroes learn from their mistakes, they are powerless to control their ultimate fate.
• Tragic heroes must face an important decision. It is often an error in judgment regarding the decision that causes their downfall.

NOTE: While the classic tragic hero was a male from a wealthy and/or powerful family, modern tragic heroes may be any gender and from any background.

How to Write About a Tragic Hero

Writing about a tragic hero is like writing about any other topic in the sense that there are a ton of ways to approach the subject. But unless your assignment specifically states that your essay should list and/or describe a handful of tragic heroes in literature, your essay should do more than merely list examples.

You need to find a focus, and you need to analyze.

Before you do anything, though, you need to decide who you want to write about.

Choose your hero

One of the first steps in writing about a tragic hero is to consider which hero (or heroes) you’ll focus on. This may already be dictated by your assignment, but if you have a choice, consider which heroes speak to you.

Do you want to write about classic Shakespearean tragic heroes like Hamlet or Romeo (from Romeo and Juliet), or will you focus on a more modern tragic hero like Severus Snape from Harry Potter?

If you’re still not sure which hero to select, check out 6 Tragic Hero Examples for a Heroic Essay for inspiration.

Decide your approach

Once you’ve selected your hero(es), decide what type of essay you’ll write.

Not sure how to approach your essay? Here are three ideas.

Character analysis essay

You may choose to develop a character analysis within another type of essay, or you may want to write an entire essay that analyzes your hero’s character.

In this case, the focus of the literary analysis is often to explain how and why your hero fits the definition of a tragic hero.

For instance, let’s say you’re writing about Batman.

Batman fits the classic definition of a tragic hero for the reasons below:

• He’s an educated, intelligent man who comes from a wealthy, powerful family.
• He suffers because his parents were tragically murdered.
• His life becomes more difficult after the death of his parents as he chooses to avenge their deaths and fight crime.
• He is a (relatively) normal person who the audience can relate to and empathize with.
• He possesses a character flaw in that he vows not to kill others. While some may, of course, not see this as an actual flaw, it is what causes Batman to experience more hardships as he does not kill villains when given the chance (which leads to even more crime, hardship, and destruction).

Once you’ve hit the key points to highlight how and why the character fits the definition of a tragic hero, use specific examples from the story to fill in the details and support your claims.

Check out how one student handled a character analysis in Macbeth: A Nihilistic, Self-Loathing Tragic Hero.

Alternatively, your character analysis might conclude that a character is not a tragic hero. To see an example of this strategy in action, read Why Okonkwo in Things Fall Apart Is Not a Tragic Hero.

Compare and contrast essay

If you’re comparing and contrasting two (or more) tragic heroes, don’t simply write a list of similarities and differences. While creating this type of list is a great prewriting strategy, your compare and contrast essay needs to do more than simply identify character traits.

The essay needs a focus. Think about the point you’re trying to make by comparing and contrasting the tragic heroes.

Here’s what I mean.

Imagine you’re writing a compare and contrast essay about the tragic heroes of Shakespeare.

Your paper wouldn’t simply list tragic heroes and identify character traits that are the same or different.

Instead, you would need to develop a clear thesis to let your readers know what exactly you’ll be discussing about Shakespeare’s tragic heroes.

For example, when developing your thesis, you might consider the following questions:

• Does Shakespeare use the same types of tragic heroes in a number of plays? Do Romeo, Hamlet, and Macbeth share more than the basic elements that define a traditional tragic hero?
• Or does Shakespeare mix it up and develop unique characters that portray a tragic hero differently in each play?

Another approach is to compare and contrast two tragic heroes who, on the surface, don’t seem to have much in common but who are ultimately more alike than many would imagine.

Take, for example, Macbeth and Willy Loman (from Death of a Salesman). On the surface, Loman, a salesman trying to provide for his family, and Macbeth, a general who wants nothing more than to be king, seem to have little in common.

Both, however, share a common fatal flaw: ambition. Both men want more out of life and want to move beyond their current stations in life.

Want more ideas of tragic heroes to compare? Check out these essay examples for inspiration:

• Christopher Marlowe’s Dr. Faustus and Breaking Bad’s Walter White
• Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman and Nora Helmer from A Doll’s House
• Oedipus and Hamlet

Persuasive essay

The goal of a persuasive essay is to convince your audience. One common tragic hero essay assignment is to convince your reader that the real tragic hero in a work is someone aside from the obvious choice.

Here are a few examples

• Creon instead of Antigone
• Brutus instead of Julius Caesar
• Jason instead of Medea

If your professor allows you to be a little more creative in your approach, you might try to convince your readers why you should be considered a tragic hero.

Remember, modern tragic heroes don’t need to be nobility or male, so consider how you might fit the definition of a tragic hero (aside from that whole part about your tragic flaw leading to your demise, of course).

Perhaps your character flaw is lack of self-control, pride, or ambition. Perhaps you’ve suffered in some way because of this flaw, and it has caused hardships in your life.

You might even include some elements of comparison and contrast to illustrate how you compare to a tragic hero on film or in classic literature.

Ready to Write?

Now that you have a better understanding of tragic heroes and are ready to begin writing, take a look at these resources to help you get started:

• 7 Essay Outline Templates to Get Your Essay Going
• How to Write a Thesis Statement in 5 Simple Steps
• 12 Examples of Good Topic Sentences (and Why They Work)

Not sure your paper is the best it can be? Don’t let a poorly written essay be your tragic flaw. Let the editors at Kibin help you improve your writing.

When it comes to The Hunger Games, the characters feel in-depth and relatable—even in a place and time readers can’t necessarily relate to. But because the characters in The Hunger Games do have depth, your essay about them can’t just talk about the basics.

Fortunately, I’m here to help you explore three different characters—a major character, a minor character, and one that’s in between—and show you different ways you can write about them in your essay.

Analyzing Katniss Everdeen

Katniss is the protagonist of The Hunger Games and the narrator. Because the novel is written in first-person, you get an in-depth look into Katniss’s mind (which gives you plenty of content for your essay).

Her love for family & friends

Katniss has a few main traits, including her talent with a bow and her reluctant attitude toward fame, but it’s her intense love for her family that drives many of her actions.

Her father died when she was younger, and her mother basically went comatose during that time. So it was up to Katniss to provide for her younger sister, Prim. Katniss’s love for her family, specifically for her sister, drove Katniss to volunteer as a tribute for the Hunger Games in the first place.

Katniss’s intense love also extends to her friends—Gale, Peeta, Cinna, and Rue. She sees these individuals for who they are—not their statuses or their districts.

Her hatred of the Capitol

Katniss’s other main defining trait throughout The Hunger Games is her distaste for fame and the Capitol in general.

She comes from District 12, where people die in the mines and get beaten by Peace Keepers—all while people in the Capitol live in the lap of luxury. The people in District 12 also don’t have to send their children to die in the Hunger Games, so they view it almost the same way we view the Super Bowl.

Katniss is reluctant to wear frilly dresses and play nice for the sponsors. Because of this, she has a hard time making friends and allies in the arena. But the ones she does make are true friends—they’re not just playing the game.

Tips for a Hunger Games essay about Katniss

Katniss may seem like one of the easiest Hunger Games characters to write about because you do get to see what’s going through her head. However, that also presents some challenges.

My advice (unless otherwise instructed by your teacher) is to focus on just one of these characteristics and really go in-depth about it. That will give your essay a clearer focus.

Interested in how other students have written about Katniss? Check out these example essays:

• Katniss Everdeen as a Role Model in The Hunger Games
• A Comparison of Beowulf and Katniss Everdeen
• Why Katniss Hides Her Emotions in The Hunger Games

Analyzing Haymitch Abernathy

Several other districts have a few mentors to choose from when new tributes need to prepare for the Hunger Games. But Haymitch is the only surviving victor in District 12. He’s also one of my favorite Hunger Games characters. He’s almost always drunk and rude, but there’s sadness and compassion behind his gruff facade.

Haymitch won one of the Hunger Games years ago, and his life since then has been a living hell. As Haymitch is the only living victor in the district, no one else can relate to the pain he had to endure. He’s lost loved ones because of the Games. Because of this, he tries not to get too close to Katniss and Peeta.

But Haymitch knows how to play the game. He knows what it takes to win—not just the lethal skills but also what to avoid, what traps to look out for, and what the audience likes to see in terms of emotions.

How you can approach your essay about Haymitch

Haymitch’s full background isn’t laid out until later in the series, but there’s still plenty to write about if your essay is only covering the events in the first book. Here are a few ideas on what you could write about:

1. The ways in which Haymitch helps Katniss survive.
2. How Haymitch’s past has affected his personality.
3. Haymitch’s character development over the course of the series (if you’re focusing on more than just the first book).

You could also consider writing an essay from the perspective of Haymitch—or another character.

Analyzing Cato

I know, I know. Cato isn’t exactly a main character. However, he’s both interesting and important. Plus, I figured if everyone else in your class is writing about Katniss and Peeta, you might find it fun to focus on one of the Hunger Games characters no one else will.

Cato is a career tribute from District 2. The districts closest to the Capitol have more wealth and view being a tribute as a great honor. Career tributes train for years, so their strength, speed, and skill are leagues above most of the other tributes.

Cato is no exception. He’s a beast of a man, strong enough (and vicious enough) to break someone’s neck with one swift motion. It’s no surprise that he’s one of the last ones standing.

It’s not until the fight before his death that we see the interesting side of Cato. Because he grew up training for the Hunger Games, he’s expected to be the best. That pressure from his family and his district made him a killer.

He was used to being the favorite, being the best. He felt right at home being favored among the sponsors. So when Katniss stole the show in the ceremony before the Games, she moved to the top of his kill list.

Cato was truly a pawn in the Games. His whole life was centered around being a tribute. But the people sponsoring and betting on the Games didn’t care. He was there for their entertainment. Even his death was drawn out simply to make for a more entertaining show.

How to write about Cato

As with writing about any character, it’s easiest to write about Cato if you pay special attention to him while you read.

Focus on his dialogue during the fight before his death—and with that in mind, read through the other scenes he’s in. This will give you much more insight into why he does what he does and why he’s so focused on winning.

It’s not about survival to him—it’s about making his district proud.

(Need to write about themes in The Hunger Games? Jump over to 4 Hunger Games Themes for a Killer Analysis.)

Before You Write: Don’t Forget to Outline

These are just a few of the many Hunger Games characters you can write about. No matter which one you choose, an outline will definitely help you stay focused when writing your essay.

It’s easy to get so caught up in the psychology of a character that you ramble on and forget your thesis. An outline makes sure you stay on point and that each item you address relates to your thesis.

Need some help with analyzing the character you selected? Try these posts:

• How to Write a Character Analysis That Works
• 2 Character Analysis Essay Examples With Character

And if you’re having trouble diving deep enough into the character or just need to make sure your writing is error-free, you can always turn to Kibin’s editors. They’ll not only make sure you don’t have any typos but also ensure your writing is focused and flows well.

Stuck on Your Analytical Essay?

Check Out These Example Analytical Essays

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But why? What makes The Hunger Games or any of the other trend-setting series so popular?

There are many factors, but one of the main ones is that readers really relate to the themes. And right now, we’re going to dive into a few Hunger Games themes and see what makes them so interesting and relatable—and hopefully give you some ideas for an essay.

Love & Sacrifice in The Hunger Games

Love is a theme that’s been written about since people started writing in the first place. The Hunger Games explores many facets of love, but the one thing it hits on most is that love often drives people to sacrifice their comfort, safety, and even their own lives.

It all starts with the love Katniss has for Prim. Instead of letting her little sister face almost certain death, Katniss volunteers to take Prim’s place in the Hunger Games. Katniss doesn’t think she has a chance of winning, but she wants to give her sister a chance of living.

The thing I liked most about this series was the way it didn’t rely too heavily on romance. However, that doesn’t mean it’s devoid of romantic love. Peeta is head-over-heels for Katniss, and he shows that by sacrificing his safety to try to ensure hers.

It starts when they’re children. He purposely burned bread so that he could give it to Katniss when she was starving—even though he knew his mom would get mad and hit him. That sense of love and sacrifice shows up multiple times in the arena, from Peeta joining the Careers to trying (and failing) to power through his wounds so that Katniss wouldn’t put herself in danger to get him medicine.

While there’s a lot of bloodshed in this series, love and sacrifice are among the most ubiquitous Hunger Games themes. But remember—The Hunger Games books are dystopian novels, not strictly love stories.

Control Through Division in The Hunger Games

Since this is, after all, a dystopian series, one of the Hunger Games themes most people think of is that of totalitarian rule or control through division.

Suzanne Collins did a great job of world-building when she was thinking about the government and governance of Panem. Each district is divided, and most people aren’t allowed to cross into another district. The districts all have one specific good they focus on producing. For District 12 (Katniss’s district), it’s coal. District 11 focuses on agricultural products, etc.

Here’s why controlling the districts is so effective—each district only has one type of main export and can’t move freely between districts. In other words, the districts are completely reliant on the government to distribute the other items they need to survive.

The Capitol is completely divided from all the districts. The culture is much different. In fact, people in the Capitol don’t even send their children to the Hunger Games, while every district must have two tributes. This is also a way for the Capitol to maintain control.

The people of the Capitol view the Hunger Games as some type of sporting event because they’re not personally invested in the Games. They don’t know anyone who’s died in the Games, and that’s what allows them to continue. And because the Hunger Games continue year after year, President Snow is able to instill fear into the districts on an annual basis.

Power Shifts in The Hunger Games

Of course, you can’t just have a whole country with districts that are completely cut off from one another. And what happens when they’re no longer divided? Power struggles and power shifts.

There are a lot of moments that build up to the full-on rebellion of the third book. One of the first is when Katniss sings to Rue and lays flowers around her. This was broadcast in every district and showed that two children from different districts cared about each other. This moment also motivates the people in District 11 to start standing up to their oppressors later on in the series.

And then you have District 13. Even though it’s secluded (the other districts believe 13 was wiped out completely), the district is quite strong. However, it would be impossible to overthrow President Snow if the people of District 13 hadn’t connected with Plutarch Heavensbee, who knew his way around the Capitol and had the means to steal a hover jet when escaping to 13.

District 13 also needed Katniss, who was a symbol of the rebellion—the Mockingjay. Katniss was a face everyone from every district recognized. More importantly, her kindness to Rue and people from other districts made people more willing to band together.

Image in The Hunger Games

Out of all of The Hunger Games themes, the theme of image or appearance is the one I like thinking about the most. No matter which character you examine, you’ll find that each is more than her or his appearance.

Katniss, for instance, is socially awkward and doesn’t know how to schmooze while she’s in the Capitol, and that makes a lot of people in the Capitol think that she’s not going to do very well. But she comes alive when she has a bow in her hand.

No person purposely puts on more of an image than President Snow. He hides his threats in hushed tones and flowery language—and he hides his awful mouth sores with actual flowers.

The appearance of the Capitol as a whole is colorful and shiny. However, we learn from Finnick that virtually everyone in the Capitol has some pretty dark secrets.

The arena is where image plays one of the most important roles. The competitors have to keep up their images (Katniss has to pretend to be more in love with Peeta than she actually is, for instance) just to get extra items like medicine.

The arena is also just one big illusion. The sky isn’t real, and the monsters aren’t real. It’s all manufactured. But it feels real to the competitors—and the danger is most certainly real.

(Writing about specific characters in the books? Read 3 Hunger Games Characters and How to Write About Them for insight on how to tackle a character analysis.)

Which Hunger Games Theme Will You Write About?

The above themes are just four examples to get you started as you brainstorm your essay topic. There’s much more evidence to support both these themes and additional themes you can explore on your own.

Here’s how some other students wrote about different Hunger Games themes:

• An Essay on the Theme of Identity in The Hunger Games
• An Analysis of Desensitization in The Hunger Games, a Novel by Suzanne Collins
• Survival and Dependence in The Hunger Games, a Book by Suzanne Collins
• A Literary Analysis of the Societies and Gender in The Hunger Games
• The Theme of Humanity in the Novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

It’s important to remember that your writing will be its best when you choose a topic that 1) has enough evidence to support your thesis and that 2) you can connect with.

Need some extra help with literary analysis? Check out these resources:

• How to Write a Literary Analysis That Works
• Literary Present Tense: Everything You Need to Know
• How to Analyze Imagery in Literature the Smart Way

And to make sure your writing really is the best it can be, the editors at Kibin are here for you. They’ll make sure you don’t have any grammar, spelling, or flow issues—ensuring your readers can focus fully on your awesome ideas.

Stuck on Your Analytical Essay?

Check Out These Example Analytical Essays

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Maybe you want a new job, a new college major, a new significant other, or even a new haircut. Whatever it happens to be, you know that something has to change.

If you’ve ever felt this way, you can relate to The Awakening and its protagonist, Edna Pontellier. Edna is need of some serious changes in her life, and not just the “I hate my haircut” kind of changes, either. She wants to make some serious, life-altering transformations.

It’s these transformations that are the basis for many of The Awakening themes. Interested in learning more? Keep reading to learn about three important themes in the novel.

A Little About Edna (and the Plot)

Edna truly is a woman ahead of her (Victorian) time.

She realizes she doesn’t have a strong connection with her husband and maybe doesn’t even love him. Instead of suffering in silence, which is what would be expected of her during the Victorian Era, Edna yearns to break free of the gender roles that have kept her oppressed.

The plot of The Awakening

While on vacation, she ends up falling in love with Robert, but she’s pretty bummed when he leaves town. It’s after her vacation (and after Robert is absent from her life) that she turns to hobbies, such as painting and playing the piano, to pass the time and mend her broken heart.

Edna isn’t the type of gal to sit around moping, though.

Another man, Alcee, flirts with her, and while her husband is in New York for work, she begins an affair with Alcee. There really isn’t a love connection this time, however. It’s more of a friends-with-benefits relationship as Edna is still in love with Robert.

All of these new feelings surrounding passion, love, and independence leave Edna more than confused, and she ultimately decides to move into a home by herself in order to be fully independent.

But Robert throws a wrench in all of this when he returns from Mexico. You’d think Edna would be head over heels and ready to say yes to his marriage proposal, but she turns him down. She doesn’t want to belong to anyone—not to her husband and not to Robert.

Robert and Edna’s conversation about their future together is cut short, however, because she gets called away because her friend is in labor. Edna asks Robert to wait, but he doesn’t.

Again heartbroken, she returns home feeling lonely and isolated. She knows all of this is a result of her choices, of her expressing her independence, and of her straying from societal norms.

At the end of the novel, Edna goes for a swim and drowns, but the reader can’t be sure whether the drowning is accidental or if she has committed suicide.

In essence, Edna is a rebel who pays the ultimate price for her individuality.

3 Important The Awakening Themes

The Awakening is rich with themes, but the themes I’ve included here all focus on Edna and how her character establishes three key themes of the book.

I’ve also included a few example essays along the way, so make sure to check them out to see what other writers have to say about The Awakening themes.

Identity

As you mature and begin to form your own identity, you realize your likes, dislikes, and who you are as a person.

These discoveries may be as simple as the day you announce to your parents that you no longer want to be called “Andy.” You want to be called by your full name: Andrew.

Or your discovery may be an entire lifestyle change as you declare that you’ve become a vegetarian.

Like most of us, Edna Pontellier is still trying to figure out her own identity, but she’s experiencing an identity crisis.

She’s not so worried about whether she eats a burger or a salad for dinner, but she is concerned about what she’s called. No, she’s not worried about being called “Edna” or “Eddie.” She’s struggling with the labels of “wife” and “mother.”

She longs for independence and doesn’t want to be tied to these labels and lifestyles as Victorian standards require. It’s this identity crisis that causes her to explore her sexual desires through affairs, explore hobbies (such as painting and playing the piano), and assert her independence by living alone.

Her identity crisis may have also led to her death as she likely committed suicide because she simply didn’t feel as though she belonged within the current constraints of society.

How to write about the theme of identity

If you decide to write about identity as a theme, you can approach the essay in a few ways.

You might decide to write a literary analysis about the theme itself and provide examples from the novel (like those I’ve mentioned above) that illustrate Edna’s quest for her own identity.

Check out compare and contrast essay. After all, Edna isn’t the first female character to search for her own identity.

You might, for instance, compare Edna’s journey to that of Nora Helmer in A Doll’s House. Nora, too, is unhappy in her relationship and leaves her husband and children in an attempt to find herself.

Here is an example essay that explores both characters’ search for identity and the turmoil they suffer throughout the stories.

You might also compare Edna’s journey to a current or classic film.

Ever see the classic movie Thelma and Louise? The movie is about two best friends (named, of course, Thelma and Louise) who long to escape their ordinary lives. They want a chance to experience greater independence and leave the men in their lives behind, which means that they’ve definitely got something in common with Edna.

Gender Roles

The role of a Victorian woman was pretty much set in stone: obey your husband, be a dutiful mother, and be a respectable lady.

Edna’s BFF, Adele, is by most accounts the quintessential example of the Victorian woman who does anything and everything to make her family happy and make her home pleasant and cheerful. She is the wife and mother that society feels Edna should emulate.

Edna, however, can’t seem to make that happen.

She doesn’t fit the mold as she wants more for herself and doesn’t want to (or can’t) live her life for someone else. She longs for the kind of independence that society does not afford women of the Victorian era.

How to write about the theme of gender roles

Comparing Edna and Adele and their feelings toward expectations for their roles in society could be an excellent strategy for discussing gender roles in the novel. You might also complete a more detailed character analysis of one or both of the women to explore the theme of identity.

Of course, gender roles have been debated throughout history, so you could certainly discuss Edna’s thoughts of gender roles as they compare to historical or current roles of women.

Looking for an example of a finished paper about the theme of gender roles in The Awakening? Take a look at these three example essays:

• Women’s Limitations in Society in The Awakening
• The State of Women in the Victorian Period in Kate Chopin’s The Awakening
• A Character Analysis of Edna Pontellier

Isolation

Throughout the novel, it’s apparent that Edna doesn’t feel like a part of her community.

At the start of the novel, she doesn’t feel comfortable telling her husband about her desire to find herself and to be independent. She feels lonely and isolated because of these feelings and thus seeks to find some comfort in her female friends.

The women, however, are almost exact opposites of Edna. They are doting wives and mothers who believe strongly in their assigned roles of the era. This clash of opinions and beliefs only serves to further isolate Edna as she doesn’t even fit in with her friends.

When Edna eventually asserts her independence and acts on her impulses, she has two affairs and moves into her own home. These actions further force her into isolation as the man she falls in love with, Robert, ends the affair, leaving her alone.

Edna’s rebellion from her traditional societal roles results in complete isolation and her eventual suicide.

How to write about the theme of isolation

If you’re writing about the theme of isolation, once again, you might write a standard literary analysis, a compare and contrast essay, or a character analysis.

You might also try a more personal approach (if your assignment permits) by writing a reflection of how your life parallels Edna’s feelings of isolation.

Take a look at these two example essays to see how writers compare their own lives to Edna’s.

• The Experience of Reading Kate Chopin’s The Awakening and Identifying With Edna Pontellier
• A Reflection on The Awakening: Parallels Between Edna Pontellier and Me

Wake Up and Start Writing

Now that you have some ideas on The Awakening themes detailed above, If you’ve been putting off writing your essay, it’s time you get started.

Need a little help putting the wheels in motion? Here are a few quick tips:

• Wake up and get to work. Don’t put off writing any longer. Procrastination is your enemy.
• Power through writer’s block by focusing your mind (and your ideas)
• Narrow and select a topic for your paper.
• Do a little outlining (or other form of prewriting)
• Draft your essay
• Revise as needed

Having trouble waking up and getting started? Struggling with any (or all) of the steps in the writing process? Have a finished draft but aren’t sure you’ve properly tackled The Awakening themes (or theme) you’ve selected?

If so, let a Kibin editor read what you have so far. We’re happy to help with any step—from putting your ideas into motion to adding the finishing touches.

Stuck on Your Analytical Essay?

Check Out These Example Analytical Essays

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The problem? You haven’t quite figured out what it all means.

If you’re struggling to understand The Handmaid’s Tale themes, keep reading to learn more about three key themes to analyze in your essay. (I’ve also included essay ideas to help you get started with your analysis and a few example essays to help inspire your writing.)

3 Key The Handmaid’s Tale Themes

As you consider The Handmaid’s Tale themes included in this list, keep in mind that a theme is different than the plot.

The plot is what happens in the story. In this case, the plot revolves around the tale of a Handmaid named Offred.

A theme is an underlying meaning (or message) of the story. In this case, The Handmaid’s Tale themes include the dangers of complacency, freedom (or lack thereof), and power in a dystopian society.

Theme #1: Dangers of complacency

People (especially women) who live in Gilead have seen their freedoms, including education and intimacy, stripped away in their now-totalitarian society. Women are no longer known by their own names, but as titles that reflect their roles in society (Handmaids, Wives, or Marthas).

Yet even though freedom has all but vanished, many simply do as they’re told. As long as they receive some concessions, something tangible that they see as a benefit, they’re happy.

Essentially, they become complacent, and this has allowed increasingly more freedom to be taken away.

The Guardians of the Faith and The Eyes are prime examples. They have little control over their own lives, but they’re essentially spies watching over others. Because they have this seemingly small amount of control, they’re more willing to accept their roles and the rules of society.

Their complacency continues as long as they’re given some amount of control (over something or someone). People become so accustomed to their lives that they don’t always see the true dangers of living in a society in which they’re under complete control of the government.

Essay idea:

Connect the theme of complacency to current political and social debates.

Many people today worry about freedoms being stripped away. Consider connecting The Handmaid’s Tale to current discussions of gun control, abortion, or freedom of speech.

Essay example

Looking for further inspiration? Check out this example essay that connects The Handmaid’s Tale to current society.

Theme #2: Freedom (or lack thereof)

The Handmaid’s Tale takes place in a society now called Gilead. It’s a dystopian society where freedom is virtually non-existent.

Gilead, though, is the new name of the society. It used to be called the United States.

Many citizens in Gilead still remember what life was like in the US before the rebellion. The narrator, Offred, for instance, often thinks back to her lost freedom, her separation from her family, and her inability to continue any form of education.

In Gilead, both men and women are repressed sexually. They have no freedom to choose their own sexual partners or experience intimacy. Education is also prohibited. After all, keeping people uneducated means that the totalitarian government can maintain control over society.

As in many dystopian novels, most citizens of Gilead are content to accept their new lives and lack of freedoms. But there are some, such as Moira, who never accept the loss of freedom and continue fighting for independence.

Essay idea:

Examine how The Handmaid’s Tale fits into the dystopian genre and compares to other dystopian novels.

Oppression and lack of freedom is a common theme in dystopian novels. Consider examining how the theme of freedom in The Handmaid’s Tale fits into the dystopian genre.

You might also write a comparison and contrast essay to compare the theme of freedom in The Handmaid’s Tale to other dystopian novels, such as 1984 or Fahrenheit 451.

Essay idea:

Discuss how the novel The Handmaid’s Tale is similar to or different from other adaptations.

The Handmaid’s Tale was made into a film in 1990 and more recently adapted as a television series in 2017. You might compare the film and television versions. Alternatively, you could compare one or both video adaptations to the original novel.

Essay example

Want to read an example essay about oppression and lack of freedom in The Handmaid’s Tale? Take a look at The Oppression of Men and Women in The Handmaid’s Tale, a Science Fiction Novel by Margaret Atwood.

Theme #3: Power

The government of Gilead exerts total control over its people. Through force and violence, the government obtained power. It uses the same force and intimidation to maintain power.

The government engages in war with surrounding countries and uses the same violence on its own citizens. Public hangings serve as torture to victims and as ominous warnings to others who may consider breaking laws.

Under totalitarian rule, people not only lose their identities and freedoms, but also must follow strict rules in public regarding how they speak to each other.

Citizens, for instance, are watched by military personnel and spies, known as Eyes. Handmaids are even kept in constant fear by the Aunts, who have the power to abuse and torture Handmaids.

The government continually uses this level of intimidation and violence to keep people fearful of consequences and thus subservient to those in power.

Essay idea:

Compare Gilead to one or more governments in history.

Examine the rise of authoritarian governments throughout history, such as communism in China or the rise of Nazism in Germany. Consider the methods used by the government to obtain power and maintain control over its citizens. Does the government of Gilead use any of the same techniques?

Essay example

Interested in reading an example essay about the theme of power in The Handmaid’s Tale? Check out Power and Control in the Republic of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale, a Novel by Margaret Atwood.

Lost in Thought?

Sometimes writing means you’re simply stuck.

You might have a few vague ideas for your paper on The Handmaid’s Tale themes but have a massive case of writer’s block and simply can’t put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard). If you’re feeling that way now, try these 4 proven ways to overcome writer’s block.

Sometimes writing means you have a ton of broad ideas for a paper but are still struggling to narrow a topic and find the perfect idea for your paper.

If you’re still working on just the right focus, check out these example essays for ideas:

• An Analysis of the Language Use in The Handmaid’s Tale, a Novel by Margaret Atwood
• The Representation of Feminism in The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
• The Importance of Power Struggle in The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini and The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Sometimes writing also means you have a bunch of ideas swirling around in your head but aren’t yet sure how to put them all together into an effective essay.

If you’re in need of a little more help with essay writing, use these additional resources to help you get started:

• How to Write a Literary Analysis That Works
• This Compare and Contrast Essay Outline Will Help You Beat Writer’s Block
• 6 Prewriting Strategies to Get Your Essay Rolling

And of course, sometimes writing means you have a completed draft of paper that is supposed to analyze a theme but you aren’t sure whether you’re simply rehashing the plot or writing a thoughtful analysis.

If you’re in need of an expert’s opinion, send your paper to Kibin.

Stuck on Your Analytical Essay?

Check Out These Example Analytical Essays

Yes! Show me examples.

If you’ve just finished reading Heart of Darkness, though, it might be pretty darn hard to feel a connection with imperialists or cannibals.

But even if you don’t have much in common with these characters and are struggling to write about the novella, you might certainly feel like Marlow. You’re sailing through uncharted territory, lost in a sea of fog, and trying to find your way through the darkness of essay writing.

If that’s the case, I’m here to help clear the fog and offer you three ways to approach your Heart of Darkness essay.

A Quick Literary Analysis Review

If you’re writing an essay about any piece of literature, chances are your prof doesn’t want you to simply summarize the plot. After all, that’s why it’s called literary analysis and not literary summary.

Thus, after you’ve read and taken notes on whatever it is you’re analyzing, try to figure out what everything means and how it all fits together.

In other words, look past the plot and identify the underlying meaning.

In need of more in-depth literary analysis advice? Check out these posts:

• 8 Components of a Smart Literary Analysis
• How to Write a Literary Analysis That Works
• Literary Analysis Tips from a Kibin Editor

Now that you’ve refreshed your memory on the basics of literary analysis, let’s get down to the business of analyzing the novella so that you’re ready to tackle your Heart of Darkness essay.

3 Ways to Approach Your Heart of Darkness Essay

There’s a lot going on in this story, so there’s absolutely no way I can cover every type of literary analysis paper you might write about Heart of Darkness. I am, however, going to discuss three strategies to help you write a solid literary analysis.

Point of view

In academic writing, you’re often told to avoid using first person point of view, but literature uses first person all the time. Narrators tell their stories and hope to intrigue the audience through the fantastic tales they spin.

Heart of Darkness uses two different first-person narrators. The novella begins and ends with narration from an unnamed traveler who sits and listens (along with four other passengers) to Marlow’s tale. (This person narrates using the first-person pronoun “we.”)

This narration frames the story as readers hear the traveler’s voice only at the beginning and end of the novella. That means the bulk of narration comes from Marlow. Marlow tells his amazing tale to the traveler and, of course, to readers using the first person “I.”

Framing

Why does Conrad use this framing technique as narration, rather than one traditional first-person narrator? How does the use of a second unnamed narrator change readers’ interpretations of Marlow’s story?

Framing allows the reader to see two different perspectives of the story, two different points of view about things such as imperialism, and two different interpretations of characters.

Consider, for instance, how the use of two different narrators allows readers to learn more about Marlow, his actions, his feelings, and his character.

Reliable or unreliable narrator

Is Marlow a reliable narrator? What evidence is there to prove that his story is real?

Think about stories you’ve heard your friends tell. I bet that on more than one occasion they’ve embellished a few details here and there. Is Marlow doing the same thing?

If you’re writing about whether Marlow is reliable, look for any inconsistencies in his story or for places when the unnamed narrator comments on Marlow’s tale. This might give you hints as to places where the story could be embellished or simply made up.

Consider, also, the instances where Marlow seems confused or sometimes forgets his story. Is he struggling to remember the story itself, or is he trying to remember what lies he’s already told?

You might also question whether the unnamed traveler is reliable. After all, he’s telling the tale as he remembers it. Has he forgotten information? Has he made up stories or embellished the tale in any way?

Looking for a finished Heart of Darkness essay example focused on the narration in the novella? Read The Framing Narrative in Heart of Darkness, A Novel by Joseph Conrad.

Symbolism

In literature, a symbol is something (such as a character, object, or place) that represents something else. For instance, if a poem contains doves, those doves might symbolize peace.

There’s a ton of symbolism in Heart of Darkness, and though I haven’t included every symbol from the novella, here are two you might want to write about.

Fog

Marlow travels through dense fog on his journey up the Congo. The fog is more than just a nuisance. Consider how fog can become a barrier, how it makes it difficult to see, and how everything seems to slip into the shadows in the fog.

Fog might symbolize the uncertainty of Marlow’s journey and of his quest to find Kurtz. Fog might also symbolize Marlow’s mental state and his confusion about his travels.

Kurtz

When analyzing a character, examine the character’s personality, profession, acquaintances, and of course, actions.

Kurtz is greedy and overbearing. His goal is to be successful in the ivory trade, and he lets nothing stop him. He makes friends (and enemies) with the native Africans. They view him as God-like in some ways, but he also raids villages and ultimately falls into madness.

Thus, Kurtz might be seen as a symbol of a false God because of his willingness to simply overpower those whom he rules.

He might also symbolize corporate greed and obsession with domination, wealth and power seemingly his only goals.

To read an example essay about symbolism in Heart of Darkness, take a look at A Literary Analysis of the Symbolism in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

Theme

The theme of a piece of literature is the underlying meaning of the work. The subject is what the piece of literature is about. Don’t confuse theme with subject.

Don’t confuse theme with subject.
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For example, a poem might be about a fish trying to escape a fisherman. The subject of the poem is a fish trying to escape. The theme of the poem, however, might be man vs. nature or the fragility of the environment.

If you’re writing about the themes in your Heart of Darkness essay, you might write about good vs. evil or hypocrisy.

Good vs. evil

Images of light and dark abound in this novella, with light often symbolizing good and darkness symbolizing evil. The title even includes the image of darkness in one’s self.

Marlow appears to want to do the right thing. But he’s uncertain of his path and struggles to make the right decisions in a world where good and evil don’t seem that cut and dry.

Kurtz wishes to be successful, and his ambitions may make him, at first, seem more good than evil. It’s quickly revealed, however, that his goals aren’t so admirable as he’s willing to stop at nothing to obtain them.

Hypocrisy

The novella focuses on imperialism and the Europeans’ desire to “civilize” the Africans and, at the same time, bring additional power and wealth to Europe. The results aren’t exactly what the Europeans hoped for.

Consider that no one really wins in imperialism, and that’s exactly the point that Conrad is making. The natives face brutality and destruction. And while Europeans seem to achieve their goal, they claim they are involved in an ivory “trade,” but it really just amounts to theft.

Kurtz is less hypocritical about his involvement and overtly states that his goal is to exterminate. His honesty threatens to expose the true intentions of the company and the hypocrisy of imperialism.

Looking for an example essay about themes in Heart of Darkness? Read The Madness and Sanity in Heart of Darkness.

The Final Destination

At the end of your voyage, you’ve hopefully found the perfect approach for your Heart of Darkness essay. If, however, you just can’t get into writing about point of view, symbolism, or theme, review these two posts for additional ideas:

• How to Analyze Imagery in Literature the Smart Way
• 15 Literary Terms You Need to Know to Write Better Essays

You might also find inspiration in these example essays:

• A Story of Life and Death in Heart of Darkness, a Novella by Joseph Conrad
• The Portrayal of Women in Joseph Conrad’s Novella Heart of Darkness
• The Characterization of Setting in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

Still struggling? Still lost in a fog of topics, literary terms, and essay writing? Get help from the team of experts at Kibin.

Stuck on Your Analytical Essay?

Check Out These Example Analytical Essays

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But one of the most frequently asked questions on writing about poetry is how to quote a poem in an analytical essay.

Fortunately, I know a thing or two about quotes, and I’m here to help you out with yours. Before we get into how to quote a poem, though, let’s talk about why and when you should do it.

Why Quote a Poem in the First Place?

Quotes, when used correctly, can be an incredibly powerful tool. However, students and writers often fall into one of two traps:

1. They use quotes indiscriminately without thinking about the most effective way to incorporate them into their writing (we’ll talk about this in the next section).
2. They don’t use any quotes at all because they think their writing is good enough to stand on its own.

But here’s the thing… you’re not writing poetry. You’re writing about a specific poem. And that means you’ll have to reference it.

The best literary critics always quote the literature they’re critiquing—it’s part of the job description.

But this begs the question: why is it part of the job description? Why do critics (and students) need to quote the poem in the first place? There are two simple answers.

The first is to give credit where credit is due.

If you’re writing about the poem, you’re going to be talking about the ideas, symbols, and concepts described in it. These aren’t your ideas—they belong to the author. Quoting gives the author that credit.

Don’t worry, though, there’s plenty of space within your essay to share your own original ideas—and you’re strongly encouraged to do this.

The second answer is that quoting a poem gives validity to your writing.

Think about it. Would you trust a movie review if the reviewer doesn’t give you some details about the movie? Would you trust a food critic who couldn’t tell you the ingredients in a dish? Of course not!

You can think about your essay the same way.

Quoting a poem shows your reader that you understand it enough to pick out the important details.
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Quoting a poem shows your reader that you understand it enough to pick out the important details. These details are the main ingredients of the poem.

Whether you’re comparing and contrasting two poems or writing a regular ol’ literary analysis on a single poem, you’re picking the details out and talking about how they reflect the tone, mood, symbolism, or some other element of the poem(s).

When to Use Quotations

All the technical details about how to quote a poem properly are relatively easy to learn. The hard part is knowing when to quote.

As I mentioned before, some writers fall into the trap of quoting without thinking about how a quote is useful in the essay.

Unfortunately, there’s no easy answer to this issue. When to use a quote often depends on the length of the poem, the required length of the essay, your individual writing style, your thesis statement, and a host of other things.

But just because there’s no easy answer doesn’t mean you should give up. Here are the two biggest tips on when to use a quote.

Tip #1. Quote only when necessary

Whenever you’re about to use a quote, ask yourself what it adds to your essay. If it serves as supporting evidence, that’s great. If it simplifies your writing, that’s good too.

Too many people go to great lengths to dance around the symbol or whatever they’re talking about to avoid quoting. That’s making more work for yourself and ultimately makes your essay more confusing to read.

If you’re going to talk about the meaning behind the words, explain what the words are and then talk about the meaning.

Tip #2. Use quotes as supporting evidence for your arguments—not the arguments themselves

This is true with quoting any form of literature.

You’re never going to find your argument in the poem itself. You develop your own argument and explain why you think you’re right. That explanation needs specific evidence, which may come in the form of a quote.

For example, when analyzing “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, your argument may be that the Raven symbolizes the narrator’s near-neurotic mourning over Lenore.

You could point to the line “Quoth the Raven, Nevermore” being repeated so often as a sign of the narrator’s neuroticism, sadness, and feeling of loss.

Getting the balance right can be tricky.

Want more examples? Check out how these students use quotes as support in their essays:

• The Theme of Work in Harvest Song by Jean Toomer, On Dumpster Diving by Lars Eighner, I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen, and the We Can Do It Image
• The Struggles of Immigrants in the United States and the Search for Identity in The Latin Deli: Prose and Poetry, a Poem by Judith Ortiz Cofer

No matter how many examples you see, though, as with any skill, using quotes the right way takes a little time and practice—and a little technical know-how. We’ll get into that now.

How to Use Punctuation When Quoting a Poem

Punctuation for quoting poetry is mostly the same as quoting anything else when it comes to punctuation. However, because of the way poems are formatted, there are a couple extra things to be aware of.

Ending punctuation

First, let’s review ending punctuation. In any type of quote, if there’s a punctuation mark at the end of the sentence you’re quoting, it goes inside of the quotation marks.

Let’s look at part of “The Raven” again. The original line (line 8) is, “And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.” This phrase ends in a period.

If you use this as a quote on its own, you would include that period and put it inside the quotation marks. The same would be true if the quote ended in an exclamation point or question mark.

However, the rules change somewhat when you’re using the quote as part of a larger statement. Look at the following examples:

What did Poe mean when he said, “And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor”?

Poe writes, “And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor,” which shows [insert well-written, beautifully articulated analysis here].

In the first case, you’re asking a question about the quote. You use a question mark but put it outside the quotation marks.

In the second case, you continue the sentence after the quote. You change the ending punctuation to a comma so that you have one continuous sentence.

Slashes

The biggest change in punctuation when quoting a poem, as opposed to longer-form literature, is the use of slashes. This is done when you’re quoting two or three lines of poetry. The slashes denote a new line. They each have a space preceding and following them.

This is how our example would look:

Poe states, “Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December; / And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor” (7-8).

If the quote you’re using is more than three lines, simply use a block quote (without quotation marks or slashes) and try to keep the formatting as close as possible to the original poem.

Crediting the Author

The last two components you need to learn when you’re figuring out how to quote a poem are where to put the author and the line number(s).

Many students would write, “Poe said this,” “Shakespeare wrote this,” and so on. But doing that several times within your essay just gets redundant and boring. Sometimes you may only be using one- or two-word quotes as part of an explanation.

Other times, you might just not want to start yet another sentence with the author’s name. That’s fine. Simply put the author’s last name in parentheses with the line number(s) directly after the quote.

That would look something like this:

“And the silken, sad, uncertain rustling of each purple curtain / Thrilled me–filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before” (Poe 13–14).

Notice that there’s no punctuation mark between the author and the line numbers—just a single space.

The line numbers are important to include no matter where you mention the author. Just remember that they always go in parentheses after the quote.

Note, however, that sometimes you’ll need page numbers instead of line numbers.

When in Doubt…

Still not sure you got the punctuation quite right? That’s okay—not even the professionals get it right 100% of the time. But the professionals have something many students don’t—editors.

Fortunately, the Kibin editors are just a click away. They’ll help out with quotes or whatever else you’re not sure about.

So now that you know how to quote a poem, it’s time to start actually doing it—happy writing!

Stuck on Your Analytical Essay?

Check Out These Example Analytical Essays

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Abigail and friends are found dancing naked in the forest and are accused of witchcraft. They claim to be bewitched in an attempt to avoid a possible death sentence if convicted. In a vengeful move, Abigail accuses Elizabeth of practicing witchcraft. (Elizabeth fired Abigail for having an affair with her husband, John, and Abigail still holds a grudge and still wants to be with John.) Abigail denies the affair, both Elizabeth and John fight for their lives during trial, and John ultimately admits to adultery. But it does not end well for him (and many others in the community).

Sounds like a juicy new reality TV show, right?

Though The Crucible isn’t complete reality (and what reality show is?), the play is based on the Salem Witch Trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692–1693.

Like with any reality TV show, you need to know the basics about the characters before you can fully understand what’s going on.

Think of tuning in mid-season to Teen Mom, The Real Housewives of Miami, or Big Brother. You’ll have to do some catching up on plot lines to know who hooked up with who, who just got out of jail, and who just got in a fight.

While you’ll have to binge-watch on your own to catch up on actual reality TV, I’m here to help you catch up on the plot lines of five important The Crucible characters in Arthur Miller’s play.

I’ll even give you a few tips to help you write a literary analysis about the play.

5 The Crucible Characters You Need to Know for Your Literary Analysis

Let me first start by saying that there are a lot of characters in this play, and I can’t possibly discuss all of The Crucible characters here. Instead, I’ll discuss five of the key players and their roles.

Character #1: John Proctor

John Proctor is like the reality show husband we love to hate. When we’re introduced to him, he seems like a nice enough guy. He’s hard working and seems to be respected by the community.

But he’s not all that.

Sure, he’s innocent of witchcraft, and sure, during trial he fights to save his wife, Elizabeth, from being sentenced to death. But his chivalrous deeds aren’t really chivalrous. He’s trying to save himself from being sentenced to death too.

And don’t let his show of love for his wife fool you into thinking he’s the perfect husband. After all, he did have an affair with Abigail, who, by the way, was only 17. (John was in his 30s.)

Spoiler alert: In the end, John ends up being convicted of witchcraft and is hanged for his crimes. (I guess there’s no chance of him returning for the reunion show.)

Example literary analysis essays about John Proctor

• The Transformation of John Proctor in The Crucible, a Play by Arthur Miller
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• Adultery and the Damaged Relationship of John and Elizabeth Proctor in the Play The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Character #3: Abigail Williams

Modern-day Abigail would spend a fair amount of time taking duck-face selfies and trying to garner more followers on Instagram. She’s a self-absorbed 17 year old who knows how to manipulate people when she needs to (and apparently, she needs to do so often).

Watching her is like driving by a car crash. You know there’s been destruction, and lots of it, but you don’t quite know how it happened. And worse yet, you can’t look away.

In the wake of Abigail’s destructive path are those who take the fall for her on the witchcraft accusations. Abigail pins the whole thing on Tituba (and a few others), but the irony of it all is that Abigail is the one who convinced the others to go out that night.

The Proctors’ marriage falls victim to Abigail’s manipulation too. She has an affair with the much older John Proctor. His wife, Elizabeth, isn’t too keen on forgiving either one of them.

After the affair ends, Abigail still wants nothing more than to be with John and wants Elizabeth out of the way. Abigail accuses people, including Elizabeth, of witchcraft, and Elizabeth is ultimately arrested.

In the end, Abigail realizes she can’t stay in the community, and she skips town, taking all of her uncle’s (Reverend Parris) money with her.

I’m guessing Abigail’s bad behavior is just bad enough for her to earn her own reality show.

Example literary analysis essays about Abigail Williams

• Arthur Miller’s The Crucible: The Evilness and Selfishness of Abigail Williams
• The Selfish, Deceitful, and Manipulative Traits of Abigail Williams in The Crucible, a Play by Arthur Miller
• Abigail Williams Representing the Desires of Puritan Women in The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Character #4: Reverend Samuel Parris

Though Reverend Parris is a reverend, he serves himself more than he serves the Lord.

He’s happy to have the spotlight on him, so starring in a reality show would be right up his alley. While he preaches hellfire and brimstone to his parishioners, his sermons often fall on deaf ears.

He pretty much knows how people feel about him. Yet because he’s so self-absorbed and concerned about creating his own place in the town, he makes things worse by continually believing that everyone’s out to get him.

And for a reverend, he’s not too honest, either. He lies about seeing the women dancing naked to save himself and his reputation. (After all, what would it look like if his own niece, Abigail, was convicted of witchcraft?)

Another not-so-redeeming quality about Parris is his sheer greed. He does anything he can for more money and never thinks he’s paid what he’s worth. (He probably wouldn’t return for a second season unless he could negotiate a much higher salary.)

Example literary analysis essays about Reverend Parris

• The Materialistic and Controlling Characteristics of Reverend Parris in The Crucible, a Play by Arthur Miller
• The Traits of Selfishness and Greed in Reverend Parris From The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Bonus: Example historical essay about Reverend Samuel Parris

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  Character #5: Reverend John Hale

  Reverend Hale is the resident expert. He’s intellectual. He’s a trained witch-hunter. And he thinks he’s all that.

  He’s kind of like the mid-season replacement reality star who joins the show and claims he knows how to play the game better than everyone else. In the end, however, he’s no better than the rest of the cast.

  Hale begins by wanting to do good and to expose those who are practicing witchcraft. The trial, however, leaves him broken. Compared to the beginning of the story, Hale no longer has the same beliefs in witchcraft, in the legal system, or perhaps, even in God.

  In the end, he too believes that lying is the best route—if only to save one’s life.

  Because Hale is so disillusioned, he has my vote for the cast member who would refuse to return for the next season.

  Example literary analysis essays about Reverend John Hale

  • An Analysis of the Character of John Hale in The Crucible
  • The Internal Conflicts and Trials of Rev. John Hale in The Crucible, a Play by Arthur Miller

  Writing Your Literary Analysis Essay

  When it comes to writing about literature, there are all sorts angles to write about. Here are a few general ideas to consider when writing about The Crucible.

  (Of course, make sure to check the assignment guidelines before you choose a topic):

  • Character analysis: Writing a character analysis means that you’ll focus your entire paper on one or two important aspects of a character, such as the manipulative nature of Abigail. To learn more about writing a character analysis, read How to Write a Character Analysis That Works.
  • Analyze the genre: The Crucible is an allegory for McCarthyism in the United States. Look for examples of how the witch hunts and witch trials parallel the hunt for communists.
  • Analyze theme: A theme is the underlying meaning of a work. It’s not necessarily what the piece is about. For example, The Crucible is about witch trials, but the themes of the play include good vs. evil, deceit, and the paranoia surrounding the witch trials.

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  The Crucible is about witch trials, but embedded themes include good vs. evil, deceit, and paranoia.
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  You might also want to write your analysis focusing on another literary technique. Not sure which literary term to work with? Read 15 Literary Terms You Need to Know to Write Better Essays.

  Of course, your analysis might take a different path. You might want to write a compare and contrast essay to compare The Crucible to another literary work, such as The Scarlet Letter. Or you might even compare The Crucible characters to characters in other works.

  You could also compare The Crucible to its film adaptation. Of course, don’t forget that The Crucible is based on the real Salem Witch Trials, so you might compare the play to the actual historical events.

  Stuck in Reruns?

  

  If you feel like you’ve written the same type of essay a few times and can’t seem to figure out how to improve your literary analysis skills, here are two posts to provide some additional guidance:

  • 8 Components of a Smart Literary Analysis
  • How to Write a Literary Analysis That Works

  Once you’ve written the best essay you think you can possibly write, set it aside for a day or two and binge on your favorite show (or maybe do something else to take your mind off essay writing).

  Stepping away from your paper for a while will allow you to see what works and, perhaps, what doesn’t work so well in your essay on The Crucible characters. It will also help you see where you need to revise your paper.

  If you still need some help behind the scenes after you’ve drafted your essay, our editors can help you get your paper ready for prime time.

  

  Stuck on Your Analytical Essay?

  Check Out These Example Analytical Essays

  Yes! Show me examples.
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