293 Comparative Literature Essay Topics

🏆 Best Essay Topics on Comparative Literature

1. “Mericans” by Cisneros and “In Response to Executive Order 9066” by Okita
2. Comparison S. Glaspell’s Play “Trifles” and “A Jury of Her Peers”
3. Emily Dickinson vs Walt Whitman: Poems Comparison
4. Absurdity in “The Metamorphosis” and “The Stranger”
5. Metaphors and Figurative Language in Updike’s “A&P” and Pastan’s “Marks”
6. Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan: Character Comparison
7. “Rose for Emily” and “Barn Burning” Comparison

✍️ Comparative Literature Essay Topics for College

1. Hero’s Journey: A Comparison of The Epic of Gilgamesh, The Iliad, and The Odyssey

   While Gilgamesh spends his time seeking eternal life, Odysseus seems more interested in living the life that he has. Odysseus’ hero journey exemplifies “how one ought to live”.
2. The Theme of Duality in Literature

   The theme of duality is a common topic for many literary works, including Shelly’s Frankenstein, Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, and Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
3. “Blackberries” by Ellen Hunnicutt and “Blackberries” by Leslie Norris – Comparison

   The Hunnicutt’s story does not end with a radical change, whereas the story by Norris shows that the boy has matured significantly during the quarrel between his parents.
4. “Jane Eyre” and “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” Novels Comparison

   The comparison and contrast opinion of the novels of Charlotte Bronte and Thomas Hardy is made possible by the fact that both authors wrote these books during the same time period.
5. Stream of Consciousness in Joseph Conrad and TS Eliot Literature

   This paper discusses two famous works of literature – James Conrad’s Heart of Darkness and TS Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” – and analyzes their use of stream of consciousness.
6. “My Father Is a Simple Man” by Luis Omar Salinas and “A Red Palm” by Gary Soto: Comparative Analysis

   The paper analyzes the poems “My Father is a Simple Man” and “A Red Palm”. Both poems represent a picture of the world of simple people and discuss parental and education issues.
7. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost

   The verses “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost and Sonnet 18 by William Shakespeare are show poets’ ability to capture the essence of life, depict the inevitability of choice and eternity.
8. Perseus and Moses Heroes’ Journey Pattern

   This paper provides an analysis of two heroic figures from the mythology/religion of two peoples: Perseus of the Ancient Greek mythology, and Moses from the Abrahamic religions.
9. “Some Are Born to Sweet Delight” by Gordimer and “When the Towers Fell” by Kinnell

   The story “Some are born to sweet delight” by Nadine Gordimer and the poem “When the towers fell” by Galway Kinnell penetrate the readers with their gravity and feeling of death.
10. The Comparison of Melvin Tolson “An Ex-Judge at the Bar” and Gwendolyn Brooks “The Mother”

    The themes discussed by Melvin Tolson and Gwendolyn Brooks in their poems differ because of the impact of the gender aspect.
11. Comparison and Contrast of the Poems Written by British Romantic Poets

    The three poems written in the period between the 1780s and 1810s present the three stages of the development of Romanticism in Britain.
12. Discrimination in White’s “Charlotte’s Web” and Levine’s “Hana’s Suitcase”

    The theme of discrimination stands out clearly in “Charlotte’s Web” – a classic fictitious children’s novel by E. B. White and “Hana’s Suitcase” – a non-fiction story by Karen Levine.
13. Margaret Atwood’s and Gloria Steinem’s Views on Pornography Comparison

    Essays are focused on associating pornography with depicting sexual violence against women or other victims, and the main difference is in discussing the context of pornography.
14. Irony in Everything That Rises Must Converge and A Rose for Emily

    This essay analyzes the similarities and differences of the functions played by irony in both “A Rose for Emily” and “Everything That Rises Must Converge”.
15. Gothic Elements in Victorian Literature: A Comparative Analysis of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre

    The purpose of this essay is to examine the way in which Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë subverts the genre of Victorian romantic literature, as compared to Jane Eyre.
16. Romeo and Juliet vs. Antigone: Compare & Contrast

    Antigone is a play where the characters are concerned more for their perceptions of the right and wrong that should prevail in the world around them.
17. King’s “Colour of Walls” and Heker’s “The Stolen Party”

    The present paper will explore and analyze “Colour of Walls” by Thomas King and “The Stolen Party” by L. Heker.
18. Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” vs. Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” Comparison

    The two stories that will be analyzed are “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, and “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin.
19. “Ghosts” vs. “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen

    “Ghosts” and “A Doll’s House” criticized contemporary Norwegian society. The plays were sensational and often regarded as being indecent.
20. Oedipus Versus Hamlet: Resilience in Characters

    Resilience as the ability to hold onto one’s beliefs despite the odds that the world may throw at a person is one of the traits that appeal particularly strongly to readers.
21. Theme of Little Red Riding Hood: Comparing the Versions of Perrault vs Grimm

    The paper compares two stories of Little Red Riding Hood by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and by Charles Perrault analyzing the plot and providing own explanation to the plot concept.
22. Negritude: Aime Cesaire and Leopold Sedar Senghor Works Comparison

    This paper focuses on the works of two well-known authors associated with the movement called Negritude, Aimé Cesaire and Leopold Sedar Senghor.
23. Faulkner’s “A Rose for Emily” & “The Yellow Wall-Paper” by Perkins-Gillman

    The stories “A Rose for Emily” and “The Yellow Wall-Paper” have similar and different features, which are manifested through the authors’ use of the elements of gothic literature.
24. Robert Frost’s and Virginia Scott’s Poems Comparison

    This paper aims to compare the poems Robert Frost’s Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening and Virginia Scott’s Snow and discuss rhetorical and literary devices used by the authors.
25. Othello and Antigone: Compare & Contrast

    There can be little doubt as to the fact that Sophocles’ “Antigone” and Shakespeare’s “Othello” are highly emotional dramaturgic pieces.
26. The Back of the Bus’ by Mary Mebane and ‘The Sanctuary School’ by Lynda Barry

    Two works by Mebane and Barry represent the experiences of young girls who have to overcome negative emotions and fears that affect them at the moment and find happiness.
27. “Company Commander” by Charles MacDonald and “Frontsoldaten” by Stephen Fritz: Books Comparison

    “Company Commander” by MacDonald highlights the U.S. Army Captain’s experiences. “Frontsoldaten” by Fritz describes the experiences of German soldiers on the battlefield.
28. Love in Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” and Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”

    The main characters of both modern and traditional works, “Pride and Prejudice” and “The Great Gatsby,” openly say that a human cannot hide her feelings.
29. Adelita and Cinderella Characters’ Comparison

    Cinderella, which is inherent to the English tradition, and Adelita, which belongs to the Mexican tradition, share the same storyline and the overall message and moral.
30. Stranger in a Strange Land: Gregor Samsa & Meursault

    This essay depicts the self-tribulations that two men, Gregor Samsa and Meursault, deal with in their separate yet similar lives.
31. Mustafa Sa’eed from Season of Migration to the North Compared to Shakespeare’s Caliban & Othello

    Mustafa Sa’eed is uniquely similar to Caliban from William Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” in his resistance to invading cultures of colonialism through the context of sexual revenge.
32. The Lottery & The Rocking Horse Winner Compare & Contrast Essay

    Two authors, Shirley Jackson and David Herbert Lawrence in their short stories The Lottery and The Rocking Horse Winner explore the theme of the dangers of blindly following traditional or cultural norms.
33. Fate vs. Free Will in “The Odyssey” and “Oedipus the King”

    This essay compares the ways the two authors use in “The Odyssey” and “Oedipus the King” to portray the power of fate over free will despite human and divine intervention.

📌 Easy Comparative Literature Essay Topics

1. Compare and Contrast “The Masque of the Red Death” and “The Raven”

   Compared to Poe’s “The Masque of the Red Death,” more images of violence and blood are depicted in his poem “The Raven.”
2. Science Fiction Then and Now

   This paper compares classic scientific fiction from prominent writers (Heinlein, Asimov, Bradbury) and recent science-fiction writers (Tim Maly, Mike Krath, Jack London).
3. Comparing “The Egg” by Weir and “Other People” by Gaiman

   In Neil Gaiman’s short story Other People, a person finds himself in Hell, and his greatest torture is to relive his life through the eyes of those he hurt.
4. J. Mirikitani’s “Suicide Note” and R. Burns’ “My Love If Like a Red, Red Rose”: Comparison

   Compared to Burns “My love is like a red, red rose”, the poem “Suicide note” by Mirikitani carries a lot of depth, emotions and even has a message – parents should not over-demand performance from their children.
5. The Emotional Meaning of Home in Literature

   Home has an emotional connection to each one of us. For example, Silas the dying old servant in Robert Frost’s “Death of a Hired Man” sees the home as the fortress.
6. Richard Wright’ and Langston Hughes Literature Comparison

   Richard Wright and Langston Hughes are the writers that were very concerned about the racial issues in the society of the United States of America.
7. Resilience in “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles and “Hamlet” by Shakespeare

   Both Oedipus and Hamlet have difficulties accepting horrible truths about themselves and their families; however, Hamlet seems to be more resilient.
8. A Comparison of “Hamlet” by Shakespeare and “Wuthering Heights” by Bronte

   Literature has a way of continuing to explore many of the same themes that seem to plague mankind throughout history.
9. Henry Thoreau’s The Battle of The Ants’ and Virginia Woolf’s The Death of The Moth’

   Henry Thoreau’s ‘the battle of the ants’ and Virginia Woolf’s ‘the death of the moth’ are two exceptional essays that depict the life of small creatures.
10. Challenging the Rules in “Animal Farm” and “Fahrenheit 451”

    Orwell’s Animal Farm is a satirical parody of events that took place in the Soviet Union after the 1917 revolution.
11. Byron, Keats, and Shelley: The Era of Romanticism

    The three poets and their works need to be studied together to develop a clear and multifaceted experience of the epoch of Romanticism.
12. “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat” by Edgar Allan Poe

    This paper will focus on the comparison of styles and themes in two of Poe’s short stories: “The Tell-Tale Heart” and “The Black Cat”.
13. “The Lottery” by Jackson and “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” by Le Guin

    Analysis of the stories written by Jackson and Le Guin allows one to plunge into the seemingly perfect worlds, where everyone becomes a victim of artificially created morality, and find many common ideas.
14. “Beowulf” and “The Lord of the Rings” Literary Comparison

    These two literary works demonstrate the way people, as well as people’s values, have changed throughout centuries. Thus, the protagonists of the two works start a quest to defeat the evil.
15. Racism in “Being Brought From Africa to America” and “A Letter From Phyllis Wheatley”

    Both poems “Being Brought From Africa to America” and “A Letter From Phyllis Wheatley” are great reflections on the racism issue, and even now, their demand is not decreasing.
16. Sedaris’ “Us and Them” and “Who Is Malala?” by Yousafzai

    Both written pieces represent memoirs, which implies that those stories happened in real life, and it raises more exceptional emotions within the readers.
17. The Novels by Ignacio Aldecoa Analysis

    Ignacio Aldecoa is among the most notable writers in the genre of social realism, and this paper will investigate his “Santa Ojala de Acero” y “Seguir de Pobres”.
18. Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes: Poetry Comparison

    Comparing the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks and Langston Hughes reveals similar approaches to sound including specific brevity of statement and a focus on a specific element of the black experience.
19. Heroine Analysis: Helen and Penelope in “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey”

    The story of Helen and Penelope in both works by Homer display different destinies of two most eminent heroines in terms of their participation in the development of actions shown in both books
20. The Theme of Reflection in the Poems

    The paper analyses and provides the theme of reflection of the poems, “When I Consider How My Light is Spent” by John Milton and “Sad Steps” by Philip Larkin.
21. Comparing Troy Maxson (“Fences”) and Walter Lee Younger (“A Raisin in the Sun”)

    This paper compares characters from “A raisin in the Sun” and “Fences” – two plays that show African-American families dealing with their daily hardships and tensions.
22. The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Tempest: Being “Civilized” or “Uncivilized”

    The Epic of Gilgamesh and Shakespeare’s The Tempest demonstrate that the application of labels is relative, implies adverse outcomes, and is used to critique the colonial process.
23. Short Stories Analysis: “The Necklace” and “The Last Leaf”

    This work considered short stories “The Necklace” and “The Last Leaf” and their interesting plot line. Particular attention is directed to the characters, emotions and experiences.
24. The Story of an Hour and Hills Like White Elephants Literature Comparison

    This paper is aimed at discussing two short stories, namely The Story of an Hour by Kate Chopin and Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway. They throw light on the experiences of women.
25. Contrast Analysis “I, Too” and “I Have a Dream Analysis”

    Comparing “I, Too” and “I Have a Dream Analysis” shows that both Martin Luther King and Langston Hughes are hoping to stop racial biases and free black folks.
26. Realism, Naturalism and Magical Realism in American Literature

    This study analyzes magical realism in “The Incredible and Sad Tale of Innocent Erendira and her Heartless Grandmother”, “Eva Inside Her Cat”, and “Big Fish”.
27. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey — Comparison & Critique

    The stories of both have been repeated countless times and used in cultural references and in making big budget movies which speaks of their pervasive affect.
28. Animals in “The Dogs’ Colloquy” and “Gulliver’s Travels”

    This paper compares animal species in Miguel de Cervantes’ “The Dogs’ Colloquy” and Jonathan Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels: Part IV. A Voyage to the Country of the Houyhnhnms”.
29. “The Excursion” and “A Defence of Poetry” Comparison

    The Excursion, a poem by William Wordsworth, and A Defence of Poetry, an essay by Percy Bysshe Shelley, are among the most prominent examples of Romantic literature in England, displaying all of the elements by which the period may be characterised.
30. Literature Comparison of The Yellow Wallpaper and Everyday Use

    The issue of loneliness and the slow descent into madness discussed in the two famous novels, The Yellow Wallpaper and Everyday Use. These two novels share a number of common and different elements.
31. Poems Comparison and Contrast: “Divorce” and “The Sick Rose”

    This essay focuses on comparing and contrasting imagery and figures of speech used in two poems; Collins’ “Divorce” and Blake’s “The Sick Rose”, and their implication in poetry.
32. Soto’s “Broken Chains” and “Fish Creeks” by Tan

    As for the story Fish Creeks, the Chinese girl is in pain due to cultural differences with her beloved person who is an American.
33. “Houseboy” by F. Oyono and “Things Fall Apart” by C. Achebe Comparative Analysis

    The focus of the novels, Houseboy by F. Oyono and Things Fall Apart by C. Achebe is on the early 1900s colonialism, when the majority of European nations set up colonies in Africa.
34. Sexual-Orientation Oppression in “Now That I Am Forever with Child” and “Condition XXI”

    Lorde’s “Now That I Am Forever with Child” and Hemphill’s “Condition XXI” are the examples of the poets’ vision of the specific role of women in the society with references to their gender and sexuality.
35. Comparison: “Strong Men” by Sterling Brown and “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay

    The works which are written and performed by different African-American authors have many similarities about motives and themes discussed in them.
36. Gilgamesh, Eridu Genesis and the Bible: Comparative Analysis

    Although “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, the “Eridu Genesis”, and the Bible are culturally ions from each other, they share numerous thematic elements.
37. “Sunflower Sutra” and “Der Gilgul” Analysis

    This work focuses on Allen Ginsberg’s “Sunflower Sutra” and Jerome Rothenberg’s “Der Gilgul”, developing the authors’ perspectives on humanity, sorrow, and society’s negative qualities.
38. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel G. Marquez & “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

    This discussion gives a detailed comparison of how the authors of “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” and “A Rose for Emily” depict villages and towns.
39. “The Boat” by Alistair MacLeod and “The Loons” by Margaret Laurence

    The first short story that we are going to discuss is called “The Boat”, it was written by a prominent Canadian fiction writer Alistair MacLeod.
40. Heroes and Cowards in “Oedipus Rex” and “Death of a Salesman”

    In the two plays, “Oedipus Rex” and “Death of a Salesman” there are many parallels. One major parallel is courage and cowardice.

👍 Good Comparative Literature Research Topics & Essay Examples

1. Odysseus and Maximus: Heroes Comparison

   Based on the portrayal of Maximus from “Gladiator” and the representation of Odysseus in a book with the same title, this paper argues that both characters had more similarities than differences.
2. Yusef Komunyakaa’s Poem: Exploring Childhood & Racial Tension

   Yusef Komunyakaa’s poem “Blackberries” and Sylvia Plath’s poem “Blackberrying” are two of the many poems that have utilized the theme of blackberry picking as a plot.
3. Samuel Daniel and Richard Lovelace’ Poems Comparison

   The purpose of this paper is to compare ‘Fair is my Love’ by Samuel Daniel and ‘To Althea, from Prison’ by Richard Lovelace, to reflect their contrasts and mood, and to define their meaning and core.
4. Poems Comparison: The Necklace and I Stand Here Ironing

   This paper compares and contrasts Maupassant’s “The Necklace” and Olsen’s “I Stand Here Ironing”, to analyzes the way the authors examined the subject of poverty.
5. “Tartuffe” and “Candide or the Optimism” Comparison

   When it comes to the “high comedy,” “Tartuffe” by Moliere is an outstanding example. “Candide or the Optimism” is a philosophic and satiric novel by a notorious Enlightenment writer Voltaire.
6. Phyllis Wheatley and Philip Freneau: Poems Comparison

   This paper is about the poems “On being Brought from Africa to America” by Phyllis Wheatley and “On the Emigration to America and Peopling the Western country” by Philip Freneau.
7. Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe’s Detective Stories

   The works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Edgar Allan Poe are separated by nearly half a century, but they are united by the genre.
8. “Joy” by Smith and “Peculiar Benefits” by Gay: Comparative Analysis

   The goal of this paper is to analyze the genres of works “Joy” by Zadie Smith and “Peculiar Benefits” by Roxane Gay, compare them and describe their literary features.
9. Cortazar’s “The Devil’s Drool” vs. Marquez’s “Big Mama’s Funeral”

   This paper analyzes two works of literature: Julio Cortazar’s novel “The Devil’s Drool” and Gabriel Márquez’s “Big Mama’s Funeral.”
10. Resilience in Hill’s The Illegal, D’Angelo’s The Step Not Taken, The Wailers’ Get Up Stand Up

    Common themes connect many works of art and literature. This is true for “The Illegal” by L. Hill, “The Step Not Taken” by P. D’Angelo, and “Get Up Stand Up” by The Wailers.
11. The Theme of Transitioning into Adulthood in “Spirited Away” by Hayao Miyazaki and “Spring Awakening” by Frank Wedekind

    Spirited away by Hayao Miyazaki and Spring Awakening by Frank Wedekind are works of art that are unique and original and convey the path of teenagers on their way to adulthood.
12. Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and Tan’s “Two Kinds”

    Both stories have similarities by way of the characters not being natives of the place where the story is plotted.
13. The Sun Also Rises and The Great Gatsby: Comprare & Contrast

    ‘The Great Gatsby’ by S.Fitzgerald and ‘The Sun also Rises’ by E.Hemingway touched the themes of human challenges, racism and isolation under the impact of war events.
14. Barker’s Regeneration & Plath’s The Bell Jar: Compare & Contrast Essay

    This paper compares the ways in which Pat Barker in "Regeneration" and Sylvia Plath in "The Bell Jar" explore and present the causes and experience of breakdown and madness.
15. A Good Man is Hard to Find & The Story of an Hour: Compare & Contrast Essay

    It is hard to find a good man. Two stories A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O`Connor and The story of an hour by Kate Chopin center around this issue.
16. “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Laugh of the Medusa”

    In light of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper,” the paper explores various key points displayed in the fiction in the light of Hélène Cixousa’s “The Laugh of the Medusa.”
17. Literature Comparison: Shakespeare’s Falstaff and Milton’s Satan

    Both Shakespeare’s Falstaff and Milton’s Satan have reputations for stealing the show; neither character is the protagonist, but they are sophisticated and dynamic characters.
18. Literary Comparison: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and “Hills Like White Elephants”

    This paper analyzes: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by A. G. Bierce and Hills Like White Elephants by E. Hemingway. It is necessary to highlight the common theme of both pieces of literature.
19. Comparing the Archetype of Satan in The Chronicles of Narnia and His Dark Materials

    The essay will compare the archetype of Satan and evil in Lewis The Chronicles of Narnia and Pullman’s His Dark Materials. The Archetype of Satan in The Chronicles of Narnia
20. “The Lottery” and “The Destructors”: Conflict, Characterization and Irony

    The essay will discuss the main conflicts of “The Lottery” and “The Destructors” stories, their characterization, and themes.
21. Shakespeare’s Othello’s and O. J. Simpson’s Tragedies

    This article compares and contrasts Shakespeare’s Othello and O.J. Simpson in the context of racism and class inequality.
22. Little Red Riding Hood by Dahl and Perrault

    Little Red Cap is a folk text initially written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. This work compares different versions of LRRH, including Roald Dahl and Charles Perrault’s authors.
23. Rules of the Game and Two Kinds: Books Comparison

    Amy Tan used two books, “The Rules of the Game” and “Two Kids” to address parenting roles in different scenarios. In “The Rules of the Game”, she exposes a mother’s supportive attitude.
24. Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson Literary Styles Comparison

    One of the differences between Whitman and Dickinson was the thematic elements that they utilized. This embodied a greater difference between the two authors which will be discussed in this paper.
25. Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-lighted Place” and Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”: Short Stories Comparison

    Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” and Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” stories portray life as meaningless and full of inescapable misery.
26. Cisneros’ “Mericans” and Okita’s “In Response to Executive Order 9066” Stories

    The paper compares the stories “Mericans” by Sandra Cisneros and “In Response to Executive Order 9066” by Dwight Okita.
27. The Stories of Mental Illness: “A Rose for Emily” and “The Tell-Tale Heart”

    The essay examines the differences and similarities in “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner and “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Poe in terms of literary devices and meanings.
28. Poems Comparison and Analysis

    The poems are connected based on the content because both Poem 1 and Poem 2 are discussing children who were having fun until one of them is hurt.
29. Comparing Two Kinds and Everyday Use

    The topic of cultural conflict is the main similarity of Two Kinds and Everyday Use. They explain two ways that can affect people, making them to oppose families and society.
30. Human Nature in “The Scarlet Letter” and “Moby-Dick”

    The “Scarlet Letter” and “Moby Dick” are rich in themes concerning human nature, their contents are very appealing considering its similarity during that period and now.
31. Frankenstein vs. Paradise Lost

    The main similarity between Adam and Frankenstein’s monster is that they both were created and both disappointed their creators.
32. “The Accident, Say Yes” & “The Things They Carried”: Comparison

    The paper reviews three short stories: Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”, Gao Xingjian’s “The Accident”, and Tobias Wolff’s “Say Yes”.
33. “The Necklace” vs. “Paste”: Character Comparison

    In these two short stories, Mathilde is portrayed as the pretty and charming wife of Mr. Loisel, a minor clerk in the Ministry of Education.
34. Coelho’s Alchemist and Homer’s Odyssey: Theme Comparison

    The book alchemist has the story of a boy who had a dream of finding treasures which he finally found. The book of Odyssey Odysseus as a hero who had a long journey back to his land.
35. Human Animal in “Gulliver’s Travels” and “Life is a Dream”

    This paper reviews the concept of the human animal in Swift’s “Gulliver’s Travels: A voyage to the country of the Houyhnhnms” and de la Barca’s “Life is a Dream”.
36. Women as Property in Literature: Aristophanes, Congreve, and Wilde’s Perspectives

    The approaches to discussing the relations of women and property are described in three plays by Aristophanes, Congreve, and Wilde where the female characters play rather significant roles.
37. Native American Poems’ Comparative Analysis

    This paper presents a comparative analysis of three poems. They are “Absence” and “To the Pine Tree” by Schoolcraft, and “The Indian Corn Planter” by Johnson.
38. Recognition in Sophocles’ ”Oedipus Rex” and Homer’s ”The Odyssey”

    The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the scenes of recognition in Sophocles’ “Oedipus the King” and Homer’s “The Odyssey.”
39. “A Rose for Emily” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”: Similarities and Differences

    The main difference between “A Rose for Emily” and “The Yellow Wallpaper” lies in the sending of the authors or the main themes of the works.
40. Parallels Between “1001 Nights” and Pizan’s “The Book of the City of Ladies”

    In “1001 Nights” and Pizan’s “The Book of the City of Ladies,” the parallel between the story of Shahrazad and King Shahrayar and the Merchant and the Demon seems to be direct.

🌶️ Hot Comparative Literature Ideas to Write about

1. “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” and “War Dances” by Sherman Alexie

   “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” and “War Dances” by Sherman Alexie explore the themes that often become taboo in contemporary literature, alcoholism, family relationships, and death.
2. Characters’ Evolution in The House on Mango Street and Bullet in the Brain

   The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros and Bullet in the Brain by Tobias Wolff learn the same lesson as Little Prince/Narrator by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry does.
3. “Ordinary People” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”: Book Report

   Analysis of fault and responsibility taking people apart in the “Ordinary People”, discussion of the conflict of characters in the “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”.
4. In the Time of the Butterflies and The Great Gatsby: Compare & Contrast Essay

   The settings of both stories help us understand the canvasses upon which the authors paint their pictures and contextualizes the actions of stories’ characters.
5. True Freedom Theme in American Short Stories

   “The Cask of Amontillado” by Poe, “Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed” by Bradbury, and “The Story of an Hour” by Chopin are analyzed through an understanding of true freedom.
6. “Ode to a Day in the Country” and “The Day My Mother Died” Comparison

   This paper outlines comparative literature of the neighborhoods of “Ode to a Day in the Country” by Gary Soto and “The Day My Mother Died” by Marge Piercy.
7. Comparative Literature: The Significance of “Shitty First Drafts” in Writing

   Derrick Brown’s poem, “Come Alive” dwells on designing arguments when describing an item. Anne Lamott the passage “Shitty First Drafts” discusses arguments in terms of the ethos, pathos, and logos.
8. A Modest Proposal by J. Swift and Candide by F. M. Arouet Literature Analysis

   According to Jonathan Swift and Marie Arouet, women are nothing more than sexual tools that men use, not only to satisfy their sexual desires but also for pleasure.
9. “Barbie Doll” by Piercy and “Girl” by Kincaid

   Analyzing Marge Piercy’s book “Barbie Doll” and Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl”, the protagonists are shown to portray similar themes of growth, identity, and social expectations.
10. Grendel and Medea Literary Characters’ Comparison

    Grendel and Medea are different characters who appeared from the pen of different authors. They are united by one detail — the monster’s nature.
11. “All Summer in a Day” and “Eveline”: Desire to Return to the Past

    This essay compares the “All Summer in a Day” and “Eveline” protagonists’ relations to their current, past, and possible future settings and the feelings they associate with them.
12. “Jesus’ Son” and “The Lame Shall Enter First” Comparison

    Despite the apparent differences in style and the approach, Johnson and O’Connor’s stories bear a resemblance one should acknowledge.
13. A Poem “Howl” and a Song “It’s Alright Ma”: A Comparative Analysis

    This paper provides a comparative analysis of a poem, Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” and a song, Bob Dylan’s song “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”.
14. Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” Comparison

    Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” stories follow the themes of relationships and the drawbacks that can come along with them.
15. Comparing “To Winter” by Claude McKay and “After the Winter Rain” by Ina Coolbrith

    “To Winter” and “After the Winter Rain” are visibly structured in different ways, and both authors opt for using various stylistic devices in their pieces.
16. Iliad and Odyssey: Hector and Menelaus Comparison

    The Iliad and the Odyssey have great significance due to the lyrical content they encompass. It is vital to consider two characters in these readings – Hector and Menelaus.
17. Conflicts in “Girl” and “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”

    In “Girl” and “Where are you going, where have you been,” there are two protagonists with similar issues and conflicts.
18. “Mother Tongue” by Tan and “Learning to Read and Write” by Douglass

    Mother Tongue and Learning to Read and Write are truly persuasive and engaging examples of the literacy narrative genre.
19. Rushdie’s “Midnight Children” and Murakami’s “Kafka on the Shore’

    There are three critical themes explored in Salman Rushdie’s Midnight Children and Haruki Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore. The three themes are myth, fate and prophecy.
20. Gilgamesh and Odysseus: The Semblance

    It is important to discuss the semblance between the Gilgamesh as an Odysseus to understand why the creation of the Odyssey was directly dependent on the Akkadian epic poem.
21. “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley and “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding

    “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley and “Lord of the flies” by William Golding share the research on how the environment influences people and their inner nature.
22. The Idea of Friendship in Literary Works

    The story “This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona” comically describes the friendship between old friends. At the same time, “Funes the Memorious”, does not show friendly relations.
23. “Love in the Time of Cholera” vs “Theme of the Traitor and the Hero”: Context and Symbolism

    In both books, both writers present an awesome twist of love being depicted not only by these characters but also other supporting ones.
24. “Those Winter Sundays” by Hayden R., “Miss Brill” by Mansfield C. and “Trifles” by Glaspell S.

    All three works are united under the stream of modernism and have common features, but individuality of each author makes his work sound peculiar and incomparable to other works.
25. The Curse vs. Antigone: Compare & Contrast

    “Antigone” by Sophocles is a story about family relations, reason, and passion. The story “The Curse” by Andre Dubus discloses the idea of responsibility for one’s honor.
26. “Essentials of Young Adult Literature” and “Entering the World of Children’s Literature”

    Both books are dedicated to the most efficient methods of structuring reading classes, choosing literature by topics and genres, and designing the reading course the way you want.
27. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and “Blue Winds Dancing”

    This paper discusses two short stories, An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce and Blue Winds Dancing by Tom Whitecloud.
28. Killings for Love in Shakespeare’s and Garcia’s Works

    In both Shakespeare’s Othello and Garcia’s Chronicles of a Death Foretold, the themes of love, passion, and death are connected. Do the killings in the novels occur for love?
29. “The Necklace” and “The Rocking-Horse Winner”

    “The Necklace” by Maupassant and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by Lawrence – stories revolve around families of medium-income with women who are deeply dissatisfied with reality.
30. Behavior Under Pressure: Insights from Hughes and Orwell

    This paper reflects on the pressures of the crowd, discussing two articles “Salvation” by Langston Hughes and “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell.
31. Injustice in Shelley’s Frankenstein and Milton’s Paradise Lost

    The monster created by Mary Shelley in Frankenstein and the character of Satan in Milton’s Paradise Lost are obsessed with the idea of injustice and revenge.
32. Little Red Riding Hood: Original vs. Retell

    Two versions of LRRH, including the original, written by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm and the retelling by Perrault, focus on similar themes, however, authors’ approaches differ.
33. Lucille Clifton’ Poems Comparison

    In her “Homage to my hips” and “Won’t you celebrate with me,” Clifton proclaims her ideas of African American women’s beauty and freedom.
34. Key Farce Elements in Theater: Analyzing Their Role in Playwriting

    The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, Lysistrata by Aristophanes, and Tartuffe, or the Impostor by Molière are three comedies where the elements of farce may be met.
35. “The Bait” by John Donne and “My Picture, Left in Scotland” by Ben Jonson Comparison

    This paper compares two poems, “The Bait” by John Donne and “My Picture, Left in Scotland” by Ben Jonson, to feel the particular atmosphere of the late 16th and early 17th century.
36. Womanhood in Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” vs. Kincaid’s “Girl”

    “Barbie Doll” and “Girl” provide a feminist perspective on the peculiarities of growing up as a female back then – and in many ways, still to this day.
37. “The Lottery” by Jackson vs. “Antigone” by Sophocles

    Jackson’s short story “The Lottery” describes a tradition in a small town where members draw lottery slips. Sophocles’s play “Antigone” follows one girl’s fight against authority.
38. “Burning Chrome” and “Blade Runner” Comparison

    “Burning Chrome” and “Blade Runner” can be called pioneering works because they invented, reflected, and visualized the main topics of cyberpunk.
39. “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry and “The Good Samaritan” by Luke

    In this paper two stories will be analyzed: the short story “The Last Leaf” by O. Henry and the passage from Luke, which presents the parable of the Good Samaritan.
40. Comparing and Contrasting “The Mother” by Gwendolyn Brooke and “Disabled” by Wilfred Owen

    In the Poem “The Mother,” the writer Gwendolyn Brooke speaks out on the highly debatable topic of abortion. The second poem, “Disabled” by Wilfred Owen, portrays different kinds of pain.

💡 Simple Comparative Literature Essay Ideas

1. Auden, Barrett Browning and Shakespeare: Poems Comparison
2. “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu vs. “Othello” by Shakespeare
3. The Phenomenon of Money in “Tartuffe” by Moliere and “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen
4. “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Araby” by James Joyce
5. Psychoanalytic Reading of Hoffmann’s and Kafka’s Works
6. The Theme of Change in Poetry
7. Matriarchs in Esquivel’s “Like Water for Chocolate” and Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”
8. Old Testament vs. Epic of Gilgamesh: Dreams, Mortality, and Divine Signs
9. The Role of Sacrifice in Idiots First, The Origin of Stories, and Yo!
10. Perrault’s vs. Grimm’s Little Red Riding Hood
11. Comparison: “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “Jury of Her Peers”
12. Shakespeare’s Macbeth vs. Tolkien’s Smeagol: More in Common Than Not
13. Literary Psychoanalysis: Medicine River and The Things They Carried
14. “I Gave You All I Had” and “In Difficult Times”
15. The Issue of “Othering” in Literature
16. Civil War Poetry by Whitman, Melville and Dickinson
17. Journey in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and “Alchemist”
18. W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey’ Works Comparison
19. Comparison: ‘Kite Runner,’ ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther,’ and ‘The Road Not Taken’
20. A. Munro’s and Z. Smith’s Short Stories Comparison
21. Hamilton’s “The City Always Wins” and Pamuk’s “Istanbul” Comparison
22. Family Theme in Kafka’s and Oates’ Literary Works
23. Carver’s “Neighbors” and Diaz’s “The Money” Stories
24. Comparing Lies in War Literature
25. Baldwain’s “Sonny’s Blues” vs. Saunders’ “Sticks”
26. Plots of Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”
27. Symbolism in Literature: “The Raven”, “Young Goodman Brown”
28. “Underground Railroad” by Whitehead vs. “Sticks” by Saunders
29. Eliot’s and Ferlinghetti’s Poems Comparison
30. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and Biblical Parables
31. Tecumseh’s Historical Speech and Sherman Alexie’s Poems: Comparative Analysis
32. The Setting Role in American Short Stories
33. Poems Themes Comparison
34. Comparison and Contrast Between Sappho’s Poem and Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp
35. Normal in Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and Saunders’ Sticks
36. “Great Falls” by Ford vs. “Cathedral” by Carver
37. Similarities Between “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman and “The Story of an Hour”
38. “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “To Build a Fire” Comparison
39. Hayden’s and Roethke’s Poems Comparison
40. Woolf’s “Orlando” & Defoe’s “Moll Flanders” Novels
41. The Plot, Character Development, and Motif in “Kindred” and “A Raisin in the Sun”
42. The Importance of Setting for Interpretation of Stories
43. The Brutal Reality of War in Poems and Art
44. Family in Bambara’s ”Raymond’s Run” & So’s ”Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts”
45. Antagonistic Objects in the Short Stories
46. “The Lottery” by Jackson, and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by Lawrence
47. View on Cisneros’ “Barbie-Q” and Atwood’s “Happy Endings”
48. Rhetoric in Moore’s “Idiot Nation” and Gatto’s “Against School”
49. Twain’s and Hemingway’s Short Stories Comparison
50. Coming of Age: Choice of Transition and Everlasting Infantilism
51. The Stories by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. “Harrison Bergeron” and Flannery O’Connor “Good Country People”
52. Oedipus Rex and Hamlet: Compare and Contrast
53. Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and Sandars’ “The Epics of Gigamesh”
54. Nickel and Dimed and The Queen of Versailles
55. “Walking Home in the Dark” and “An Essay on Man: Epistle I”: Poetry About Nature
56. Protagonists in Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle”
57. Finding Strength While Searching for the Truth: Hamlet and Oedipus
58. Human Destiny in the Works of Shakespeare and Nino Ricci
59. Money Theme in Moliere’s Tartuffe and Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
60. Otherness in “The Color of Water” and “Country Lovers”
61. Theme in Glaspell’s “Trifles” and Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”
62. Literature. Fate and Fallibility in Human Society
63. Washburn’s “What the Ocean Eats” and Stevenson’s “The High Road”
64. Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” vs. “Sonny’s Blues”
65. “A Rose for Emily” by W. Faulkner and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by C. Perkin
66. “To His Coy Mistress” by Marvell and “The Flea” by Donne
67. Comparative Analysis “A Rose for Emily” and “Short Days, Dog Days”
68. Othello Versus Shakuntala: Ultimate Lessons
69. Elements of Gothic Tradition in the American Literature
70. Important Life Lessons to Learn from John Updike and Nathaniel Hawthorne

🎓 Most Interesting Comparative Literature Research Titles

1. American and Asian American Literature Debate
2. Ambrose Bierce and Henry James Works Comparison
3. Freedom and Enslavement in Literature
4. Love and Loneliness in the Works of R. Carver and B. A. Mason
5. “The Secret Life of Bees” by Kidd and the “Feast of Love” by Baxter
6. Societal Monsters in Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
7. Novels by A. Bierce and H. James Comparison
8. Main Historical Themes in the Contemporary Literature
9. “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau and “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
10. The Theme of Race Discrimination in Works of Richard Rodriguez
11. “Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry and “I’m Still Here” by Hughes
12. “Travels With Herodotus” and “Marco Polo Didn’t Go There”
13. Duty and Conscience Relations Review
14. Greasy Lake, Lord of the Flies, and The Lottery: Compare & Contrast
15. Peoples’ Characters and Hopes in Literature: Comparison of Description
16. Protagonist Roles by Mark Twain, J. Austin and C. Potok
17. Stevie Smith’s and Karl Shapiro’s Poems Comparison
18. How Decisions Can Make or Break an Individual: Literary Analysis
19. Faulkner’s “Barns Burning” and Borges’ “The Garden of Forking Paths” Comparison Essay
20. Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” and O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”
21. Effectiveness Techniques in Short Stories Analysis
22. “The Purloined Letter” by E. A. Poe and “Bartleby the Scrivener” by H. Melville
23. “The Gilded Six-Bits” by Hurston and “Babylon Revisited” by Fitzgerald
24. Chopin and Shields Literary Works Compared
25. Hwang’s “Trying to Find Chinatown” and Packer’s “Brownies”
26. Heroes’ Qualities: Gilgamesh vs. Odysseus
27. Marriage According to Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen
28. Social Life in Canterbury Tales vs. Pride & Prejudice: Compare & Contrast Essay
29. Comparing Characters from Odyssey, Scarlett Letter, Troy, Hamlet
30. The Influence of Religion on Ceremonial Practices in Literature and Culture
31. “I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala” and “American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World”: Comparison
32. “The Stranger” by Albert Camus and “The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories” by Mark Twain: The Novel Comparison
33. Punishment vs. Therapy: Oedipus Tyrannus & Equus Analysis
34. The Use of Disguise in “The Odyssey” and “The Metamorphoses”
35. Development of the Setting in Shirley’s “The Lottery” and “The Rocking Horse Winner” by Lawrence: From Claustrophobic to Chaotic
36. Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
37. Analyzing Love and Appreciation in Shakespeare, Albom, and King’s Works
38. Orgon and Candide from Moliere’s “Tartuffe” and Voltaire’s “Candide”
39. Compromised Rulers in Literary Works
40. Herman Melville and Ralph Ellison: Exploring Human Freedom
41. Travel as a Metaphor in Frost and Thomas’s Poems
42. Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and Updike’s “A&P”
43. Exploring Play and Game Structures by Sicart & Fullerton
44. Gender Narratives in Hardy’s and Winterson’s Literary Works Examined
45. The Alchemist & The Wiz: Uncovering Hidden Paths to Self-Discovery
46. Character Analysis in “The Awakening” and “Summer” by Chopin and Wharton
47. Contrasting Visions: Analysis of “Ragged Dick” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”
48. Thoreau vs. Woolf: Insects as Metaphors for Life and War
49. De Certeau’s Walking in the City vs. Schwartz’s Far Rockaway Compared
50. Analyzing Representations of Marriage in Works by Bradstreet, Dooley, and Larkin
51. Masculinity in James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway’ Stories
52. Establishment of Values and Beliefs in Literature: A Comparative Analysis
53. Dilemmas in Hamlet and The Fall of the House of Usher
54. Literature Comparison: “Lust” and “Sex Without Love”
55. “Divine Comedy” and “Confessions”
56. Henry David Thoreau and Virginia Woolf’s Essay Comparison
57. The Aeneid, the Iliad and the Odyssey Literature Comparison
58. Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World
59. Tartuffe, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Way of the World Literature Compare
60. Comparison: “The Battle of the Ants” by H. D. Thoreau and “The Death of the Moth” by V. Woolf
61. Comparative Analysis of “Big Black Good Man” and “Battle Royal”: Literary Themes Explored
62. Exploring Themes in Lieutenant Nun and Sundiata: A Cultural Comparison
63. Metamorphosis and The Necklace