302 Comparative Literature Essay Topics

🏆 Best Essay Topics on Comparative Literature

1. Absurdity in “The Metamorphosis” and “The Stranger”
2. Oedipus Versus Hamlet: Resilience in Characters
3. Emily Dickinson vs Walt Whitman: Poems Comparison
4. “Jane Eyre” and “Tess of the D’Urbervilles” Novels Comparison
5. “Mericans” by Cisneros and “In Response to Executive Order 9066” by Okita
6. Resilience in “Oedipus Rex” by Sophocles and “Hamlet” by Shakespeare
7. “Ghosts” vs. “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen

✍️ Comparative Literature Essay Topics for College

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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”.
4. 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.
5. “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.
6. Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan: Character Comparison

   The Great Gatsby is a story that is centered on three main characters in a love triangle, Daisy is married to Tom Buchanan and Gatsby is Daisy’s old flame since collage days.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Comparison S. Glaspell’s Play “Trifles” and “A Jury of Her Peers”

    Glaspell’s play Trifles and her story ‘A Jury of Her Peers’ are the one that shake readers’ consciousness of the woman existence among men in the beginning of the 20th century.
14. 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.
15. The Theme of Change in Poetry

    The aim of the present work is to analyze the realization of the theme of change in the works of imaginative literature that belong to different cultural and historical epochs.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. “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”.
20. 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.
21. “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.
22. “Rose for Emily” and “Barn Burning” Comparison

    William Faulkner is a master mind when it comes to writing short stories. “Rose for Emily” and “Barn Burning” are two of the most exceptional stories written by him.
23. 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.
24. 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”.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. 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”.
28. 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.
29. 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).
30. 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.
31. 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.
32. 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.
33. 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.

📌 Easy Comparative Literature Essay Topics

1. “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.”
2. 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.
3. Metaphors and Figurative Language in Updike’s “A&P” and Pastan’s “Marks”

   Figurative language and metaphors are used in short stories and poems to establish mood, enhance daily language, and make the works more expressive and brighter.
4. “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.
5. Civil War Poetry by Whitman, Melville and Dickinson

   This essay discusses the war poems of Whitman in his Drum-Taps, Melville’s Battle Pieces, and those poems written by Dickinson on the civil war. The paper compares the style of writing.
6. “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.
7. Comparing “The Egg” by Andy Weir and “Other People” by Neil Gaiman

   The two short stories have several similarities in themes and context. Both center on two characters, one of which is a deceased person, and the other one is a supernatural being.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. “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.
11. Twain’s and Hemingway’s Short Stories Comparison

    Twain’s “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” and Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-Lighted Place” are centered around dialogue and contain realism and minimalism elements.
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. Othello Versus Shakuntala: Ultimate Lessons

    Both Shakuntala and Othello explore the notions of love and conflict, but the ultimate lessons learned differ significantly because of the main characters’ actions.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. “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.
17. 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
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. “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.
23. Compromised Rulers in Literary Works

    This paper analyzes the notion of the compromised ruler explored in The Thousand and One Nights and The Prince as well as some pieces by De Montaigne and Tao Qian.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. 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.”
27. 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.”
28. 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.
29. 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.
30. Henry David Thoreau and Virginia Woolf’s Essay Comparison

    While Thoreau uses the image of the entire population of animals to represent the overall human behavior, Woolf uses a single animal and dissects its behavior.
31. 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.
32. “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.
33. Theme in Glaspell’s “Trifles” and Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”

    This comparative drama essay discusses similar themes of Glaspell’s “Trifles” and Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun”– gender differences and the role of women in those times.
34. 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.
35. 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.
36. 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.
37. Societal Monsters in Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”

    A special consideration requires different interpretations of social fear in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein, Chinua Achebe’s literary masterpiece Things Fall Apart.
38. Social Life in Canterbury Tales vs. Pride & Prejudice: Compare & Contrast Essay

    This paper compares Chaucer and Jane Austen with a focus on their views of social life in their respective periods, particularly about the institution of marriage.
39. “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.
40. 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?

👍 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. Comparison: “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “Jury of Her Peers”

   The present paper compares and contrasts the characters of two short stories: “A Jury of Her Peers” by Susan Glaspell and “Lamb to the Slaughter” by Roald Dahl.
3. “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.
4. 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.
5. “Divine Comedy” and “Confessions”

   This paper is focused on the comparison of the spiritual journeys the authors undertake in Dante’s “Divine Comedy” and Augustine’s “Confessions”.
6. “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.
7. Tecumseh’s Historical Speech and Sherman Alexie’s Poems: Comparative Analysis

   While Tecumseh’s historical speech is filled with pride and even cruelty, Alexie’s poems are perceived more difficult and less obvious.
8. 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.”
9. “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.
10. “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.
11. Woolf’s “Orlando” & Defoe’s “Moll Flanders” Novels

    The topic of clothes and costumes in the novels “Orlando” by Virginia Woolf and “Moll Flanders” by Daniel Defoe was discussed in this paper.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. Otherness in “The Color of Water” and “Country Lovers”

    The concept of otherness is one of the central issues in James McBride’s autobiographical book The Color of Water and Nadine Gordimer’s story Country Lovers.
15. The Phenomenon of Money in “Tartuffe” by Moliere and “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen

    As demonstrated in the plays “Tartuffe” and “A Doll’s House,” money can play both a role of pressure and power and a role of a tool for caring and creating a sense of security.
16. 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.
17. Frankenstein vs. Paradise Lost

    The main similarity between Adam and Frankenstein’s monster is that they both were created and both disappointed their creators.
18. Main Historical Themes in the Contemporary Literature

    This paper focuses on three writings from Worlds of Fiction, namely, I Stand Here Ironing by Tillie Olsen, The Guest by Albert Camus, and Bernard Malamud’s The Jewbird.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. 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.
23. 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.
24. The Aeneid, the Iliad and the Odyssey Literature Comparison

    Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey show that humans’ actions can lead to their sufferings. The works of Homer and Virgil refer to death of warriors and innocent individuals.
25. Tartuffe, The Importance of Being Earnest and The Way of the World Literature Compare

    This paper disscusses the success of the tragic comedy genre in such plays as Tartuffe by Moliere, The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde, and The Way of the World by William Congreve.
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. 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
30. 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.
31. “The Lottery” by Jackson, and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by Lawrence

    In two short stories, “The Lottery” by Jackson and “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by Lawrence, the philosophical conflict between luck and its consequences is clearly outlined.
32. 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”.
33. 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.
34. 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.
35. 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.
36. Money Theme in Moliere’s Tartuffe and Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House

    A Doll’s House and Tartuffe depict the influence of money on the main characters of the plays: Orgon and Tartuffe in Tartuffe and Torvald Helmer and Nora Helmer in Ibsen’s play.
37. 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.
38. 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.
39. 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.
40. 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.

🌶️ Hot Comparative Literature Ideas to Write about

1. Elements of Gothic Tradition in the American Literature

   “The Tell-Tale Heart”, “Young Goodman Brown”, and “A Rose for Emily” have been popular, as they contain a lot of gothic elements, though with a twist, in their overall development.
2. Psychoanalytic Reading of Hoffmann’s and Kafka’s Works

   In this paper, we will aim at exploring the motifs of “uncannyness”, contained in Hoffmann’s “The Sandman” and in Franz Kafka’s stories “The Metamorphosis” and “The Judgment”.
3. “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.
4. How Decisions Can Make or Break an Individual: Literary Analysis

   How one decision can help or break a person can be seen in poem G. Brooks’ “We Real Cool”, W.Faulkner’s short story “Barn Burning” and A. Miller’s play“The Death of a Salesman.”
5. 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.
6. Marriage According to Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen

   This focus of this paper is a critical evaluation of the way the characters of Chaucer and Jane Austen looked at life and marriage.
7. The Use of Disguise in “The Odyssey” and “The Metamorphoses”

   The topic of disguise is used in both works and helps the authors reflect on how deep and diverse human nature is in conjunction with the plots of ancient epics.
8. 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.
9. 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”.
10. Journey in “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and “Alchemist”

    The journeys of the protagonists of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and Alchemist are imbued with a strong symbolic significance of personal transformation and self-realization.
11. “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.
12. Family Theme in Kafka’s and Oates’ Literary Works

    This paper discusses the theme of family in two literary texts: ‘The Metamorphosis’ by Franz Kafka and ‘Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?’ by Joyce Carol Oates.
13. “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.
14. Eliot’s and Ferlinghetti’s Poems Comparison

    Both authors, Eliot and Ferlinghetti, tried to convey the complex inner experiences of the characters through the modernist structure.
15. “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.
16. The Setting Role in American Short Stories

    This paper provides a comparative examination of the setting for “The Raven” and three other stories, compatible thematically or in terms of setting-related tools.
17. Poems Themes Comparison

    “Ballad of Birmingham” and “The Mother” cover one similar theme, yet they represent different approaches to its acknowledgment and description.
18. 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.
19. Hayden’s and Roethke’s Poems Comparison

    Two authors, Hayden and Roethke, return to their childhood in their poems, analyzing it now with the existing knowledge and gaining a new perspective.
20. Family in Bambara’s ”Raymond’s Run” & So’s ”Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts”

    The paper compares the influence of the troubled family member on the rest of the family in the short stories “Raymond’s Run” by Bambara and “Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts” by So.
21. 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.
22. The Stories by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. “Harrison Bergeron” and Flannery O’Connor “Good Country People”

    The analytical paper is dedicated to the comparison of the stories by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. “Harrison Bergeron” and Flannery O’Connor “Good Country People”.
23. Nickel and Dimed and The Queen of Versailles

    Nickel and Dimed and The Queen of Versailles supposedly present two financial extremes existing in American society, although they are not as different as one might think.
24. “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu vs. “Othello” by Shakespeare

    “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu is an example of a Non-Western work of literature that qualifies as classics. “Othello” by William Shakespeare is an example of Western classics.
25. Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” vs. “Sonny’s Blues”

    The narrator’s tone in Jamaica Kincaid is highly subjective and told from a personal viewpoint. On the other hand, the narrator’s tone in Sonny’s Blue is compassionate and caring.
26. “A Rose for Emily” by W. Faulkner and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by C. Perkin

    “A Rose for Emily” and “The Yellow Wallpaper” are focused on female protagonists who experience some form of life-changing isolation.
27. “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.
28. “To His Coy Mistress” by Marvell and “The Flea” by Donne

    “To His Coy Mistress” is a well-known poem by Andrew Marvell, in which the speaker addresses his lover, who is reluctant to be intimate with him.
29. “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.
30. “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”.
31. Faulkner’s “Barns Burning” and Borges’ “The Garden of Forking Paths” Comparison Essay

    Prior to comparing such short stories as “Barns Burning” by William Faulkner and “The Garden of Forking Paths” by Jorge Borges, it is necessary to identify the common theme, which both authors explore.
32. Matriarchs in Esquivel’s “Like Water for Chocolate” and Marquez’s “One Hundred Years of Solitude”

    Matriarchs represent the core of the family and the main driven force that helps their families to survive and fight with life and fate.
33. 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.
34. Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”

    It is possible to compare literary elements in Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” when determining similarities and differences in these works.
35. “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.
36. Crowd Pressure in Hughes’s Salvation and Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant

    This paper reflects on the pressures of the crowd, discussing two articles “Salvation” by Langston Hughes and “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell.
37. 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”.
38. 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.
39. Farce’ Elements and Aspects in Plays

    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.
40. 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.

💡 Simple Comparative Literature Essay Ideas

1. A. Munro’s and Z. Smith’s Short Stories Comparison
2. Hamilton’s “The City Always Wins” and Pamuk’s “Istanbul” Comparison
3. Grendel and Medea Literary Characters’ Comparison
4. Carver’s “Neighbors” and Diaz’s “The Money” Stories
5. Comparing Lies in War Literature
6. Baldwain’s “Sonny’s Blues” vs. Saunders’ “Sticks”
7. Plots of Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”
8. Symbolism in Literature: “The Raven”, “Young Goodman Brown”
9. Womanhood in Piercy’s “Barbie Doll” vs. Kincaid’s “Girl”
10. “Underground Railroad” by Whitehead vs. “Sticks” by Saunders
11. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and Biblical Parables
12. “Jesus’ Son” and “The Lame Shall Enter First” Comparison
13. Comparison and Contrast Between Sappho’s Poem and Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp
14. A Poem “Howl” and a Song “It’s Alright Ma”: A Comparative Analysis
15. Normal in Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and Saunders’ Sticks
16. “Great Falls” by Ford vs. “Cathedral” by Carver
17. Gilgamesh, Eridu Genesis and the Bible: Comparative Analysis
18. Poems Comparison and Contrast: “Divorce” and “The Sick Rose”
19. Similarities Between “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman and “The Story of an Hour”
20. Parallels Between “1001 Nights” and Pizan’s “The Book of the City of Ladies”
21. “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “To Build a Fire” Comparison
22. “The Lottery” by Jackson vs. “Antigone” by Sophocles
23. Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-lighted Place” and Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”: Short Stories Comparison
24. The Plot, Character Development, and Motif in “Kindred” and “A Raisin in the Sun”
25. The Importance of Setting for Interpretation of Stories
26. The Brutal Reality of War in Poems and Art
27. Antagonistic Objects in the Short Stories
28. View on Cisneros’ “Barbie-Q” and Atwood’s “Happy Endings”
29. Resilience in Hill’s The Illegal, D’Angelo’s The Step Not Taken, The Wailers’ Get Up Stand Up
30. Rhetoric in Moore’s “Idiot Nation” and Gatto’s “Against School”
31. Comparing and Contrasting “The Mother” by Gwendolyn Brooke and “Disabled” by Wilfred Owen
32. Victorian Literature: Conan Doyle and Robert Browning
33. Coming of Age: Choice of Transition and Everlasting Infantilism
34. “What You Pawn I Will Redeem” and “War Dances” by Sherman Alexie
35. Oedipus Rex and Hamlet: Compare and Contrast
36. “Mother Tongue” by Tan and “Learning to Read and Write” by Douglass
37. Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and Sandars’ “The Epics of Gigamesh”
38. “Walking Home in the Dark” and “An Essay on Man: Epistle I”: Poetry About Nature
39. Auden, Barrett Browning and Shakespeare: Poems Comparison
40. Analysis of Hispanic American Literature
41. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel G. Marquez & “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
42. Protagonists in Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle”
43. Finding Strength While Searching for the Truth: Hamlet and Oedipus
44. Human Destiny in the Works of Shakespeare and Nino Ricci
45. Literature. Fate and Fallibility in Human Society
46. Washburn’s “What the Ocean Eats” and Stevenson’s “The High Road”
47. Women From an Age Bygone: A. Wingfield and E. Grierson
48. “Company Commander” by Charles MacDonald and “Frontsoldaten” by Stephen Fritz: Books Comparison
49. Characters’ Evolution in The House on Mango Street and Bullet in the Brain
50. “Eye of the Night” and “The Lie”: Comparison
51. Comparative Analysis “A Rose for Emily” and “Short Days, Dog Days”
52. How People Change in “Mother Tongue” and “A Death in Texas”
53. “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Araby” by James Joyce
54. Important Life Lessons to Learn from John Updike and Nathaniel Hawthorne
55. American and Asian American Literature Debate
56. Ambrose Bierce and Henry James Works Comparison
57. Freedom and Enslavement in Literature
58. Love and Loneliness in the Works of R. Carver and B. A. Mason
59. “The Secret Life of Bees” by Kidd and the “Feast of Love” by Baxter
60. Novels by A. Bierce and H. James Comparison
61. “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau and “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
62. “Those Winter Sundays” by Hayden R., “Miss Brill” by Mansfield C. and “Trifles” by Glaspell S.
63. Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and Tan’s “Two Kinds”
64. The Theme of Race Discrimination in Works of Richard Rodriguez
65. “Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry and “I’m Still Here” by Hughes
66. “Travels With Herodotus” and “Marco Polo Didn’t Go There”
67. Michael Cohen’s and Walker Percy’s Works Compared
68. Duty and Conscience Relations Review
69. The Curse vs. Antigone: Compare & Contrast
70. “The Accident, Say Yes” & “The Things They Carried”: Comparison

🎓 Most Interesting Comparative Literature Research Titles

1. Greasy Lake, Lord of the Flies, and The Lottery: Compare & Contrast
2. “Essentials of Young Adult Literature” and “Entering the World of Children’s Literature”
3. Peoples’ Characters and Hopes in Literature: Comparison of Description
4. Protagonist Roles by Mark Twain, J. Austin and C. Potok
5. Stevie Smith’s and Karl Shapiro’s Poems Comparison
6. Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” and O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”
7. Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey — Comparison & Critique
8. Effectiveness Techniques in Short Stories Analysis
9. “The Purloined Letter” by E. A. Poe and “Bartleby the Scrivener” by H. Melville
10. “The Gilded Six-Bits” by Hurston and “Babylon Revisited” by Fitzgerald
11. “The Boat” by Alistair MacLeod and “The Loons” by Margaret Laurence
12. Chopin and Shields Literary Works Compared
13. Hwang’s “Trying to Find Chinatown” and Packer’s “Brownies”
14. Heroes and Cowards in “Oedipus Rex” and “Death of a Salesman”
15. In the Time of the Butterflies and The Great Gatsby: Compare & Contrast Essay
16. Heroes’ Qualities: Gilgamesh vs. Odysseus
17. A Good Man is Hard to Find & The Story of an Hour: Compare & Contrast Essay
18. The Lottery & The Rocking Horse Winner Compare & Contrast Essay
19. Character Comparison: “Odyssey”, “Scarlett Latter,” “Troy,” “Hamlet”
20. Religion in “Ceremony,” “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” and “Desert Solitaire”
21. “I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala” and “American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World”: Comparison
22. “The Stranger” by Albert Camus and “The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories” by Mark Twain: The Novel Comparison
23. Tabooed Actions and Social Sanctions in “Oedipus Tyrannus” by Sophocles and Shaffer’s “Equus”
24. Development of the Setting in Shirley’s “The Lottery” and “The Rocking Horse Winner” by Lawrence: From Claustrophobic to Chaotic
25. Dreams in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible
26. Message in Shakespeare’s, Albom’s and King’s Works
27. Sacrifice in Malamud’s, Jacob’s, Alvarez’s Works
28. Orgon and Candide from Moliere’s “Tartuffe” and Voltaire’s “Candide”
29. Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener” and Ellison’s “Battle Royale”
30. Perrault’s and Brothers Grimm’s “Little Red Hood”
31. Themes in Poems by Robert Frost and Dylan Thomas
32. Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and Updike’s “A&P”
33. “Play Matters” by Sicart and “Game Design Workshop” by Fullerton
34. Narration and Gender: Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, Burney’s Evelina, Winterson’s Sexing the Cherry
35. Ambrose Bierce and Tom Whitecloud’ Short Stories
36. The Personal Journey: “The Wiz” and “The Alchemist”
37. Shakespeare’s Macbeth vs. Tolkiens’ Smeagol
38. Yusef Komunyakaa’s and Sylvia Plath’s Poems Comparison
39. Literary Psychoanalysis: Medicine River and The Things They Carried
40. “I Gave You All I Had” and “In Difficult Times”
41. Samuel Daniel and Richard Lovelace’ Poems Comparison
42. Juxtaposing of the Stories “The Awakening” and “Summer”
43. Alger’s “Ragged Dick” and Gilman’s “Yellow Wallpaper”
44. Poems Comparison: The Necklace and I Stand Here Ironing
45. The Ideas of Life in Henry Thoreau and Virginia Woolf’ Works
46. “The Necklace” and “The Rocking-Horse Winner”
47. Certeau’s and Schwartz’s Works: Genre Comparison
48. The Issue of “Othering” in Literature
49. Marriage in Bradstreet’s, Dooley’s, Larkin’s Works
50. Little Red Riding Hood: Original vs. Retell
51. Masculinity in James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway’ Stories
52. Robert Frost’s and Virginia Scott’s Poems Comparison
53. Dave Eggers and Clive Lewis’ Works Comparison
54. Dilemmas in Hamlet and The Fall of the House of Usher
55. Literature Comparison: “Lust” and “Sex Without Love”
56. W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey’ Works Comparison
57. “Ode to a Day in the Country” and “The Day My Mother Died” Comparison
58. “Come Alive” and “Shitty First Drafts” Comparative Literature
59. Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World
60. Comparison: ‘Kite Runner,’ ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther,’ and ‘The Road Not Taken’
61. The Story of an Hour and Hills Like White Elephants Literature Comparison
62. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and Hills Like White Elephants
63. Comparison: “The Battle of the Ants” by H. D. Thoreau and “The Death of the Moth” by V. Woolf
64. Women in Society of Three Plays Literature Analysis
65. Comparison: “Strong Men” by Sterling Brown and “If We Must Die” by Claude McKay
66. The Comparison of Melvin Tolson “An Ex-Judge at the Bar” and Gwendolyn Brooks “The Mother”
67. Literature Comparison of The Yellow Wallpaper and Everyday Use
68. “Big Black Good Man” and “Battle Royal”
69. “Lieutenant Nun” and “Sundiata”
70. Metamorphosis and The Necklace