293 Comparative Literature Essay Topics

🏆 Best Essay Topics on Comparative Literature

1. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
2. Comparison S. Glaspell’s Play “Trifles” and “A Jury of Her Peers”
3. “Mericans” by Cisneros and “In Response to Executive Order 9066” by Okita
4. Emily Dickinson vs Walt Whitman: Poems Comparison
5. Metaphors and Figurative Language in Updike’s “A&P” and Pastan’s “Marks”
6. Absurdity in “The Metamorphosis” and “The Stranger”
7. Perseus and Moses Heroes’ Journey Pattern

✍️ Comparative Literature Essay Topics for College

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. “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.
4. 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”.
5. 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.
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. 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”.
8. 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.
9. “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”.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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”.
15. 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.
16. “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.
17. “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.
18. “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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. 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.
23. “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.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. 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.
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. 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.
29. “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.
30. 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.
31. 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.
32. 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.
33. 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.

📌 Easy Comparative Literature Essay Topics

1. 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.
2. 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.”
3. 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.
4. 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
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. “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.
12. 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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
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. “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.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. “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.”
22. 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.
23. 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”.
24. 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.
25. “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.
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. “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.
29. “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.
30. 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.
31. “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.
32. 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.
33. 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
34. 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.
35. The Issue of “Othering” in Literature

    The issue of “othering” is clearly illustrated in Frantz Fanon’s “The Fact of Blackness”, Nina McConigley’s “White Wedding”, and Eula Biss’ “White Debt”.
36. 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.
37. 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.
38. “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.
39. 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.
40. 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.

👍 Good Comparative Literature Research Topics & Essay Examples

1. 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.”
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.”
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. “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.
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. 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.
12. “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”.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. Dilemmas in Hamlet and The Fall of the House of Usher

    This paper will explore the character of Hamlet and compare Hamlet’s dilemma to the predicament of the unknown narrator of “The Fall of the House of Usher”.
17. 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.
18. “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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. “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”.
22. 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.
23. “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.
24. Frankenstein vs. Paradise Lost

    The main similarity between Adam and Frankenstein’s monster is that they both were created and both disappointed their creators.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. “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.
30. “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.
31. “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.
32. 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).
33. 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.
34. “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.
35. 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.
36. 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.
37. “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.
38. 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.
39. “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.
40. 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.

🌶️ Hot Comparative Literature Ideas to Write about

1. Symbolism in Literature: “The Raven”, “Young Goodman Brown”

   This paper discusses how the authors use symbolism to create a certain subtext for the reader in “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe and “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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”.
5. “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.
6. 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.
7. “Walking Home in the Dark” and “An Essay on Man: Epistle I”: Poetry About Nature

   “Walking Home in the Dark” and “An Essay on Man: Epistle I” convey unique thoughts about how humans and nature are united, but specific nuances distinguish their messages.
8. 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.
9. “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.
10. Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and Updike’s “A&P”

    “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” by Joyce Carol Oates, and “A&P” by John Updike are both short stories that explore the subject of rebellion.
11. 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.
12. W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey’ Works Comparison

    “The Souls of Black Folk” by W E B Dubois and “Africa for the African” by Marcus Garvey are regarded masterpieces and they are studied to get an understanding of positions of these authors.
13. 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.
14. Comparison: ‘Kite Runner,’ ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther,’ and ‘The Road Not Taken’

    ‘Kite runner’ by Hosseini, ‘The sorrows of young Werther’ by Goethe and ‘The road not taken’ by Frost have some implied themes in that the opinions of the authors have not been explicitly stated.
15. Comparison: “The Battle of the Ants” by H. D. Thoreau and “The Death of the Moth” by V. Woolf

    The idea of viewing the reality from the perspective of an insect is not new. Of all specimens of this kind of fiction, this paper campares Thoreau’s “The Battle of the Ants” and Woolf’s “The Death of the Moth”.
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. 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.
18. “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.
19. 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.
20. Protagonists in Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” and Irving’s “Rip Van Winkle”

    In Hawthorne’s short story there must be a good reason to leave the house at dusk, but the author does not give a clear answer to the question of why Brown went to the forest.
21. 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.
22. 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.
23. Important Life Lessons to Learn from John Updike and Nathaniel Hawthorne

    In the following paper, the author tries to find connections between the stories “A&P” by John Updike and “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
24. 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”.
25. “Travels With Herodotus” and “Marco Polo Didn’t Go There”

    Two literary pieces should be compared in the paper: “Travels With Herodotus” by Ryszard Kapuściński and “Marco Polo Didn’t Go There” by Rolf Potts.
26. Greasy Lake, Lord of the Flies, and The Lottery: Compare & Contrast

    Human savagery is equally as much a weapon of mass destruction as anthrax, a nuclear weapon. Since the dawn of time, human nature has exuded a persistent vein of unwarranted violence and cruelty.
27. 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.
28. “Play Matters” by Sicart and “Game Design Workshop” by Fullerton

    This essay is a review of two chapters from books by Miguel Sicart and Tracy Fullerton. The goal of the review is to find two interesting points in each chapter and explore them.
29. Shakespeare’s Macbeth vs. Tolkiens’ Smeagol

    Macbeth is a relative of the king, in line for leadership. Smeagol is a cut-throat of dubious, possibly Halfling origins with none but himself and his purloined ring for company.
30. Yusef Komunyakaa’s and Sylvia Plath’s Poems Comparison

    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.
31. 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.
32. Metamorphosis and The Necklace

    In Kafka’s Metamorphosis, Gregor Samsa’s deep-seated melancholy was the main reason for his death. In Maupassant’s The Necklace, Mathilde’s depression did not result to death.
33. 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.
34. “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.
35. Poems Themes Comparison

    “Ballad of Birmingham” and “The Mother” cover one similar theme, yet they represent different approaches to its acknowledgment and description.
36. 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.
37. 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.
38. 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.
39. 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.
40. The Importance of Setting for Interpretation of Stories

    Discussion of the importance of setting for interpretation of stories on the examples of “Troll Bridge” by Neil Gaiman and “The Fall of The House of Usher” by Edgar Allan Poe.

💡 Simple Comparative Literature Essay Ideas

1. Soto’s “Broken Chains” and “Fish Creeks” by Tan
2. Antagonistic Objects in the Short Stories
3. View on Cisneros’ “Barbie-Q” and Atwood’s “Happy Endings”
4. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel G. Marquez & “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner
5. The Idea of Friendship in Literary Works
6. “Love in the Time of Cholera” vs “Theme of the Traitor and the Hero”: Context and Symbolism
7. The Curse vs. Antigone: Compare & Contrast
8. Faulkner’s “Barns Burning” and Borges’ “The Garden of Forking Paths” Comparison Essay
9. In the Time of the Butterflies and The Great Gatsby: Compare & Contrast Essay
10. J. Mirikitani’s “Suicide Note” and R. Burns’ “My Love If Like a Red, Red Rose”: Comparison
11. Heroes’ Qualities: Gilgamesh vs. Odysseus
12. Development of the Setting in Shirley’s “The Lottery” and “The Rocking Horse Winner” by Lawrence: From Claustrophobic to Chaotic
13. Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener” and Ellison’s “Battle Royale”
14. Odysseus and Maximus: Heroes Comparison
15. Crowd Pressure in Hughes’s Salvation and Orwell’s Shooting an Elephant
16. Animals in “The Dogs’ Colloquy” and “Gulliver’s Travels”
17. “The Excursion” and “A Defence of Poetry” Comparison
18. Literature Comparison: “Lust” and “Sex Without Love”
19. A Modest Proposal by J. Swift and Candide by F. M. Arouet Literature Analysis
20. “Barbie Doll” by Piercy and “Girl” by Kincaid
21. Family Theme in Kafka’s and Oates’ Literary Works
22. Eliot’s and Ferlinghetti’s Poems Comparison
23. A Poem “Howl” and a Song “It’s Alright Ma”: A Comparative Analysis
24. Gilgamesh, Eridu Genesis and the Bible: Comparative Analysis
25. “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “To Build a Fire” Comparison
26. The Brutal Reality of War in Poems and Art
27. Family in Bambara’s ”Raymond’s Run” & So’s ”Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts”
28. The Novels by Ignacio Aldecoa Analysis
29. Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and Sandars’ “The Epics of Gigamesh”
30. Poems Comparison and Analysis
31. “To His Coy Mistress” by Marvell and “The Flea” by Donne
32. “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Araby” by James Joyce
33. Love and Loneliness in the Works of R. Carver and B. A. Mason
34. Societal Monsters in Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
35. Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and Tan’s “Two Kinds”
36. Heroes and Cowards in “Oedipus Rex” and “Death of a Salesman”
37. A Good Man is Hard to Find & The Story of an Hour: Compare & Contrast Essay
38. “I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala” and “American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World”: Comparison
39. “The Stranger” by Albert Camus and “The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories” by Mark Twain: The Novel Comparison
40. The Use of Disguise in “The Odyssey” and “The Metamorphoses”
41. Orgon and Candide from Moliere’s “Tartuffe” and Voltaire’s “Candide”
42. Comparison: “Lamb to the Slaughter” and “Jury of Her Peers”
43. The Personal Journey: “The Wiz” and “The Alchemist”
44. Juxtaposing of the Stories “The Awakening” and “Summer”
45. Little Red Riding Hood: Original vs. Retell
46. Robert Frost’s and Virginia Scott’s Poems Comparison
47. Comparative Literature: The Significance of “Shitty First Drafts” in Writing
48. The Comparison of Melvin Tolson “An Ex-Judge at the Bar” and Gwendolyn Brooks “The Mother”
49. “Lieutenant Nun” and “Sundiata”
50. A. Munro’s and Z. Smith’s Short Stories Comparison
51. Hamilton’s “The City Always Wins” and Pamuk’s “Istanbul” Comparison
52. Carver’s “Neighbors” and Diaz’s “The Money” Stories
53. Comparing Lies in War Literature
54. Baldwain’s “Sonny’s Blues” vs. Saunders’ “Sticks”
55. Plots of Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”
56. “Underground Railroad” by Whitehead vs. “Sticks” by Saunders
57. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and Biblical Parables
58. “Jesus’ Son” and “The Lame Shall Enter First” Comparison
59. Comparison and Contrast Between Sappho’s Poem and Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp
60. Normal in Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and Saunders’ Sticks
61. “Great Falls” by Ford vs. “Cathedral” by Carver
62. Similarities Between “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman and “The Story of an Hour”
63. Hayden’s and Roethke’s Poems Comparison
64. “Burning Chrome” and “Blade Runner” Comparison
65. The Plot, Character Development, and Motif in “Kindred” and “A Raisin in the Sun”
66. Resilience in Hill’s The Illegal, D’Angelo’s The Step Not Taken, The Wailers’ Get Up Stand Up
67. Rhetoric in Moore’s “Idiot Nation” and Gatto’s “Against School”
68. Coming of Age: Choice of Transition and Everlasting Infantilism
69. Oedipus Rex and Hamlet: Compare and Contrast
70. Nickel and Dimed and The Queen of Versailles

🎓 Most Interesting Comparative Literature Research Titles

1. Auden, Barrett Browning and Shakespeare: Poems Comparison
2. Finding Strength While Searching for the Truth: Hamlet and Oedipus
3. Human Destiny in the Works of Shakespeare and Nino Ricci
4. Money Theme in Moliere’s Tartuffe and Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
5. Otherness in “The Color of Water” and “Country Lovers”
6. Literature. Fate and Fallibility in Human Society
7. Washburn’s “What the Ocean Eats” and Stevenson’s “The High Road”
8. “A Rose for Emily” by W. Faulkner and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by C. Perkin
9. Characters’ Evolution in The House on Mango Street and Bullet in the Brain
10. Comparative Analysis “A Rose for Emily” and “Short Days, Dog Days”
11. Elements of Gothic Tradition in the American Literature
12. American and Asian American Literature Debate
13. Ambrose Bierce and Henry James Works Comparison
14. Freedom and Enslavement in Literature
15. “The Secret Life of Bees” by Kidd and the “Feast of Love” by Baxter
16. Novels by A. Bierce and H. James Comparison
17. Main Historical Themes in the Contemporary Literature
18. “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau and “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
19. “Those Winter Sundays” by Hayden R., “Miss Brill” by Mansfield C. and “Trifles” by Glaspell S.
20. “Ordinary People” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”: Book Report
21. The Theme of Race Discrimination in Works of Richard Rodriguez
22. “Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry and “I’m Still Here” by Hughes
23. Duty and Conscience Relations Review
24. Peoples’ Characters and Hopes in Literature: Comparison of Description
25. Protagonist Roles by Mark Twain, J. Austin and C. Potok
26. Stevie Smith’s and Karl Shapiro’s Poems Comparison
27. How Decisions Can Make or Break an Individual: Literary Analysis
28. Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” and O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”
29. Effectiveness Techniques in Short Stories Analysis
30. “The Purloined Letter” by E. A. Poe and “Bartleby the Scrivener” by H. Melville
31. “The Gilded Six-Bits” by Hurston and “Babylon Revisited” by Fitzgerald
32. Chopin and Shields Literary Works Compared
33. Hwang’s “Trying to Find Chinatown” and Packer’s “Brownies”
34. Coelho’s Alchemist and Homer’s Odyssey: Theme Comparison
35. Barker’s Regeneration & Plath’s The Bell Jar: Compare & Contrast Essay
36. Marriage According to Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen
37. Character Comparison: “Odyssey”, “Scarlett Latter,” “Troy,” “Hamlet”
38. Religion in “Ceremony,” “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” and “Desert Solitaire”
39. Tabooed Actions and Social Sanctions in “Oedipus Tyrannus” by Sophocles and Shaffer’s “Equus”
40. Dreams in the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Bible
41. Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
42. Message in Shakespeare’s, Albom’s and King’s Works
43. Sacrifice in Malamud’s, Jacob’s, Alvarez’s Works
44. Perrault’s and Brothers Grimm’s “Little Red Hood”
45. Themes in Poems by Robert Frost and Dylan Thomas
46. Narration and Gender: Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, Burney’s Evelina, Winterson’s Sexing the Cherry
47. Ambrose Bierce and Tom Whitecloud’ Short Stories
48. Killings for Love in Shakespeare’s and Garcia’s Works
49. Literary Psychoanalysis: Medicine River and The Things They Carried
50. “I Gave You All I Had” and “In Difficult Times”
51. Alger’s “Ragged Dick” and Gilman’s “Yellow Wallpaper”
52. The Ideas of Life in Henry Thoreau and Virginia Woolf’ Works
53. “Tartuffe” and “Candide or the Optimism” Comparison
54. Certeau’s and Schwartz’s Works: Genre Comparison
55. Analyzing Representations of Marriage in Works by Bradstreet, Dooley, and Larkin
56. Masculinity in James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway’ Stories
57. Establishment of Values and Beliefs in Literature: A Comparative Analysis
58. Lucille Clifton’ Poems Comparison
59. Key Farce Elements in Theater: Analyzing Their Role in Playwriting
60. “Ode to a Day in the Country” and “The Day My Mother Died” Comparison
61. Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World
62. Women as Property in Literature: Aristophanes, Congreve, and Wilde’s Perspectives
63. “Big Black Good Man” and “Battle Royal”