293 Comparative Literature Essay Topics

🏆 Best Essay Topics on Comparative Literature

1. “Mericans” by Cisneros and “In Response to Executive Order 9066” by Okita
2. Comparison S. Glaspell’s Play “Trifles” and “A Jury of Her Peers”
3. Emily Dickinson vs Walt Whitman: Poems Comparison
4. Shakespeare’s Sonnet 18 and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
5. Absurdity in “The Metamorphosis” and “The Stranger”
6. Jay Gatsby and Tom Buchanan: Character Comparison
7. “Sunflower Sutra” and “Der Gilgul” Analysis

✍️ Comparative Literature Essay Topics for College

1. 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.
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. 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.
4. 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”.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. “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.
8. “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.
9. 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.
10. 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”.
11. “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.
12. “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.
13. 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.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. 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.”
18. 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.
19. “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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. 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.
23. “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”.
24. 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.
25. 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.
26. “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.
27. “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.
28. 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”.
29. 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.
30. 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.
31. 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
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. 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.

📌 Easy Comparative Literature Essay Topics

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Comparing “The Egg” by Weir and “Other People” by Gaiman

   In Neil Gaiman’s short story Other People, a person finds himself in Hell, and his greatest torture is to relive his life through the eyes of those he hurt.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. “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.”
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. “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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. 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”.
17. 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.
18. 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.
19. 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.
20. 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.
21. 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.
22. “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.
23. 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).
24. “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.
25. 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.
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. 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”.
29. 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.
30. 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.
31. 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.
32. 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.
33. 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.
34. 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.
35. “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.
36. 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.
37. 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.
38. 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.
39. 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.
40. 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”.

👍 Good Comparative Literature Research Topics & Essay Examples

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. “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.
5. “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.
6. Richard Wright’ and Langston Hughes Literature Comparison

   Richard Wright and Langston Hughes are the writers that were very concerned about the racial issues in the society of the United States of America.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.”
13. Resilience in Hill’s The Illegal, D’Angelo’s The Step Not Taken, The Wailers’ Get Up Stand Up

    Common themes connect many works of art and literature. This is true for “The Illegal” by L. Hill, “The Step Not Taken” by P. D’Angelo, and “Get Up Stand Up” by The Wailers.
14. “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.
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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.”
19. 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.
20. “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.
21. 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.
22. “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.
23. 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.
24. Orgon and Candide from Moliere’s “Tartuffe” and Voltaire’s “Candide”

    The paper analyzes the comedy Tartuffe by Moliere and the novel Candide by Voltaire. The characters that will be observed are Orgon and Candide, respectively.
25. Literary Psychoanalysis: Medicine River and The Things They Carried

    The novel Medicine River by Thomas King and the collection of short stories The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien can be considered rather enlightening, in the psychological sense of this word.
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. 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.
29. A Poem “Howl” and a Song “It’s Alright Ma”: A Comparative Analysis

    This paper provides a comparative analysis of a poem, Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” and a song, Bob Dylan’s song “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”.
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 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.
32. Frankenstein vs. Paradise Lost

    The main similarity between Adam and Frankenstein’s monster is that they both were created and both disappointed their creators.
33. 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”.
34. 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.
35. 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.
36. “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.
37. “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”.
38. “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.
39. 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.
40. 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.

🌶️ Hot Comparative Literature Ideas to Write about

1. “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.
2. In the Time of the Butterflies and The Great Gatsby: Compare & Contrast Essay

   The settings of both stories help us understand the canvasses upon which the authors paint their pictures and contextualizes the actions of stories’ characters.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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”.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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”.
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. 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.
13. Gilgamesh, Eridu Genesis and the Bible: Comparative Analysis

    Although “The Epic of Gilgamesh”, the “Eridu Genesis”, and the Bible are culturally ions from each other, they share numerous thematic elements.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. “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.
17. “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.
18. 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.
19. “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by Gabriel G. Marquez & “A Rose for Emily” by William Faulkner

    This discussion gives a detailed comparison of how the authors of “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” and “A Rose for Emily” depict villages and towns.
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. “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.
22. “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.
23. “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Araby” by James Joyce

    The main characters in “Young Goodman Brown” by Nathaniel Hawthorne and “Araby” by James Joyce are people of different ages and backgrounds.
24. “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.
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. Heroes and Cowards in “Oedipus Rex” and “Death of a Salesman”

    In the two plays, “Oedipus Rex” and “Death of a Salesman” there are many parallels. One major parallel is courage and cowardice.
27. Development of the Setting in Shirley’s “The Lottery” and “The Rocking Horse Winner” by Lawrence: From Claustrophobic to Chaotic

    In “The Lottery” and “The Rocking Horse Winner,” the changes in the setting are defined not by the physical alterations in the environment but by the prism through which they are viewed.
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. 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.
30. Comparative Literature: The Significance of “Shitty First Drafts” in Writing

    Derrick Brown’s poem, “Come Alive” dwells on designing arguments when describing an item. Anne Lamott the passage “Shitty First Drafts” discusses arguments in terms of the ethos, pathos, and logos.
31. 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.
32. The Comparison of Melvin Tolson “An Ex-Judge at the Bar” and Gwendolyn Brooks “The Mother”

    The themes discussed by Melvin Tolson and Gwendolyn Brooks in their poems differ because of the impact of the gender aspect.
33. Hamilton’s “The City Always Wins” and Pamuk’s “Istanbul” Comparison

    Hamilton’s “The City Always Wins” and Pamuk’s “Istanbul” are two major literary works that describe the development of cities and their historical heritage.
34. 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.
35. Comparison and Contrast Between Sappho’s Poem and Aladdin’s Wonderful Lamp

    In the poem, the characters are the woman and the god-like character. In the short story, the characters are the genie, Aladdin, the mother, the prince’s daughter, and the sorcerer.
36. “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.
37. “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.
38. 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.
39. 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.
40. “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.

💡 Simple Comparative Literature Essay Ideas

1. The Phenomenon of Money in “Tartuffe” by Moliere and “A Doll’s House” by Henrik Ibsen
2. “Those Winter Sundays” by Hayden R., “Miss Brill” by Mansfield C. and “Trifles” by Glaspell S.
3. “The Accident, Say Yes” & “The Things They Carried”: Comparison
4. Greasy Lake, Lord of the Flies, and The Lottery: Compare & Contrast
5. “Essentials of Young Adult Literature” and “Entering the World of Children’s Literature”
6. A Good Man is Hard to Find & The Story of an Hour: Compare & Contrast Essay
7. Comparing Characters from Odyssey, Scarlett Letter, Troy, Hamlet
8. “I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala” and “American Holocaust: The Conquest of the New World”: Comparison
9. Old Testament vs. Epic of Gilgamesh: Dreams, Mortality, and Divine Signs
10. Oates’ “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been” and Updike’s “A&P”
11. Little Red Riding Hood: Original vs. Retell
12. Robert Frost’s and Virginia Scott’s Poems Comparison
13. Henry David Thoreau and Virginia Woolf’s Essay Comparison
14. Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson Literary Styles Comparison
15. The Aeneid, the Iliad and the Odyssey Literature Comparison
16. Comparison: ‘Kite Runner,’ ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther,’ and ‘The Road Not Taken’
17. “Joy” by Smith and “Peculiar Benefits” by Gay: Comparative Analysis
18. The Setting Role in American Short Stories
19. Poems Themes Comparison
20. “The Lottery” by Jackson vs. “Antigone” by Sophocles
21. Hemingway’s “A Clean, Well-lighted Place” and Faulkner’s “Barn Burning”: Short Stories Comparison
22. Soto’s “Broken Chains” and “Fish Creeks” by Tan
23. Cisneros’ “Mericans” and Okita’s “In Response to Executive Order 9066” Stories
24. View on Cisneros’ “Barbie-Q” and Atwood’s “Happy Endings”
25. The Stories by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. “Harrison Bergeron” and Flannery O’Connor “Good Country People”
26. The Idea of Friendship in Literary Works
27. The Curse vs. Antigone: Compare & Contrast
28. Faulkner’s “Barns Burning” and Borges’ “The Garden of Forking Paths” Comparison Essay
29. Heroes’ Qualities: Gilgamesh vs. Odysseus
30. Melville’s “Bartleby the Scrivener” and Ellison’s “Battle Royale”
31. Shakespeare’s Macbeth vs. Tolkiens’ Smeagol
32. Literature Comparison: “Lust” and “Sex Without Love”
33. Literary Comparison: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” and “Hills Like White Elephants”
34. Metamorphosis and The Necklace
35. A. Munro’s and Z. Smith’s Short Stories Comparison
36. Grendel and Medea Literary Characters’ Comparison
37. Family Theme in Kafka’s and Oates’ Literary Works
38. Carver’s “Neighbors” and Diaz’s “The Money” Stories
39. Comparing Lies in War Literature
40. Baldwain’s “Sonny’s Blues” vs. Saunders’ “Sticks”
41. Plots of Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour” and Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper”
42. “Underground Railroad” by Whitehead vs. “Sticks” by Saunders
43. Eliot’s and Ferlinghetti’s Poems Comparison
44. “The Epic of Gilgamesh” and Biblical Parables
45. “All Summer in a Day” and “Eveline”: Desire to Return to the Past
46. “Jesus’ Son” and “The Lame Shall Enter First” Comparison
47. Normal in Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and Saunders’ Sticks
48. Comparing “To Winter” by Claude McKay and “After the Winter Rain” by Ina Coolbrith
49. “Great Falls” by Ford vs. “Cathedral” by Carver
50. Similarities Between “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Gilman and “The Story of an Hour”
51. “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “To Build a Fire” Comparison
52. Hayden’s and Roethke’s Poems Comparison
53. “Burning Chrome” and “Blade Runner” Comparison
54. The Plot, Character Development, and Motif in “Kindred” and “A Raisin in the Sun”
55. The Importance of Setting for Interpretation of Stories
56. The Brutal Reality of War in Poems and Art
57. Family in Bambara’s ”Raymond’s Run” & So’s ”Three Women of Chuck’s Donuts”
58. Antagonistic Objects in the Short Stories
59. Rhetoric in Moore’s “Idiot Nation” and Gatto’s “Against School”
60. Coming of Age: Choice of Transition and Everlasting Infantilism
61. Oedipus Rex and Hamlet: Compare and Contrast
62. Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and Sandars’ “The Epics of Gigamesh”
63. Nickel and Dimed and The Queen of Versailles
64. Auden, Barrett Browning and Shakespeare: Poems Comparison
65. Finding Strength While Searching for the Truth: Hamlet and Oedipus
66. Human Destiny in the Works of Shakespeare and Nino Ricci
67. Money Theme in Moliere’s Tartuffe and Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
68. Otherness in “The Color of Water” and “Country Lovers”
69. Literature. Fate and Fallibility in Human Society
70. Washburn’s “What the Ocean Eats” and Stevenson’s “The High Road”

🎓 Most Interesting Comparative Literature Research Titles

1. Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl” vs. “Sonny’s Blues”
2. “A Rose for Emily” by W. Faulkner and “The Yellow Wallpaper” by C. Perkin
3. Characters’ Evolution in The House on Mango Street and Bullet in the Brain
4. Comparative Analysis “A Rose for Emily” and “Short Days, Dog Days”
5. Othello Versus Shakuntala: Ultimate Lessons
6. Elements of Gothic Tradition in the American Literature
7. American and Asian American Literature Debate
8. Ambrose Bierce and Henry James Works Comparison
9. Freedom and Enslavement in Literature
10. Love and Loneliness in the Works of R. Carver and B. A. Mason
11. “The Secret Life of Bees” by Kidd and the “Feast of Love” by Baxter
12. Societal Monsters in Shelley’s “Frankenstein” and Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart”
13. Novels by A. Bierce and H. James Comparison
14. Main Historical Themes in the Contemporary Literature
15. “Civil Disobedience” by Henry David Thoreau and “A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
16. Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” and Tan’s “Two Kinds”
17. “Ordinary People” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”: Book Report
18. The Theme of Race Discrimination in Works of Richard Rodriguez
19. “Raisin in the Sun” by Hansberry and “I’m Still Here” by Hughes
20. Duty and Conscience Relations Review
21. Peoples’ Characters and Hopes in Literature: Comparison of Description
22. Protagonist Roles by Mark Twain, J. Austin and C. Potok
23. Stevie Smith’s and Karl Shapiro’s Poems Comparison
24. How Decisions Can Make or Break an Individual: Literary Analysis
25. Faulkner’s “Barn Burning” and O’Connor’s “The Life You Save May Be Your Own”
26. Effectiveness Techniques in Short Stories Analysis
27. “The Purloined Letter” by E. A. Poe and “Bartleby the Scrivener” by H. Melville
28. “The Gilded Six-Bits” by Hurston and “Babylon Revisited” by Fitzgerald
29. Chopin and Shields Literary Works Compared
30. Hwang’s “Trying to Find Chinatown” and Packer’s “Brownies”
31. Barker’s Regeneration & Plath’s The Bell Jar: Compare & Contrast Essay
32. Marriage According to Geoffrey Chaucer and Jane Austen
33. Religion in “Ceremony,” “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” and “Desert Solitaire”
34. “The Stranger” by Albert Camus and “The Mysterious Stranger and Other Stories” by Mark Twain: The Novel Comparison
35. Tabooed Actions and Social Sanctions in “Oedipus Tyrannus” by Sophocles and Shaffer’s “Equus”
36. The Use of Disguise in “The Odyssey” and “The Metamorphoses”
37. Gilman’s “The Yellow Wallpaper” and Chopin’s “The Story of an Hour”
38. Message in Shakespeare’s, Albom’s and King’s Works
39. Sacrifice in Malamud’s, Jacob’s, Alvarez’s Works
40. Perrault’s and Brothers Grimm’s “Little Red Hood”
41. Themes in Poems by Robert Frost and Dylan Thomas
42. Narration and Gender: Hardy’s The Mayor of Casterbridge, Burney’s Evelina, Winterson’s Sexing the Cherry
43. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge and “Blue Winds Dancing”
44. Killings for Love in Shakespeare’s and Garcia’s Works
45. The Personal Journey: “The Wiz” and “The Alchemist”
46. “I Gave You All I Had” and “In Difficult Times”
47. Juxtaposing of the Stories “The Awakening” and “Summer”
48. Contrasting Visions: Analysis of “Ragged Dick” and “The Yellow Wallpaper”
49. The Ideas of Life in Henry Thoreau and Virginia Woolf’ Works
50. De Certeau’s Walking in the City vs. Schwartz’s Far Rockaway Compared
51. Behavior Under Pressure: Insights from Hughes and Orwell
52. Analyzing Representations of Marriage in Works by Bradstreet, Dooley, and Larkin
53. Animals in “The Dogs’ Colloquy” and “Gulliver’s Travels”
54. Masculinity in James Joyce and Ernest Hemingway’ Stories
55. Establishment of Values and Beliefs in Literature: A Comparative Analysis
56. Lucille Clifton’ Poems Comparison
57. Key Farce Elements in Theater: Analyzing Their Role in Playwriting
58. “Ode to a Day in the Country” and “The Day My Mother Died” Comparison
59. Orwell’s 1984 and Huxley’s Brave New World
60. A Modest Proposal by J. Swift and Candide by F. M. Arouet Literature Analysis
61. Women as Property in Literature: Aristophanes, Congreve, and Wilde’s Perspectives
62. Comparative Analysis of “Big Black Good Man” and “Battle Royal”: Literary Themes Explored
63. Exploring Themes in Lieutenant Nun and Sundiata: A Cultural Comparison