100+ Best Literary Analysis Topics for Your Next Essay (Updated 2025)

Literary analysis essays play a significant role in literature courses. They offer students the opportunity to critically evaluate and interpret various works of literature, providing deeper insight into the themes, characters, and stylistic elements. However, choosing the right topic for a literary analysis essay can be challenging due to the plethora of literature available. Here, we present a meticulously curated list of over 100 literary analysis essay topics to guide you. These topics are beneficial for students at various educational levels—high school, college, and beyond.

Literary Analysis Essay Topics for High School

1. Role of Religion in King Lear: How does Shakespeare portray religion in the play?
2. Milk Symbolism in Beloved: What does milk represent in Toni Morrison’s novel?
3. Gender Inequality in The Iliad: How is gender disparity depicted in Homer’s epic?
4. Social Issues in The Little Match Girl: Analyze the social issues portrayed in Hans Christian Andersen’s tale.
5. Gender Roles in The Great Gatsby: Discuss the representation of gender roles in Fitzgerald’s novel.
6. Historical Background in Frankenstein: How does the historical context shape Mary Shelley’s novel?
7. Loyalty in Beowulf: How is the theme of loyalty explored in the epic poem?
8. Flower Symbolism in A Rose for Emily: What do the flowers symbolize in Faulkner’s story?
9. Politics in Titus Andronicus: Analyze the political elements in Shakespeare’s play.
10. Power in Ozymandias: How is power depicted in Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem?

Literary Analysis Essay Topics for College

1. Nature Symbolism in Young Goodman Brown: Study the symbolism of nature in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story.
2. Childhood Trauma in God Help the Child: How does Toni Morrison address childhood trauma in her novel?
3. Ambition in Macbeth: Examine the consequences of ambition in Shakespeare’s tragedy.
4. Historical Context in The Scarlet Letter: How does the historical background influence Nathaniel Hawthorne’s work?
5. Misery in The Chimney Sweeper: Analyze how misery is presented in William Blake’s poem.
6. Supernatural in The Fall of the House of Usher: Discuss the role of the supernatural in Edgar Allan Poe’s short story.
7. Dorian Gray’s Portrait in The Picture of Dorian Gray: What does the portrait symbolize in Oscar Wilde’s novel?
8. Inner Self in Demian: How is the true self discovered in Hermann Hesse’s novel?
9. Natural Beauty in I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud: Explore the theme of natural beauty in Wordsworth’s poem.
10. Endurance in The Old Man and the Sea: Discuss how Hemingway portrays endurance.

Literary Analysis Essay Topics: Different Eras

Topics in Ancient Greek & Roman Literature

1. Justice in The Republic: How is justice depicted in Plato’s dialogues?
2. Determination in Antigone: Examine the theme of determination in Sophocles’ play.
3. Atypical Hero in The Odyssey: How is Odysseus an unconventional hero?
4. Ethical Principles in Aesop’s Fables: Discuss the ethical lessons in Aesop’s stories.
5. Greek Tragedy’s Influence on Modern Theater: Analyze the impact of Greek tragedies on contemporary plays.
6. Tragedy of Oedipus in Oedipus Rex: How is Oedipus portrayed as a tragic hero?
7. Genres in Metamorphoses: Explore the different genres in Ovid’s work.
8. Role of Gods in The Iliad and The Odyssey: Discuss the gods’ influence on human events.
9. Cicero’s Legacy in Western Politics and Philosophy: Analyze Cicero’s contributions to political thought.

Literary Essay Topics: 19th and 20th Century

1. Good vs. Evil in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Analyze the conflict between good and evil.
2. Lord of the Flies as a Modern Allegory: Discuss the novella as an allegory of modern society.
3. Time and History in The Princess Bride: How do time and history play roles in Goldman’s novel?
4. Greed in The Rocking Horse Winner: Examine the themes of money and greed in Lawrence’s story.
5. Struggle in Of Mice and Men: Is Steinbeck’s novel a classic tale of struggle?
6. Reality and Fantasy in A Streetcar Named Desire: Compare reality and fantasy in Tennessee Williams’s play.
7. Ivan and Alexei in The Brothers Karamazov: How are faith and doubt depicted in Dostoevsky’s work?
8. Dickens’s Attitude towards the Poor: Analyze how Dickens portrays poverty in his works.
9. Magic Realism in One Hundred Years of Solitude: Study the elements of magical realism in Marquez’s novel.
10. Dystopias in 1984 and Brave New World: Compare the dystopian worlds of Orwell and Huxley.

Contemporary Literature Essay Topics

1. Overcoming Obstacles in Reservation Blues: How do Alexie’s characters overcome adversity?
2. Family Obligations in Montana 1948: Analyze family obligations in Watson’s novella.
3. Grief in The Lovely Bones: Discuss the portrayal of grief in Sebold’s novel.
4. Self-Sacrifice in Harry Potter: Examine self-sacrifice in Rowling’s series.
5. Cultural and Religious References in Lincoln in the Bardo: How does Saunders use different cultural references?
6. Cultural Assimilation in Americanah: Explore the theme of cultural assimilation in Adichie’s novel.
7. Hypocrisy in Amsterdam: Analyze the theme of hypocrisy in McEwan’s novel.
8. Satire in The Sellout: How does Beatty use satire to address racial stereotypes?
9. Cloning Ethics in Never Let Me Go: Examine the ethical issues of cloning in Ishiguro’s novel.
10. New and Old Gods in American Gods: Compare the representation of deities in Gaiman’s novel.

Literary Analysis Essay Topics: Poetry

1. War Experience in Crane’s War is Kind: How does Crane depict war?
2. Religion in Donne’s Sonnets: Analyze the religious themes in John Donne’s poems.
3. Mysticism in Yeats’s Poetry: Discuss the mystical elements in Yeats’s works.
4. Allusions in Poe’s The Raven: What are Poe’s sources of inspiration in The Raven?
5. Meaning of The Road Not Taken by Frost: Explore alternative interpretations of Frost’s poem.
6. Blank Verse in English Poetry: Study the evolution of blank verse from Shakespeare to Wordsworth.
7. Themes in Beat Poetry: Analyze rebellion and transgression in Beat poetry.
8. Narrator in Whitman’s Song of Myself: Examine the concept of the “self” in Whitman’s poem.
9. Blake’s Influence on Poetry and Culture: Discuss William Blake’s impact on later generations.

Literary Analysis: Shakespeare Essay Topics

Romeo and Juliet Essay Topics

1. Fate’s Role in Romeo and Juliet: How does fate influence the love plot?
2. Concept of Contrasts in Romeo and Juliet Language: Analyze the use of contrasts.
3. Significance of Time in Romeo and Juliet: Discuss the importance of time.
4. Tragic Love Theme: How is the love theme portrayed as a romantic fatalism cliché?
5. Loyalty Personified in Mercutio: How does Mercutio represent loyalty?

Hamlet Essay Topics

1. Disillusionment in Hamlet: What themes of disillusionment are prevalent?
2. Misogyny in Hamlet: How does Shakespeare depict mistreatment of females?
3. Symbolism of The Mousetrap: Analyze the symbols in Hamlet’s play within a play.
4. Impact of Setting: How does the Denmark setting affect the plot?

Macbeth Essay Topics

1. Corrupting Impact of Ambition: How does ambition affect characters?
2. Supernatural Elements in Macbeth: Discuss the role of supernatural.
3. Symbolism of Sleep in Macbeth: What does sleep represent?

English Literature Essay Topics: Different Authors

Chaucer Essay Topics

1. Women’s Virtues in Chaucer’s Works
2. Class Conflict in The Canterbury Tales: Analyze the social conflicts.

John Keats Essay Topics

1. Keats’ Depiction of Death: How does Keats view death in his works?
2. Imagery in Keats’ Poetry: Discuss the unique imagery used by Keats.

Oscar Wilde Essay Topics

1. Morality in The Picture of Dorian Gray: Discuss Lord Henry’s morality.
2. Irony in Wilde’s Works: Analyze the use of irony and satire.

George Orwell Essay Topics

1. Orwell’s Imagery in Totalitarian Regimes: How does Orwell depict totalitarianism?
2. Historical Context of 1984* and *Animal Farm*: Discuss the influences and implications.

Literary Analysis Topics in Non-Fiction

1. Faith and Dehumanization in Night: Discuss themes in Wiesel’s memoir.
2. Nature in Into the Wild: Analyze the role of nature in Krakauer’s book.
3. Modern Activism Influenced by Why We Can’t Wait: How is MLK’s work relevant today?
4. Technological Progress in The Education of Henry Adams: Discuss Adams’ perspectives.

Literary Analysis Topics: Other Ideas

1. Character Development in David Copperfield
2. Context Analysis of Gone with the Wind
3. Genre Conventions in Gothic Novels: Explore how gothic traditions are challenged.
4. Author’s Life Impact on Literary Legacy: Study how personal experiences shape works.
5. Comparative Analysis of Dickens and Thackeray: Compare their contributions to their genre.
6. *Structure Analysis in To Kill a Mockingbird
7. Symbols in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn: Discuss key symbols used by Twain.
8. Dialogue in Oscar Wilde’s Plays: How does Wilde use dialogue for expression?
9. Stage Directions in Modern Drama: Analyze the importance in Beckett’s work.
10. Open Endings in Modern Literature: Discuss the purpose and effects, with examples.

Conclusion

Literary analysis essays provide a unique avenue for delving deep into the richness of literature. The topics presented here cover a broad spectrum of literary works across different periods, genres, and styles. Selecting the right topic will not only make your essay stand out but also enrich your understanding and appreciation of literature. Whether you are in high school, college, or pursuing higher studies, these topics are designed to guide you in crafting a comprehensive and profound literary analysis.

Remember to back your analysis with sufficient textual evidence, explore various interpretations, and maintain a coherent structure throughout your essay. Happy writing!