Good Literature/History to know for Essays?

<p>What are some good sources of literature which can be applied to almost any essay because they carry a large variety of themes?</p>

<p>I was thinking:
Catcher in the Rye: Relationships, Isolation, "phonies", Nostaligia
Brave New World: Productivity over Identity, Dystopia, Ranks, Control
Great Gatsby- Materialism, Greed, Money and Opulence, Ambition, Morality of getting money
Hamlet- Knowing the Future, Guilt, Jealousy, Lies and covering up lies</p>

<p>Any suggestions would be great (history also)!</p>

<p>You could probably use the American Revolution or the Civil War for a lot of the things, granted that you have at least some knowledge about them.</p>

<p>Get a life. You can use any book, from Breakfast At Tiffany's to Dubliner's. It doesn't matter, as long as the book provides acurate examples to support your thesis. The readers are just concerned with a concise essay, not your sweeping knowledge of history and literature. (so says my English teacher, who is a reader for AP and SAT) David Sedaris wouldn't try to sound esoteric to make an essay "good". Neither should you.</p>

<p>Both World Wars are great examples.</p>

<p>Jeez, there's no need to attack the OP trackster. I swear, people can be so rude at CC sometimes for no reason whatsoever.
And I agree with tomahawk, world wars can provide with some great examples.</p>

<p>Can I use Harry Potter? <.<</p>

<p>You don't even have to use good concrete historical or literary thingy in writing. You just can conjure up on you own..</p>

<p>Scarlet Letter is a good one.</p>

<p>Don't use Harry Potter...use "academic" literature and knowledge that makes u sound intelligent and learned</p>

<p>I concur. Do not jeopardize your essay, no matter how good your example is. You never know how quirky your reader can be.</p>

<p>using Harry Potter, I would rather say it would be given a point 9 out of 12, even if you really moved the readers' minds, because, Harry Potter is just the fantasy novel and rather contemporary one.</p>