One kind of paper to write for a literature class deals with short stories. You can describe the story selected and tell why you like it or what it means to you. Another kind of paper is to write about the content and its significance to society. Yet another kind of paper is to analyze the author's approach to the topic. Ask yourself if it was humorous, autobiographical or serious. Think about the values and ideas that are brought out. Consider the emotions and behavior mentioned. Also, you could write a paper on the structure of the short story including the plot, characters or theme. An example of a paper is to discuss Edgar Allen Poe's,"House of the Fall of Usher." You can compare the fall of the house to the fall of the individual who lived there.
Fiction analysis is another kind of paper frequently assigned. You might analyze elements such as plot, character, point of view as well as the effect of these on the entire story. You could compare similarities and differences of two authors using the same theme for a paper. An example would be "Gentlemen's Agreement" and "Black Like Me," where prejudice is the focal point of the novels. Other possible kinds of fiction papers could be a summary of the book or a critical essay analyzing and criticizing the author's work. You can write your own interpretation of the book as well as an argument of the premise. You can also write on unusual behavior exhibited by a character.
An additional kind of paper is a poetry analysis. Your impression of the poem is a possibility. A popular kind of paper constitutes a comparison of two poems by the same author. An example would be to discuss Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" based on choices and his "Mending Wall" dealing with neighbor relationships. Ask yourself how the styles in both poems are similar. Analyze the author's use of metaphors, which are expressions of comparisons, and similes, which are comparisons with the use of "as" and "like," as well as other uses of imagery.
Papers analyzing plays can deal with the plot or the ideas the author is transmitting. The effectiveness of stage directions, setting, conflict, foreshadowing or symbols can be useful. A paper discussing "The Death of a Salesman," for example, can compare Willy Loman's aging to problems of an aging society. How the characters are portrayed and how you perceive them is another kind of paper.
Other kinds of literature papers can deal with literature research where you analyze and discuss the viewpoints of others. Comments about literary works are the focal point of the paper. An example is a critical research of "Mending Wall." Some critics say the wall is important to both characters in the poem; others say it's important only to the neighbor.
Essays can be the subject of a paper where you analyze conflicting feelings about culture and life. Memoirs and historical writing are possibilities for different kinds of papers. Also, consider writing about a writer's life in relationship to his essay.