Hemingway, Steinbeck, Dickens and Woolf are time-tested authors whose works may feature in research papers. But what about Coelho, Seferis and Allende? Much great literature has come from other countries and cultures and is translated into many languages. Topics of interest might include biographies of authors and how their origins impact the stories they tell. How does Nikos Kazantzakis hide behind his narrator in "Zorba"? Where are the lines between fiction and fact in such novels as Rita Mae Brown's "Rubyfruit Jungle" or Jack London's "John Barleycorn?" Pick one author and his works, or compare two, such as Tennessee Williams and William Faulkner, both from Mississippi.
Literature comes in many forms or genres such as poetry, plays, historical fiction, biographical novels, fantasy, mystery, legend and adventure. Analyze a top book of a particular genre. Interesting topics can range from Kerouac's "On The Road" and its influences on American film to the psychology behind Euripides' "Medea." Poe and Shakespeare were masters in their genre. Who compares in modern literature? Try topics along the lines of "The Evolution of the Fairy Tale Into Science Fiction," or "At Play in the Fields of Roald Dahl's Mind."
Society in the time of Shaw's "Pygmalion" differs greatly from that of Miller's "Tropic of Cancer" or Steinbeck's "Grapes of Wrath." Topics for papers can discuss the impact of society on literature through either an analysis of one book or a comparison of two. Character studies make for fascinating topics. Try your hand at such titles as "Who is Lysistrata Today and Why Do We Need Her?" or "Robinson Crusoe Would Be Arrested Today." Juxtapose time periods or characters for interesting insights. Or carefully follow the character arc of a story's protagonist.
This one could be interesting: "How Would Joyce's 'Ulysses' Differ if It Took Place in Small Town, USA?" Books focused on place, such as Michener's "Hawaii" or Dinesen's "Out of Africa" offer many topic variations like how things have changed, or rationale about the authors' plot choices. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "To Kill A Mockingbird" may bring up certain social issues, but topics that don't approach the obvious can reveal deeper insight into a writer's mind.
Mix and match period or era, country or continent, and subject or genre to arrive at a wide variety of topics. These might include: "19th Century French Realism," "Ancient Greek Peacemakers," "Baroque Spanish Authors," "Africa's Apartheid-Era Dissected," "American Transcendentalists of the 1800s," "Modern Irish Playwrights," "Medieval Women Writers." The combinations are myriad, and from within these even new topic choices can arise. The narrower the subject, the more opportunity for detail.