Question

Which of the following topics would be suitable for a short research paper?

an in-depth study of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
a comparison of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey
an analysis of Edgar Allan Poe's narrative style in "The Black Cat"
an analysis of protagonists in Jane Austen's works
a discussion about the use of symbolism in the novel Moby-Pie

Answer 1

I don't think this question is written very well but I'll share my best attempt

> an in-depth study of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein
too vague, in order to make this an essay you would have to focus on one specific theme, ex: "how the setting of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein affects the conflict"

> a comparison of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey
this is probably fine although I would have still specified some more specific aspect to compare

> an analysis of Edgar Allan Poe's narrative style in "The Black Cat"
this is clearly a good option, since it's limited to a short story, and limited to one particular aspect of it

> an analysis of protagonists in Jane Austen's works
I've searched on the internet and most people seem to agree on this being a solution, I personally don't b/c it's a bit broad/has a lot of potential characters to talk about

> a discussion about the use of symbolism in the novel Moby-****
this is pretty standard as far as essays go so I'd say yes on this one, too

Answer 2

@SmokeyBrown actually can you check me on this one 'cause I'm not 100% sure if my reasoning is sound

Answer 3

Yeah, that makes sense to me