Library Research Guides: English 110: Critical Thinking, Reading and Writing Through Literature: Get Started

Your Assignment

Your assignment is to identify, evaluate, and select research material relevant about an author and their literary work or a literary movement. You are also expected to properly compile this material in order to write a research paper using MLA format.

This guide has been designed to highlight library resources to help you achieve these goals!

What is Literary Criticism?

Literary Criticism is the discussion, analysis or appraisal of a literary work-whether a novel, poem, play, short story or essay.

As a literary critic, you will read and study a piece of literature and attempt to:

describe
analyze
justify
interpret
evaluate

The guide will help you find biographical and critical information about authors and their works.

Guides to Writing Literary Criticism

Selection of books in the library:

Click on the titles to see chapter titles and more.

Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory by Peter Barry
Call Number: PN81 .B367 2009 General Collection - 3rd Floor LRC

ISBN: 9780719079276

Publication Date: 2009

This book has been helping students navigate through the thickest of literary and cultural theory for well over a decade now. This new and expanded third edition continues to offer students and readers the best one-volume introduction to the field.
Literary Theory: A Very Short Introduction by Jonathan Culler
Call Number: PN81 .C857 2011 General Collection - 3rd Floor LRC

ISBN: 9780199691340

Publication Date: 2011

Here, Jonathan Culler explains 'theory', not by describing warring 'schools' but by sketching key 'moves' theory has encouraged, and speaking directly about the implications of theory for thinking about literature, human identity, and the power of language. In this new edition Culler takes a look at new material, including the 'death of theory', the links between the theory of narrative and cognitive science, trauma theory, ecocriticism, and includes a new chapter on 'Ethics and aesthetics'. This lucid introduction is useful for anyone who has wondered what all the fuss is about or who wants to think about literature today.
The Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms by Chris Baldick
Call Number: PN41 .C67 2008 REFERENCE - 2nd Floor

Publication Date: 2008

From abjection to zeugma, this fully revised and expanded dictionary clearly explains even the most difficult literary terms. As the most informative and thorough guide of its kind, it is an essential reference work for both students and general readers of literature." "This book includes: Over 1,200 terms covering literary history and criticism, traditional drama, versification, and rhetoric; increased coverage of terms, from modern critical and theoretical movements to crime fiction; and pronunciation displayed for over 200 terms.

English 110: Critical Thinking, Reading and Writing Through Literature

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