ENG201 Researching Literature

To think critically about literature, you are going to analyze the text.  So, think about how your author uses the following:

• Symbolism - objects that signify meanings other than their literal meaning
• Writing Style - tone, structure, description, dialogue, etc.
• Historical Context - the social, religious, economic and political conditions that existed when your author was alive
• Theme - central idea or message that your author is trying to convey

Many students analyze their text by making an argument about the theme.  You can look closely at how the author uses the plot, symbols, and style to convey a larger meaning or theme.  You can also add in research around your author's life and historical context to show how this author's themes are responding to the world around them.

Use these databases to find themes you want to focus on and think about how you will structure your argument.  Biography in Context is useful if your paper requires you to summarize the life of your author.

Find deeper analysis with the databases below.  These articles will be more scholarly, which means they are written by experts on literature, and will have a particular point of view.

All of these online resources are available to you off-campus.  When prompted, type in your Bergen user name and password.  

Search Tip:  Remember to use quotation marks around titles and phrases; e.g., "enemy of the people."  If you don't find what you need, modify your search or try another source. 

Use the databases below to search for newspaper and magazine interviews, profiles and scholarly analysis outside of literature databases.  You may need to add a search term to find better articles, such as [The Hunger Games and analysis] or [The Shining and imagery].  Limiting your search to just Scholarly Journals or Peer Reviewed Sources can also help you find more analysis-based articles.  For authors that are more contemporary you can search for interviews in magazines and newspapers and book reviews from major newspapers like NY Times or The Guardian.   

The two databases below are not always helpful, but occasionally you get lucky and find something great. 

To find books ABOUT your author (critical essays and analysis) type in [su: author name].  Once you click search, a new tab will open.  Look at the menu options on the left of your screen.  Filter your search results to “Bergen Community College.”  You can also filter by Format to just "eBooks". 

Some authors will have entire books written about them, and others might only have a chapter dedicated to them within a larger work.  You may need to check the table of contents or the index to find information on lesser-known or newer authors.

Search Tip:  Spelling counts! If you do not get results, check your spelling.