The resources on this page will lead you to material on diverse approaches to analyzing literary works. (Remember that approaches sometimes overlap, so you may use more than one as needed.) The printed reference books are located in the Ybor City Campus Library; some of them may be requested online. Other references are ebooks. To request a book or view an ebook, log in using the instructions found on the "Home" tab.
Dictionary of Literary Influences (ebook)
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Treating the cultural giants of the 20th century, this volume traces their reading habits and intellectual development, as well as their contributions to Western culture. Suggesting the literary influences on these figures, the book includes 355 entries on people from a broad range of fields, including scientists, politicians, business figures, writers, religious leaders, and figures from the performing arts and popular culture.
The volume is a handy companion to Powell's earlier volume, Biographical Dictionary of Literary Influences: The Nineteenth Century, 1800-1914. Reflecting non-Western influences on Western culture, the volume includes such Asian and African figures as Mohandas Gandhi and Wole Soyinka, while also covering the significant Western figures. As the volume recognizes, forms of cultural influence evolved in the 20th century to include more aural and visual influences. Yet the volume still reveals fascinating literary influences throughout the century. (description from publisher)
Literature and Politics Today (ebook)
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"Focusing on the intersection of literature and politics since the beginning of the 20th century, this book examines authors, historical figures, major literary and political works, national literatures, and literary movements to reveal the intrinsic links between literature and history"-- Provided by publisher.
"This encyclopedia brings together a wide variety of information on the relationship between literature and politics in a conveniently accessible encyclopedia format"-- Provided by publisher.
Encyclopedia of Feminist Literature (printed)
What’s in this print book? A-to-Z guide covering feminist authors, literary works, and other related topics from around the world and in a number of fiction and nonfiction genres.
This video from Hogeschool Rotterdam (the University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands) provides an overview of biographical criticism in less than five minutes.
This video from Hogeschool Rotterdam (the University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands) provides an overview of formalist criticism in less than eleven minutes.
This video from Hogeschool Rotterdam (the University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands) provides an overview of historical criticism in less than eight minutes.
In less than five minutes, this video demonstrates just one literary archetype — the hero archetype — using Katniss of The Hunger Games, Frodo of The Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter as examples. Find questions and discussion of this video in a TEDEd lesson. Keep in mind that there are lots of other archetypes, too, but this video shows how archetypes work in that many works of literature can follow the same essential patterns or use familiar character types.
This fifteen-minute video from the University of London demonstrates how to analyze Mary Shelley's Frankenstein using three different critical approaches: psychological, feminist, and Marxist.
To search for resources, click the "SEARCH" tab above. For more information on ways to analyze literature, hover over the arrow of the "Genres" tab above and choose your work's genre from the drop-down list or click the "Critical Approaches" ("Crit Apprchs") and "(Literary) Periods" tabs above. Information on writing a literary analysis can be found by hovering over the "Writing" tab and choosing "Rhetorical Modes" from the drop-down list. For library assistance, tech support, and tutoring, click "Help!"
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