finding and using sources to support your opinion about a story, poem, or play.

GOALS: Finding & using sources to support your opinion. Literary analysis.
Length: 3 1/2 — 4 pages. Aprox. 900 – 1,000 words Double spaced, standard font
Sources: At least 3. *Include a works cited page (this page is not part of the page or word count)
Topic: Any of our stories, poetry, or plays. Or your favorite book (fiction).
Trouble finding a source?
Sample Student Paper Humanities Full Text database
Gale Literature database Literature articles/ library database
Google Scholar link (drafted articles)
What to do first:
1. Idea. Think of a question. Examples:
I wonder if WWI influenced Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings?
Did Hemingway ever face that uh-oh situation in “Hills Like White Elephants”?
I think Harry Potter is about goodness, but what would 3 top symbols be?
This work speaks to me because _______ . Do critics agree?
Diary of Wimpy Kid got me to read as a child. Why? What do critics say?
What influenced Poe to write about someone being bricked up alive?
“The Lottery” freaked people out. Why is it considered a classic?
Black Panther, Book 1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates: Why so influential?
How did the Hossack murder influence Susan Glaspell’s Trifles? 2. Search: are there academic publications about your text? If not, go back to #1
Sources: Have at least 2 critical sources. The story, poem, or novel does not count as a critical source because it is your PRIMARY TEXT. You are looking for SECONDARY SOURCES about it. Try Google Scholar and/or our library databases such as Humanities Full Text and Academic Search Complete What is not a good source?
Sparknotes, Cliffnotes, Shmoop, encyclopedias, summaries, other student help sites, chat rooms, student papers, dictionaries, Wikipedia, etc.