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ENGL 250: Methods of Literary Study (BMC)

Spring 2025; Taylor

Help with theory

Help with Theory

Using Tripod

Tripod: The library's catalog

    Keyword Search:

         E.g.,    Awakening Chopin criticism

   Or Subject Search:

         E.g.,  Chopin, Kate > 1850-1904 > Awakening

                   Chopin, Kate > 1850-1904 > Criticism and interpretation

How do I find the books?

When you find a book in Tripod, check the locations to see which library it's in.

 

 

If the book is only available at Haverford or Swarthmore,  SIGN IN, then REQUEST to have the book delivered to Bryn Mawr! You'll receive an email when it arrives, usually in 24 hours.

 

How do I find where the book is shelved at Bryn Mawr?

Look at the book's "call number" to find its location. 

 

 

 

How are the call numbers arranged on the shelf?

Materials are shelved by the "Library of Congress" call number classification system. If you need help locating a book, please ask at the  Circulation desk!

 

What do I do if my book is checked out?
If the book is listed as "out of library" it may be checked out.  You can request a copy from outside the TriCollege Libraries by using EZ-Borrow / Interlibrary Loan.

 


Using the MLA International Bibliography

SECONDARY CRITICISM ASSIGNMENT

Part 1:  Using the MLA Bibliography, look up articles on “Goblin Market.” Note any trends, kinds of criticism, etc., over its long critical history.  Write a one-page overview of the critical history of “Goblin Market” as you encountered it in the MLA Bibliography:  Why and how this text has long been important to scholars? (e.g., what kinds of questions are engaged, and when? Was there a particular time when “Goblin Market” was especially popular among critics?  What might account for that popularity?) 

Part 2:  Carefully read one secondary essay of your choosing.  Then write a 1-page summary of that essay.  At the top of the page, enter the article in correct MLA bibliographic format, using the format provided on our Moodle site.  Then, as you summarize the essay, focus on crucial questions:  What is the essay’s argument, and how would you describe its methodology?  What are the payoffs and limitations of this argument? 

    Illustration for the cover of Christina Rossetti's Goblin Market and Other Poems (1862), by her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti

Search the MLA International Bibliography to find secondary sources

Peer Review, Authority and Conversation

Peer Review in 3 Minutes from North Carolina State University Library

Citing & Annotated Bibliographies

Upcoming Assignment

Bibliography Assignment #1:

Using the MLA Bibliography and other library resources, look up articles on a literary text you have read in this course or another English course at Bryn Mawr. Spend some time combing through the list noting any trends, kinds of criticism, etc. You are getting a sense of what is out there, and what sorts of questions have been asked of this novel across time, and what sorts of questions might be asked.

Generate a list of 8 sources following MLA citation style. Skim the articles and provide a short annotation of approximately three sentences for each of the articles, noting why the article seems useful (or even problematic).

Choose one article—one that you find the most compelling and interesting—and read closely. For this article, provide a longer annotation of approximately half a page single-spaced that identifies two or three of the author’s main arguments, methodology, and evidence used to support the arguments. End the annotation by explaining how the article enhanced or changed your reading of the literary text.

MLA Citation Style

Annotated Bibliography

Zotero Citation Manager

  • Zotero: The Tri-College Libraries recommend Zotero, a free online app that can format your bibliography, keep your citations organized, and even save your articles in the cloud so you can access them later.
  • Need help getting started? TriCo Guide to Zotero
  • Zotero workshops are listed in the LITS Events Calendar