Skip to Main Content

Mullins, Rebecca ENG161 Introduction to Literature: Sources and Citing

Some Databases to Check

Secondary sources which may be helpful

Search by author and title of the work if possible

 

An animated image of a person typing the name Shirley Jackson and then selecting the Author drop-down selection.

 

 

 

 

An image of a person typing "The Lottery" and selecting the drop-down menu labeled "Name of Work."

When searching by author or work title, be aware of any article which can support your ideas.  The title of the work doesn't necessarily have to include your thesis idea.

MyBib

Identify your own learning

  • What situation is being described and by whom? What happens in that situation?
  • What ideas stood out to you about the author's writing style?  Did they foreshadow ideas well, or did you notice a way they spoke about the setting or characters?
  • Are there any images or uses of figurative language that you find especially arresting or interesting?
  • Does the vocabulary, rhythm, or tone change at any point?
  • If you are looking to make connections, what text stood out to you?  What text will you quote?

These ideas are considered in your InQuizitive readings and essays.  Remember the ACE is available to help you include your thoughts on the work.  If ACE is closed, you can request help from NetTutor through your course in Blackboard.

"Although Jackson did remark that she imagined the story as taking part in her own town—i.e. Bennington—much of the tale’s power lies in the fact that, were one unfamiliar with the author and the origins of the tale, one could imagine it taking place in virtually any isolated rural community. Mob violence, superstition, and complicity are not limited to specific geographical locations."

- from ‘The People of the Village Have Always Hated Us’: Shirley Jackson’s New England Gothic

Here are some sample ways to cite the source:

Long quote:

....  The setting of The Lottery at first seems integral to the meaning behind the violence.   But "complicity [is] not limited to specific geographical locations" (Murphy 106).

Short quote:

.... If "any isolated rural community" (Murphy 106) could inspire the cruel behavior of Jackson's villagers, then we see this also represented in other stories.

Paraphrase:

.... Jackson intended the reader to see the lifestyle and community traits of Bennington, Vermont, but many readers relate to the timelessness of cruelty found in isolated, rural enclaves (Murphy 106).

 

Remember to include your bibliography entry at the end

An image of a works cited page, with Works Cited centered on its own line at the top followed by the MLA citation to a single essay, double-spaced and hanging indent in the left-aligned paragraph below.

 

 

An animated image of a person copying the citation from the database tool button Cite into a MyBib citation.