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Establishing your key course concept and short story selection
The following titles can be used to learn more about literary terms and theories. This can help you with clarifying your understanding of the key course concept which you are using as the basis for developing your original interpretation of your selected short story.
Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary TheoryGives definitions of technical terms and critical jargon; explores literary movements and schools of literary theory; covers genres and literary forms.
The Oxford Dictionary of Literary TermsThis dictionary provides clear and concise definitions of the most troublesome literary terms, from abjection to zeugma.
The following titles can be used to learn more about your short story, author, and typical interpretations, themes, criticisms of the text or author.
Short Stories for StudentsProvides critical overviews of short stories from all cultures and time periods. Includes discussions of plot, characters, themes and structure as well as the story's cultural and historical significance.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of American LiteratureThis set treats the whole of American literature, from the European discovery of America to the present, with entries in alphabetical order. Well-known critics and scholars provide clear and vividly written essays that reflect the latest scholarship on a given topic, as well as original thinking on the part of the critic.
Oxford Encyclopedia of British LiteratureThis encyclopedia covers the entire history of British literature from the seventh century to the present. In substantial essays written by major scholars, the Encyclopedia of British Literature includes biographies of nearly four hundred individual authors and a hundred topical essays with detailed analyses of particular themes, movements, genres, and institutions whose impact upon the writing or the reading of literature was significant.
Can't find what you need? Try these databases!
- Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) This link opens in a new windowSearch dictionaries & encyclopedias for background information.