When writing a literary analysis paper, the type of secondary source you need is what we refer to as literary criticism. Literary criticism refers to studies conducted by scholars to "define, classify, analyze, interpret, and evaluate works of literature" (Mississippi State University, "What is Literary Criticism? How do I find it?"). You would use these scholarly arguments about Louise Erdrich's "The Shawl" to support or add counterarguments to your own literary analysis of the work. While the Internet is useful, it's actually not the place to find all information. Some literary criticism can be found online, like on Google Scholar , but you often need log-in information and the search process is much more difficult than in other scholarly databases. I tried a Google Scholar search myself, but even on the first page, while the keywords did show up, none of the articles were relevant. Even...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
eNotes, sadly, does not currently offer any literary criticism on that specific work. In short, it'svery difficult to find literary criticism
on the Internet, and the best place to find literary
criticism is still the library, especially your
school library or even local university
library. There are two different types of sources in which you can
find literary criticism: books and articles.
To find books containing literary criticism of "The Shawl," go
to your library or access the online library catalog and either do a subject
search on the author or do a keyword search using the author's name, the title
of the work, and words like "'criticism' or 'interpretation'" ("Finding
Books"). For your specific work, try these two following search terms:
- Louise Erdrich The Shawl criticism
- Louise Erdrich The Shawl interpretation
For a book search, you can also find literary criticism in certain
anthologies and may be able to find something that applies to
"The Shawl" in works like Introducing Literary Theories: A Guide and
Glossary by Julian Wolfreys or Critical Theory and the Literary
Canon by E. Deans Kolbas. However, you are more likely to have an easier
time finding books using the keywords above.
Articles are easily found using your library's
electronic databases. The latest copies of academic, peer reviewed
journals are stored in electronic databases, and its in these journals you will
quickly and easily find the most current literary criticism on your topic.
However, many databases require memberships, which your library has, so using
the databases through the library will be much more convenient than trying to
access them on Google Scholar. Databases you should
be able to access through your library are "Academic Search Complete,
Humanities International Complete, JSTOR, Literary Reference Center, MLA
International Bibliography, and Project MUSE" ("Finding Articles"). To
find literary criticism articles pertaining to your specific topic,
again, either search by the author's name, or search under the title of the
work the word AND plus the word criticism. For example, consider searching
under the following:
- Erdrich AND criticism
- The Shawl AND criticism
Also, if all else fails, be sure and ask your research librarian for further
assistance.
References