GSU Library Research Guides: ENGL 1102 Harrison: Literature in Context: Background Research

For Students Series

The "For Students" series contains background information about many works of literature commonly studies by college students.

Look for your story, author, or literary movement in the electronic or print versions of these books.

For Students (Complete Collection) This link opens in a new window
Electronic access to Drama for Students, Epics for Students, Literary Movements for Students, Literary Newsmakers for Students, and Literarcy Themes for Students.

Short Stories for Students (print)
Call Number: Ref. PN3373 .S3844
Search for a short story to find author biography, summary of the story, character analysis, historical context, themes, and more.
Poetry for Students (Print)
Call Number: PN1101 .P756 (In Reference at Alpharettta, Newton and Decatur)
Search by poem title to find author information, a line-by-line discussion of the poem, themes, analysis, and more.
Drama for Students (print)
Call Number: Ref PN1601 .D595

Gale Virtual Reference Library

Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) is a great place to look for background information about authors and literary movements as well as historical events, places, and social norms.

It includes the For Students series, so you'll see some of those results, too.

Gale eBooks This link opens in a new window
This multidisciplinary resource includes a wide variety of encyclopedias and almanacs.

Pro Tip

You may not use your background source in your paper, but the information you gather will give the rest of your research direction.

Start keeping a list of search terms, important information, and possible topics, such as:
- What date was the work written?
- What years did the author live?
- Where did the author live?
- What are some issues or themes from the author's life that show up in the work?