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ENG 112: College Composition II - Gilman, Hansberry, Jackson, O'Connor, Plath (K. Brown-Alexandria): Work Overviews

Direct comments to aanderson@nvcc.edu

Reference Books


Why use a reference book for literary criticism?  Use a reference book to find:

  • Author information
  • Plot summaries
  • Character information
  • Main ideas and themes of a particular work

Use the databases listed to the right to find basic background information on your authors and their works.

Online Encyclopedias

Encyclopedia articles can help you generate ideas for the specific topic you want to focus on. 

Search for the title of your work and the author's name to get a list of work overviews.