PTG home
   customer service 
Catalog Search:
 Search
Related Topics:
HUMANITIES/SOCIAL SCIENCE
Humanities
Literature




  
Practical Introduction to Literary Study, A 1/e
James S. Brown
Scott D. Yarbrough
Published December 2004 by Prentice Hall
Copyright 2005, 352 pp., Paper
ISBN: 0-13-094786-5
List Price:
$42.67
Inventory Status:
In-Stock
   
Summary

This brief, practical book addresses how and why people read literature, and then shows different ways of thinking about the literature they are reading?teaching users to read critically and analytically, to write thoughtful and concise papers of literary analysis, and to perform competent literary research. KEY TOPICS: The book?s comprehensive coverage offers a detailed description of practical research methods, an understanding of criticism and how to use it in papers, and a complete section on MLA documentation. The main topics address: what is literature and what is critical thinking?; reading critically; understanding literary language; explication and analysis; and secondary sources, research, and critical theory. MARKET: For those new to literary study.
Features

A practical application.

~Teaches students to read critically and analytically, to write thoughtful and concise papers of literary analysis, and to perform competent literary research.

Comprehensive coverage.

~Offers students a detailed description of practical research methods, an understanding of criticism and how to use it in papers, and contains a complete section on MLA documentation.

Chapters on critical reading.

~Helps beginning students see the value in reading and thinking about literature.

Accessible featured readings–Consist of a small number of short, commonly taught, and relatively straightforward texts.

~Illustrates various points throughout the book.

Numerous Thinking Exercises throughout.

~Encourages further thought in students who are learning how exciting and stimulating literary studies can truly be.
Table of Contents

I. LITERATURE AND CRITICAL THINKING.

 1. Literature and the Literary Canon.

 2. Challenges to the Canon.

 3. Why Read Literature?

II. READING CRITICALLY.

 4. The Act of Reading.

 5. Reading Fiction Actively.

 6. Engaging with Poetry.

 7. Experiencing Drama.

 8. Analytical Reading.

III. UNDERSTANDING LITERARY LANGUAGE.

 9. The Elements of Narrative.

10. Figurative Language.

11. Prose Genres.

12. Poetry, Forms and Genres.

13. Drama.

IV. EXPLICATION AND ANALYSIS.

14. From Reading to Writing.

15. Formulating an Argument.

16. Citing Primary Texts and Formatting Your Paper.

17. Practical Advice.

18. Sample Student Essay 1.

19. Sample Student Essay 2.

V. SECONDARY SOURCES, RESEARCH, AND CRITICAL THEORY.

20. Research Methods in the Digital Age.

21. Reading Literary Criticism.

22. Practical Advice for Reading and Evaluating Literary Criticism.

23. Plagiarism and Academic Honesty.

24. MLA Documentation Style.

25. A Brief Introduction to Critical Theory.

26. Reading a Theory-Based Article.

VI. READINGS.

Glossary.

Bibliography.

Index.
back to top