Stories have power. Reading and understanding literature is the study—at once communal and intensely personal—of the human condition. We see through the eyes of people who transcend space, time, and country to create a world that resonates somehow with our own. Effectively, reading (and writing) becomes the gateway to a deeper level of thought.
In the library of the Learning Commons, go to the P section for in-depth books about literature. The section is divided further:
- PM: Native American literature
- PN: Poetry, drama, theater
- PQ: Spanish Literature
- PR: British literature
- PS: American literature
- PZ: Children’s literature
For more current research, browse WCC’s literature journals:
- Latino and Spanish literature journals
- Native American literature journals
- American literature journals
- English literature journals
Or stop by and try one of our magazines
Choosing a Literature Research Topic
The best topics are ones that emerge as you read the piece of literature. Here are some ways to approach your choice of topic:
- Explore gender roles.
- Compare genres.
- Compare/contrast characters, events, or between two novels.
- Analyze specific recurring metaphor, allusion, or symbolism.
- A particular political or philosophical framework
- Historical background: study the social, political or economical context in which a work was written. How does context influence the work?