Image: Dawn of Morning, Lake George by Jasper Francis Cropsey, 1868
| For this project, you will compose a compare/contrast literary analysis that sheds light on some larger question about American values or assumptions. Your question might be drawn from the following "threads of inquiry," or you might pick your own angle to pursue: |
*The artist’s role in society (the biographical point of view)*The impact of capitalism on our humanity (the sociopolitical point of view)*The relevance of Transcendentalism to American life (the philosophical point of view) |
Transcendentalism A variety of reference sources on Transcendentalism from literary, philosophical, and historical perspectives, from Gale Virtual Reference Library.
Transcendentalism A portal page about Transcendentalism from U.S. History in Context
Individualism and Community An article from American History Through Literature 1820-1870, available to you through Gale Virtual Reference Library. This article connects Transcendentalism with the work of several Transcendentalist authors. Although it doesn't deal directly with the works you are studying, consider it an overview of the issues at play, and an idea of what you can find elsewhere in this particular reference work and in the source as a whole. Check the index page of American History Through Literature for topics such as labor, industrialization, etc.
Other History databases to explore Search this topic in other NH history databases for more information.
Other Literature databases Search this topic in other NH history databases for more information.
Browse for Ideas Want to explore some other threads? At this link you will find the Table of Contents of a reference source called American History Through Literature. Click on the triangle next to, for example, "Abolitionist-Cherokee" to see a list of topics and stories. Clicking on any of the topics will bring you to an essay about the concept and its relationship to American literature of this period. The set is in three volumes, and each volume's contents is divided into three alphabetical lists. Click the triangles next to each section to view the entire list, and use the drop down menu to switch volumes. The search is a little awkward, but the resource is rich. If you already have an idea of a theme you'd like to explore, you can search it in the upper right corner where it says "Search Within Publication."
Introduction: Labor in the United States, 1800-2000 A fantastic overview of the history of American workers from the St. James Encyclopedia of Labor History Worldwide, available to you through Gale Virtual Reference Library. Search this collection for more information about aspects of labor history that interest you. They have a lot!
Capitalism Everybody talks about capitalism, but what is it, really? Here is an overview from Political Theories for Students, available to you through Gale Virtual Reference Library. Scroll down to find the section specific to the United States. You can also click the "Related Subjects" on the right to find articles on similar topics.
The Industrial Revolution in America A portal page about the Industrial Revolution from U.S. History in Context. Look through allthe categories to get a sense of how industrialization affected workers, families, cities, and politics.
The Rise of Organized Labor A portal page about organized labor from U.S. History in Context. The overview essay and other articles within the portal will shed light on what life was like for workers before the labor movement asserted that all laborers had certain rights and fought to win them.
The Rise of Cities and Urban Life A portal page about the shift from rural to city life and work from U.S. History in Context. Here you will find some context about the economic pressures on workers during this time.
Other History databases to explore Search this topic in other NH history databases for more information.
Biography in Context will give you complete biographical portal pages about Herman Melville, Michael Cunningham, and Washington Irving.
You will find plenty of information, though not in portal format, on Mary E. Wilkins Freeman, Amy Hempel, George Saunders, and Bobbie Ann Mason.
You'll find a little information on Deesha Philyaw here, but not much. Instead, check out this article from Slate: "The Secret Life of Deesha Philyaw" (the first few paragraphs are a bit "adult," but keep reading to find helpful biographical information.)
Check out the literature databases below for literary criticism and analysis of these authors.
From school, clicking on any of the database links will get you directly in to any database.
From home, you need login credentials because these are subscription (that is, paid-for) databases. Click on the image below to access the Google Doc containing the passwords. You must be signed in with a Northern Highlands account to view these passwords.
Having trouble? Email the librarian at goldbergj@northernhighlands.org, or stop by the Library.
Unlike those of a free website, database URLs are dynamic. That means that they change, so if you copy and paste a URL from a database into a Google Doc, the link will not work.
Permanent links are found in different places in different families of databases. The table below will show you where to find permanent links to the database pages you want to visit again.
| Company | Look for | Screenshot |
|---|---|---|
| Gale |
Get link |
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| EBSCO |
Permalink |
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| Infobase |
Record URL Scroll to the bottom of the page
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| JSTOR |
Link on the left, below the image of the journal. |
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| Proquest | In the top right corner, click All Options. You will see the link on the top of the page. |
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1. Log in to your NoodleTools account. (Forgot your login info? Contact the librarian.)
2. Create or open a project.
3. Follow the instructions for exporting a citation from each kind of database. Find the article you want, and then:
| Gale | Click Cite  at the top right of the page, then select "Export to NoodleTools." |
| EBSCO | Click on the right-hand menu, then click  . Select the last item in the list, which is  . |
| JSTOR | Click  in the left-hand menu. Scroll down past the three citations and select  , the first item on the list. |
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INFOBASE |
Click  directly under the article title. Then click  . |
| PROQUEST | Click  in the upper right menu. Scroll down past the citation. You do NOT need to change the citation format at the top! Select  , then Continue on the next screen. |
4. Refresh your Sources page, and there you will see a perfectly-formatted MLA citation.
5. To print or export all your sources into a pre-formatted Works Cited page, select the printer icon at the top of your Sources page, then choose what program you want your citations exported to.
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