English - The Great Gatsby

General Information About this Guide

In this guide we provide some tips about how to use databases and the Library Catalogue to research effectively.

For more information about a specific database or to view all the online resources and tutorials to help you get the most out of the online databases, please visit the Library Resources page or click the Databases icon.

To access the databases at home you will need the usernames and passwords found on mySJR under links ( Educational Resources Log in and Password Information) or click the Database passwords icon at the top of the page.

Literary Criticism and Critical Analysis

Bonnycastle Library has several databases that provide critical analysis. For this project, we are going to focus on books (physical and digital) and three database platforms: Gale Literary Sources, EBSCO Literary Reference Center Plus, and Bloom's.

What is Literary Criticism? (click down arrow for content)

Literary criticism analyzes, interprets, and evaluates works of literature. Though you most often find criticism in the form of an essay, in-depth book reviews may also be considered criticism. Criticism may analyze an individual work of literature. It may also examine an author’s body of work.

How to recognize literary criticism?

    • Critical analysis is often brought together into anthologies. These anthologies could focus on a specific theme, an author, or a work.
    • Periodical databases also include critical analysis. It is helpful when using a database to limit your results to literary criticism. Choosing peer reviewed will also limit your results to academic journals.
    • Characteristics of Literary criticism:
          • will always include the name of the author(s) and often their affiliation
          • will include in-depth analysis of the work and/or topic studies - more than an overview
          • long - can be 5 - 20 pages (or more)
          • the language will be academic
          • will reference other sources in the text of the article and include a bibliography
          • will be published in an academic source- anthology, scholarly journal

Why study literary criticism?

Writers and critics build on each others' understanding of a work of literature in a kind of dialogue. Good criticism can help us develop a better understanding of a work. In addition, it can help us develop a point of view about a work, whether or not we agree with the opinions of the critic.

When looking at criticism, check for:

    • Credentials of the writer
    • Quality of the sources--journals, books, Websites​
    • Opinions supported by evidence, relating to:
          • Characterization
          • Voice
          • Style
          • Theme
          • Setting
          • Technical qualities of the writing (artistry, style, use of language)
          • Interpretation
          • Complex ideas and problems
          • Relationship of work to the time, or social, historical, or political trends

When looking for criticism, AVOID:

  • Plot summaries, SparkNotes, Pink Monkey, Cliff's Notes, etc.
  • Casual posts on discussion groups
  • The works of other students
  • Author biography

Search the Library Catalogue

Destiny, the library catalogue, has excellent resources for critical analysis and interpretations.

For information on searching for ebooks using the library catalogue click here.

You will find entire books focused on The Great Gatsby, but don't stop there. We also have anthologies focused on F. Scott Fitzgerald as well as anthologies focused on a theme which will include criticism about the book. With books, check the index or table of contents.

Also, think about what you are looking for. Do you want an overview of the novel? Literary criticism?

When searching the catalogue, keep your search terms simple. Using a Subject search will limit books to the topic of:

    • Great Gatsby
    • F. Scott Fitzgerald

Using a Keyword search will expand your search to books which may have a chapter about the topic.

Ebook databases

You can use Destiny to locate ebooks but, to find the most up-to-date editions and additions, it is helpful to search the databases directly. Several databases include ebooks within their collections. The two database platforms we are going to focus on are Infobase and EBSCO.

Infobase

  • Click on the Infobase icon to search the full database.
  • Click arrows on the blue box on the right to review some of the ebooks available through Infobase.
  • Click "View Title" to view the specific book. Remember, you will need the username and password for Infobase.

For information about using the ebooks, including downloading and printing, click the "How to use Infobase ebooks" button.

EBSCO

EBSCO has two ebook databases: Canadian and High school. It will be quicker, however, to search the ebooks when you complete your database searches for your critical analysis (see below)

Hint - if you create your own EBSCO account, you will be able to login with the Google account AND download full ebooks instead of specific chapters/pages.

Best databases for critical analysis and interpretation

Bonnycastle Library has several databases that provide critical analysis. For this project, we are going to focus on three platforms: Gale Literary Sources, EBSCO Literary Reference Center Plus, and Bloom's.

Gale databases

SJR has several Gale databases. Although you can search Gale's literary databases separately, it is helpful to use their Gale Literary Sources platform. This will allow you to search Twayne's Authors Online and Literature Resource Center simultaneously.

Click icon to access full search platform

Gale tips:

Although you can complete a person or works search, for preliminary searching, you may want to complete a basic keyword search. The Advanced Search will provide additional search options to limit and to expand your search.

Once you have executed a search, use the topic menu. If you need help understanding the play, choose Topic and Work Overviews.

If you are interested in Literature Criticism, choose that tab.

Notice you can also filter your results by subject, and search within your results for another term.

Infobase - Bloom's Literature

Originally edited and curated by Yale University professor Harold Bloom, this database includes thousands of critical essays, author biographies and character analyses, along with the full text of hundreds of reference books, and full-length videos of classic plays and films.

Bloom's is a database intended for a high school audience. It has a lot of resources to support students learning about the play as well as criticism.

Click icon to access.

Bloom's Literature tips:

Once you have executed a search, use the tabs along the top to choose what type of source to view.

Pay particular attention to how to Narrow Results (on the right). These suggestions are particularly helpful to understanding the text.


EBSCO databases - Literary Reference Center Plus

EBSCO is a great source for the literary criticism. Although you may research across EBSCO databases, consider searching the Literary Reference Center Plus separately to take advantage of research helps.

EBSCO: Literary Reference Center Plus hints:

As with other databases, remember to use the limiters - Literary Criticism (on left). Also choose full text

If you want to search all of EBSCO's databases at one time, choose the EBSCOhost Research Database platform. Remember to choose the databases you want to search.

University of Manitoba - Library Catalogue

St. John's-Ravenscourt has a partnership with the University of Manitoba Libraries which allows community members to borrow resources.

**Items must be borrowed through the Bonnycastle Library. Please contact Mrs. Bergen for more details.

Remember to cite your sources.