Literary Analysis and Secondary Sources Humanities Core Forum

Literary Analysis and Secondary Sources Humanities Core Forum April 29, 2011

Interest to Topic to Question: Sources • Humcore syllabus, readings, and lectures • Internet search, encyclopedias, Humcore reserves, books, articles • Discussions with peers and instructors Based on Wayne Booth, Gregory Colomb, and Joseph Williams, The Craft of Research (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008), Part II, pp. 29 -102.

Topic to Question: The Example of Goethe’s Faust • German history and Faust: – How did Nazism become the culmination of both civilization and barbarism? • Roots of social attitudes in culture • Literary tradition as modern form of culture in Germany • Goethe’s Faust as key text for both Nazis and educated elite • Questions: – How has Goethe’s Faust changed cultural attitudes about civilization and violence? – How did Goethe’s Faust change understandings about civilizational progress and ethics? – How does Goethe’s Faust change the notion of tragedy connected with the Faust legend?

Researching a question Sources: Books and articles. Look in UCI library subject guides UCI library catalog MLA Bibliography Find sources relevant to your question by looking at Titles, Table of Contents, Index, Bibliography • Benjamin Bennett, Goethe’s Theory of Poetry: Faust and the Regeneration of Language (Ithace: Cornell University Press, 1986). • Jane Brown, Goethe’s Faust: The German Tragedy (Ithaca : Cornell University Press, 1986).

Engaging Sources • Record complete bibliographical data first. • Search for the 2 or 3 key sources for your research question. • Look for evidence, models of analysis, and claims to agree with or disagree with. • Take extensive notes.