Monday, March 24, 2014

Over The Hills And Far Away

Expedition of Columbus
I had a very productive day at the library doing further research for new sources to incorporate into my topic. While spending two hours in the library searching for new biographical sources I could use to support my thesis, I not only felt like Christopher Columbus sailing around the world, I came up with the idea to include the literary movements of each author as part of my analysis. This led me to books on Modernism and the Victorian Era which characterize Adams and Carroll respectively. Here is the latest version of my thesis statement included in my introductory paragraph:
"Everyday, individuals all over the world are experiencing new things. These experiences shape the way these individuals think, and contribute largely to who they are. The same is especially true of writers. A writer's environment plays a major role in the perspective he takes when writing a novel. As seen in the examples of Richard Adams and Lewis Carroll, the similarity in their country of origin, family background, and social status all play a significant role in the similar themes and ideas these writers convey to their audiences, as evident throughout each of their texts."

The following is a list comprising my annotated bibliography:
  1. Cohen, Morton N. Lewis Carroll: A Biography. New York: Knopf, 1995. Print.
  • This book seems to be the most referenced biography for Lewis Carroll. Since I'm doing a biographical comparison as part of my paper, I think this would be a good source.
  1. Inge, W.R. Modernism in Literature. London: Oxford UP, 1937. Print.
  • As part of my biographical comparison, I want to look at the movements that each author's writing belongs to and then compare and contrast the two movements as a means of analyzing similarities and differences in their works. This book focuses on Modernism which is the movement Adams belongs to.
  1. James, Louis. The Victorian Novel. Malden: Blackwell, 2006. Print.
  • This book offers exactly the same idea for analysis as point #2 except it focuses on Victorian literature which is the movement that Carroll belongs to.
  1. Keen, Suzanne. Victorian Renovations of the Novel: Narrative Annexes and the Boundaries of Representation. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1998. Print.
  • Another source focusing on the Victorian Era for use in an analysis of Carroll.
  1. Taylor, Alexander L. The White Knight: A Study of C.L. Dodgson (Lewis Carroll). London: Oliver & Boyd, 1952. Print.
  • This is another biography on Carroll. I want to use it for the same reasons mentioned above in point #1.
Now I have a much clearer idea of where I want to go, but I'm also waiting for additional feedback from my "build to enthusiasts" to see if there are any other ideas or changes I might be able to incorporate into my paper as I start the writing process. Finding these additional sources gives me just a little more excitement about writing this analysis. The ideas are becoming more concrete, and the topic more interesting.

4 comments:

  1. I'm not sure if you've found this yet, but I found an autobiography about Richard Adams' childhood and youth, and also a nature journal that he kept. Since your main focus is biographical similarities, I think a personal journal would be a great source, even if it is only recording nature. In it, you'd be able to see the world through his eyes.

    Here are the links on the HBLL website:

    The Day Gone By: An Autobiography http://catalog.lib.byu.edu/uhtbin/cgisirsi/?ps=vrNFyW3TQB/LEE/48480278/8/1170514/Adams,+Richard,+1920-+--Childhood+and+youth.

    A Nature Diary: http://catalog.lib.byu.edu/uhtbin/cgisirsi/?ps=f4pQ3plftf/LEE/48480278/8/781501/Adams,+Richard,+1920-+--Diaries.

    Good luck!

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    1. I've seen the autobiography, but I was unaware of the Nature Journal. Good find!

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  2. I know it's a working thesis right now, but I would recommend that you express what the similarities are specifically. It feels very general and a little vague with the phrase, "...all play a significant role in the similar themes and ideas...". To make it more powerful explicitly state what that role is and what the similar themes and ideas are. Good luck!

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    1. Thanks. Being too broad is always my weakness. I'm always looking to make my writing more specific. I appreciate your suggestion.

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