Annotated Bibliography

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Annotated Bibliography: The Road Compare/Contrast Argument

The Purpose:

An annotated bibliography provides specific information about each source you are

(theoretically) using. As a researcher, you have become an expert on your topic: you have the

ability to explain the content of your sources, assess their usefulness, and share this information

with others who may be less familiar with them. Think of your paper as part of a conversation

with people interested in the same things you are; the annotated bibliography allows you to tell

readers what to check out, what might be worth checking out in some situations, and what might

not be worth spending time on. You want to give your audience enough information to

understand what each text is about so that 1) Your credibility as a researcher and scholar is clear

and 2) These fellow scholars can also dive into your resources and explore on their own.

A good annotated bibliography:

 encourages you to think critically about the content of the works you are using, their place within a field of study, and their relation to your own research and ideas.

 proves you have read and understood your sources.

 establishes your work as a valid source and you as a competent researcher.

 situates your study and topic in a continuing professional conversation.

 provides a way for others to decide whether a source will be helpful to their research if they read it.

What should be included:

 Bibliography according to the appropriate citation style—MLA in our case.

 Explanation of main points and/or purpose of the work—basically, its thesis—which shows among other things that you have read and thoroughly understand the source.

 Verification or critique of the authority or qualifications of the author.

 Comments on the worth, effectiveness, and usefulness of the work in terms of both the topic being researched and/or your own research project.

 The point of view or perspective from which the work was written. For instance, you may note whether the author seemed to have particular biases or was trying to reach a

particular audience.

 Relevant links to other work done in the area, like related sources, possibly including a comparison with some of those already on your list. You may want to establish

connections to other aspects of the same argument or opposing views.

Title your annotated bibliography “Annotated Bibliography” Following MLA format, use a

hanging indent for your bibliographic information. This means the first line is not indented and

all the other lines are indented four spaces or “tabbed” over.

Begin your annotation immediately after the bibliographic information of the source ends; don’t

skip a line down.

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Example entries for a paper:

Butler, Judith. The Psychic Life of Power: Theories in Subjection. Stanford: Stanford

University Press. 1997. Print. Butler presents her theories on the psychic imprint

subjection takes on the human psyche, and how that plays a seminal role on the

individual’s identity formation. Further, she discusses the idea that it is the ideologies and

entities that hold power over the individual at key moments in their development, which

form the individual’s conception of self, thereby become the very thing that the

individual relies on for identity. Her theory hinges on the idea that the psyche itself is in

some ways a fabrication, and as such control and power are housed within as much as

without. This text will be critical for me as I explore the ways in which Jackson’s

protagonist, Eleanor, suffers in part because she has internalized her own domination,

making it nearly impossible for her to break away from her ideological entrapment.

Lootens, Tricia. “‘Whose Hand Was I Holding?’ Familial and Sexual Politics in Shirley

Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House.” Haunting the House of Fiction: Feminist

Perspectives on Ghost Stories by American Women. (1991): 166-192. Web. 28 April

2013. Lootens’ rather formidable article examines the progression of Jackson’s text from

first draft to final draft in an attempt to decipher at what point the theme of “domestic

terror” became the prominent one. She carefully tracks the development of the two

female characters in particular, demonstrating that the two characters seem to have been

born out of one character, Mary Vance. Lastly she discusses the outcome, what she called

the Eleanor draft, analyzing Jackson’s notes as well as the changes made within scenes in

an attempt to demonstrate how Hill House transformed from ghost story to a story of the

terrible sacrifice women make as a result of pressures of domesticity. Much of Lootens’

rhetorical moves are fascinating and compelling. However, I do feel she might lean to

heavily on authorial intent, and indeed, her own careful cataloguing of Jackson’s notes

and edits serves to undermine her emphasis on authorial intent, by making it clear that

despite an author’s plan, stories tend to take on lives of their own during the writing

process. I do feel she identifies key scenes of import in regard to the conflict between

Eleanor and Theodora, especially in regard to their lifestyle choices, and she also

highlights the sexual tension between the two, which will prove useful in my own paper.

Newman, Judie. “Shirley Jackson and the Reproduction of Mothering; The Haunting

of Hill House.” American Horror Fiction; from Brockden Brown to Stephen King. New

York: St. Martin’s Press. 1990. 120-134. Print. Newman’s essay is a thorough

psychoanalytic reading on Jackson’s text, with a focus on the two female characters. She

asserts that Eleanor Vance is “mother-dominated,” and as such, the haunted, “engulfing

mother” figure that is Hill House is able to assert itself upon the identity-challenged

Eleanor. She then builds a contrast between Theo and Eleanor, arguing that because Theo

has agency prior to her arrival at Hill House, she is able to resist the psychological trap it

presents in a way that Eleanor is not. Newman’s read of Jackson’s text is complex and

well supported. I am particularly interested in picking up where her argument leaves off

in regard to her idea that for Eleanor identity is “both desired and rejected.” She makes

this claim but does not explain why or how. I would like to build upon this idea and

explore Eleanor’s complex relationship with autonomous selfhood more fully.