LITERARY THEORIES ENG4U

What is literary criticism? Literary theory (also known as critical theory) is a discourse on literature Focuses on the analysis of literature (which means looking beyond the plot, themes, characterization, etc.) Critics use different lenses to analyze literature (i.e. a critic who is using the Marxist theory will focus on characters’ relationships based on social class BENEFITS: you get to study different view points AND obtain a deeper understanding of the text

1) Feminist and Gender Criticism Looks at the differences between men and women (in terms of power dynamics, positions held in society, socially acceptable behaviors, etc.) Focuses on the female experience and inequality based on gender dynamics(marginalization of women, political, economical, social, and Psychological oppression of women) Recent explores issues of sexuality and how/if homosexuality is marginalized in literature

Feminist Criticism: Typical Questions How is the relationship between men and women portrayed? What are the power relationships between men and women (or characters assuming male/female roles)? How are male and female roles defined? What constitutes masculinity and femininity? How do characters embody these traits? Do characters take on traits from opposite genders? How so? How does this change others’ reactions to them? What does the work reveal about the operations (economically, politically, socially, or psychologically) of patriarchy? What does the work imply about the possibilities of sisterhood as a mode of resisting patriarchy? What does the work say about women's creativity? What does the history of the work's reception by the public and by the critics tell us about the operation of patriarchy? What role the work play in terms of women's literary history and literary tradition?

2) Psychoanalyst Theory An extension of psychology Focuses on Freud’s theories related to the unconscious mind According to Freud the human psyche can be divided into three components: -ID: passionate, irrational, and unconscious -EGO: rational, logical, orderly, and conscious -SUPEREGO: outside the self, moral judgements, self- sacrifices, etc.

Freud claims that all humans have repressed wishes and fears One such desire is the desire to replace the parent of our own gender and take his/her place in the affections of the parent of the opposite gender (The Oedipus Complex vs. The Electra Complex) These desires function at the subconscious level as they violate social norms; however, they effect/shape our behaviors

Psychoanalytic Criticism: Typical Questions How do the operations of repression structure or inform the work? Are there any oedipal dynamics - or any other family dynamics - are work here? How can characters' behavior, narrative events, and/or images be explained in terms of psychoanalytic concepts of any kind (for example...fear or fascination with death, sexuality - which includes love and romance as well as sexual behavior - as a primary indicator of psychological identity or the operations of ego-id-superego)? What does the work suggest about the psychological being of its author? What might a given interpretation of a literary work suggest about the psychological motives of the reader? Are there prominent words in the piece that could have different or hidden meanings? Could there be a subconscious reason for the author using these "problem words"?

3) Marxist Criticism This theory is related to Marxism, which began with Karl Marx (A German Philosopher) Focuses on: - the social class/class division -oppression, social conflicts -distribution and impact of power -questions culture, race, class and power

Marxist Criticism: Typical Questions Whom does it benefit if the work or effort is accepted/successful/believed, etc.? What is the social class of the author? Which class does the work claim to represent? What values does it reinforce? What values does it subvert? What social classes do the characters represent? How do characters from different classes interact or conflict?

4) Historical Criticism Looks at connection between historical events and the text at hand Sees a given text as a product of the historical background it is set in Acknowledges that critics are subjective in their interpretations

Historical Criticism: Typical Questions What language/characters/events present in the work reflect the current events of the author’s day? Are there words in the text that have changed their meaning from the time of the writing? How are such events interpreted and presented? How are events' interpretation and presentation a product of the culture of the author? Does the work's presentation support or condemn the event? Can it be seen to do both? How does this portrayal criticize the leading political figures or movements of the day? How does the literary text function as part of a continuum with other historical/cultural texts from the same period...? How does the work consider traditionally marginalized populations?

5) Moral Criticism Moral critics look at texts based on the moral impact it has on the audience – what morals the text teaches the reader/viewer. Moral Criticism is particularly practised when it comes to children’s literature This is an extremely old approach: Aristotle started thinking about how stories were put together – the same things you know and take for granted now like plot, character, language, dramatic structure, etc. Moral criticism is concerned with subject matter rather than style.

Questions-Moral Criticism What is the purpose of literature? Is it for entertainment or education? Is it supposed to teach us or amuse us?

6) Reader Response (1960s-present) The critic interprets the text according to his/her own lens, therefore in essence the text will be interpreted differently by every reader. Focus is not on what literary works mean, but what they do The meaning of a text cannot be divorced from the way in which a reader approaches it and responds to it The reader can’t be omitted from understanding the text as each person’s life experience is different. (The text doesn’t exist without the reader. ) Reading is therefore not a passive acidity – readers must actively determine the meaning in the text.

7) Post-Colonial Post-colonial criticism examines literature produced by colonial powers and works produced by those who were/are colonized. Issues of oppression, power, economics, politics, religion, and culture are explored. Post-Colonial critics deny the dominance of Western culture and history and seek to support the works of marginalized cultures, artists and writers