1. Schools of Critical Literary Analysis What you need to know how to do for your Critical Essay

2. The Case for Critical Theory Critical lenses are about looking into elements of the world in different ways, thinking about things from different perspectives. This will never be a bad thing, no matter what the lenses are used to view. Seeing many different sides of stories only benefits everyone, everything. (qtd in Appleman 1).

3. What is it? Literary Analysis:  Close Reading – moving beyond literal generalizations and facts, authorial intent, and reader appreciation (whether you like it).  The broader message as defined by YOUR INTERPRETATION – not by the literal meaning.

4. Schools of Thought There are multiple schools of literary criticism – lenses through which one views literature. We’re learning about THREE:  Formalist  Feminist  Marxist  Reader Response

5. Formalist Theory Meaning comes only from what is in the text itself not the context in which the work was written. Does not care about the author’s intent or the psychology of the reader. Emphasis on the particular rather than the general. Focus on theme, literary devices used. This is the AP form of analysis… pretty straight forward.

6. Formalists Theses… Example Thesis Statements:  The journey motif in The Odyssey appears in three ways: Odysseus’ journey home to Ithaca, his personal journey to humility, and his journey in Campbell’s heroic cycle.  The Odyssey uses irony between Odysseus and Penelope’s role with suitors, in the instance with the wind bag, and, most importantly, by creating dramatic tension during the test of the bow.

7. Formalists Ask… What do the words mean in the story? How do figurative language and other literary devices (irony & characterization, point of view, etc.) affect the story? What is the theme/message of the work, and how does it play out?

8. Feminist Theory Concerns women’s authorship,the role of women in literature, and/or women’s sensibilities (way of looking at life). Interprets feminine or coded symbols that are often overlooked. Increases awareness of the role of language in sexual politics. Explores themes of sexism, objectification (esp. sexual), and oppression of women.

9. Feminist Theses… A sexual-behavior double standard exists in The Odyssey between Odysseus and Penelope, the suitors and the maids, and even between the gods. Throughout The Odyssey, readers are subjected to a strong male sensibility and ethos that ignores the female sensibilities of the humans and the supernatural forces.

10. Feminists Ask… How are women portrayed? What’s their role in the text and why? How does the language used to describe women affect our understanding of them as character? Is there a woman’s voice heard in the writing, and if so, what does it say?

11. Marxist Theory Looks at the political tendency of a work to determine whether it is “progressive” or “conservative” in philosophy. Determines the political motivation behind a work – why was it written? Analyzes how class/power struggle or the socio-economic class of the character affects his or her behavior/motives.

12. Marxist Theses… Odysseus had little choice but to kill the suitors because, as king of Ithaca, he was obligated to protect his economic, social, and political interests. The Odyssey was written to celebrate classic heroes, reinforce the power of kings, and chastise servants for disloyalty to their masters.

13. Marxists Ask… Does this work encourage a conservative or progressive philosophy? Why and how? How does one’s socio-economic class or position affect one’s motivations or actions? What politics influenced this work and how?

14. We Don’t Want… I liked it. This woman made me feel happy. This was the most bestest story I have every read. This reminds me of the time…

15. Reader Response Theory Emphasizes the reader’s role in creating meaning – what the reader brings to the story. Readers are active agents that impart “real existence” to a text – control the meaning. Focuses on how the reader feels as s/he reads – the process of reading. This is meta-cognition of how one reads.

16. Reader Response Theses… My reading of The Odyssey is colored by the following: my dad’s presence in Iraq and my own views on adultery and murder. As I read The Odyssey, I thought the story was less about Odysseus’ journey and more about my own discovery of how I make meaning while reading through questioning the text, visualizing the vignettes, and figuring out new vocabulary.

17. Reader Response Asks… How did I feel reading the story, and why did I feel that way? What reading strategies did I engage while reading this and why? How does my prior knowledge affect my reading of a text?