1. CRITICAL APPROACHES TO LITERATURE Literary Theory

2. Unit Focus Questions How do we study __________? How do _________and ______ affect our perception of reality?

3. Critical Approaches to the Study of Literature Critical Approaches are different perspectives we consider when looking at a piece of literature. They seek to give us answers to these questions, in addition to aiding us in interpreting literature. 1. ______ do we read? 2. ______ do we read? 3. ______ do we read?

4. Critical Approaches to Consider 1. Reader-Response Criticism 2. Cultural Criticism 3. Psychological Criticism 4. Sociological Criticism a. Feminist/Gender Criticism b. Marxist Criticism 5. Biographical Criticism 6. Historical Criticism 7. Archetypal Criticism 8. Moralistic Criticism 9. Philosophical Criticism

5. Questions to Ponder for Each Theory/Approach  What are the benefits of each form of criticism?    Can the mode of criticism alter the entire meaning of a text?

6. 1. The Reader-Response Approach Reader-Response Criticism asserts that a great deal of meaning in a text lies with how ________________ responds to it.  Focuses on the act of reading and how it affects our perception of meaning in a text (how we feel at the beginning vs. the end)  Deals more with the process of creating meaning and experiencing a text as we read.  The text is a living thing that lives in the reader’s imagination. _______________ + _______________ + __________ = MEANING

7. 1. The Reader-Response Approach 2 Important Ideas in Reader-Response 1. An individual reader’s interpretation usually changes over time. Ever read a book more than once? How did your reading experience change when you re-read it? 2. Readers from different generations and different time periods interpret texts differently. Ever read the same book as someone much older/younger than you? How did your reading experiences differ? Ultimately… How do YOU feel about what you have read? What do YOU think it means?

8. Cultural Criticism Four common ideas:  Ethnicity, religious beliefs, sexual identity, and so on are crucial components in formulating plausible interpretations of text.  While the emphasis is on diversity of approach and subject matter, Cultural Criticism is not the only means of understanding ourselves and our art.  An examination or exploration of the relationship between dominant cultures and dominated cultures is essential.  When looking at a text through the perspective of marginalized peoples, new understandings emerge Definition:

9. 2. The Psychological/ Psychoanalytic Approach Psychological Criticism Definition: Key Concepts:  Based on the work of Sigmund Freud.  Focuses on the ________ motivations of literary characters  Looks at literary characters as a reflection of the writer

10. 3. The Sociological Approach Sociological criticism definition: Key Concepts:  Focuses on the _______________ and how those views are reflected in a text  Emphasizes the economic, political, and cultural issues within literary texts  Core Belief:

11. 3A. The Marxist Approach Marxist Criticism Definition:  It is based on the political theory of Karl Marx.  Concerned with understanding the role of _________, _________, and ___________ in literary texts.

12. 4A. The Marxist Approach Marxist Criticism examines literature to see how it reflects 1. The way in which ______________ groups (typically, the majority) exploit the _________ groups (typically, the minority). 2. The way in which people become alienated from one another through power, money, and politics

13. 3B. The Feminist Approach Feminist Criticism Definition:  Asserts that men have written most “literature” throughout time. “by men, for men.”  Examines the way that the female consciousness is depicted by both male and female writers.

14. 4B. The Feminist Approach 4 Basic Principles of Feminist Criticism 1. Western civilization is _______________. 2. The concepts of gender are mainly cultural ideas created by patriarchal societies. 3. Patriarchal ideals pervade “literature.” 4. Most “literature” through history is ________.

15. 4. The Biographical Approach Biographical Criticism Definition:

16. 4. The Biographical Approach Three Benefits: 1. Facts about an ________________ can help a reader decide how to interpret a text. 2. A reader can better appreciate a text by knowing a writer’s struggles or difficulties in creating that text. 3. A reader can understand a writer’s preoccupation by studying the way they apply and modify their own life experiences in their works.

17. 5. The New Historicist Approach New Historicist Criticism Definiton:

18. 5. The New Historicist Approach New Historicism: 1. Provides background information necessary to understand how literary texts were perceived in their time. 2. Shows how literary texts reflect _______ and ________ of the time in which they were written.  New historicist critics often compare the language in contemporary documents and literary texts to reveal cultural assumptions and values in the text.

19. 6. Archetypal Approach  Examining a text for recurring universal _________ It is also important to examine the extent the author holds true or departs from the archetype. Example: Star Wars and Harry Potter The unlikely hero The misfit companions The heroic journey

20. Moralistic Criticism: Moralistic Criticism Definition:  This approach acknowledges the centrality of moral problems in literature (i.e.: should Huck give up his friend Jim or shelter him?)

21. Philosophical Criticism: Philosophical Questions by “Topic”  Religious:  Creationism:  Metaphysics:  Aesthetics:  Existentialism:

22. REMEMBER…  We will never look at a text STRICTLY from one standpoint or another, ignoring all other views. That is antithetical to what we are trying to do.  We should always keep our focus on the text and use these critical approaches to clarify our understanding of a text and develop an interpretation of it.