1. Literary Criticism
An Introduction

2. Often when we begin to explore works of literature we have opinions about the content
how to interpret and analyze becomes a great and exciting task
Through the course of this unit we will examine how literary criticisms will assist you in interpretation and analysis

3. Analysis and Interpretation
In school and in the workplace, you are expected to interpret and/or analyse information and actions
You are asked questions like, what do you think that means?
Your answer is a result of your perspective.

4. However, if your interpretation is based only on your perspective, your responses and knowledge will always be limited
Two people reading same text can come up with completely different perspectives
You must be aware of an array of possible perspectives so that you may build your own interpretation and develop your own analysis

5. Literary criticism is the application of different critical theories to texts, which results in more varied analyses of life and literature.
Some of these critical theories include; Formalism, Marxist criticism, Feminist criticism, Post Colonialism, Psychoanalytic…etc

6. These theories have developed and evolved overtime in attempts to explain and understand the ever evolving thoughts, ideas, conflicts and emotions of humanity.
There is no one theory that offers a "correct" reading of any given text. Instead, these theories allow readers to uncover new meanings, new perspectives and new ways of "seeing" and interpreting texts and, by extension, the world.

7. Timeline (most of these overlap)
Moral Criticism, Dramatic Construction (~360 BC- present)
Formalism, New Criticism, Neo-Aristotelian Criticism (1930s-present)
Psychoanalytic Criticism, Jungian Criticism(1930s- present)
Marxist Criticism (1930s-present)
Reader-Response Criticism (1960s-present)
Structuralism/Semiotics (1920s-present)
Post-Structuralism/Deconstruction (1966-present)
New Historicism/Cultural Studies (1980s-present)
Post-Colonial Criticism (1990s-present)
Feminist Criticism (1960s-present)
Gender/Queer Studies (1970s-present)