Literary TheoriesThe Basics of Criticism

The Basic Idea• The point of criticism is to argue your

point of view on a work of literature.• You don’t have to “criticize” a text (but

you can)• You do have to analyze a text and

support your assertions with specific evidence from experts and the text.

The Basic Idea• A critical analysis is an in-depth

examination of some aspect of the literary work

• you may examine any element of the text: character development, conflicts, narrative point of view, etc.

• Even though it’s an examination of a literary work, it’s still a persuasive essay

The Basic Idea• The goal is to prove something about the

work • There must be a point to the

discussion.• You must answer the questions Why?, or

So what?• For example, why is a recurring symbol

important? Or, why is the development of the female characters significant?

The Basic Idea• There are many different approaches we

can take to critical analysis• Literary theories provide a framework for

our discussion of a text• We don’t have to identify the theory we’re

using, though.• We use it as a starting point for our own

ideas and opinions

Historical/Biographical Approach

• views literature as the reflection of an author's life and times (or of the characters' life and times).

• it is necessary to know about the author and the political, economical, and sociological context of his times in order to truly understand his works.

Historical/Biographical Approach

Advantages:• works well for some which are obviously

political or biographical in nature. • places allusions in their proper classical,

political, or biblical background. Disadvantages:• "the intentional fallacy"  • tends to reduce art to the level of biography and

make it relative (to the times) rather than universal.

Application• What are some historical or biographical

elements we might examine in a discussion of our current novel?

Moral / Philosophical Approach:

• asserts that the larger purpose of literature is to teach morality and to probe philosophical issues

• authors intend to instruct the audience in some way

Moral / Philosophical Approach:

Advantages:• useful for works which do present an

obvious moral philosophy • useful when considering the themes of works • does not view literature merely as "art" isolated

from all moral implications • recognizes that literature can affect readers and

that the message of a work is important.

Moral / Philosophical Approach:

Disadvantages:• such an approach can be too

"judgmental"  • Some believe literature should be judged

primarily (if not solely) on its artistic merits, not its moral or philosophical content.

Application• What are some moral or philosophical

elements we might examine in a discussion of our current novel?

Formalism / New Criticism• involves a close reading of the text• all information essential to the

interpretation of a work must be found within the work itself

• focuses on analyzing irony, paradox, imagery, and metaphor

• also interested in the work's setting, characters, symbols, and point of view.

Formalism / New Criticism• no need to bring in outside information

about the history, politics, or society of the time, or about the author's life

• does not view works through the lens of feminism, psychology, mythology, or any other such standpoint

• not interested in the work's affect on the reader.

Formalism / New CriticismTerms Used in New Criticism: • intentional fallacy - the false belief that the

meaning or value of a work may be determined by the author's intention

• affective fallacy - the false belief that the meaning or value of a work may be determined by its affect on the reader

• external form - rhyme scheme, meter, stanza form, etc.

Formalism / New CriticismAdvantages:• can be performed without much research• emphasizes the value of literature apart from its

context • virtually all critical approaches must begin hereDisadvantages:• text is seen in isolation• ignores the context of the work• cannot account for allusions

Application• What are some formal elements we might

examine in a discussion of our current novel?

Psychoanalytical Approach• views works through the lens of

psychology• looks either at the psychological

motivations of the characters or of the authors themselves

• most frequently applies Freudian psychology to works, but other approaches also exist.

Freudian Approach to Personality

Three parts to an individual’s psyche:• the id: the instinctual, pleasure seeking

part of the mind• the superego: the part of the mind that

represses the id's impulses• the ego: the part of the mind that controls

but does not repress the id's impulses, releasing them in a healthy way

Sex is Everything Freud believed that all human behavior is

motivated by sexuality • Oedipus complex: a boy's unconscious

rivalry with his father for the love of his mother

• Electra complex: a girl’s unconscious rivalry with her mother for the love of her father (a.k.a. “daddy issues”)

Freudian ImageryRecognizes symbols that are linked to sexual

pleasure• concave images, such as ponds, flowers, cups,

and caves as female symbols• phallic symbols, objects that are longer than

they are wide, are male images• dancing, riding, and flying are associated with

sexual pleasure• water is usually associated with birth, the

female principle, the maternal, the womb, and the death wish.

Psychoanalytical ApproachAdvantages:• can be a useful tool for understanding character

development and conflictDisadvantages:• can turn a work into a psychological case study• tends to see sex in everything, exaggerating this aspect

of literature • some works do not lend themselves readily to this

approach.

Application• What are some psychological or

psychoanalytical elements we might examine in a discussion of our current novel?

Archetypal Approach• assumes that there is a collection of

symbols, images, characters, and motifs (i.e. archetypes) that evokes basically the same response in all people

• identifies these patterns and discusses how they function in the works

• asserts that these archetypes are the source of much of literature's power.

Archetypal Approach• based on the theories of psychologist

Carl Jung • he states that mankind possesses a

"collective unconscious" that contains these archetypes and that is common to all of humanity

Some Archetypes• archetypal women - the Good Wife/Mother, the Terrible Mother,

the Virgin (often a Damsel in Distress), and the Fallen Woman.• water - creation, birth-death-resurrection, purification, redemption,

fertility, growth • garden - paradise (Eden), innocence, fertility • desert - spiritual emptiness, death, hopelessness • red - blood, sacrifice, passion, disorder • green - growth, fertility • black - chaos, death, evil • serpent - evil, sensuality, mystery, wisdom, destruction • seven - perfection • hero archetype -  The hero is involved in a quest (in which he

overcomes obstacles). He experiences initiation (involving a separation, transformation, and return), and finally he serves as a scapegoat, that is, he dies to atone.

Archetypal ApproachAdvantages:• provides a universalistic approach to literature

and identifies a reason why certain literature may survive the test of time

• it works well with works that are highly symbolicDisadvantages:• literature may become a vehicle for archetypes• can easily become a list of symbols without

much analysis

Application• What are some archetypal elements we

might examine in a discussion of our current novel?

Feminist Approach• concerned with the roles of female

characters within works• may argue that gender determines

everything, or just the opposite: that all gender differences are imposed by society, and gender determines nothing

Stages of Female Identity• Feminine: the female accepts the

definitions and roles male authorities have created for her

• Feminist: rebels against male authority and intentionally challenges all male definitions and roles

• Female: no longer concerned with male definitions or restrictions; defines her own voice and values

The Mad-Woman in the Attic• Critics Gilbert and Gubar identify a

pattern in the treatment of female characters in literature, even when written by women.

• based on the plot of Jane Eyre• the practice of removing a female

character who is no longer useful to the male characters

Application• What are some gender-based elements

we might examine in a discussion of our current novel?

Marxist Approach• Karl Marx perceived human history to

have consisted of a series of struggles between classes--between the oppressed and the oppressing (“the haves” and “the have-nots”).

• Marx thought that materialism was the ultimate driving force in history

Marxist Approach• Feudalism exploits workers to the point of

revolt• This leads to bourgeois capitalism• In bourgeois capitalism, the privileged

bourgeoisie rely on the working proletariat

• Workers are exploited to the point of revolt

Marxist Approach• The successful working class will then

establish a communist society• In this ideal the labor, the means of

production, and the profits are shared by all

• This system is an attempt at complete social and economic equality

• It’s a great theory but doesn’t work in reality

Marxist Approach• Marxist criticism examines the nature of

power structures within a novel.• It asks questions like: Who has power?

Who lacks power? Who is exploited by whom and why? How does power remain constant or shift throughout a work of literature? What makes certain characters powerful or powerless?

Marxist Approach• It also examines commodities,

possessions that give power• Typical commodities are things like land

and money but can also be things like social position, knowledge, or even a person

• Marxist criticism can also examine what commodities bring power and why within a work of literature

Application• Who is in power within the novel? • What commodities does that character

possess that allows him/her to have power?

• How does power shift or remain static throughout the novel?

Reader Response Criticism • analyzes the reader's role in the production of meaning• lies at the opposite end of the spectrum from formalism• the text itself has no meaning until it is read by a reader• The reader creates the meaning. • can take into account the strategies employed by the

author to elicit a certain response from readers • denies the possibility that works are universal (i.e. that

they will always mean more or less the same thing to readers everywhere)

• makes someone's reading a function of personal identity.

Reader Response CriticismAdvantages:• recognizes that different people view works

differently and that people's interpretations change over time.

Disadvantages:• tends to make interpretation too subjective• does not provide adequate criteria for

evaluating one reading in comparison to another

Application• What are your personal responses to this

novel? • Are there certain elements you respond

to strongly or with which you identify?