Literary Criticism August 24 Literary Criticism Criticism is

Literary Criticism August 24

Literary Criticism • Criticism is based on how you view the world as an individual – your perception • It's not about pointing out the negative in Literature • It is a method of interpreting, evaluating, and explaining the meaning of literary works – the importance of text to the broader human experience • The formal practice of interpreting, evaluating, and explaining the meaning and significance of literary works Why should you care? • Helps become a skilled thinker capable of exploring the world beyond your personal perceptions

Theories are what we use to critique literature Literary Theory We will be discussing 6 commonly used theories – but there are many more than six

Reader-Response Criticism • This is your response to text based on your personal experiences, ethics, morals, and general views of the world • Each reader can gain a different understanding of the reading

Cultural Criticism • Based on differing religious beliefs, ethnicities, class identifications, political beliefs, and individual viewpoints • What does it mean to be part of – or excluded from – specific cultural groups • What is the relationship between the dominant culture and those with less power/ authority

Archetypal Criticism How universal symbols – images, characters, motifs, patterns – appear across widely diverse cultures

Marxist Criticism It’s all about the money $$$$$ Economic Inequalities and class divisions create controversy and power struggles

Feminist Criticism • Focuses on interaction between genders • Thought, behavior, values, enfranchisement, and power between and within the sexes • Women are often stereotyped • Consider the authors as well – text written by men may read very differently than text written by women

Historical Criticism • Text both influence and are influences by the times in which they are written. • Cannot separate text from the time period it was written – web of social, cultural, economic, personal, political factors

Practice • Reader Response: How do you feel when looking at the picture? What stands out? • Cultural: How did ideologies change in America during World War II? • Archetypal: How does this image compete with the idea of a 1940 s housewife? • Marxist: Were working women in the same social class as men in the military? • Feminist: Why were women excluded from being “soldiers with guns” • Historical: How did WWII impact the American industrial labor force?

Practice • Reader Response: What do you see? How would you respond? • Cultural: What country are three figures in the image from? • Archetypal: How does this image fit in with or depart from typical images of royalty? • Marxist: Who is being targeted by the ad? Who is being excluded? • Feminist: What is the ad saying about what makes a woman “quality”? • Historical: How much was $2. 50 when this ad was created? Was it expensive?

Homework • Develop questions or statements about this poster for each of the 6 literary theories discussed.