Literary Criticism The paradigms and the possibilities What

Literary Criticism The paradigms and the possibilities…

What do you see in this painting?

DEFINITION … Literary criticism is the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Wikipedia rocks : )

Let's try again … "Literary criticism is the evaluation of literary works. This includes the classification by genre, analysis of structure, and judgement of value. " Beckson & Ganz Ok, that's a bit better …

And again … "Literary criticism asks what literature is, what it does, and what it is worth. " Encyclopedia Britannica Nice …

In my own words … Literary criticism is the method used to interpret any given work of literature. The different schools of literary criticism provide us with lenses which ultimately reveal important aspects of the literary work.

Why do we have to analyze everything? ? ØTalking about experiences enhances our enjoyment of them. ØTalking about experiences involves the search for meaning which increases our understanding of them. Ø Because Socrates said so: "The life which is unexamined is not worth living. "

To further explain … Literary criticism helps us to understand what is important about the text • its structure • its context: social, economic, historical • what is written • how the text manipulates the reader

And there's more … �Literary criticism helps us to understand the relationship between authors, readers, and texts �The act of literary criticism ultimately enhances the enjoyment of our reading of the literary work

YOU'RE GOING TO STUDY FIVE PARADIGMS … 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Biographical Marxism Feminism Historical Reader Response

But there are many more … Ø Author intention Ø Biological Ø Cognitive scientific Ø Moralist Ø Socio-political Ø Sociological Ø Formalism Ø Psychoanalytic Ø Cultural Criticism Ø Structuralism Ø Post-structuralism Ø Archetypal And so many more …

Literary Criticism Map Where do theories fall?

How do I know how to look through each literary criticism “lens”? 1. You need to understand the philosophy of theory. 2. Then you know what questions to ask of the literature.

The Author’s World HISTORICAL APPROACH � Is based on the idea that the events and culture of the time influenced the work Questions: � Is the method of composition indicative of the period? � Is the subject matter representative of events occurring at this time? BIOGRAPHICAL APPROACH � Is based on the idea that the writer’s life and intentions influenced the work. Questions: � Does the work take on a greater significance because of the writer’s life? � What were the writer’s intentions? Who was the writer’s audience?

Psychological Theories THE MARXIST APPROACH Is based on the philosophy of Karl Marx, a German philosopher and economist. � His major argument : whoever controlled the means of production to society controlled the society – whoever owned the factories “owned” the culture. THE FEMINIST APPROACH Is based on the idea that the Western world is fundamentally patriarchal (created by men, ruled by men, viewed through the eyes of men, judged by men). � Questions: � Do the economic tensions in the text represent those in society? � Does the text work to reveal the economic pitfalls of capitalism? Questions: What are the attitudes towards women that are both explicit and implicit? How do the literary conventions(happy ending for example) bring to light assumptions about women?

The Reader Response. �Is based on the idea that the text affects the reader. The reader learns as much about himself as he does about the text Questions: �What is the predominate effect the text had on you? �What does your response tell you about yourself?

Upon seeing an orange Historical theory asks: What weather patterns and harvesting methods at the time influenced the orange? Biographical theory asks: Was the orange a favorite fruit of the grower? Feminist theory asks: What possibilities are available to a woman who eats the orange? to a man? Marxist theory asks: Reader Response theory asks: Who owns the orange? Who gets to eat it? What does the orange taste like? What does the orange remind us of?

Let’s get our “feet wet” Examining Cinderella Feminist Perspective • the potentially misogynist theme of abused-girl-waiting-to-berescued-by-prince. • Will the chosen woman have a choice in whether of not to marry the prince? • the values conveyed in the portrayal of the “good girl” as physically beautiful and the “wicked girls” as physically ugly. • the fact that the “good girl” is passive, weak, and submissive and can do nothing (and does do nothing) to improve her own condition. • The fact that the powerful woman is portrayed as wicked (and probably ugly)

Now, a different perspective… The Marxist Perspective: • that Cinderella is a representative of the proletariat (working class) • that she is oppressed by her bourgeoisie stepmother and stepsisters, who have stolen her rightful inheritance and turned her into a servant in her own home. • that she desires to join that ranks of the bourgeoisie by marrying the prince. • the ball gown, glass sippers, and golden coach as evidence of commodification; without these possessions, Cinderella cannot hope to rise out of the proletariat and join the bourgeoisie

Another Perspective… Historical Perspective What were the courting rituals when Cinderella was written? What were the roles of men and women in society during that time period? What were the main causes of death during that time period? How and why did Cinderella’s parents die?

And another perspective… Biographical Perspective What was the family situation of the author? Does the author have experience with love at first sight? Is there an “evil stepmother” in the author’s life?

The final perspective… What connections can the reader make with Cinderella? To consider… Will the family experiences of the reader shape the understanding of Cinderella? Does the reader believe in fairy tales? Has the reader experienced love at first sight?

There are so many possible answers … What does this literary work mean? Different approaches or lenses help us to discover rich and deeper meaning. Each lens has its strengths and weaknesses. Each lens is valuable. Try to become a pluralist rather than an inflexible supporter of one