Critical Approaches to Literature

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Critical Approaches to Literature

• Created by Mr. Smithmier 2009-10

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Objectives

• Provide students a variety of tools with which to
  analyze literature
• Develop a close reading of the works under
  consideration
• Work to answer questions about a text

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Interpreting Literature

• Interpretation explore the meaning of
• Close reading observation of detail, special
  use of language, patterns of repetition, imagery,
  symbols, terms, main ideas

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Close Reading

• take text seriously enough to read and reread
• search for details
• examine word choice
• look for symbolic uses of language
• ask why?
• note allusions
• work to answer questions about text

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Overview of interpretive strategies

• Text provides meaning and reader/critics job is
  to find it
• Reader response meaning is created by reader
  during reading
• Context based interpretation consider text in
  relation to biographical, historical, cultural
  information

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Reader Response Criticism

• Discusses in terms of what the reader brings to
  and from the work
• If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears
  it, does it make a sound?
• If a text does not have a reader, does it exist
  or have meaning?

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Reader Response

• Reader ? MEANING ? Text

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Traditional ApproachesHistorical / Biographical
Criticism

• a literary work is viewed mainly as a reflection
  of the authors life and times or of the
  characters life and times
• Examples
• Tale of Two Cities French Revolution
• Grapes of Wrath American Depression

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Traditional ApproachesMoral / Philosophical
Criticism

• a larger function of literature is to teach
  morality and to probe philosophical issues.
  Interpret literature within the context of the
  philosophical thought of the period.
• Examples
• The Scarlet Letter effect of secret sin
• The Stranger existentialism

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Formalist Criticism

• Process demands close, intensive reading,
  understanding of denotation and connotation of
  words, allusions, awareness of structure and
  patterns
• Constants account for everything terms,
  imagery, metaphor, devices, tension, irony.

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Formalist Criticism

• History early 20th century. Also New Criticism,
  the work of art as an object
• Author has let go of the work and it now must
  be judged on its own merits
• (Salinger) Catcher in the Rye no comment
• Limitations absorption with detail, obvious
  preference with certain poets, lack of success
  with novels, overlooks feelings and emotions.

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Psychological Criticism

• AKA Freudian (Sigmund Freud) one of most
  controversial, most abused, least appreciated
• Can provided many clues for solving a works
  symbolic mysteries
• Primarily 20th century

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Freuds Theories

• 3 premises (mental activity)
• Unconscious
• Human behavior motivated by sexuality
• Certain desires are repressed

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Freuds Theories

• 3 psychic zones
• Id primary source of psychic energy. Source of
  aggression/desire. If unchecked leads to self
  destruction.
• Ego regulates, rational governing agent.
  Largely unconscious, yet would be considered the
  conscious mind. Mediates within and without.
• Superego moral censor, place of conscience and
  pride.

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Mythological Archetypal Criticisms

• Mythological seeks very deep chord within human
  nature. Connected with religion, anthropology,
  and cultural history
• Archetypal universal symbols
• Example Huck Finn

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Feminist Criticism

• Mainly political concerned with differences and
  marginalization of women.
• 3 fold purpose
• Expose patriarchal prejudices
• Promote discovery of women/minority literature
• Examine social, cultural, psychosexual context of
  literature and criticism
• Example To His Coy Mistress

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Additional Approaches

• Structuralism/Post-Structuralism
• Marxist
• New Historicism
• Aristotelian
• Rhetorical
• Genre

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Conclusion

• How do we find all this information? Is there a
  symbol hunting class?
• This is a close reading of literature. Here are
  tools to judge and discern (critically analyze)
  literature.

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FINAL WARNING!!

• ANY INTERPRETATION OF THE LITERATURE MUST BE
  SUPPORTED LOGICALLY AND FULLY USING THE TEXT.
• THE ULTIMATE TEST OF AN INTERPRETATION IS
  CONSISTENCY WITHIN THE TEXT.