There are 9 literary lenses

You can apply these to analyzing any

piece of art (literature, art, music,
etc)
We will be using these lenses for the
rest of the year, and they will be
referenced by Mr. Adams and possibly
appear in college as well.

Focuses only on the text
Seeks to understand how the
author uses language to give
meaning to the text
Asks: how do the literary elements
work together to create a story?

Using events in the authors life to
determine how they influence his/
her writing
Asks: What personal events
inspired the author to write this
piece of work?

Using events from the current time
and how those events influence
his/her writing
Asks: How did events of the time
influence the text, and vice versa?

Investigate how a piece of work
serves or challenges gender
stereotypes
Focuses on how society views,
defines or values gender
Asks: How does the text mirror
gender roles?

Based on the economical theory of
Marxism
Asks: Who has the power/money in
the text, who does not? What is the
result?
Lens #6: Psychological Criticism
Argues that the text expresses the
inner workings of the human mind
Focuses on the choices characters
make as humans and moral agents
Asks: What does the text tell us
about what it means to be a
human?
Lens #7: Archetypal Criticism
Argues that literature speaks to the
point of the human experience and
how humans act
Asking: What universal patterns of
society are explained in the text?
Lens #8: Reader Response Theory
Argues that in order to understand
the text, the reader must connect
and relate to the work
Asking: how do you like the book?
Lens #9: Deconstruction
Argues that literature means
nothing because language means
nothing
Notes that we cannot assume
meaning, and thus there is
meaning