Utilizing literary criticism in the Literature/Language Classroom

Once we get into discussions about the use of literature in the classroom we are sure to
encounter situations where students begin to throw questions to us as teachers, their
peers and those outside of the classroom. Very often too they have their own questions
which exist deep in the crevices of their mind...and those thoughts linger there for a long
time before most of us ever gain access to them.

According to Milner and Milner, ‘Literature possesses this potential for promoting a
critical consciousness of culture, a first step toward liberating the reader’ (Milner and
Milner 2008: 169). Access to literary theories in the classroom in an age and content-
appropriate manner pulls students into deeper and more meaningful engagement with
the texts they read and more importantly, the ideas they receive, create and
development through their interaction with the texts and the ways of reading the texts
that are enabled by introducing them to various aspects of literary thoughts and views
surrounding some general concepts or issues raised in the text.

By introducing students to the idea of power and powerlessness (through Marxism), or

the notion of the way in which some texts privilege certain European ideals and values
(through postcolonialism), teachers help to motivate students to not simply read but to
decide on various ways the text can be interpreted. Exposure to the content of literary
theories also encourages a variety of responses from students and teaches them how
to appreciate the opinion of others and to find new and different ways to say what some
of them have been dying and trying hard to express with regard to the text’s content.

Literary Criticism becomes useful at any stage of classroom practice: through

introductory activities, methodology steps which take us through the lesson and also
through the evaluation exercises we give students as we attempt to understand how
they have internalized what they have received and more importantly how they have
connected with the text and the views expressed on the text, themselves.

Through literary criticism students can begin approaching texts by debating particular
issues which are present in the text - even when they have not yet encountered the text
itself (as can occur in the ‘enter’ stage of the teaching cycle). Pictures that depict a
particular reality or situation can be used to engage students with issues they are likely
to encounter in the text and through whose lens they may be able to ‘read’ the text or
evaluate that which is present in the text.

Likewise, teachers can, according to Milner and Milner, ‘test a knowledge of the whole
or parts of the text’ by engaging students in questions pertaining to certain perspectives
that may be present in the text. Additionally students responses to particular questions
or discussions centred around the ideas embedded in these theoretical perspectives
can help teachers to gain an understanding of the ways in which students are
interpreting the text or the insights students may have based on the textual content with
which they have interacted.
Essay prompts could also be crafted based on a critical perspective or set of
perspectives introduced by the teacher during classroom instruction and practice.
Students can also be given jigsaw puzzles where they can put pieces together based on
the ideas in the text that support particular ways of ‘seeing’ that are put forward by
various literary theories or critical perspectives. Students can also be allowed to change
various aspects of the literary text based on the way they believe certain ‘critics’ or
persons (depending on age and grade teachers will need to appropriate the information)
would ‘read’ and ‘interpret’ the text or the type of reading such critics would promote.
Additionally, teachers can utilize literature circles or other small-group or large-group
discussions when using literary theories. They can pose questions about the text (in
various formats and through the use of various contexts) based on the content of the
literary perspective being discussed. Milner and Milner (2008:164) offer some
examples: When looking at a historical perspective the students can be asked to look at
the social and economic forces at work in the 1930s Depression and to explain the way
these influenced the struggles presented in a particular text. Students can therefore use
literary theories to better understand characters, themes, plots, settings, and all the
other elements of fiction.

Literary theories (critical perspectives on literature) and their use in the literature/
language classroom promote open-minded responses and meaningful and realistic
connections with the literary text. They open doors of ‘possibility’ where it concerns
reading, interpreting and responding to the literary text. They are not to be left for
tertiary level educators only. They can be utilized at all levels but the way they are used
has to be appropriated to the age and grade level of students in the literature/language
classroom.

Have fun using literary theories in creative and dynamic ways to enable better student
engagement and connection with literary texts in the literature/language classroom.