Literary Criticism

English (Lecture)
Keywords to remember

Critical Approaches Writing a Formalist Analysis

● Text is a self-contained object (author’s
● Compared to lenses because through
life, historical events are unnecessary
critiquing we can look in literary piece in
because you would only acquire the
different perspective
meaning of the text in the text itself)
● Criticism - often perceived as finding fault
● Examines the text as a whole
but it can also mean to appraise a work’s
● Analyzes all the elements, the diction, POV,
beauty and strong points.
tone, settings, character, etc. And after that
● Critic - See excellence as well as faults.
the critic describes how do these elements
The one who judges and analyzes a literary
work together to give meaning or the
piece.
theme to the text
● Critique - aims to study literary works,
analysis of a piece. Deconstruction
Purposes: ● Breaking down of text
● What do we read? ● Needs a close reading to understand the
● Why do we read? underlying meaning
● How do we read? ● Dismantling of excessive loyalty to an idea
because language has no definite meaning.
Functions of Criticism
● Opposite of formalist
● Introduce unknown - discover what is
● Introduced by Jacques Derrida in the year
lacking, the strengths, weaknesses, etc.
1967 in his book “Of Grammatology”
● Convince and Consider the tendency of
● In deconstructive criticism, we oppose
undervaluing text - get to appreciate the text
existing meanings of a text because we
● Show relationships between work of
should keep in mind that language has no
different ages and cultures - give
definite or single stable meaning.
relevance to the age and culture
● It does not disregard the main idea
● Shed light on the process of artistic
presented rather deconstruction suggests
making - use different style
possible meanings
● Give a “Reading” that increases
○ Four ways to deconstruct
understanding - learn deeper about the
1. Oppose prevailing theories - question
piece
existing meaning.
● Show the relation of art to life, science,
2. Expose cultural biases - these biases are
economics, ethics, religion, etc. - essential
often emphasized more in the piece
to life
3. Analyze sentence structure - relation of
Formalist Criticism the object to the subject
● Straightforward approach 4. Play with possible meaning - think of
● Studied in itself, not as part of some larger possible message of the piece
context. Reader’s Response
● The emphasis is on the relationships
● The message of the piece is an
between the parts or elements
interpretation of the reader
● Focuses on the elements of a literary
● The meaning is up to the reader’s
piece
imagination
Elements: (Depends on the genre)
● Each reader has a different view on a
: Plot, Character, Conflict, Point of View,
literary piece which means the meaning is
Settings, Theme (Fiction)
subjective.
: Meter, Scheme, Theme, Verse, Stanza,
● Focuses on the reader's idea about the
Rhyme (Poetry)
piece, their own insights.
● It takes one of two forms
● On objective: the meaning is based on facts
○ Explication - unfolding of meaning
or what the author wishes to imply
line by line or word by word
○ Analysis - examination of the
relation of parts.
● On subjective: the meaning is constructed ○ Do any of the characters correspond to real
by the readers’ unique feelings or people?
interpretations.
Historical Criticism
● Concerns those informed or competent
● Investigates the origin of ancient text to
readers because they are the ones that
understand its meaning.
actually read between the lines.
● Every written work is a product of its time
○ 5 Reader Response Approach
and world
1. Transactional reader-response - A text
● Helps readers understand the beliefs, ideas,
does not have a fixed meaning because of
and attitudes of the time the text is created
the relationship of the text and the reader. It
● Needs to know the author’s biography,
differs from reader to reader. Meaning is
ideas, and the historical events that have
produced by the transaction between the
happened when the work was first created.
reader and text. (Rosenblatt)
2. Affective Stylistics - The reader creates Psychological Criticism
the interpretation of a work based on his ● Reflects the author’s mind and
experiences in life. Reading of text personality
contributes to its meaning. (Stanley Fish) ● Work of Freud
3. Subjective Reader-Response theory - A ● Express the unconscious desires and
reader’s response is an individual response, anxieties of the author
which means it is different for every ● Concerns dreams
reader. (David Bleich) ● Focus on the unconscious mind
4. Psychological Reader-Response - The ● One’s behavior is determined by
reader's feelings or motives greatly experiences from the past that are lodged in
influence their interpretation of the piece. the unconscious mind.
We react to works with the same ● Take note of the emotions the readers are
psychological responses or emotion we going to feel when reading the piece.
bring in our daily lives (Norman Holland )
Sociological Criticism
5. Social Reader-Response - The
interpretation is created by a group who ● Focuses on the values and beliefs of the
shares a specific reading and interpretation. society. On the political, economic, and
(Stanley Fish) cultural issues.
● Relation between literature and the society
Biographical Criticism ○ Marxism - Struggles in the socio-economic
● Emphasize the author’s life and classes
background ○ Feminist - Women rights. Highlights the
● Focuses on the connection of the struggles of a woman.
author’s life to the story.
● Writer writes about his/her experiences
ALWAYS REMEMBER!
● It would be easy to read a literary piece if
we are familiar with the background of the There are 6 Critical Approaches
author as it could help us understand and 1. Formalist - elements
interpret the text 2. Deconstruction - breaking down
○ Questions in Biographical Criticism 3. Reader Response - own interpretation
○ What aspects of the author’s personal life 4. Biographical - author’s life
are relevant to this story? 5. Psychoanalytic - emotions and
○ Which stated beliefs are stated in the story? unconscious mind
○ Does the writer support/ challenge his/her 6. Sociological - beliefs and issues
contemporaries? concerning the society
○ What is the major concern of the writer? Is it ○ Feminist - women
reflected in the story? ○ Marxism - money and power
○ Do any of the events in the story happen in
the author’s life?