WEEK 6 TO 7

LITERARY THEORIES/APPROACHES

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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The term ‘criticism’ is often understood to be:

The act of finding fault; censure; disapproval

The act of criticizing, especially adversely
But the term ‘criticism’ as it is used in this course signifies:
The act of interpreting, analyzing, and making judgments of the
individual and comparative worth of works of art such as literature
A critical comment, review, article, essay,etc expressing such analysis
and judgment
The art, principles, or methods of a critic or critics

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What is literary criticism?

Literary criticism is the interpretation, analysis, classification, and

ultimately judgment of literary works.
It is usually in the form of a critical essay, but in-depth book reviews
can sometimes be considered literary criticism.
Criticism may examine a particular literary work or may look at an
author's writings as a whole.

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Who is a literary critici?

A literary critic is not someone who merely evaluates the worth or

quality of a piece of literature but, rather, is someone who argues on
behalf of an interpretation or understanding of the particular
meaning(s) of literary texts.

The task of a literary critic is to explain and attempt to reach a critical

understanding of what literary texts mean in terms of their aesthetic, as
well as social, political, and cultural statements and suggestions.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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What is Literary Theory?

A very basic way of thinking about literary theory is that these ideas act
as different lenses critics use to view and talk about art, literature, and
even culture.

These different lenses allow critics to consider works of art based on

certain assumptions within that school of theory. The different lenses
also allow critics to focus on particular aspects of a work they consider
important

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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What is Literary Theory?

Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is

the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals. E.g. if a critic is
working with certain Marxist theories, s/he might focus on how the
characters in a story interact based on their economic situation.

If a critic is working with post-colonial theories, s/he might consider the

same story but look at how characters from colonial powers (Britain,
France, and even America) treat characters from, say, Africa or the
Caribbean.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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What is Literary Theory?

The literary theory proposes particular, systematic approaches to

literary texts that impose a particular line of intellectual reasoning to it.

For example, a psychoanalytic literary theorist might take the

psychological theories of Sigmund Freud or Carl Jung and seek to reach
a critical understanding of a novel such as Ernest Hemingway’s For
Whom the Bell Tolls.

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What is the difference between Literary Theory and Literary Criticism?

Literary criticism is the practice of interpreting and writing about

literature as the latter, in turn, strives to make sense of the world.

Literary theory is the study of the principles which inform how critics
make sense of literary works.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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Types of Literary Criticism

A broad division can be made between the types literary criticism:

1. Practical criticism
2. Theoreticalcriticism
3. Descriptivecriticism
4. Prescriptivecriticism

These Four types can be grouped into two classes:

1. Practical and Theoreticalcriticism
2. Descriptive and Prescriptive criticism

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Practical criticism focuses on the examination of the individual text,

while theoretical criticism discusses the nature of literature, and the
relation between literature, critics, and society.

Descriptive criticism tends to explain the piece of literature as it is, in

its original form, while prescriptive criticism argues how it ought to be.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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The various theories of lit criticism are categorized into four major
classes.

MimeticTheory
Pragmatic Theory
ExpressiveTheory
ObjectiveTheory

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Mimetic Theory

The mimetic theory sees a work of literature as if it is reflecting the

universe like a mirror.
It regards literature as imitating or reflecting life and therefore
emphasizes the truth and accuracy of its representation.
That is why it is said that it is realism in a general sense. (mimetic
means imitation and the word are first used by Aristotle in the 4th
century B.C., where he states that tragedy is the imitation of an action).

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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Pragmatic Theory

It sees literature as designed to achieve its effects on the audience

(instructions, aesthetics, joy, etc), and judges it according to the
successful achievement of this assumed aim.
•Pragmatic theories emphasize the reader’s relation to the work. The
work is treated as something that is constructed to achieve certain
effects on the audience.
Effects may be for aesthetic pleasure, instruction, or any kind of
emotion.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Expressive Theory

Expressive theories center on the artist.

Wordsworth’s definition of poetry as the spontaneous overflow of
powerful feelings is typical and nearly all Romantic and 19th Century
criticism generally regards art as primarily concerned with expressing
the poet’s feelings or psyche.
It examines text as an expression of the writer’s feelings, imagination,
and personality. It tends to judge the work by its sincerity or the extent
to which it has successfully revealed the author’s state of mind.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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Objective Theory

It focuses more on the text without the influences of the writer or the
reader.
The text here is supreme and once this text is produced the writer
fizzles out and the only interpretation to be gotten is what can be
inferred from the text, the direct message that the text itself has which
has to be inferred within the text.
To them, there is no correspondence between the universe and the
work and we cannot know the true nature of either the audience or the
author.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

THE LITERARY THEORIES

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

METHODOLOGY IN LITERARY CRTICISM

AUDIENCE TEXT READER

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Approaches to Literary Criticism

Traditional Approaches
Historical/BiographicalApproach
Moral/PhilosophicalApproach

Modern approaches
Formalism/New Criticism
Psychoanalytical Approach
Feminism
Marxism

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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Classical Literary Theory

Classical Literary Theory emphasizes the concept of "mimesis" (Plato) or "imitation," which
means that literature should imitate or reflect reality. According to this theory, literature is an
imitation of life, and the artist's task is to represent life as accurately and truthfully as possible.

Classical Literary Theory places a high value on Horace's function of literature, which is to
entertain and educate the reader. According to this theory, literature should serve a moral and
didactic purpose and should contribute to the development of the reader's character and
understanding of the world.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Classical Literary Theory

Classical Literary Theory also emphasizes the concept of catharsis (Aristotle), which refers to
the emotional release or purification that the audience experiences through the representation
of tragic events in literature. According to this theory, the audience should be moved by the
events of the story and should experience a sense of emotional release, which is seen as a
valuable and transformative experience.

Classical Literary Theory also includes a belief in the need for censorship of literature.
According to this theory, literature has the power to corrupt or educate the reader, and it is the
responsibility of the authorities to ensure that literature is used for the moral and didactic
purposes for which it is intended. This has led to the censorship of literature at various times
and places throughout history, as well as debates over the appropriate role of censorship in
society.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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Mythological or Archetypal Theory

This approach to literary study is based on Carl Jung's theory of the collective
unconscious. Repeated or dominant images or patterns of human experience are
identified in the text: the changing of seasons, the cycle. of birth, death, and rebirth, the
heroic quest, or immortality. Myths are universal although every nation has its own
distinctive mythology.

Similar motifs or themes may be found among many different mythologies, and certain
images that recur in the myths of people separated in time and place tend to have a
common meaning, elicit comparable psychological responses, and serve similar cultural
functions. Such motifs and images are called archetypes.

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Mythological or Archetypal Theory

Northrop rye's assertion that literature consists of variations on a great mythic

theme contains the following:

the creation and life in paradise: garden

displacement or banishment from paradise: alienation
a time of trial and tribulation, usually a wandering: a journey
a self-discovery as a result of struggle: epiphany
a return to paradise: rebirth/resurrection

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Romantic Theory

It views poetry as having a subject matter that is ordinary and

commonplace.

It views poetry using simple language, makes use of imagination,

conveys a primal feeling, and presents similitude and dissimilitude

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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Here are some questions that could be raised when analyzing a poem using Romantic theory.

1. How does the poem use simple language to convey its message? What effect does this have on
the reader?
2. How does the poem make use of imagination? Does it use vivid imagery, metaphor, or other
literary devices to create a vivid and memorable image in the reader's mind?
3. How does the poem convey a primal feeling? Does it use language and imagery to tap into basic
human emotions, such as love, fear, or longing? How does this contribute to the overall mood
and tone of the poem?
4. How does the poem present similitude and dissimilitude? Does it use contrasts or comparisons
to highlight important themes or ideas in the poem? How do these techniques contribute to
the overall meaning and impact of the poem?
5. How does the poem explore ordinary and commonplace subject matter? Does it find beauty or
meaning in everyday experiences or objects? How does this contribute to the Romantic ideal of
finding transcendence and inspiration in the natural world and in everyday life?

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Structuralist Literary Theory

Structuralist Literary Theory. This theory draws from the linguistic theory of
Ferdinand de Saussure. Language is a system or structure. Our perception of reality,
and hence the ways we respond to it are dictated or constructed by the structure of
the language we speak.

This theory assumes that literature, as an artifact of culture, is modeled the

structure of language. The emphasis is on how a text means, instead of the 'what' of
the American New Criticism. The structuralists argue that the structure of language
produces reality, and meaning is no longer determined by the individual but by the
system which governs the individual.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Structuralist Literary Theory

Structural aims to identify the general principles of literary structure and not to
provide interpretations of individual texts. The structuralist approach to literature
assumes three dimensions in individual literary texts:

the text as a particular system or structure in itself

the texts are unavoidably influenced by other texts, in terms of both formal and
conceptual structures; part of the meaning of any text depends on its intertextual
relation to other texts
the text is related to the culture as a whole (binary oppositions)

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Historical Biographical

It views literature as the reflection of an author's life and times (or of the
character's life and times).

it is necessary to know about the author and the political, economical,

and sociological context of his times in order to truly understand his
works.

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Historical Biographical Guide Questions

When was the work written? When was it published? How was it received by the
critics and public and why?
What does the work’s reception reveal about the standards of taste and value
during the time it was published and reviewed?
What social attitudes and cultural practices related to the action of the word were
prevalent during the time the work was written and published?
What influences—people, ideas, movements, events—evident in the writer’s life
does the work reflect?
To what extent are the events described in the word a direct transfer of what
happened in the writer’s actual life?

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

SIGNIFICANT TERMS FOR HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHICALTHEORY

Historical context Authorial intention

Reception Life experiences

History
SIGNIFICANT
TERMS
Biography Cultural
fallacy Background

Literary Historical
Tradition Events
Literary Criticism Glyza Candido
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Moral Philosophical

It asserts that the larger purpose of literature is to teach morality and to

probe philosophical issues. The authors intend to instruct the audience
in some way.

It is useful for works that do present an obvious moral philosophy and it

recognizes that literature can affect readers and that the message of
work is important.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES
Moral Philosophical Guide Questions

What moral or ethical principles are being explored in the work?

How do the characters' actions and decisions reflect moral values?
What moral dilemmas arise in the work, and how are they resolved?
How does the work engage with issues of justice and fairness?
How does the work challenge or reinforce cultural or societal norms and
values?
What ethical implications are raised by the work's themes and messages?
How does the work comment on issues of human nature, such as the struggle
between good and evil?

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

SIGNIFICANT TERMS FOR MORAL PHILOSOPHICAL THEORY

Ethics, Good, and Repression

Evil

Morality Conscience
SIGNIFICANT
TERMS
Virtue Responsibility

Vice and Human Justice

Nature
Literary Criticism Glyza Candido
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Psychoanalytic Theory

Applies psychological theories to literary analysis: heavy emphasis on

symbolism, dreamlike imagery, and emotional rather than rational
logic that attributes latent or hidden meaning on the part of the
source (author) or characters.

Freudian Criticism: a branch of psychoanalytic criticism that asserts

that the meaning of a literary work exists not on the surface but in the
psyche of the author and/or characters.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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Psychoanalytic Theory

Analyzes literature to reveal insights about the way the human mind works. It is
based on the work of Sigmund Freud and his disciples.

It works well as a method of analyzing characters’ actions and motivations.

Analyzes the text through the lens of psychology, particularly in terms of

unconscious desires and the role of the psyche.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Psychoanalytic
Theory

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

A literary critic using psychoanalytic theory might ask themselves the following questions
when analyzing a text:
1. What are the unconscious desires and fears of the characters in the text?
2. How do the characters' behaviors and actions reveal their unconscious motivations?
3. What psychological conflicts are present in the text, and how are they resolved?
4. How do the characters' relationships with others in the text reflect their psychological
states?
5. What symbols and imagery in the text reveal the characters' unconscious desires and
fears?
6. How do the themes of the text relate to psychoanalytic concepts such as the id, ego,
and superego?
7. How does the text explore issues of power, gender, and sexuality, and how do these
relate to psychoanalytic theories of human behavior?

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

SIGNIFICANT TERMS FOR PSYCHONANALYTIC THEIORY

The unconscious Repression

Oedipus complex Sublimation

SIGNIFICANT
TERMS
Id, ego, and Catharsis
superego

Symbolism Dream analysis

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Feminist Theory

Feminist criticism grew out of the women’s movement that followed

World War II.
Feminist critics analyze the role of gender in works of literature.
Leading critic Elaine Showalter describes two purposes of feminist
criticism:
1. Feminist critique: The analysis of works by male authors, especially in
the depiction of women’s writing
2. Gynocriticism: The study of women’s writing

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Feminist Theory

Feminist critics have been responsible for recovering neglected

works by women authors through the ages and creating a canon of
women’s writing.

Examines the representation of gender and the experiences of

women in literature.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

A literary critic using feminist theory might ask themselves the following questions when
analyzing a text:
1. How does the text depict gender roles and expectations, and how do these relate to
broader cultural and historical contexts?
2. How are women portrayed in the text, and what roles do they play in relation to men?
3. How do the female characters in the text challenge or conform to traditional gender
norms?
4. How does the text address issues of power and privilege in relation to gender, race, class,
and sexuality?
5. What insights does the text offer into the experiences and perspectives of women, both
historically and in contemporary society?
6. How do the themes and motifs in the text reflect feminist concerns such as equality,
agency, and representation?
7. How does the author's use of language and imagery contribute to or challenge dominant
cultural narratives about gender and sexuality?

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

SIGNIFICANT TERMS FOR FEMINIST THEIORY

Gender roles Patriarchy

Representation Feminine and

Masculine traits
SIGNIFICANT
TERMS
Women's The male gaze
experiences

Subversion Androcentrism

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Marxist Theory

Marxist criticism is based on the social and economic theories of Karl

Marx and Friedrich Engels. Their beliefs include the following:

1. Value is based on labor.

2. The working class will eventually overthrow the capitalist middle
class.
3. In the meantime, the middle class exploits the working class.
4. Most institutions—religious, legal, educational, and governmental—
are corrupted by middle-class capitalists.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Marxist Theory

Marxist critics apply these economic and social theories to literature

by analyzing:

1. Ideologies that support the elite and place the working class at a
disadvantage
2. Class conflict

Explores the relationship between literature and society, particularly

in terms of class struggle and economic power.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

A literary critic using Marxist theory might ask themselves the following questions when
analyzing a text:

1. How does the text reflect the economic and social conditions of the time period in
which it was written?
2. How do the characters in the text relate to systems of power and class structures, and
what is their position within those structures?
3. How does the text depict the struggle between the ruling class and the working class,
and what role do the characters play in that struggle?
4. How do the text critique capitalism and the exploitation of labor?
5. How does the text reflect Marxist ideas about alienation, commodification, and the
devaluation of human labor?
6. How does the text explore the relationship between art and politics, and how might it
contribute to or challenge dominant cultural narratives?

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

SIGNIFICANT TERMS FOR MARXIST THEIORY

Hegemony Alienation

Commodity False
fetishism Consciousness
SIGNIFICANT
TERMS
Class Struggle Dialectical
Materialism

Superstructure Base

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES

Reader-Response Theory

"Among critics who challenge New Critical assumptions, reader-response

critics regard the work not as what is printed on the page but as what is
experienced temporally through each act of reading" (1920).

Reader-response does not so much ask what the text means, but what it
means to the reader. Emphasizes the role of the reader in creating meaning
from the text.

The reader-response theory is a literary theory that emphasizes the role of

the reader in creating meaning from the text.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES
Reader-Response Theory

This theory suggests that each reader brings their own unique background
and experiences to their interpretation of a literary work and that their
interpretation is shaped by their subjective response to the text.

One of the major features of reader-response theory is the idea of the

"implied reader." This refers to the hypothetical reader that the author
assumes will be reading their work and the ways in which the author
anticipates and shapes the reader's response to the text.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES
A literary critic using reader-response theory might ask themselves the following questions when
analyzing a text:

1. How do readers' individual experiences, beliefs, and values shape their interpretation of the text?
2. How do readers actively engage with the text, and how does this affect their understanding of the
text?
3. How do readers' expectations and assumptions about the text influence their interpretation?
4. How do readers' emotional responses to the text contribute to their interpretation?
5. How does the text evoke different responses from different readers, and what might account for
these differences?
6. How does the reader's cultural, social, and historical context affect their interpretation of the text?
7. How does the text invite readers to participate in the creation of meaning, and what does this
reveal about the relationship between the text and its readers?

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

SIGNIFICANT TERMS FOR READER-RESPONSE THEIORY

Active Reader Reception Theory

Empathy Horizons of
Expectation
SIGNIFICANT
TERMS
Subjectivity Affective Fallacy

Implied Reader Intertextuality

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES
Formalism Theory

Has the advantage of forcing writers to evaluate a work on its own terms rather
than to rely on “accepted” notions of the writer’s work.
Focuses on the form of the literary work, including structure, style, and language.
Works best when applied to poetry and short fiction.
Attempts to discover meaning by a close reading of a work of literature and its
literariness. Focus is on:
1. Form, organization, and structure
2. Word choice and language
3. Multiple meanings
Considers the work in isolation, disregarding the author’s intent, author’s
background, context, and anything else outside of the work itself.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES
A literary critic using formalism theory might ask themselves the following questions when
analyzing a text:

1. How does the text use literary devices such as plot, character, setting, and point of view to
create meaning?
2. How does the text use language and style to convey its themes and ideas?
3. How does the text use symbolism and imagery to create a complex and multi-layered meaning?
4. How does the text create meaning through its use of repetition, contrast, and other structural
elements?
5. How does the text use literary devices to create a sense of unity and coherence?
6. How does the text use literary devices to create a sense of ambiguity or multiple
interpretations?
7. How does the text use form to create meaning, such as the use of a particular narrative
structure or genre conventions?

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

SIGNIFICANT TERMS FOR FORMALISM THEIORY

Imagery Defamiliarization

Structure Organic unity

SIGNIFICANT
TERMS
Style Ambiguity

Language Close reading

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

 THE LITERARY THEORIES
American Criticism or New Criticism Theory

This theory believes that literature is an organic unity. it is independent of its author
or the time when was written or the historical context. It is concerned solely with the
'text in Isolt', with its language and organization.

It does not primarily seek a text's meaning, but now it speaks for itself. It encourages
attentive close reading of texts, a kind of democratization of literary study in the
classroom, in which nearly everyone is placed on an equal footing in the face of a
"blind text.'

It looks into how the parts relate to each other, achieves its order and harmony, and
contains and resolves irony, paradox, tension, ambivalence, and ambiguity. New
Critics believe that the text should be examined as a self-contained object.

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido

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A literary critic using the New Criticism theory might ask themselves the following:

1. How does the text use language to create meaning, and how do the individual words and
phrases contribute to the overall effect of the text?
2. How does the text use form and structure to create meaning, and how does the organization of
the text contribute to its overall effect?
3. In using this theory, one must proceed by looking into the following:
4. The persona
5. The addressee
6. The situation
7. What line persona says?

Literary Criticism Glyza Candido