Literary Criticism

DEFINITION …

Literary criticism is the study,

discussion, evaluation, and
interpretation of literature.
Let's try again …

"Literary criticism is the

evaluation of literary works.
This includes the classification
by genre, analysis of structure,
and judgement of value."
And again …

"Literary criticism asks what

literature is, what it does, and
what it is worth."
In my own words …

Literary criticism is the method used

to interpret any given work of
literature. The different schools of
literary criticism provide us with
lenses which ultimately reveal
important aspects of the literary
work.
To further explain …

Literary criticism helps us to

understand what is important about
the text
its structure
its context: social, economic,
historical
what is written
And there's more …

Literary criticism helps us to understand the

relationship between authors, readers, and texts

The act of literary criticism ultimately enhances

the enjoyment of our reading of the literary work
Definition

Literary Analysis
Form an argument about a piece of literature
by examining the smaller pieces that make up
the work as a whole.
Express your personal perspective,
interpretation, or judgment or the work by
explaining how evidence from the text to
supports your interpretation.
Some Common Ways to Analyze
Literature
 New Criticism
 Biographical Criticism
 Historical Criticism
 Feminism Criticism
 Psychological Criticism
 Mythological Criticism
 Reader Response Criticism
1. NEW CRITICISM
It is a reaction to tradition, works that may be
interpreted or judged purely from what is
apparent in the texts. Involves a close reading of
the text all information are essential to the
interpretation of a work must be found within the
work itself. Focuses on analyzing irony, paradox,
imagery, and metaphor. No need to bring in
outside information about the history, politics, or
society of the time, or about the author's life.
2．BIOGRAPHICAL CRITICISM
Biographical criticism begins with the simple but
central insight that literature is written by actual
people and that understanding an author’s life
can help readers more thoroughly comprehend
the work. Anyone who reads the biography of a
writer quickly sees how much an author’s
experience shapes—both directly and indirectly—
what he or she creates
 Biographical Analysis

Looks for the author’s

influence
By examining the
author’s life, we can
have a deeper
understanding of the
writing
 A Biographical Analysis of The Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins

 Suzanne Collins wrote The Hunger Games because she loved the
story of Theseus and the Minotaur when she was a kid. In this story,
the evil king of Crete placed 7 young men and 7 young women
from Athens in the labyrinth where they would have to fight the
Minotaur to escape. Theseus eventually volunteers and defeats the
Minotaur.
 Hunger Games is a direct reflection of her love of this story.
 Youth from different districts are sent to the games as a reminder of the past and
for the entertainment of the capital.
 Katniss volunteers and enters the games along with other youth from the districts.
 Katniss is the champion of the poor and represents hope
3． HISTORICAL CRITICISM
Historical criticism seeks to understand a
literary work by investigating the social,
cultural, and intellectual context that
produced it—a context that necessarily
includes the artist’s biography and milieu.
Historical critics are less concerned with
explaining a work’s literary significance for
today’s readers than with helping us
understand the work by recreating, as nearly
as possible, the exact meaning and impact
it had on its original audience.
 Historical/Cultural Analysis

 Examines a text in relation to its historical or cultural backdrop.

 Examines a text’s effect on history or culture or vice versa.
 Often very similar to a biographical analysis, but you are analyzing how the
text relates to history or culture (past or present)
4. FEMINISM CRITICISM
Literature may be interpreted as a battle of the sexes or a
reaction or result of oppressive patriarchy. Concerned
with the impact of gender on writing and reading. Usually
begins with a critique of patriarchal culture. Concerned
with the place of female writers. Concerned with the roles
of female characters within works.
5．PSYCHOLOGICAL CRITICISM
Modern psychology has had an immense
effect on both literature and literary criticism.
Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic theories
changed our notions of human behavior by
exploring new or controversial areas like
wish-fulfillment, sexuality, the unconscious,
and repression. Freud also expanded our
sense of how language and symbols
operate by demonstrating their ability to
reflect unconscious fears or desires.
6．MYTHOLOGICAL CRITICISM
Mythological critics look for the recurrent universal
patterns underlying most literary works. (“Myth and
Narrative,” for a definition of myth and a
discussion of its importance to the literary
imagination.) Mythological criticism is an
interdisciplinary approach that combines the
insights of anthropology, psychology, history, and
comparative religion.
 Mythological Analysis
 Not about mythology
 It is about the universal elements of human life that are common in
all cultures.
 Like ancient mythology, literature is a window to creating meaning
for human life.
 In other words, stories make us feel like our lives are more significant.
 Mythological Analysis

Central to mythological theory are

archetypes.
universal elements present in the literature of all
cultures
 Mythological Analysis
 Common Archetypes
 The Hero = Beowulf, Spiderman, Luke Skywalker, Braveheart
 The Outcast = Freak the Mighty, Lord of the Flies, Cain
 The Quest = LOTR, Star Wars, Freak the Mighty
 Sacrificial King = Jesus, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, LOTR
 Evil Personified = Wicked Witch of the West, the Devil, the Emperor in
SW
7．READER-RESPONSE CRITICISM
The text itself has no meaning until it is read by a reader.
The reader creates the meaning. Analyzes the reader's
role in the production of meaning makes someone's
reading a function of personal identity. Recognizes that
different people view works differently and that people's
interpretations change over time.

Reader-response criticism attempts to describe what

happens in the reader’s mind while interpreting a text. If
traditional criticism assumes that imaginative writing is a
creative act, reader-response theory recognizes that
reading is also a creative process. Reader-response critics
believe that no text provides self-contained meaning;
literary texts do not exist independently of readers’